April 21: Jesus Will Turn It Around!
Luke 16
Amplified Bible (AMP)
16 Also [Jesus] said to the disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a manager of his estate, and accusations [against this man] were brought to him, that he was squandering his [master’s] possessions.
2 And he called him and said to him, What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management [of my affairs], for you can be [my] manager no longer.
3 And the manager of the estate said to himself, What shall I do, seeing that my master is taking the management away from me? I am not able to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.
4 I have come to know what I will do, so that they [my master’s debtors] may accept and welcome me into their houses when I am put out of the management.
5 So he summoned his master’s debtors one by one, and he said to the first, How much do you owe my master?
6 He said, A hundred measures [about 900 gallons] of oil. And he said to him, Take back your written acknowledgement of obligation, and sit down quickly and write fifty [about 450 gallons].
7 After that he said to another, And how much do you owe? He said, A hundred measures [about 900 bushels] of wheat. He said to him, Take back your written acknowledgement of obligation, and write eighty [about 700 bushels].
8 And [his] master praised the dishonest (unjust) manager for acting shrewdly and prudently; for the sons of this age are shrewder and more prudent and wiser in [relation to] their own generation [to their own age and kind] than are the sons of light.
9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), so that when it fails, they [those you have favored] may receive and welcome you into the everlasting habitations (dwellings).
10 He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing] is dishonest and unjust also in much.
11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the [case of] unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), who will entrust to you the true riches?
12 And if you have not proved faithful in that which belongs to another [whether God or man], who will give you that which is your own [that is, the true riches]?
13 No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely).
14 Now the Pharisees, who were covetous and lovers of money, heard all these things [taken together], and they began to sneer at and ridicule and scoff at Him.
15 But He said to them, You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted and highly thought of among men is detestable and abhorrent (an abomination) in the sight of God.
16 Until John came, there were the Law and the Prophets; since then the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone strives violently to go in [would force his own way rather than God’s way into it].
17 Yet it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to fail and become void.
18 Whoever divorces (dismisses and repudiates) his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.
19 There was a certain rich man who [habitually] clothed himself in purple and fine linen and reveled and feasted and made merry in splendor every day.
20 And at his gate there was [carelessly] dropped down and left a certain utterly destitute man named Lazarus, [reduced to begging alms and] covered with [ulcerated] sores.
21 He [eagerly] desired to be satisfied with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover, the dogs even came and licked his sores.
22 And it occurred that the man [reduced to] begging died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 And in Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried out and said, Father Abraham, have pity and mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Child, remember that you in your lifetime fully received [what is due you in] comforts and delights, and Lazarus in like manner the discomforts and distresses; but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.
26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who want to pass from this [place] to you may not be able, and no one may pass from there to us.
27 And [the man] said, Then, father, I beseech you to send him to my father’s house—
28 For I have five brothers—so that he may give [solemn] testimony and warn them, lest they too come into this place of torment.
29 But Abraham said, They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear and listen to them.
30 But he answered, No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent (change their minds for the better and heartily amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins).
31 He said to him, If they do not hear and listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded and convinced and believe [even] if someone should rise from the dead.
I was a little confused by verse 8. Matthew Henry cleared it up for me.
8 And [his] master praised the dishonest (unjust) manager for acting shrewdly and prudently; for the sons of this age are shrewder and more prudent and wiser in [relation to] their own generation [to their own age and kind] than are the sons of light.
"The lord referred to in this parable commended not the fraud, but the policy of the steward. In that respect alone is it so noticed. Worldly men, in the choice of their object, are foolish; but in their activity, and perseverance, they are often wiser than believers. The unjust steward is not set before us as an example in cheating his master, or to justify any dishonesty, but to point out the careful ways of worldly men. It would be well if the children of light would learn wisdom from the men of the world, and would as earnestly pursue their better object." Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
And then as Jesus was speaking about generosity, the Pharisees began to sneer at him in verse 14. Wow. Not only did they have filthy hearts, but they couldn't even bring themselves to be polite. And then verse 15 brings it home.
15 But He said to them, You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted and highly thought of among men is detestable and abhorrent (an abomination) in the sight of God.
I must embrace this nugget of wisdom. I must LIVE this! What is praised on earth is detestable (an abomination, even) in the sight of God. These are hard words!!!
This is further exampled in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man was highly exalted on earth. The poor man was a disgusting begger, considered to be the lowest of the low.
25 But Abraham said, Child, remember that you in your lifetime fully received [what is due you in] comforts and delights, and Lazarus in like manner the discomforts and distresses; but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.
So if you look around and some seemingly have it easy compared to you, well don't waste time wondering why. Just choose joy. In the midst of your hardship.
Number one, sometimes things aren't as they seem. People can be smiling and laughing on the outside, but crying on the inside. Families can look perfect on the outside, but actually be hurting.
Number two, if your heart is right and you are choosing to be happy in spite of your trials, great is your reward in heaven! Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Number three, who knows? Maybe God is gonna deliver you out of your horrific circumstance! Maybe He has plans to turn everything around for you! You simply never know what His plans for you are. Just hold on! God's got you, in the midst of your pain.
"Dear Jesus, sometimes I take my eyes off of You and look around at others who seem to dance through life without a care. Help me to take your word to heart today. I want to keep my eyes on You and know You are the Keeper of my soul. And my soul is ALL that matters. My earthly comforts are nice, but they're not what really counts in Your kingdom. Thanks for continuing to cleanse my heart! And Thanks for Your new mercies every morning! Great is Your Faithfulness!
23 They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.
I love You, Jesus! AMEN!"
25 But Abraham said, Child, remember that you in your lifetime fully received [what is due you in] comforts and delights, and Lazarus in like manner the discomforts and distresses; but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.
So if you look around and some seemingly have it easy compared to you, well don't waste time wondering why. Just choose joy. In the midst of your hardship.
Number one, sometimes things aren't as they seem. People can be smiling and laughing on the outside, but crying on the inside. Families can look perfect on the outside, but actually be hurting.
Number two, if your heart is right and you are choosing to be happy in spite of your trials, great is your reward in heaven! Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Number three, who knows? Maybe God is gonna deliver you out of your horrific circumstance! Maybe He has plans to turn everything around for you! You simply never know what His plans for you are. Just hold on! God's got you, in the midst of your pain.
"Dear Jesus, sometimes I take my eyes off of You and look around at others who seem to dance through life without a care. Help me to take your word to heart today. I want to keep my eyes on You and know You are the Keeper of my soul. And my soul is ALL that matters. My earthly comforts are nice, but they're not what really counts in Your kingdom. Thanks for continuing to cleanse my heart! And Thanks for Your new mercies every morning! Great is Your Faithfulness!
Lamentations 3:22-23
Amplified Bible (AMP)
22 It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not.
I love You, Jesus! AMEN!"
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