Further Warnings. Luke 12:40-59 Stewardship as an occupation is not to be taken lightly or done carelessly. When another person entrusts us with the care and responsibility of their goods and interests, our character and integrity are on the line. Wisdom, honesty, trustworthiness, and faithfulness are expected of a steward in every aspect of their work. What a person is in character will be seen in how they handle the responsibilities they have been given. Stewards administer the affairs of another person, and usually, those are material things such as property, finances, and any other matters open to public view. The principles and orders of a king or leader are the parameters by which a steward does his or her work.
Christians are stewards of the divine things our Lord Jesus Christ entrusted to us. Many aspects of the grace of God have been shown to all of humanity. We are not at liberty to abuse the privilege given by God to use the “fullness” of the earth to meet our needs, nor should we ever squander what we have been given as if it were of no value. We may have more than we need at times and take our blessings for granted, but we need to remember that other people desperately need the necessities of life. Also, the time may come when we need those basics ourselves.
The Gospel of the grace of God has been entrusted to us to pass on to others freely. We do not have the right to change the message in any way, nor can we try to compromise it so it won’t hurt anyone’s feelings. When we tell people the way of salvation as stewards of the Gospel, we need to have a warm heart, a kind spirit, and love for them in Christ’s name. We must ensure people know the blessings of receiving Christ and the consequences of rejecting Him.
Biblical truths and their practice in the way God intended have also been given to us as stewards of our Lord to pass on to fellow believers. Paul wrote Timothy and told him, “The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” A manager over a household, like Joseph, a guardian or curator, as one who oversees a vineyard, and one who has been given the “dispensation of the Gospel,” are all used in the scriptures to describe those who have the duties of stewardship. Overseeing spiritual things that belong to our Lord should give us joy that He trusts us and reverential fear that we don’t fail.
While the Lord Jesus was teaching these things, Peter interrupted Him and asked if what He was teaching was only for the apostles and disciples or if it was for everyone. In a way, it would make every person consider themselves; the Lord answered by saying a wise and faithful steward of the Lord knows who they are, and would take what He said for themselves personally. Unfaithful stewards use their position for personal advantage. They would certainly know who they are. Those who misuse their stewardship are treated in the same way as unbelievers. God holds us responsible for what we know is His will. “To whom much is given, much is required.”
The coming of the Lord is a strong motivating factor for us to be faithful in our stewardship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful stewards are not hypocrites. They are sincere people doing what they can, the best they can, according to their capability and knowledge to accomplish their entrusted tasks. Such people are ready to testify as to what they know about their Master with quiet confidence, rather than being fearful of what other people may say or do. By trusting the Lord and not being lazy or greedy, but committed and diligent, they will “not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
Wise and faithful stewards of the Lord are servants who feed the Lord’s people with the word of God. They are careful to “rightly divide the word of truth” to ensure people know the consequences in life and the future. There may be some immediate gratification when a steward of the word of God sees that God’s truth has a good effect on those they serve. Material rewards are not always given for being obedient to our Lord. If we look for them now, we will lose them later. It is foolish to boast of achievements because they can quickly be lost if they result from fleshly activity. A more serious loss will be of the heavenly rewards that reflect in an accurate way what we have done for Him while here on earth.
The Lord Jesus intends us to live daily watching for Him to come, working diligently for Him until He comes, and waiting patiently for Him to come. Because of that, “It is required of stewards that a man be found faithful.” Using the opportunities, resources, talents, and wisdom given to us can make our lives fulfilling and effective as stewards. The warning is to use what we have in the right way. We are not responsible for what we don’t have. God gives gifts that correspond to the tasks He places in our hands. Doing what He has designated for us and knows we can do will keep us active and busy with good things until He comes.
The Lord Jesus spoke of several kinds of servants as He warned about our work given the Lord’s coming. Some act as if He isn’t coming in their lifetime and rule over God’s people with a wrong motive and a hard hand. Others don’t take their responsibilities seriously. What they really are will be revealed when He comes. Other servants are true children of God, but for some reason, do not obey the word of God. Their punishment will be great. Some servants don’t really know the Lord’s will, and they do what is wrong. They will be punished for what was bad, but not as much as those who know God’s word. Those who know and do God’s will as faithful servants will be blessed if they do it. To know the word of God is what our Lord wants. To understand it and not do it is a sin. We have been given God’s word; if we don’t take time to learn it, that is sin.
There is also a warning about trouble that will come as “fire” on earth in the conflict between good and evil. Jesus came to bring peace to those who believe in Him. Those who refuse to believe will often divide friends and families. We do not promote a conflict, but we must proclaim the Gospel to see people saved from hell and the lake of fire. There is no middle ground. People are either saved or lost. Loyalties and commitments cannot be hidden. People who refuse to do what they know pleases God and who commit themselves to practice what is acceptable to an ungodly society will be disapproved.
The Lord warned about the need to understand the signs of the times. We can tell, to a degree, what kind of weather to expect by looking at the sky. Believers can realize things related to the Lord’s return by observing the signs of “the last days.” There will be perilous times when there is a noticeable increase in men who love themselves and money instead of loving God and His truth. In that time, people will boast about themselves and their achievements as if they have accomplished extraordinary things without God being involved. Young people are openly disobedient to their parents and seldom say “thank you” to anyone who helps them or to parents who provide for them. Interest in the things of God is almost nonexistent, and there is no evidence of love, even though they say the words “I love you” at the drop of a hat. Forgiveness gives way to vengeance; praise gives way to slander, and self-control to tantrums that lead to conflict. Willful, haughty people choose to engage in every “pleasure” they can find, whether it is moral or immoral, and God is openly rejected.
The “baptism” the Lord spoke of here has to do with His sufferings on the cross when He became the substitute for us and bore our sins in His own body. He couldn’t rest until He had finished that work. As a final warning in this chapter, He warned people to make peace before they missed the opportunity. People in Israel had been listening to His word and seeing the proof of His deity; they had seen visible evidence of who He was. He urged them to get right with God before they were too late and lost for all eternity.
These warnings should make us seriously consider what is ahead of us and not hesitate to do what is needed to prepare to meet God. When a person neglects to do that, they will be “cast into prison.” They will never be able to pay themselves out of that place. Those who are condemned already because they do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will never escape God's righteous judgment.
LUKE 13 REPENTANCE IS NECESSARY “Unless You Repent…” Luke 13:1-17 Personal responsibility is on every person to be right with God. It doesn’t happen by chance but by choice – your choice. It is up to every individual to face themselves and the problem of their sin and go quickly to the “strait gate. There, they will decide whether or not to enter through “The Door” of salvation, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. The narrow way in which those who are saved travel opens a new life in which we live in fellowship with God and begin to share the blessings of eternal life with the Lord. A new nature is given to those who genuinely repent to God and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Repentance begins when we call a halt in our lives and face sin's seriousness and awful consequences. Sin, by its very nature, cannot be in the presence of the holy God. Sin separates us from God by the inherent evil that is in us and by the practice of sin in our lives. Human beings have been made in the image of God with a mind, emotions, and a will to be able to make choices. In these areas of our personality, sin has created a dark barrier, like a cloud, between us and God. Sins of the mind have no limitations if we do not bring every thought into captivity and obey God. Sin in our emotions moves a person to engage in the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Sins of the will lead us into practicing in our body, soul, and spirit, those things that defile every part of our being.
Repentance for sin involves deliberately choosing to turn from sin and go the opposite direction, and by faith, run to the Savior for salvation. Repentance begins in the mind and conscience. It also involves acknowledging our guilt as sinners to God. Repentance means we are willing to stop what we are doing immediately and deliberately turn around in a 180-degree turn of rejection of everything that has kept us away from God. It also involves an admission of guilt. To openly say, “I am wrong. I am guilty of sin against God,” is very hard to honestly say unless one is really convicted of their sin by the work of the Holy Spirit. Repentance is necessary before we can receive eternal life and escape eternal death.
When some of those people who wanted Jesus to take authority as the king of Israel told Him about Pilate killing some Galileans when they were offering sacrifices, the Lord Jesus used that to warn people about the consequences of sin. Not repenting of their sins would mean they would perish in their sins. Even though the Galileans were from outside Pilate’s jurisdiction, when they came to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at an appointed time, Pilate found an excuse to kill them. Jesus said those who died were representatives of everyone. Every person has to accept the responsibility of their sin, no matter who they are or how they die. “Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.”
The implication of those who told Jesus about the death of the Galileans while they were offering sacrifices seems to have been that they thought those Galileans were wicked people. God had despised them and let them be killed because they were especially sinful. The Lord inserted in His reply an incident that caused the death of eighteen people when the tower of Siloam fell on them. Those who had become conscious of sin and didn’t know what hit them had to repent, or they would all be lost.
Those who refuse to stop in genuine repentance before a crisis comes and are willing to repent to God will find Him waiting to forgive them. Ultimate responsibility for sin falls on each individual. Those people died physically the same as every person in the world will. Death also means we are accountable to God while alive and can choose to repent. Those two groups of people are examples of the fate of sinners who don’t repent. How grateful we should be that God spared us from death because of our sins until we repent and believe the Gospel. Every person will perish eternally if they do not turn from their sins to Christ.
The parable Jesus told them about the fig tree was to emphasize that there is a limit to God’s patience toward those who do not repent of their sins. God will not tolerate a person forever who has received “every good and perfect gift” from Him and yet never acknowledges their sinfulness and the love and grace of God toward them. God has the right to expect love, worship, and thanksgiving from those He has made to bring glory to Him. A fruit tree is planted to bear fruit for the use of its owner. Israel was like a fig tree intended to bear a fruitful testimony for God to all the world's nations.
Individuals are given life to be productive to God by righteous, holy living that allows harmonious fellowship with Him. Eternal life has been given to those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ so they can testify of God’s grace to sinful men. In a physical and real illustration, Luke presented the truth of our responsibility to take action to get into the right relationship with God. We are crooked by nature and practice. That is what repentance is like. We do what He says. Faith follows right after genuine repentance.
The healing of the deformed woman, so bowed over that she could not stand upright, illustrates humanity in general. She knew she couldn’t help herself because an evil spirit had controlled her life for eighteen years. She was in a place where she could hear the word of God read and explained. Religious forms were practiced and strictly adhered to on the Sabbath Day. There, the Lord of the Sabbath called to her to publicly come forward in front of all the people. In response to the call of the Lord Jesus, she did what He said. She wanted to be straightened and did what He said despite the opinions of those looking on. With a touch of Jesus’ hands and a word from His lips, she was immediately healed and could stand up straight.
The ruler of the synagogue spoke to the people, but not to the Lord, when he told them healing was not to be done on the Sabbath Day. He was not speaking out of a genuine desire to keep God’s laws but to keep his authority and position. That was when Jesus told those who listened to the ruler to denounce them as hypocrites. Satan had made her sick for eighteen years. Why should she have to wait another day to be healed? An ox or donkey can go without water for more than a day and survive, but they watered their animals on the Sabbath.
Righteousness and reasonableness put those people to shame, as the Lord set an example for us. Each one must individually repent. The Lord will touch the soul of a repentant sinner and speak words of salvation and forgiveness to those who were under Satan's bondage to sin. The liberty that Christ gives is immediate and lasts forever. When a believer in Christ sins and confesses their sin in repentance to God, “He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.”
Sin has its consequences and deserves the judgment of God. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The call to repentance in both John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ preaching was the first step in presenting the Gospel of God’s grace. Because of His grace alone, we can survive the consequences of sin. It is wrong for us to presume God’s mercy if repentance does not take place in the heart of one who sins. When repentance toward God is real, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as our Redeemer is real. It is in that way that we are saved by grace through faith.
“Strive to enter in…” Luke 13:18-35 Our responsibility as reasonable and rational human beings can be hindered, attacked, or simply turned aside by the forces of evil. The Lord Jesus Christ taught that the kingdom of God begins like a small seed that grows into a mustard tree, big enough for birds to perch on its branches.
The Gospel seed was small initially, but has grown and spread worldwide today. Satan and his evil spirits are taking advantage of the church and have seriously invaded the showy “church” of Christendom. The true church has almost become hidden, as far as the teaching of the truth in large churches is concerned. Those who preach in many places teach things that do not agree with the word of God. Some of the practices in the gatherings of the “modern church” are focused on things that please people in order to get a lot of people to attend. Many people who “attend church” go where they feel comfortable and accepted rather than go to listen to what God says.
This has led to what A.W. Tozer called “the modern smooth cross.” Being saved to many people who profess to be saved is merely answering four or five questions and signing your name at the bottom of the page. The Gospel is that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and He was buried and rose again from among the dead on the third day according to the scriptures. Those who are saved, repent of their sins to God and turn in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ as their own personal Savior from sin and its consequences.
Even true Christians can be deceived into thinking we should be more tolerant of sin and not condemn sin openly or name commonly practiced sins in public, lest people get offended. Some spiritual advisors never mention hell and eternal punishment as a result of rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ and continuing in sin. The outcome of the “birds” in the mustard tree is that which was to be according to God’s word, has become a great showy religion to entertain and collect funds, instead of people who forsake all to follow Christ daily carrying their cross of identification and preaching “Christ crucified.”
The other small thing the Lord used to illustrate the danger of sin and satanic influence was yeast. Quietly and subtly, evil permeates the whole church with false teachings. It entered into local churches right at the beginning of the church age. Some claimed that Jesus was the Son of God but wasn’t a real man. Others denied that He was the Son of God. People denied His bodily resurrection, and others taught that the resurrection of the dead was already past.
Wrong teaching may not be “in-your-face teaching,” but many accept bad doctrine as God's truth. Much of what is insidious in the so-called church and is widely accepted is a “feel-good” teaching based on emotion, easy acceptance, and no real, lasting consequences for sin. A watered-down view of God and His Gospel denies His holiness. Some compare the holiness of God merely with the good and righteous people who do nice things for other people.
Those who follow the teaching of the word of God as it is written and accept it as the final authority of fundamental truth can have a degree of fellowship with other believers who do not spend time reading and/or studying the scriptures. There is a spiritual connection with any person who has been born again by the Spirit of God. But some profess to be saved and say they are doing their best to get to heaven. Other people say they are Christians, but there is no evidence of divine life in their words and actions. They want to do the same things they have always done and be like everybody around them so they can “win them to Christ.”
It is important that we know the Gospel well enough that we can explain “the way of God more perfectly.” People need to know that the way of salvation is clearly presented in the Bible, and “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Many have been misled by those who indicate a person is saved by doing the best they can and attending “church.” It is incumbent on those who are genuinely born again to point out clearly the fact that “This is life eternal; That they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.” These words of Jesus, as He prayed, should be impressed on one who claims to be saved but is uncertain or shows no evidence of salvation.
From this starting point of basing everything we believe and say on the word of God, we can turn to the scriptures and read what God says about sin and its consequences. From there, we can read about what God has provided as the way for sin to be legally dealt with through the work of Christ. When we come to where a person responds one way or another to these truths, we can show them scriptures that speak to their condition and decision. The results of that choice are also clearly stated in the word of God, and a person needs to read such portions of scripture for themselves.
As the Lord and those with Him traveled through Perea on His way to Jerusalem, He continued to preach and teach His disciples even though He knew He would die in Jerusalem. Despite the crowds, it seemed obvious to those who had been with Him for three years that the majority of people were only there for what they were hoping they would get out of being near Him. Most were not interested in their own salvation from sin but were hoping to get in on the ground floor of the kingdom they hoped He would bring in at that time.
The person who asked the question, “Lord, are there few that be saved?” seemed to want to know if there was a limit to the number of people He was willing to save. The Lord didn’t answer the question in a specific way but used the question to warn the questioner and everyone else that they should ask themselves, “Am I saved?” After that is answered, we can wonder about others and what will happen to them.
“Strive to enter in” at the narrow gate means salvation requires a personal decision and commitment that demands a concentrated effort. This is not some casual stroll in front of a cross to which we genuflect nonchalantly. Everything else has to be set aside until a person decides whether they will enter or not. For a person to wait until another time means they will likely never enter and will be on the outside when the door is shut.
To know who Jesus is and even to call Him “Lord” doesn’t mean you know Him or that He knows you. Unless you personally choose to come to Him and call upon Him, you do not know Him. To know about Jesus does not mean you know Him as a person in your life. “Acquaint now Thyself with Him and be at peace.” The Lord receives sinners today, but will not open the shut door to those who put off entering the narrow gate to suit their own convenience. People can attend a church where they teach what they want to hear rather than what God says. They may look like Christians because they are good-living people, but unless they have repented of their sins and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, they are still outside the door of salvation.
The Jews who heard what Jesus said were angry and sorrowful because they thought God would accept them and reject the Gentiles. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets will not get them into the kingdom of God just because they were descendants of them. Foreigners from all parts of the world, whom the Jews hated, would enter the kingdom of God, and they would be shut outside the door because they rejected the Lord Jesus.
Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ obey and follow Him; they are accepted, and those who had religion but rejected the Lord will be rejected themselves. Those who think they are in first place with God will find themselves last. Christians who think they are doing a wonderful job doing things for God will discover that God rewards faithfulness in His stewards instead of supposed success.
Disrespect for God and claims people make that they are saved even though there is no “fruit” make it evident that they do not love God, nor are they in the kingdom of God. There will be many surprises in the near future when all hidden things will be brought into the open. A person’s earthly influence, popularity, and status do not make one fit for the kingdom of God. Our values that relate to God’s kingdom are known by the Lord, who looks on the heart of each person, not their outward appearance.
The Pharisees who warned Jesus that Herod wanted to kill Him may have told the truth, but their purpose was probably to get Jesus to leave that area and not go to Jerusalem. “That fox” is a term that could refer to Herod’s cunning and deception or his animalistic, cruel characteristics. Nothing Herod would do could stop the Lord Jesus from going to Jerusalem to fulfill the mission the Father sent Him to accomplish. It was in Jerusalem that Jesus knew He was going to be killed like the Jews in the past had killed the prophets. It was the political and religious capital of the Jews, and it was in God’s plan that the way of salvation be opened for “whosoever will” and be completed in that place which is “the center of the world.”
In spite of the wickedness and deception rampant in Jerusalem, the Lord loved His earthly people and would have gathered them to Himself like a hen gathers her chicks, but they rejected their Savior. Jerusalem is now left “desolate,” and what had been called “My Father’s house” by Jesus previously is in this place called “your house.” God is not there.
Lessons in this chapter we should take to heart are that every person must repent of their sins and turn to God, or they will perish. They will be lost and forever separated from God. The time will come when there will be no place of repentance to be found. It is possible to be saved now, but the door will soon be closed to those who put off salvation. A person may know all about the Gospel and the way of salvation, yet allow themselves to be misled by some charismatic leader or spiritual advisor who does not take the word of God as the final authority of truth. Our trust and confidence in everything should be in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one will ever go to heaven or see the Father in heaven who has not personally accepted Him as their Savior. The greatest and most clear presentation of Him to us is in the Word of God, the Bible.
LUKE 14 LESSONS AT THE TABLE.