Lucas 16
William Hendriksen · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 16
Hendriksen - In the parable of The Shrewd Manager (The Steward with Foresight) Jesus shows that worldly people are often more shrewd, more forward-looking, than are the people upon whom the light has been shining. Of course, none of this means that Jesus in any way whatever praises this “manager” for his dishonesty. The very opposite is true, as verses 10–13 (climaxed by “You cannot serve God and mammon”) clearly show. (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke - borrow)
Lucas 16
Hendriksen - What is the owner’s reaction? He realizes, of course, that the renters, and the people of the village in general, are already celebrating, praising both the manager and the owner. If the owner should now tell these people what has really happened and should change the figures back to where they were originally, his reputation will go down to zero. This he cannot risk. So, he makes the best of the situation. He must have said to himself, “What a clever crook!”... It should be stressed that the master praised the (now discharged) manager not for being so dishonest but for being so clever, so astute, so shrewd. In other words, for “feathering his nest,” seeing to it that his physical needs would be supplied for a long time to come, perhaps for the rest of his life....The owner praised him not because he had been so crooked but because he had planned ahead. Jesus agrees that looking ahead is the thing to do, (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke - borrow) SINNERS SHREWDER THAN SAINTS! For the sons of this age are more shrewd (phronimus) in relation to their own kind (generation - genea) - Notice that the parable ended in the middle of verse 8 and now Jesus gives His application of the moral lessons to the lives of His disciples. Who are the sons of this age? Those who are lost and are living for time (this "age") and not for eternity (the ages to come)! For (hoti = because) is a term of explanation. What's Jesus explaining? The word "kind" is literally generation, so it can be read "in their own generation."
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Hendriksen - I am in agreement with Danker when he expresses surprise that this comment “caused so much perplexity.” He regards this as “one of the curiosities in the history of interpretation.” And so it is. Jesus is not telling us that we should become worldly-minded or crooked. He is stating the obvious fact that in worldly matters worldly people often show more astuteness or shrewdness than God’s children do in matters affecting their everlasting salvation.....Jesus wants his people similarly to look ahead and by means of “the mammon of unrighteousness” so to support all good causes and needy people that when the givers die, there will be a grand welcome for them. Those heavenly inhabitants who, while still on earth, benefited by the kindness of these big-hearted ones will then be welcoming the new arrivals. They will with gladness usher them into their heavenly habitations....With respect to this interpretation, accepted by most commentators, where is there a problem? There is none, unless we ourselves create it. The objection is raised, at times, “Surely, no honest individual would ever praise a crook; yet, here the owner is actually doing this. Worse even, Jesus joins in bestowing praise on this fellow.” We ask, “And why not?” Neither the owner (or master) nor Jesus is praising the crook for his crookedness, only for his shrewdness, for the fact that he looks ahead and makes provision for his future needs. What is wrong with that? Nothing, of course. When, in spite of ever so many precautions and burglar protection devices, a bank is robbed, and the newspapers describe how it was done, people will remark, “How clever!” This surely does not mean that they are recommending the burglars for a Distinguished Service Medal! Far from it. They want those criminals to receive the sentence they deserve. But it is, nevertheless, consistent to say, “Would that all true believers were as clever in spiritual matters as are these crooks in plying their trade.” (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke - borrow) Based on this passage in Hebrews, where should we place our trust, in the temporal or the eternal? Of course this question is rhetorical. Assuming you answered "the eternal," the question is did you (or yours truly) just convict/condemn yourself as a hypocrite? In other words, what do your credit card and check entries for this past year reveal --a temporal or eternal focus? You be your own judge, because I have to carry out the same convicting exercise! R.O.I. THANK YOU FOR GIVING TO THE LORD! R.O.I. - This abbreviation means "Return on Investment" and is a measure of the gain or loss generated on an investment relative to the amount of money (mammon of unrighteousness) invested. If we accept (trust) the advice of Jesus, the best "Financial Planner" in history, one day in the future we will discover that the "ROI" is INFINITELY VALUABLE FOREVER! It's hard to beat that level of return on your unrighteous mammon! But you can read these words and even say "Amen!" but still not follow through! Jesus is giving us the investment tip of a lifetime (this one life He has given to us to use for His glory)! Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. -- C. T. Studd MacArthur exhorts us not to take the wealth (mammon of unrighteousness) that God has given each of us "and be so stupid as to use it all only to pad a few years of temporal life (Ed: cf James 1:10-11, 4:14, Ps 37:2, 39:5, 102:11, 103:15,16, Ps 144:4, Isa 40:6,7, Job 7:6,7, 9:25, 26, 14:1,2 [and Job lived 200 years!], Moses who lived 120 yrs = Ps 90:4-6, 9, 10) when it can be used to create a richness that will last forever. Use your money for eternal purposes. You'll be welcomed into heaven by all those — and you'll never know who they are until you get there — who were reached because you gave. On the final day when your life ends your money fails. You're separated from your money forever. You're going to go to heaven and find out if any of it was used to purchase friends who are there to welcome you when you arrive. Use your money, beloved, for eternal uses. Give while you live to those ministries, those gospel ministries, church ministries that you know and you trust. Endless personal accumulation is sinful, wasteful, and robs us of eternal blessing. You give to the Lord, Luke 6:38-note, "and He will give, pressed down, shaken together, running over,” not just here but even more importantly in eternity. And you will enjoy the fruit of that forever and ever and ever." (Luke 16:1-13 Investing Earthly Finances with an Eternal Focus) They will receive (dechomai) you into the eternal (aionios) dwellings (skene) - This is another example of a classic rabbinical method of logic, from lesser to greater. In this case the lesser is that if earthly men and women (even scoundrels) are shrewd to plan for their short future, how much more should heavenly minded men and women plan for their eternal future! Jesus pictures our R.O.I. (Return On Investment) with a fascinating statement saying that if we use our money to "make friends" on earth who are going to heaven, they will be in glory awaiting our arrival and will receive us with open arms because of our investment in the Gospel that they heard and believed and by which they were saved. Eternal dwellings refer to the believer's eternal home with God. THOUGHT - So use your money wisely to invest in gospel ministry that is winning others and advancing the Kingdom of God and your will reap a rich reward. And by extension use your time wisely. One of the best ways to redeem the time is by praying for Hidden People Groups (See Joshua Project and get their app on your phone) and you will have "made friends" with many people on earth who will be friends forever in Heaven! REDEEM THE TIME - Recording of Zoom Talk given given to men's ministry on Jan 13, 2021 You might skip over the first few minutes of announcements, etc. Below is the link to the recording which lasts about 1 hour https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/ShdYySwjdfQcvOCacvj7CZZw3HToUB2tk554kwhvdpyxK3GKd8HcH2sagfv1Dl95.OuYP4VinAMcDhtRG Passcode: Ug3gD0=a Here is a link to the "slides" that go along with the zoom talk -- not sure they show up on zoom.https://www.preceptaustin.org/zoom1 In depth article on Redeem the Time ACRONYM FOR "TIME" T ------ Time I ------ Impacts M ----- My E ----- Eternity Bock says there are 3 possibilities for "they" - The reference to “they may receive you” is (1) a reference to friends who receive the benefit and welcome the generous one into heaven, (2) a reference to angels who represent God, or (3) a circumlocution for God himself (Lk 6:38, 44; 12:20, 48; 14:35). God responds to disciples who love their neighbors with concrete action, even down to the use of money. (Ed: In my opinion, the context favors interpretation #1 because Jesus specifically says "make friends" with God honoring use of your mammon. It follows that those who will receive or welcome us into heaven will be those very same friends. Obviously God is pleased but in the text Jesus did not say "make friends with God".) (See Luke Baker Exegetical Commentary) Jim Bomkamp on make friends - Jesus is obviously referring to friendships that are eternal in nature or that are made between those who shall spend eternity together in heaven. Whenever we win someone to Christ we have “made friends.” Whenever we use our money for the reaching of others with the gospel we have “made friends.” Whenever we invest in the growth and discipleship of a young Christian we have “made friends.” Those whom we have made friends with in this life through the use of our money for eternal purposes will ‘receive you into the eternal dwellings,’ and I believe that this implies: When each of us as Christians get to heaven, those whom we have led to Christ in this life will be waiting there to greet and thank us as we enter. Also, when we get to heaven those for whom our money, which was given to missions or our local church, was used to win them to Christ will likewise be waiting there to greet and thank us. Brooks - Jesus urges us to be urgent in our pursuit of what matters. William
Lucas 16
Hendriksen - Exposition of the Gospel of Luke - borrow 1978, 774; Manson 1949, 134-35; Schrenk, TDNT 1:612). But does this positive outlook match Jesus’ experiences? Far from everyone running to press their way into the kingdom, resistance to Jesus’ teachings and claims has been the common theme. Third and most probable, the verb may have a softened force and be in the passive voice: “all are urged insistently to come in” (Schweizer 1984, 258; Fitzmyer 1985, 1117). The HCSB adopts this approach. This view fits the context, where Jesus exhorted his opponents constantly in a bid to persuade them to accept Him. Jesus presented the message to all, and all were given the chance to enter and share in the kingdom’s benefits (cp. Lk 14:15-24). But if one was to share in the kingdom message, one must respond to Jesus’ authority—not scoff at it (Lk 16:14). This third option obviously relieves the difficulties raised above in the introductory paragraph. If the image Luke meant to convey is of people being urged to enter the kingdom, there is no question of their entering forcibly, being forced in by another, or working their way to salvation. (See The Gospels and Acts) ESV Study Bible analyzes the ways Lk 16:16 have been interpreted - "Everyone forces his way into it is a puzzling and much debated statement. Greek biazō means “to use force,” but the verb form here (biazetai) could be either in the middle voice (“everyone is using force” to enter into it) or in the passive voice (“everyone is being forced [or forcefully urged]” to enter into it). The meaning in the ESV text, “everyone forces his way into it,” is possible grammatically and fits the meaning of the same verb when used in Mt 11:12 (ED: BUT AS NOTED BELOW MATTHEW'S CONTEXT IS NOT IDENTICAL TO Lk 16:16). By this interpretation, the verse suggests that exercising the faith that brings one into the kingdom and keeps one there involves a kind of holy “violence” toward oneself in the form of repentance and self-denial (ED: THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE INTERPRETATIONS BY HENDRIKSEN, MACARTHUR AND MACDONALD DISCUSSED BELOW). Some interpreters object, however, that this view does not fit well in the context, for not everyone is forcing their way into the kingdom and in fact many are rejecting it. In addition, there is arguably some tension between forcing one’s way into the kingdom (ED: WHICH SUGGESTS ONE'S "WORKS" ARE IMPORTANT TO BRING ABOUT SALVATION) and the emphasis throughout the Gospels on entering the Kingdom of God (ED: I.E., "SALVATION" IS) by faith. These interpreters have favored the meaning in the ESV footnote, “everyone is forcefully urged into it.” The verb takes that sense elsewhere (see Ge 33:11; 2 Sa 13:25, 27; parabiazomai has this meaning in Lk 24:29-note ["they urged Him"]; Acts 16:15 ["she urged us"]). This is similar to the idea of Luke 14:23 ("compel them to come in")(see note on Luke 14:21–24). On this view, the meaning of biazō would be different from its sense in Matt. 11:12, but the verses appear in different contexts and the meaning may be different as well." (ESV Study Bible - this resource can be borrowed) William Hendriksen explains everyone is forcing his way into it this way (he favors interpreting biazo as in the middle voice = “everyone is forcing his way”) - The Pharisees seemed to have been of the opinion that they could enter the kingdom of God by circumventing the Law. The most glaring examples of this are found in Mt 15:1-9; 23:16-26. But what is necessary is that men vigorously press forward into the Kingdom, and this is exactly what since the days of John the Baptist courageous men had been doing. Entrance into the Kingdom requires genuine self-denial, earnest endeavor, untiring energy, utmost exertion (ED: BUT I WOULD ADD THAT NONE OF THESE ACTIONS/ATTRIBUTES ARE EVEN REMOTELY POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE ENABLING POWER OF THE SPIRIT, WHO IS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE NEW BIRTH OF EVERY SOUL). (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke - borrow) MacArthur seems to favor interpreting biazo as in the middle voice explaining that here in Lk 16:16 Jesus is saying "that people were forcing their way into it (THE KINGDOM OF GOD WHICH) is another reminder that entering the kingdom is a hard, difficult struggle. While salvation is by no means a purely human effort, true repentance nevertheless involves the will acting in self-denial. “If anyone wishes to come after Me,” Jesus solemnly declared, “he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23-note; cf. Lk 14:26-27-note), since “whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it” (Luke 9:24-note). There is a monumental struggle in the sinful human soul to crush pride and self-will and come to total penitence. *(ED: AND WHILE WE MUST MAKE THIS CHOICE OF OUR WILLS, IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO ENABLES US TO MAKE CHOICES THAT DENY OUR SELF AND TAKE UP OUR CROSS - FALLEN FLESH LEFT TO ITSELF WOULD NEVER SEEK TO DENY SELF OR DIE TO SELF!)(See Luke 1-24 MacArthur New Testament Commentary)
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Hendriksen - note that even now he is not asking that anything be done for people in general, only for his five brothers. And even now he seems not to be able to get rid of the notion that Lazarus is his messenger boy! (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke - borrow)