Jesus’ story of the shrewd money manager is one that many people have difficulty understanding. However, if we first consider the lessons of the story that Jesus shared at its conclusion, it’s easier to understand how the story leads to those lessons.

Jesus mentioned at least three lessons His story teaches, and all of them revolve around the use of and our attitude about money. The last of the three is, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13). Jesus does not want money to be our highest priority as it is for many people. Every aspect of some people’s lives revolves around money. For example, when faced with a decision about choosing a career, the most important question they ask themselves is, “What can I do that will make me the most money?” A servant of God, considering the same question, would ask, “What does God want me to do?” Those whose god is money are literally controlled by money, as it directs their every decision. And that was the case with the shrewd money manager. He deceived and cheated his master, sinning against God, because money was his highest priority. It was his god. By their actions, the Pharisees also proved they loved money more than God.

The second lesson was about trustworthiness. Jesus said, “Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities” (Luke 16:10). Trustworthiness is something that must be earned, and it is first earned by proving yourself trustworthy in small things. The shrewd money manager in Jesus’ story was found unfaithful, and that was why he lost his job. God is testing everyone’s faithfulness by watching what we do with what He’s given us, including our money. Christians who don’t give anything when they’re making only a little money are proving they wouldn’t give anything if they made a lot of money, in spite of what they may claim. So why would God bless them with more money? Christians who waste money that God gives them are also proving themselves untrustworthy and provide no reason for God to entrust them with more.

This is more important than many Christians realize. How we spend our money is a primary indicator of our spiritual lives. In fact, it can reveal whether we are truly saved or not. Jesus said, “If you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” The shrewd money manager in Jesus’ story proved, by his mishandling of his master’s money, that he was not truly devoted and obedient to his master. So his master rejected him, just as God will reject those who, by their use of their money, prove that they aren’t truly submitted to Him.

The third lesson is perhaps the most difficult one to understand, especially if you are reading from a translation other than the New Living Translation. Jesus said, “I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven” (Luke 16:9). The shrewd money manager made friends out of his master’s debtors by lowering their debts. Because he’d helped them save money by cheating his master, they’d feel obligated to help him once he lost his job. Jesus, of course, doesn’t want us to make friends by cheating anyone, but He does expect that we will assist our brothers and sisters in Christ who are in financial need. And we, like the shrewd manager, will ultimately benefit from helping them when we are rewarded in heaven.

Q. Do you think what we’ve read today has any application to kids?

A. If they receive any money, either by earning it or receiving it as a gift, it certainly does. They should demonstrate their obedient faith in Jesus by what they do with their money, and it doesn’t make any difference how little money they have. In fact, by proving to God at a young age that He can trust them with a little money, kids can ensure themselves a better financial future.

Q. Many people think it’s O.K. to tell “little” lies, as long as their lies don’t hurt anyone. And they claim they would never tell a “big” lie. How do you think God feels about that?

A. God knows they’re lying about not lying! When they’re faced with a small temptation to tell a small lie and yield, God knows they’ll tell a big lie when faced with a big temptation. God never tells any lies, big or small, and neither should we.

Application: When you are faced with a decision, are the financial consequences more important to you than the spiritual consequences? Say, for example, that you have just enough money to buy a certain thing you’ve wanted for a long time. However, you haven’t given away any portion of that money yet, to someone less fortunate, to your church or to a missionary. What is the proper thing to do?

 Through the Old Testament prophet Micah, God had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem: “But you, O Bethlehem…are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past” (Micah 5:2). So it was no accident that Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. Before the world was created, God knew that around the year 6 B.C. the leader of the Roman Empire would decree that a census be taken of all the people in his domain. For that reason, Joseph and Mary had to journey about 65 miles to register in the town of Joseph’s ancestor, David.

When we think about Jesus being born, we often imagine a picture similar to what we’ve seen on the front of Christmas cards: a soft golden glow surrounding a beautiful mother with a baby in her arms, as her husband and the animals of the manger scene adoringly watch. But Jesus’ birth was not such a pretty picture. First, giving birth to a baby is not an easy thing to do—just ask your mom about when you were born! Then ask her how she would have enjoyed delivering you in a stinky barn, right on the floor, after several days of traveling! That is probably how Jesus was born. Mary laid him in a manger, which is a nice word for an animal feeding trough. How would you like to sleep in a box where animals had eaten and slobbered? Jesus went through a lot of trouble to become a human being, and that shows us how much He loves us.

I wonder if Mary and Joseph complained to each other about all their troubles. Just to register their names in Bethlehem, they had to make a long journey when Mary was very pregnant, and Mary had to give birth in very unpleasant surroundings. They probably didn’t realize that they were right in the center of God’s will, fulfilling an ancient prophecy. We often grumble about circumstances in our lives when we don’t see God’s plan. But if we could see our circumstances through God’s eyes, we would rejoice. And so we should!

God’s perspective of Mary and Joseph’s plight was revealed to the shepherds of today’s reading. The multitude of angels that God allowed them to see were praising God because the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah, the Savior, had been born! At that time, it was the greatest event of history! Those angels had been sent from heaven to tell them the wonderful news because God was so excited about the birth of His Son. Just like when you were born, your dad wanted everyone to know about it!

Q. Why are we certain that the prophet Micah, in his prophecy about a ruler coming from Bethlehem, was talking about Jesus, and not some other ruler of Israel?

A. We are certain because Micah identified that ruler as being someone “whose origins are from the distant past” (see Micah 5:2). The Jewish leaders in Jesus’ time knew that Micah could have only been speaking of the Messiah, even if they didn’t understand that the Messiah would be God Himself, who existed from eternity (see Matt. 2:3-6).

Q. Looking back at your life, do you think that anything has happened to you that you complained about at the time, but that God was excited about because He could see the whole picture? Could that be true of anything you are complaining about right now in your life?

Application: The Bible says,”God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them” (Romans 8:28). God doesn’t cause all things, and not all things are good, but God does cause all things to work together for good. Since that’s true, we should maintain a good attitude, even when things don’t go the way we want them to.

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Today we read of another fault the Pharisees and religious teachers found in Jesus: He spent time with sinful people. This once more strengthens our belief that Jesus was sinless, because the only faults anyone could find in Him weren’t faults at all, they were virtues. Jesus explained why He spent time with sinners: they were valued by God, just as a lost sheep is to a shepherd and a lost coin is to a woman who owns ten coins.

The Pharisees who criticized Jesus were self-righteous, and were actually just as lost as the people they condemned as being sinners. Jesus considered everyone to be a sinner who needs to be saved, but those who didn’t think they were sinners could never be saved, because they thought they already were!

The story of the lost son was really a story about the bad attitude of the older brother, who represented the Pharisees. The younger son was definitely guilty, but he repented before his father, who received him back with rejoicing and a feast. His son had been lost, but was back home where he belonged. The older brother became angry when he saw how gracious his father was toward his brother. He had always obeyed his father and never had received a similar party. To him it didn’t seem fair.

Every time I read this story, I always feel myself siding with the older brother. If my father did what his father had done, I would probably react the same way. But when I put myself in the shoes of the father, I’m sure I would do just what he did for his repentant son. There were two different perspectives in the matter, and we must realize that our God has the father’s perspective. He loves all of His own, so we should adopt His attitude and rejoice when He blesses someone who has recently repented after committing big sins, even if we feel like God is showing favoritism. Of course, God shows no favoritism, but like the father in the story, He can’t help but express His love when a repentant son returns home.

Q. If the younger brother was so graciously received and restored when he returned home, was there any advantage for the older brother to have stayed home, remaining obedient to his father all those years?

A. Absolutely. Everything the father owned was divided between his two sons. The younger of the two had wasted his entire inheritance, but the older brother still possessed all of his. That is why his father reminded him, “Everything I have is yours” (Luke 15:31b). The wayward son, although blessed to be restored, would regret all his life what he did with his inheritance. He would never have another opportunity to receive it again. And the older brother could use his inheritance to have as many feasts with his friends as he wanted.

Q. How do you think Jesus feels about Christians who look down on sinful people who are not Christians?

A. He knows they are guilty of spiritual pride. All of us were sinners at one time who needed a Savior. We were no different than the sinful people we now look down upon, except that we heard and believed the gospel and God forgave and changed us. We need to be merciful toward sinners as God is.

Application: Did you notice the father’s love for his repentant son in today’s final story? When the returning son was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. He had been hoping and longing for his son’s return, always looking into the distance. He didn’t wait for his son to make it to him. Rather, he ran to his son, filled with love and compassion. When they met, he didn’t wait for his son’s confession, but immediately embraced and kissed him. When his son confessed his sin, he didn’t scold him to make him feel worse, but immediately called for the finest robe, a ring for his finger, sandals for his feet and a great feast in celebration. Does that help you understand God’s loves?

By studying almost everything that the Gospels record about the life of Jesus, we have an advantage over daily devotionals that only consider random portions of Scripture: we don’t avoid or miss anything that God wants us to know about Jesus. The only record we have of Jesus’ life is found in the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Holy Spirit inspired them to write exactly what they did, so all of it is important, and we shouldn’t neglect any part.

Today’s reading is one of those portions that some people avoid, because what Jesus said seems too demanding of them. But ignoring what Jesus taught doesn’t do away with what He said! Everyone needs to face up to what we’ve just read.

Jesus was very plainly teaching that there is a cost to be His disciple. He expects our highest devotion, and He couldn’t have made His standards more clear.

First, we must love Him even more than the people we love the most: our fathers, mothers, spouses, children, brothers and sisters. In fact, Jesus said we must love Him more than our own lives. True disciples of Jesus are sold out to Him. Jesus is not just a part of their lives, He is the center of their lives.

Second, Jesus said that we must carry our own cross in order to be His disciples. What did He mean? He wasn’t saying, of course, that His followers must literally carry a cross on their backs wherever they go. The carrying of the cross that Jesus talked about must be symbolic of something.

In Jesus’ day, when crucifixion was a common means of punishment, the expression He used was probably common. It would have meant, “Do the thing that you would naturally not want to do,” or “Deny your selfish desires for a greater cause.” Those who are Christ’s true disciples have done just that. The most important thing in their lives is no longer pleasing themselves, but pleasing God.

Third, we must love Jesus more than any material thing if we are to be His disciples. Jesus owns us and everything we own. Therefore, He should have control over everything we possess, and we should do with it as He directs.

Unfortunately, too many people decided to become followers of Christ without first considering what it might cost them. When they do realize the cost, they change their minds. For example, a person might decide to follow Christ, but when he does, all his friends abandon him. So, in order to gain back their friendship, he stops obeying Jesus. Or a new follower of Christ who didn’t count the cost might be required by his employer to lie to customers or lose his job. In order to keep his job, he stops following Jesus.

Have you considered the cost of following Jesus? It seems like a contradiction, but it’s true: Salvation is a gift that could cost you everything!

Q. Can someone be a Christian without being a disciple of Christ?

A. Not according to the Bible. Neither Jesus nor any of the apostles taught that a person could be a believer in Christ without becoming a follower of Christ. There are not two classes of Christians, the uncommitted who believe in Him and the devoted followers. Those who truly believe in Jesus become His disciples.

Q. Is it possible for a person to be a disciple of Jesus, but not give away any of his earnings to support the spread of the gospel or help the poor?

A. In light of all that Jesus said about our responsibility as His followers pertaining to money, it seems highly unlikely that such a person could actually be a true follower of Christ.

Application: A major problem in churches today is that many people claim to be Christian, but they really aren’t. They think they’re going to heaven just because they prayed a prayer to receive Jesus, even though their lives are no different from that of non-Christians. They are unwilling to sacrifice anything for the sake of following Christ, such as their time, their selfish pursuits, their money or their reputation. Those kinds of people are going to be very surprised when they are condemned to hell. We need to tell them the truth.

Just the fact that the only fault the Pharisees could find with Jesus was that He healed on the Sabbath tells us that He must have been a very good person. (We know that he was sinless). Jesus wasn’t content to let them think that He was guilty of even one little sin, so He explained that the fault they’d found in Him wasn’t a fault at all. Rather, they were criticizing Him for a virtue. He was helping someone who needed help on the Sabbath, just as they would do for their sons or animals if they were in need on the Sabbath. So Jesus proved that their only criticism of Him was unjustified. He was sinless.

As we’ve previously seen, the religion of the Pharisees was mostly just a show. They worked hard at looking good on the outside, but their inward motivation was all wrong. They were seeking the praise of men rather than the praise of God, something that usually characterizes religious people who are not born again. Jesus saw through them, and noted that their desire to be honored before others was evident even in how they seated themselves to eat a meal together. Each one tried to sit near the head of the table where the most “important” people sat, and Jesus seized the opportunity to teach a lesson about humility. When we exalt ourselves, we run the risk of being humbled, just like the man who takes a seat of honor at a wedding feast. It’s much better and more pleasing to God if we will humble ourselves. If we will, we’re more likely to be exalted.

Humble people are always thinking, not of themselves, but of others. For that reason, they have a servant’s attitude, looking for opportunities to be a blessing. However, just because someone serves others isn’t sure proof that he’s a true servant. Many people outwardly seem to be kind and generous, but often they are just acting in order to gain people’s favor. They are hoping to personally benefit in the long run. For example, people sometimes give gifts in order to make others feel indebted to them. That is one reason Jesus told us to give secretly. Secret gifts are motivated by pure love.

That is also why Jesus told the host of the dinner not to invite his friends, brothers, relatives and rich neighbors when he gave a dinner. They could and would repay him for his kindness. A higher, more godly love would be demonstrated by giving a dinner for those who could not repay him. Jesus told him that if he would give a dinner for people who could not repay him, such as the poor, crippled, lame and blind, God would reward him at the resurrection of the godly.

This doesn’t mean that it’s wrong for us to show love to our friends, brothers, relatives and neighbors. But our love for them could be just selfishness disguised as love if we have hidden motives. God is calling us to a higher love, one that is pure like His. He wants us to show love to those whom most people neglect, ignore, and even hate.

Q. What do you think God would say to a person who wants to look good in the eyes of others when he humbles himself with the hope of being exalted?

A. God would say that person is guilty of false humility. True humility has no plans for being exalted by other people. It only desires the praise of God.

Q. How do you think God feels about social cliques, small groups of exclusive people who look down upon or don’t associate with those who don’t meet their standards for acceptance?

A. He’s against them, because they are held together by selfishness and convey hatred toward people He loves.

Application: Is there anyone you know that most people ignore, a person who receives very little love from others? It may even be someone in your school or church who is a little different from everyone else. In light of what Jesus said, what do you think He wants you to do? Will you?

This important story was told by Jesus while He was dining with a group of Pharisees. Just after He had said something about the resurrection of the godly people, one of the diners expressed what a privilege it would be to share in the Kingdom of God. The man was, perhaps, conveying the heart-felt feelings of everyone present, and Jesus recognized His opportunity to tell them who will and who will not be one of those privileged people.

Amazingly, the point of Jesus’ story is that it is not God who determines who gets into His kingdom. People themselves determine their destiny. God has sent an invitation to everyone, but unfortunately many are making excuses to decline His offer.

Their excuses, as Jesus so wonderfully illustrated, make no sense to anyone with good sense. One man in Jesus’ story had just purchased a field and wanted to inspect it. Not only was he rude for declining the invitation, but his reason for declining was insulting to the host. He considered the inspection of his field, something he could do at any time, to be more important than his invitation to the feast, which he would never have another opportunity to attend. He also appears foolish not to have inspected his field before he bought it.

The second man was equally insulting, conveying that he would rather spend time with his new oxen than with the host and his guests.

The third man stated that he’d just been married so he couldn’t attend. Perhaps this man represents the person who lets other people make his decisions for him, in this case, a wife.

The wealthy host was angry when his servant returned, informing him how his invitations had been denied. So he instructed his servant to go to the streets and alleys of the city and invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind, and all of them gratefully accepted his invitation. But there was room for still more, so the host instructed his servant to go to remote places where few people lived to urge anyone he could find to come to his feast. He wanted his house to be full. He was obviously a very gracious man. He clearly represents our God, who has extended His salvation invitation to everyone.

Q. Many of the people of Jesus’ day considered the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind to be cursed by God, assuming they were deserving their of plight because of their sinfulness. As a result, they had little compassion on such people. What does Jesus’ story teach us about that viewpoint?

A. It teaches us that it is entirely wrong. Although we may not understand why some people are born with birth defects, or why some people suffer tragedies in their lives, we should never assume that it is because they are greater sinners than the rest of us. God loves every one of them, and He wants them to accept His invitation to be saved.

Q. Jesus wanted to point out in this story that people who reject God’s salvation invitation are very foolish. What could be more foolish than refusing eternal life and living forever in heaven, and choosing to spend eternity in hell? Can you think of any foolish excuses that people use today to decline God’s invitation?

Application: The wealthy host in today’s story finally told his servant to go to the remote, less-populated areas to invite people to his feast. God loves people in far-away places, and all Christians should be involved in helping those kinds of people hear about God’s invitation. We can do that by praying for God to send people, by giving money and praying for those who are taking God’s message to far-away places, or by going ourselves. Are you like the servant of the wealthy host?

The main reason why Jesus became a human being was to die for our sins so we could be forgiven. Jesus was the “Lamb of God,” and it was God’s will that He die in Jerusalem during the Passover feast with all the other Passover lambs. As Jesus made His final journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, He taught in towns and villages on the way, and one day someone asked Him a very important question: “Lord, will only a few be saved?”

Using different words, Jesus restated what He’d taught during His sermon on the mountainside, revealing that only a minority of people would be saved, while the majority would go to hell: “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

In this instance, Jesus told His questioner that many people would try to enter heaven, but they would be kept out for one reason—because they were evildoers. Some people will even claim that they ate and drank with Jesus and listened to Him teach in their streets, which will be true of many people who were alive when Jesus walked the earth. However, their association with Him won’t be enough for them to be saved. It’s not being just associated with Jesus that gets a person into heaven, it’s believing with an obedient faith that He is the Son of God. If a person only associates with Jesus, he obviously doesn’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God, otherwise he would give his life to Him in obedient service, and no longer be categorized as an evildoer. He may believe that Jesus is a nice person, a good teacher or a faithful friend, but that is not enough. Are you a part of the minority who will enter heaven through the narrow gate?

Jesus also made it plain that there are only two places people will go after they die: heaven or hell. There is no purgatory as some think, a place where people pay for their sins and then are eventually released into heaven.

In the final part of today’s reading, we read of Jesus lamenting over Jerusalem. Take note that although He knew He would soon be crucified in that city, He wasn’t feeling sorry for Himself. Rather, He was feeling sorry for the people of Jerusalem because He knew the consequences they would suffer for rejecting Him. Within forty years, their city would be destroyed, and tens of thousands of the inhabitants would be crucified by the Roman army. Worse than that, those who rejected Christ would spend eternity in hell.

It was God’s perfect will that all the people of Jerusalem be saved, expressed by Jesus when He said, “How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings” (Luke 13:34). But why wasn’t He able to do what He wanted? Jesus explained: “But you wouldn’t let me.” It won’t be God’s fault that anyone is in hell.

Q. Jesus said that in the future, when His kingdom comes, there will be people who are despised now but who will be greatly honored then, and there will be some who are greatly honored now who will be despised then. About what kinds of people do you think He was speaking?

A. For the most part, those who are devoted followers of Christ are not being honored by the world, but are being despised as fanatics and fools. They will be honored by God in His kingdom. On the other hand, there are many unsaved people whom the world presently honors, but who will be despised by God when they stand before Him.

Q. In today’s reading, Jesus quoted from Psalm 118. We can read in that same psalm these words: “The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22). What do you think the writer of that Psalm was talking about?

A. According to Jesus and Peter, Jesus is the rejected stone that became the cornerstone (see Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11). If you don’t know what a cornerstone is, ask your parents.

Application: Jesus promised in today’s reading that people from all over the world would be citizens of His future kingdom. This proves that Jesus died for everyone and that God loves every member of every race and nationality. He is not prejudiced at all. When you think of people of other races or nationalities, are your thoughts like God’s thoughts? Christians, above all people, should not be prejudiced.

We are sometimes tempted to think that people who suffer some tragedy are more wicked than most people, and that God is punishing them for their sins. Surely, it is with those people that God is angry. In today’s reading, however, we gain Jesus’ perspective of such things, and because Jesus is God, we can be sure His perspective is correct.

Two tragic things had recently occurred in Jerusalem. The first was Herod’s murder of some people from Galilee as they were sacrificing in the Temple. We don’t know any details of what happened, but can be sure it was the talk of all Judea and Galilee for some time. The second was the accidental death of eighteen men who were killed when a big stone tower toppled over onto them. In both cases, many Jews of Jesus’ day had assumed that God was punishing them because of their wickedness. They also assumed that because they were alive, they themselves must not be deserving of such a fate, and they, unlike those who died, had God’s approval.

Jesus said, however, that the people who died were not greater sinners than anyone else, and warned the living that unless they repented, they would also perish. In other words, from God’s perspective, the survivors were just as deserving of a tragic death as those who perished. The survivors, however, had simply received more time to repent. So, the question people should have been asking was not, “Why did those people die?” Rather, they should have been asking, “Why are any of us still alive?”

Jesus answered that question using an illustration of the unfruitful fig tree. The man who planted the fig tree was tired of waiting for the tree to produce figs and decided that the tree should be cut down because it was wasting space in his garden. His gardener, however, persuaded him to give the tree one more year, promising to give it more fertilizer and special attention. Then, if it didn’t produce any figs after that year, he would cut it down.

Those who survived the contemporary tragedies of that time were like the fruitless fig tree that deserved to be cut down. God, however, had mercifully decided to give them more time to repent and produce the fruit of obedience in their lives. The people who died couldn’t complain over their fate, because they’d received only what they deserved. In fact, they, too, had doubtlessly deserved to perish long before they did, but also received undeserved mercy.

Although God didn’t cause the Tower of Siloam to fall on eighteen men and kill them, and although God didn’t inspire Herod to murder the Galileans, no one can intelligently say that God didn’t permit both tragedies to occur. Jesus said that both served as warnings to the living that they needed to repent. Those warnings, too, were indications of God’s mercy to the survivors, who really didn’t even deserve to be warned!

Q. If everyone died on his or her eightieth birthday, and no one died before then, how do you think that would affect the way people live their lives?

A. Most people would lead very sinful lives and then, as the time of their eightieth birthday drew near, would become very holy! But, because everyone knows that death can occur at any time, and because we are constantly reminded of that fact by the tragic, unexpected deaths of so many people, smart folks are motivated to repent immediately. That way they’re ready to stand before God’s judgment seat at any time.

Q. Was it fair that God allowed some people to die in those two tragedies and allowed others who were equally deserving of death to live?

A. It was not really a matter of fairness from God’s standpoint since everyone deserved to die before he did. For example, suppose there were two murderers in prison who had both killed many people and who were sentenced to die. One is scheduled to be executed on Monday and the other on Tuesday. What would the prison warden say to the Monday murderer if he complained of unfair treatment? He would say, “You have no right to complain of unfair treatment, because you deserved to die a long time ago. Fairness for you is not something that is an issue at this point. And did you treat the people you murdered with fairness?”

Application: People have been asking for ages, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Their question reveals their ignorance about God’s holiness and humanity’s sinfulness. Jesus said that no one is good except God alone (see Mark 10:18), so that disqualifies every person from being classified as “good.” In light of our sinfulness and God’s holiness, the question people should be asking is, “Why does anything good ever happen to such bad people?” The answer to that question would be, “Because God is so merciful.”

When faultfinders want to find faults, they find them! Right before this synagogue leader’s eyes, a woman who had suffered for eighteen years was instantly healed. And what did he see? He didn’t see a woman who was healed, he saw a man who sinned by “working” on the Sabbath, performing a healing. His words revealed what was in his evil heart and his actions exposed his hypocrisy. Jesus said that everyone takes care of the needs of his animals on the Sabbath day, doing things that could be classified as work but nevertheless are considered unavoidable responsibilities. If it is acceptable to take care of animals on the Sabbath, is it not all right to take care of people on the Sabbath? Certainly it is. Just as in our day, some people of Jesus’ day placed a higher value on animals than on people!

By the same token, some modern Christians seem to want to take all the enjoyment out of Sundays on the basis that we should “keep the Sabbath holy.” They demonstrate a similar attitude to that of the synagogue leader. Certainly our Sabbath, which most Christians practice on Sunday, not Saturday, is a special day in which we can focus even more on spiritual things. But to forbid children to play on Sunday afternoons, or to say that it is a sin to fix a meal on Sunday to serve hungry people, is not what God had in mind when He gave the Sabbath commandment.

Q. What should have been the response of the synagogue leader?

A. He should have begun to praise God with the woman who was healed, and then fall on his face before Jesus, repenting of his sins and asking for forgiveness.

Q. Jesus said that Satan had held the formerly-crippled woman in bondage for eighteen years. What does this tell us about the source of sickness and God’s will concerning healing?

A. It tells us that Satan is the real source of sickness. This also provides additional proof that God wants us well, since the devil is His enemy and the Bible says that Jesus came to destroy the works of the Devil (see 1 John 3:8).

Application: Can you imagine being bent double for eighteen years, unable to stand up straight all that time? Think of how excited and thankful this woman must have been when Jesus healed her. For us, this story is one more proof that Jesus is the Son of God, and it should encourage us to look to Him to grant us the miracles we need in our lives. He is full of compassion.

The old Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared,” should also be a motto for every follower of Christ. Boy Scouts are supposed to be prepared for whatever might happen, but Christians should be prepared, above everything else, for the return of Jesus. He said He will come when “least expected” (Luke 12:40). Thus, there exists the potential for people to be caught off guard. Some will be very surprised and completely unprepared.

What is it that will determine who is prepared and who is unprepared for Jesus’ return? Those who are obeying Jesus will be prepared, and those who are not obeying Him will be unprepared. Jesus said we should wait for Him as a servant waits for his master to return from a wedding feast. This once again teaches us that, although we are saved through our faith in Jesus, real faith manifests itself in obedience. If Jesus is truly our Savior then He is also our Master, and we are His servants.

Unfortunately, there are many people who think they are Christ’s servants but who prove they aren’t by what they do. Specifically, Jesus mentioned people who oppress His other servants (see Luke 12:45). At another time, Jesus said that love for one another is the mark of His true disciples (see John 13:34-35). Those who oppress and hate Christians definitely aren’t Christians. Jesus also specifically mentioned in today’s reading that some of the unprepared will be partying and getting drunk. The Bible plainly teaches that drunkards will not get into heaven (see 1 Corinthians 6:10).

According to Jesus, at His return the unprepared will be treated just like unbelievers (see Luke 12:46), with one exception. They will be punished even more severely because they knew their duty, but refused to do it. Those people who are found to be disobedient at Christ’s return but who didn’t know much about what He expected of them will be punished less severely. This indicates that the “unprepared” of whom Christ was speaking are probably professing Christians, supposed servants of Christ who have some knowledge of the Bible, but who are not really saved. Both the knowledgeable unprepared and the ignorant unprepared will be banished to hell, although their punishments will vary there. This means that it would be much worse to be the child of Christian parents and only a “church kid” who has no real relationship with Jesus than an ignorant pagan who knows little about Jesus. Both will spend eternity in hell, but the “church kid” will be punished even more severely there.

Jesus said that the servants whom He finds doing His will when He returns will receive a special favor and reward. Amazingly, Jesus said that He would reward His obedient servants by serving them a meal! God foretold through the prophet Isaiah of a fabulous meal that He would prepare for His people: “The Lord Almighty will spread a wonderful feast for everyone around the world. It will be a delicious feast of good food, with clear, well-aged wine and choice beef” (Isaiah 25:6). We can also read in the book of Revelation about something called “the wedding feast of the Lamb” and how blessed are those who are invited to it. If you are a true follower of Jesus who is prepared for His return, you’re one of those blessed ones!

Q. Kids of Christian parents often outwardly conform to their parents’ standard of behavior while they’re growing up, but once they grow old enough to leave home, their lifestyles change dramatically for the worse. What does this tell us about those kids?

A. They were perhaps never really saved in the first place. That is why parents should not only teach their children about what is right and what is wrong, they should teach them why certain things are right and certain things are wrong. And even more importantly, they should teach their children about Jesus and who He is, so that their children’s good behavior results from their personal relationship with Him and their desire to obey Him—not just a temporary outward conformity.

Q. Jesus compared Himself to a burglar in today’s reading. At other times He compared Himself to a “thief in the night.” Why would Jesus ever use evil people to describe Himself?

A. Both comparisons teach us the limitations of comparisons and the foolishness of trying to find too much meaning in Jesus’ parables and metaphors. Remember that a metaphor is a comparison of things that are basically not the same, but which have some striking similarities. The only similarity between Jesus and a burglar is that people are not expecting either, and are caught by surprise when they come. That is where the similarities end.

Application: If Jesus returned at this instant, are you ready this instant?