The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Luke 19:26-27 (ESV)  “‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

Jesus told a story of a “nobleman” (who represented himself) and his interactions with three distinct groups. In reality, there were only two groups in the beginning of the story: his servants and the people of the kingdom he was to receive. To the each of his servants he gave a large amount of money to invest while he was gone. Unlike a similar sounding parable in Matthew, each of these servants received the same amount of money.

When the nobleman returned, he found some of his servants had invested wisely, and at least one had not invested at all. Each servant received a proportionate share of the new kingdom based on the fruitfulness of his investment. The servant who did not invest his mina had it taken away and given to the one who had the most. The bystanders noted how unfair this was, but Jesus made a clear point: “To everyone who has, more will be given.” This may seem unfair from one perspective, but a good investor will quickly see this as wisdom. Isn’t a portfolio stronger if it has more invested in higher yielding companies?

Jesus’ point is clear. At the outset, there are two types of people: those who are his servants and those who are not. Yet, as the story rolls, we see that first group split into those who faithfully use what their Master has given them to make a difference and those who do nothing. Note that the nobleman does not kill or disown the hoarder. Even though he did nothing with his master’s money, he remained a servant. He simply lost his reward.

In the end, there are three types of people (with all due credit to Sergio Leone): 1) The Good – Jesus’ servants who faithfully use the talents and opportunities he has entrusted to them to make an impact on the world; 2) The Bad – Those who reject Jesus as King as face eternity apart from him (see verse 27); and 3) The Ugly – Jesus’ servants who could and should be part of The Good but waste their gifts and opportunities on selfishness and indifference. Which are you?

Rich and Lost

Luke 19:10 -    ^“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

As Jesus passed through Jericho the last time before his crucifixion, Luke records two specific people whose lives were changed by him. They could not have been more different. Bartimaeus was a blind, poor beggar. Zacchaeus was one of the richest men in town. Yet, both were lost without Jesus. His words in verse 10 identify Zacchaeus explicitly as being lost.

It is easy to see the poor, the oppressed, and the enslaved as lost and hopeless. In our capitalistic society, the pursuit of wealth is almost a religion in itself. Those who have it are the envy of those who do not. Wealth promises to provide everything, but it does not save. Those who are rich and lost are just as lost as those who are poor and blind.

Like many, but certainly not all, wealthy people today, Zacchaeus’ life had been about himself. He betrayed his own people to work for the occupying Roman government to collect taxes and keep some extra for himself (See Luke 3:12-13). As chief tax collector, he got in on Rome’s multi-level marketing scheme and hired others like himself to collect the taxes while skimming some of their proceeds along the way. He got rich, very rich. He seemed to have it all, yet something was missing.

When Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming to town, “he wanted to see who Jesus was.” (Luke 19:3) He must have been aware that, in spite of all his wealth, he still had an enormous lack.  That need could never be filled by more money or status. He needed a changed life.

Because Zacchaeus was short, he had to climb a tree to see Jesus, and, as with Bartimaeus, in an enormous crowd of people seeking Jesus’ attention, Jesus stopped and gave his complete focus to this rich man. He even said, “I must stay at your house today.” (vs 5) Rather than seeing Jesus as an uninvited guest, Zacchaeus took this opportunity to repent: he did not just say he wanted Jesus’ attention, he was committed to change the way he lived. Zacchaeus’ change of heart, commitment to act on that change, and reception of Jesus led Jesus to say, “Salvation has entered this house.” (vs 9)

Whether any of us is rich or poor, blind or healthy, we are lost without Jesus. Invite him to your home and life today.

What Do You Want?

Luke 18:41 -   “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.”

The Jericho native had no way to provide for himself except to beg. He had no hope for a change in his circumstances or situation until Jesus came to town. He heard the growing crowd and asked them what was happening. They told him, “Jesus is passing by.” He must have heard something of Jesus’ reputation. Perhaps some of his teaching had been relayed to him. We do know he believed Jesus was the special descendant of King David promised a thousand years before. We also know this blind man had faith, persistence, the audacity to ask Jesus to have his life changed, and the willingness to accept the responsibility that came with it.

When he heard Jesus was coming, he started to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” He was willing to ask Jesus to help him because he believed he could. When the crowd tried to shut him up, he only cried louder. Because he did, Jesus stopped in the midst of thousands who would have loved his personal attention. The man who kept asking got it. Then Jesus asked him that question, “What do you want?” Because he asked, because he kept asking, because he believed Jesus would help him, he got what he wanted.

The thing we often miss in a story like this is that this man’s life change not only brought physical healing and even spiritual healing (as Jesus told him, “Your faith has saved you”). It also forced new responsibility on him. He could no longer be a beggar. He could no longer blame his circumstances on things out of his control. His deliverance meant it was up to him to live out the changed life Jesus’ touch had brought him. Unfortunately, too many people are not willing to ask for Jesus’ help and deliverance because their excuses will be gone. Let’s be sure to ask persistently and responsibly live the changed lives Jesus enables us to live. 

Missing the Signs

Luke 18:31-34 - And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.  And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.”  But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

It is amazing that after all the times Jesus warned his disciples about his coming trial, crucifixion, and resurrection, they were still caught by surprise when it actually came. The passage above is the second time in Luke’s Gospel that Jesus goes into specific details on what was to come, but it lines up with Matthew’s third warning. In addition to these, Jesus said many time he would need to die and/or be raised from the dead. In this passage, Jesus points to prophecies given hundreds of years before warning what would come. In spite of all of this, the disciples “did not grasp what was said.”

In much the same way, we can miss the signs around us of what is and what is to come. A few years ago a friend stopped to help a distressed motorist by the side of the road. Her car would no longer run, and she was in a panic. My compassionate fried had enough mechanical know how to at least make a preliminary diagnosis, so he started with the obvious question, “Did you have any indicator lights come on your instrument panel?”

She responded, “Well, yes, but they have been on for months.”

“Why didn’t you do anything about them?” My friend asked.

She replied, “I didn’t think they mattered.”

In much the same way, we can miss the signs around us. We can ignore them to our peril like the stranded driver, or we can proceed in denial like the disciples and assume everything will go smoothly. However, because the disciples did not comprehend Jesus’ words, they were blissful when they should have been prepared, but when things got tough they gave up when they could have held on in hope had they remembered and understood what Jesus said that he would rise again three days later.

Don’t miss the signs, but don’t give up hope. Things will get tough, but God will prevail. Be ready for the tough seasons and keep the faith.

Eternal Investment

Luke 18:29-30 - And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

A wise investor seeks a good rate of return on her investment. Getting 20-30% a year on a consistent basis is a dream result few attain. However, all earthly investment is temporary. 

The US dollar only has value as long as the US government lasts. You may have a piece of paper that says you own a house and the land it is on, but the house can burn down, and who can enforce your right to the land if the government fails and a squad of thugs with big guns threatens to take it from you? Even gold is of no value after this life is over.

After seeing Jesus turn away the rich young ruler, Peter points out to Jesus that he and the other disciples have left everything to follow Jesus. They have put all of their eggs in one basket. Jesus gives Peter the assurance that they have made the best investment possible: Their rate of return will be many more times than what they invested. It also pays both before and after death: “…in this time, and in the age to come.”

When developing your portfolio, be sure to make your wisest investment first. Nothing else but Jesus can give eternal returns. Jesus asks us for all we have, but he gives back many times over.

God Can

Luke 18:27 - “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

The rich young ruler wanted to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Eager and ready to do almost anything, he came to Jesus to see what else he needed to do. When Jesus asked him to sell all his possessions and follow him, the young man left sad, because that was more than he could bear. As much as he loved God, he loved his wealth more. As he walked away, Jesus was deeply grieved and said to those around him, “It is very hard for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It is easier for a camel to pass through the hole of a needle.”

His disciples had always associated wealth with God’s favor. This did not make sense to them. If the rich, who were seemingly the favored candidates, could not make it to heaven, who could? In reply, Jesus made the statement above: “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

The biggest barrier for the rich young ruler was the same barrier for most of us and the people we love: our own hearts. We all know people who need to change their attitudes and beliefs. Most of us have tried hard to change others’ hearts and actions, especially those closest to us. Yet, in spite of all of our diligent efforts, they rarely change. The addiction does not stop, the angry outbursts continue, the deceit seems endless. The harder we try to change others, the worse things get. It seems hopeless.

Jesus’ words apply to us in so many ways. We cannot always change ourselves. We can rarely change others. Yet, God can. Hundreds of millions of us have seen God change hearts. Whether we are a wealthy young man prizing our riches above all else or a drug addict living on the street, what no person can do, God can. Stop prodding those you love to change and start praying. God can bring that change.

Having It All or Not

Luke 18:23 - But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

Wouldn’t you like to be rich? Wouldn’t it be nice to not have to worry about paying your bills, saving for retirement, buying that nice car, and taking a dream vacation five times a year? Although there are certainly some rich jerks out there, there are plenty of nice wealthy people, too. Shouldn’t being good and rich be our objective?

In Luke 18, a rich young man who was also a good young man came up to Jesus. He wanted to the right thing. As far as we can tell, his question was sincere: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” This is the most important question any of us can ask.

Jesus replied by mentioning the five of the Ten Commandments that deal with our earthly relationships: Do not commit adultery, theft, murder, or lying; and honor your father and mother. The young man claimed he had those down. Then Jesus asked one more thing of him that got to the heart of the issue: “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22)

Over the centuries, Christians have wondered what Jesus meant by that statement. Saint Francis of Assisi and others assumed you could not be wealthy and still follow Jesus. Yet, in I Tim 6:17 Paul did not tell the wealthy to become poor. Instead, he instructed them “not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” The question is not whether or not you are wealthy. The question is, “What is your relationship with your wealth?” Do you trust in it more than you trust in Jesus? Is it more important to you than he is? It seems that this was the problem for the rich young man. He put his hopes in his wealth.

Notice that he did want eternal life, and he certainly could have done what Jesus asked. He went away sad because he could not have it all. As long as money had the first place in his heart, there was no room for Jesus. There are many other things that can take that first place: other people, possessions, power, prestige, comfort… The list goes on. The real question we each must ask ourselves is, “What is first in my heart and life?”