PARABLE 5 - The Money Lender

PARABLE 5 — LUKE 7:41-43 — THE MONEYLENDER 

 (The parable is only 3 verses; the 10 verses before and after put it in context.) 

36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

 Discussion Questions – Parable 5

PARABLE 5 — LUKE 7:41-43 — THE MONEYLENDER 

1. What options did the moneylender have with people who owed him money? 

The moneylender could demand payment, possibly in a form other than money such as livestock or valuable objects. He could have the debtor put in prison until the debt was paid by his family or friends. Or he could actually make the debtor his slave. Or, of course, he could forgive the debt, which was actually required in Old Testament law: at the end of every seven years, creditors were to cancel all the debts they were owed by fellow Israelites. 

The Bible contains hundreds of verses on how God wants us to treat money, and this includes the lending of it. Moses addressed this issue in Deuteronomy several times. Essentially, the Israelites were not permitted to charge interest when they loaned money to an impoverished brother. Apparently, however, they could charge interest on loans made to other, more affluent Jews and to foreigners. This rule was part of the Mosaic Law: “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest.” (Exodus 22:25) 

Depending upon the amount owed, a moneylender might have quite different responses, which is, of course, also true today. The loan of 500 pence was a huge amount, equivalent to about two years wages for a day laborer. In first century Galilee, poor people were often heavily indebted to the wealthy. 

2. Why do you think the woman came to the Pharisee’s house? 

(a) to upset the Pharisee, 

(b) to ruin the party, 

(c) to seek forgiveness, 

(d) to minister to Jesus,
(e) to confront her oppressors, 

(f) something else. 

This question could be difficult to answer, except the short parable in the middle of the story makes it much easier. We can obviously rule out answers a, b, and e but then we have to decide whether she was (c) seeking forgiveness, (d) ministering to Jesus, perhaps in thanks for the forgiveness that she perceives she has already received, of (f) something else. Another hint: forgiveness from God and Jesus is free—you can’t buy it. So now, what’s the answer? (d)

3. Jesus’ parable about the moneylender seems an odd response to the Pharisee who was thinking that it was strange that Jesus allowed a sinful woman to touch him. What was Jesus actually saying to Simon? 

(a) you can’t know grace because you don’t think of yourself as a sinner, 

(b) you are a bigger sinner than the woman but you don’t know it, 

(c) you may have sinned less than the woman, but you still need forgiveness, 

(d) the more you’ve sinned, the more your love for God, 

(e) the more you’ve been forgiven, the more your love for God. 

Stuck into the middle of a story about a dinner and sinful woman, the parable itself is almost trivial: forgiving a large debt means more than forgiving a small one. That’s true today too: if someone forgives you a debt of $1,000, you’re going to feel more loving toward him than a person who forgives you a debt of $100. But let’s go beyond that and see how Jesus extends it. 

Look at what Jesus says in Verses 44 to 46. He points out that Simon did not provide water (or a servant) to wash Jesus’ feet. He probably didn’t provide it to the other guests either. It was a common courtesy in those days on dusty roads. You’d then normally greet a guest with a kiss on both cheeks, something still common in much of the Middle East. It was definitely rude for Simon to ignore that custom. Anointing a person’s head with olive oil was a way to honor a respected guest. Although Simon invited Jesus to dinner (vs 36), he may not have regarded him as the guest of honor. All in all, Simon was definitely rude but not guilty of any major sin. More to the point, in Verse 39 it seems clear that Simon was judging the woman as being a sinner and, in a sense, putting himself above it. 

Concluding his remarks in Verse 47, Jesus put the message of the parable in perspective when he says to Simon, “Her sins, which are many, have been forgiven; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” For his rudeness, Simon was in the position of having been forgiven little, but the message that he also loved little must have been sobering to him. In the context of the narrative, the woman’s lavish actions are the result of her great debt that has been forgiven; in contrast, Simon’s stingy actions stem from his failure to realize that he needs to be forgiven. 

[In Verse 47, the first sentence ends by saying “...for she loved much,” it was not that her great love for Jesus caused him to forgive her but that the forgiveness that she had already received from Jesus prompted her love.] 

To Luke’s original readers, the parable and the narrative clearly interpreted each other. It would have been very easy for them to identify the sinful woman of the story as the debtor forgiven much in the parable. They would also compare Simon the Pharisee with the debtor forgiven little. 

The next step for the original reader would be to see the incredible graciousness, mercy, and forgiveness of God, like the creditor who forgave both debtors. Thus, the theme of the parable is one of God’s forgiveness and grace. 

To apply this parable to our lives, we also must see the incredible forgiveness of God. For some, seeing God’s mercy is easy because their past is like that of the sinful woman or the debtor with the large debt. They know their past made them unworthy to be in relationship with God; and yet out of His great love, they have been welcomed into His presence. Out of incredible gratitude and love, they respond lavishly, honoring Jesus in every imaginable way. 

However, some of us have “grown up in the church.” We paid attention in class. We weren’t the bullies in school. We are much more like Simon the Pharisee, who was compared to the debtor with the smaller debt. Like Simon, we too have difficulty seeing that we need forgiveness. Also, like Simon, we perhaps fail to honor Jesus. He is simply not the number 1 “guest of honor” in our lives.

We struggle to realize that our “little debt” is still beyond our ability to pay, which puts us on equal ground with those that have “big debts.” We stand in need of a Savior, who is willing to forgive, if only we will accept His grace. Then, we can respond to Jesus in love, out of gratitude for what He has done in our lives. 

4. Have you ever felt like Simon when confronted with a person of questionable morals?

5. Who do you identify with in the parable (moneylender, small debtor, large debtor)? 

6. Parables make you peel off layers of meaning, but usually have a basic lesson. What is the fundamental lesson of this parable? 

As mentioned above, the basic theme of the parable is one of God’s forgiveness and grace and the love for God that should come as a result of this forgiveness. 

PARABLE 6 - The Lamp on a Stand

PARABLE 6 — LUKE 8:16-18 — THE LAMP ON A STAND 

16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. 17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. 18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing done in secret, that will not be revealed, neither anything hid that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen, for whoever has will be given more, and whoever does not have, even what they seem to think they have will be taken from them. (paraphrased by me)

  

Discussion Questions – Parable 6

PARABLE 6 — LUKE 8:16-18 — THE LAMP ON A STAND 

1. In Jesus’ story about the lamp, what does the lamp represent?

Visualize the setting: in dark houses in Galilee, a small clay lamp burned olive oil drawn up by a wick. It was set either in a high wall alcove or on a small high stand. From dusk on, it was the only source of light for the house. Jesus elaborated on this a little by saying that anyone who came into the house would see the light. Notice he did not say that people would see the lamp, but they would see the light. If the wick was not lit, the lamp would look like a non-descript small flat pitcher. Nobody would notice it. 

2. Each of the three verses of this parable adds to the meaning of the whole. What do each of the lines mean? NO short answers! Elaborate! 

Verse 8:16 – “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.” 

All of us have lamps at home and where we work. We have table lamps, floor lamps, reading lamps, decorative lamps, flood lamps, spot lamps, ceiling lamps, and even closet lamps. But, I doubt if anyone has an “under the bed lamp.” No one turns on a lamp and then hides it under the bed—and this was especially the case in Jesus’ time when all lamps burned with flames.

Lamps are for light. That is what lamps do.

Here, Jesus is talking about his followers—his disciples back then, all Christians now. He is telling us to brightly shine. Let everyone see the light of Jesus Christ through us. Our Christian faith is not some private, secret, hidden thing. It is designed to be open, public, and brilliant. 

Sometimes we misunderstand how this works. We think that shining brightly for Jesus requires special training in evangelism, theological education, an outgoing personality and exceptional spiritual courage. This is not so.

Lamps don’t need classes or a formal education to light up. They don’t need fancy engineering to do the job. Just hold a match to the wick and light it and it gives off light. The only way to stop a lamp from giving light is to intentionally shut it off or put it in a jar or under a bed. These are not natural or normal things to do. If you don’t stop a lamp from burning, it will always give off light. 

Christians shine like Jesus. We can’t help it. The only way for a Christian to not love like Jesus, talk about Jesus, and be like Jesus is to make a special effort to turn off. We have to hide our faith on purpose. 

All a Christian needs to do is let the light of Jesus shine. Let other people see the changes. Let others know how much you trust God. Tell them about the new perspective. They might see that you give away money you would have kept in the past. You are kind when you might have been cruel. You tell the truth when you could have lied. You have a new set of sexual ethics and behavior. You pray and read the Bible. You have a joy that glows even through your darkest days. 

What you are doing is “putting your lamp on a stand so that those who come in can see the light.” Verse 8:17 – “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” 

This sounds a little like a warning or even a threat, but it is not. Jesus is simply stating a fact. There are few secrets. Sooner or later the secrets we thought we could keep are brought out in the open for others to see and know. Most of them are exposed in this life. But if there are any left over, God will expose them for everyone to see at the judgment to come. 

This is not to say that there should be no privacy. That is not what Jesus is saying. There is a place for privacy and we should all be careful to respect the privacy of others. What Jesus is saying is that Christians should live lives as if we are open books. We should think as if our thoughts can be read. We should speak as if everyone can hear what we say. We should act as if our whole lives were televised to the whole world. Assume full disclosure. 

What might this practically mean? 

· Use your computer the way Jesus would use your computer. No Christian should ever need to worry about another person booting up your computer and clicking your favorite or last 10 Internet web pages visited. 

· There should be no need for secrecy about relationships. Our business dealings, our sexual contacts, our private conversations about other people, and every other relationship could be audited without regrets. 

· No significant discrepancy should appear between who we present ourselves to be and who we actually are. There should be no problem for you to see how I behave in my home or with my friends compared to the way I behave in a church service or in my office. 

· There should be no shame in what type of books or magazines I am reading, or what type of movies or shows I am watching. Good question to ask yourself is: Would I be ashamed to read this or watch this with Jesus? If the answer is yes, then maybe you shouldn’t be doing it.

These are powerful and pointed teachings in Verses 16-17 from Jesus, but they sure raise a lot of serious questions in our minds. What if our lives are nothing like what has been described? What if we have more secrets than the phone book has names? What if we think the best thing we can do for the reputation of Jesus is hide under a bed so that no one will ever think a Christian could do the things we have done? What if our lamps are flickering at best? 

Good questions! And here is Jesus’ no-nonsense answer in the next verse.

Verse 8:18 – “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.” This verse is not talking about money or possessions. Jesus is talking about the powerful word of God in our lives. 

God gives every Christian his word. It is like seeds planted in our souls. If we use what God gives us, he gives us more. If we don’t use what God gives us, he doesn’t give us any more. 

The principle is simple: use it or lose it! 

· What happens to our muscles if we exercise? We grow stronger and stronger. What happens to our muscles if we don’t exercise? We grow weaker and weaker. 

· What happens to our minds if we keep learning? We get smarter and smarter. If we don’t keep learning, we become dumber and dumber. 

· What happens if we build relationships? We have more and more friends. If we neglect relationships? We have fewer and fewer friends. 

· What happens if we live by faith? We get more faith. What happens if we don’t live by faith? Our faith shrinks. 

· What happens if we live by God’s word? Our lamps brightly shine, our lives can be open books, and we become more and more like Jesus. If we don’t live by God’s word our lamps are hidden, our lives are secret, and we are less and less like Jesus. 

The issue is not how much God has given us so far, it is what we do with what God has given! My question to you is really the question I have for myself—what are you doing with what God has given to you? The question is not so much “What do you have?” The real question is, “what are you doing with it?” 

Interestingly Jesus doesn’t state this as a promise but as an obvious fact that everyone should know: “Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.” 

3. What sorts of things would God have you bring “out into the open?” (Vs 17)

4. Have you ever tried to hide your Christian identity or beliefs from other people? 

5. Do you have to announce that you are a Christian or do others see that right away?

See blog – Are You a Child of the Light?

PARABLE 7 - The Rich Fool

PARABLE 7 — LUKE 12:15-21 — THE RICH FOOL

21 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Read Luke 12:1-14. While Jesus is teaching a man suddenly ask Jesus to speak to his brother so that his brother would spilt his inheritance with him. Jesus answered and said, “Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

Jesus then spoke to the crowd and said, “Listen to this, beware of covetousness!” Jesus said a man’s life does not consist of how many things he possesses in this life.

Jesus then spoke the parable of a certain rich man that had plenty.

  

Discussion Questions – Parable 7

PARABLE 7 — LUKE 12:15-21 — THE RICH FOOL

1. What does covetousness mean? 

The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary describes covetousness to mean – “feeling or showing a very strong desire for something that you do not have and especially for something that belongs to someone else.”  The Strong’s Concordance describes it to mean – “greedy desire to have more.”

2. In Verse 15, Jesus said, “Beware.” Is that a strong warning or simply a caution? 

Older Bible translations have “take heed” and the NIV and Holman have “watch out” which seem more like a caution. But “beware” is probably the best translation of the original Greek and it is an intensive term. And because it is such a strong forceful word, it is rarely followed by an exclamation mark. We would not expect to see a sign, “Beware of wet paint,” or “Beware, new grass planted,” because the word is too strong for the occasion. But it is more likely to be used on a sign like, “Beware – Vicious Dog,” or “Beware – Bridge Out.” Thus, when Jesus used the word “beware,” he was indicating great danger. 

Other places we find the word is used in:

Matthew 7:15 – Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but 

inwardly are ravaging wolves. 

Luke 12:1 – Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

3. How does greed show up in a person’s life? Do you see this in your life?

Jesus’ strong warning here is about greed. He says, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” He is explaining that the essential, fundamental evil and error of covetousness is being eagerly desirous of wealth or possessions; that covetousness makes one think that life is made up of and controlled by the things you possess. And don’t we often feel that way? If we have material goods, we are “better off” or even just plain “better” than those who do not have them. 

This is what the Lord was charging when he asked the rhetorical question in the Sermon on the Mount, “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25) Your life’s value, your soul’s worth, is not measured by what you own. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and to lose his soul?” (Mark. 8:36) Jesus would never have asked those questions if the covetousness’ theme were true—that is that your life is measured by what you possess. It is not what you own, it is what owns you that really matters.

After posing the warning about greed in straight-forward language, Jesus goes on to tell a parable about it. Often, he only tells the parable, but in this case he’s waving a red danger flag first. 

4. Is it wrong or a bad thing to be rich? If not, what’s the big problem? 

Absolutely not. Abraham, Jacob, Solomon and Job were not simply rich; they were “very rich.” The rich man in this parable is not criticized or condemned because he was wealthy.

Wealth itself does not damn, and neither does poverty save. Wealth is not a vice. Poverty is not a virtue. It may be hard to believe, but many people with no money will go to hell over the riches they so strongly desire. At least that is what Paul writes to Timothy, “But people who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction.” (1 Tim. 6:9). So it is not riches but the “trust” in riches that dooms men (Mark 10:23-35). 

It is this trust, this belief in material substance that condemned the rich man. Five times he used the personal pronoun “my.” He referred to “my crops, my barns, my grain, my goods, myself.” That is not evil, either, for there is a sense in which things do belong to us; we “own” them (Acts 5:4; Matthew 20:15). However, in this case it was the absorbing, consuming thought of his life, and that is wrong. Even building the barns was not wrong—he actually acted wisely in building larger barns for his surplus lest it rot or be eaten by scavenger animals. But, he acted foolishly in allowing his goods to secure, as he thought they did, his soul. [For Verse 12:19, early translations say “And I will say to my soul...” whereas later translations make hits “I will say to myself...”In this case, I think the earlier literal translation is probably better.] 

The man imagined “many years” of ease and security, many years in which he could take it easy, eat, drink, and be merry. How does the rest of that phrase go? “For tomorrow we die,” but the rich man did not consider death. He stopped with “merry.” He forgot, “for tomorrow we die.” But in this case, even if he had said it, he would have been in error. It was not, “tomorrow,” but “this very night your life (or your soul) will be demanded of you.” 

5. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon spoke of two items in this story. How does Ecclesiastes 5:15 fit in? Later, in Ecclesiastes 8:15, Solomon says, “So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.” Is the Bible giving us conflicting advice? 

Eccl 5:15 – “We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.” [NLT] So neither the devil nor this world can give you one single item that will not be snatched and taken from you the moment you die. We all go into bankruptcy at death. We leave it all. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon then wondered whether his riches might not go to a fool who would throw it all away (Eccl. 2:18-19). Even earlier, David said this same thing in Psalm 39:6 – “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.” And again in Psalm 49:10 – “...even wise men die; the stupid and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.” 

But the rich man did not foresee this eventuality. He was oblivious to eternity. David said it in Psalm 49:6-9 and Jesus said it here. Your wealth will not do you one jot of good when you die—the only thing that counts is being “rich toward God.” 

The big difference between this parable and what Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 8:15 “...eat, drink, and be merry...” is that he is saying it gratefully in thanks that “God has given him wealth and possessions and enables him to enjoy them” (Eccl 5:19). A few verses later, he adds that one should “be joyful that God favors what you do” (Eccl 9:7). He is not saying it arrogantly or pridefully as the rich man in the parable is. 

6. Does this parable say you should not plan for retirement or that you should not save money or valuables? In one sentence, what does being “rich toward God” actually mean? 

Absolutely not; saving money and planning ahead are good things. The Bible in many places stresses using one’s money and gifts wisely. Other parables actually advise us to increase our wealth, to be good caretakers of what God has entrusted to us, to help the poor and those less fortunate (often spoken of as widows and orphans). This is how we show we are “rich toward God.” This is the antidote to covetousness. It is the man who has his priorities in order who sees to the wealth and prosperity of his soul. Paul says it again to Timothy, “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.” (1 Tim. 6:17, NLT). 

In one sentence, what does being “rich toward God” actually mean? Does it mean to?

(a) seek first the kingdom of God, 

(b) give most of your money to the church and the poor, 

(c) use your abilities and resources to further God’s kingdom, 

(e) something else? 

I’ll give you a hint?What did Jesus say in Matthew 6:19-21? “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.” 

7. With what parts of the parable can you identify? What parts of the parable make you uncomfortable? (12:16-20)

8. Why is it difficult for us to accept the fact that our life and things are temporary? What step can you take this week to become less dependent upon your possessions? 

PARABLE 8 - Watchfulness

PARABLE 8 — LUKE 12:35-40 — WATCHFULNESS 

40 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

Discussion Questions – Parable 8

PARABLE 8 — LUKE 12:35-40 — WATCHFULNESS 

1. What is it like to wait for someone without knowing when he or she is coming? (Think hours, days, weeks, months.) 

Have you ever been late meeting someone for lunch? Have you ever forgotten about an appointment or forgotten to call someone after you said you’d get back to him? Of course you have. How do you think the other person felt? How do you feel when this happens to you? What if you expect to hear about a job application in a week and don’t hear anything after 2 weeks? What if your taxes are being audited and you expect to hear something in 2 months and 4 months go by without hearing anything? What if you son is traveling around

Australia and he says he’ll call “when he has a chance” and after 6 months you’re still waiting to hear from him? 

2. How were the servants to be while waiting for their master? (12:35-36) How long did Jesus say the servants should be willing to wait for their master? (12:38) How does this translate to you today? 

The servants were to be dressed. Early translations say, “loins girded” meaning the loose outer garments gathered up for work or travel, not let loose for sleeping. Lamps were to be burning. In these two images, Jesus says, “be prepared” and “be awake” even if many dull hours have passed and you’re very tired. 

How long to wait? Jesus didn’t really say, but implied the master might not come home until quite late, “the third watch.” Night was divided into four watches by the Romans: (1) 6:00 - 9:00 pm, (2) 9:00 pm - midnight, (3) midnight - 3:00 am, (4) 3:00 - 6:00 am. The Jews had only three watches during the night: (1) sunset - 10:00 pm, (2) 10:00 pm - 2:00 am, (3) 2:00 am - sunrise. The parable probably referred to the last two of the Jewish watches. The wedding banquet would have begun in the first watch right after sunset. 

Today, are you waiting for the second coming? Are you prepared if it were to happen tonight? Are you ready? Most of us are not. Most of us would like just a little more time to prepare. Most of us say I need more time to read my Bible. I’m just so busy with everything else, but maybe I’ll have more time next week. Or next year. Or never. 

3. What happened to the servants who were watching properly? (12:37) 

In Verse 37 Jesus says, “It will be good for those servants [that is, believers] whose master finds them watching when he comes.” Then, having said that, he says something that is totally not expected from Middle Eastern culture. He says, “...I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.” 

Notice in actual life back then the master would come home to his house, knock on the door, and find his servants ready. They open the door, escort him in, hang up his coat; they show him to his favorite chair and they give him a hot drink. They say, “Do you want a bath?” They’ve already warmed the water because there were no hot showers in those days. Basically, they greet him with an attitude of “we are ready to serve you.” 

But, in the parable, we read the very opposite. In Verse 37 when it says “he will dress himself to serve, the “he” does not refer to the servants. It is a singular word and it refers to the master. So here we have the master girding himself up and saying, “I want you servants to recline at my table and I will serve you.” That is a huge difference between a Middle Eastern lord or master, who would absolutely never do that. So in the story who does the master represent? The Lord Jesus Christ. The wedding banquet that the master went to would seem to be a symbol for the enthronement of Jesus in heaven and it points to his return for the final judgment for which he wants every believer, every one of you to be prepared. 

4. For what are we to be watchful? What does watchfulness involve? Why is watchfulness not a passive activity? What are the three main messages of this parable? 

We must be watchful and ready for Jesus’ return at any moment. Jesus’ return is certain but the time is not known. In Matthew 24:36, it says, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” A specific outline of the future would actually be a hindrance, not a help, to faith. Certain signs have been given, but not for the purpose of making detailed predictions. 

Watchfulness is not passive or easy. As Luke warns in 21:34 – “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.” 

The three messages in this parable: 

1) The disciples—and all believers—must be ready for a return of Jesus at any moment. As verse 40 says, “the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” 

2) You must not allow for a delay that will reduce your expectancy nor slow the progress of your preparedness (vs 38). You must not let this delay discourage you so you fall into a trap or get overwhelmed by the drudgeries and anxieties of life. 

3) You must faithfully manage the resources that have been entrusted to you by God. Don’t forget, you are stewards—caretakers—not owners. As the last parable emphasized, you can’t take it with you. 

5. What responsibilities or duties might God demand of you? What can you do for God in your area of responsibility? 

PARABLE 9 - The Faithful Servants and Wicked Servants

PARABLE 9 ~ LUKE 12:42-48 ~ THE FAITHFUL AND WICKED SERVANTS  

42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

  

Discussion Questions – Parable 9

PARABLE 9 ~ LUKE 12:42-48 ~ THE FAITHFUL AND WICKED SERVANTS  

1. Who are the servants? Only the redeemed? Does this parable apply to everyone?

When Jesus speaks of “servants” is he referring only to those who have been redeemed, born of God, the true believers? Or is it referring to everyone who reckons himself, or is reckoned a servant of God by others, which would include nominal Christians, and even Scribes and Pharisees as being the servant he speaks of?

Luke 12:41 – And Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone {else} as well?” 

In the previous parable (#8 Watchfulness) Peter recognized the general meaning of Jesus’ teaching, but now asks for clarification. He wants to know if this exhortation to be prepared applies to all people or just to the disciples? Jesus answers this by giving another parable (12:42-46), in which it is clearly stated that the consequence for not being prepared is total rejection and dismissal to the place of the unfaithful—and that it applies to everyone. 

2. What about the man who was cut in pieces and assigned a place with the unbelievers? (12:42-44) 

The unwise and wicked servant makes two mistakes. First he says, “I’ll do whatever I want while my master is away,” forgetting that the Day of Judgment must come. Human beings have a habit of having two different attitudes toward God. Sometimes, we remember that God is present, and at others, we may not think of Him at all. Some go about their daily lives without a thought of God coming back at all, and do as they please.

Second, the unwise and wicked servant, says, “I have plenty of time to put things right before the master comes.” How many if asked to come live for God say, “One day I will. I’m just not ready right now.” Nothing may be more harmful than to assume we have more time.

For those of you who call Jesus Lord, and even perhaps hold some position of service or authority in the visible church, but if you don’t actually serve – if you don’t actually treat Jesus as Lord, you will be assigned a place with the unbelievers. For that is what you really are. In the parallel passage (Matthew 24:51) these same are assigned to a place with the hypocrites, just as Jesus said, “Woe to you, teachers of the laws and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” 

There are a number of “Christians” who consider themselves among the religious elite, yet abuse the servants of Christ even slandering them and teaching false things and who abuse the resources God has entrusted to them for the purpose of satisfying their own personal passions and ambitions. They will not escape condemnation.

There are two extremes of these people. The ones beating the servants represent the legalists. They may be more likened to the scribes and Pharisees in Jesus’ times. Then there are those who eat, drink, and get drunk. These represent the lawless Christians – who go on to live a lifestyle of sin.

These are both speaking of “nominal” Christians – those who associate themselves with the visible church, but have not been born of God, not having the quality of faith that saves. They will be cut to pieces and assigned to the same place as an unbeliever (verse 12:46).

One’s assurance of salvation should not be overly presumptuous about whether one has been born of God. We base our assurance of our justification upon the atoning work of Christ alone. But to be qualified to receive such justification, we have to have a faith of quality acceptable to God. We base our assurance that we have been born of God upon our performance. As it is written: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:9-10) And in particular, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” (1 John 2:3)

3. What is the reward for service mentioned here? 

What is God’s reward for a job well done? God will give them more responsibilities. What! I thought that we enter His rest! What’s this about more responsibilities? Just as the wife in the marriage relationship was made to serve her husband, so we were made to serve God. Of course in this age of self-centered pleasure seeking and rebelliousness, many Christians have lost perspective both on the purpose of many of the basic role relationships and even concerning their relationship with Christ. Many accept Christ as Savior only, but only as some type of servant, whose sole purpose is to serve them. The fact that Christ is Lord has escaped many a “Christian” in practice.

The more responsibilities we have, the more we will be held responsible for. On the positive side, the more responsibilities, the greater the potential reward. But then again, the more the potential punishment.

5. The parable identifies four kinds of servants:
a) One who knows what he should do, and does the right thing.
b) One who knows what he should do, but does the wrong thing.
c) One who knows what he should do, but doesn’t do anything.
d) One who does not know what he should do, and does the wrong thing 

What is the fate of each of them? Which one do you identify with? 

Let’s consider each of these. We’ve already looked at the one who knows what he should do and does the right thing. He gets rewarded with more responsibilities and blessings. Jesus repeats this logic again in the second part of the last verse when he says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” When Jesus says something twice in a few minutes, what does that mean? Pay attention! This is important. He’s saying, “learn the right thing to do—and DO it!” 

Okay, so now what if you know what you should do but deliberately decide to do the wrong thing? In this parable that meant beating the other servants, feasting on the master’s food and getting drunk. What happened then? 

Luke 12:46 – the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect {him,} and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and will banish him with the unbelievers. 

And the one who knows what he should do, but does nothing? What happens then? This clearly indicates the administration of a more severe punishment upon the one who is openly and obviously rebellious against God. 

The final word: Luke 12:48 – And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. 

When Jesus returns, all who have trusted in Him, and done His will, will be gathered out of the earth, taken to heaven, and enter into eternal fellowship with Jesus and other believers and into everlasting peace. “And the world will pass away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God will live forever.” (1 John 2:17)

6. Over what has God give you stewardship (you, personally)? What do you think God wants you to do with it (be specific)? How would God evaluate the job you’re doing? How can you improve the job you’re doing? 

The parable of the faithful and wicked servants admonishes us to be faithful and wise in carrying out responsibilities and relationships with our fellow servants, our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.

Since this parable applies to everyone, Christ admonishes us to lead in a way that unites and inspire others to be faithful. We do this by giving them the truth, a good example, and encouragement. In this way, we become wise and faithful stewards of the trust God has given us.

God gives us resources such as finances and time, talents such as culinary skills or musical ability, and spiritual gifts such as encouragement or teaching. We should ask God for wisdom on how to use those resources and commit ourselves to expending them according to His will so that He may be glorified. In regards to spiritual gifts, Paul said, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully” (Romans 12:6–8). This is simply responsible stewardship.

Don’t take positions of service lightly. If you call Jesus Lord, treat Him that way. Don’t be presumptuous about your salvation status if your behavior is inconsistent with that expected from one born of God. Rather, Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5) In summary, whoever is entrusted with duties must perform them faithfully, prepared at all times to account for what he has done. The key words in this parable are faithful, wise, and ready!

Are you a wise, true, and faithful servant that has made yourself ready? Are you born again as Jesus and the apostles taught? Then please visit my blog and read “Plan of Salvation”.

The Faithful and Wicked Servants Poem

It will be good for that servant whom the Lord puts in charge 

Of his fellow servants, His reward will be large 

If he carries out his duties a reward he will earn 

When the master finds him doing so after his return 

He will give him charge of all his possessions. 

But concerning his return, suppose the servant questions 

"My master is taking a long time to come", 

He then beats servants and abuses some 

He becomes legalistic or perhaps even lawless 

His performance is to say the least far from flawless 

The master of that servant will come when he does not expect 

Even though that servant may think he's one of the elect 

He'll be cut in pieces and assigned a place 

With the unbelievers, rather than in God's grace 

If he does not act, though the master's will he knows 

He will then be beaten and that with many blows. 

And those who do not know, though behaving bad 

Will be beaten less than his fellow comrade 

From those given much, much will be demanded 

So act responsibly or else be reprimanded