Luke 19:16-27

Click here for the Luke 19:16-27 PODCAST

16 "The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ 17 “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’"

18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ 19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ 

20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ 

22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ 

24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ 25 “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ 26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”

Today, we return to the parable of the ten minas or talents. In this parable the Lord Jesus explains the nature of His grace and the different responses to it. These responses are our focus for today.

In v.16-17 we read, "16 "The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ 17 “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’"

Each of the servants received ten minas equalling three months’ wages. Two of the ten servants gave back to their master more than he had given to them.

In yesterday's message, I said there were three responses to the Master. Actually there are four. We have the first two who made a profit, the third who made no profit, and then there were the others who didn't even attempt to make a profit.

The first servant goes from three months’ wages to ruling ten cities. These were faithful, even though before the master departed, they were promised no rewards and had no assurance that their master would even return.

Here, the Lord Jesus is describing the nature of His millennial reign. This is what faithful believers will do when we enter into His kingdom with Him. We will lead with Him over multiple cities. This is about living our Christian lives and everything the Lord puts in our lives, now, and maximizing it for His glory, then. And, the fuel behind our faithfulness will always be His grace.

In v.18-19 we read, "18 The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ 19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’"

The second servant earned five more minas for his master. As a result he was given five cities to rule over. Not everybody has the same opportunity. He didn't have the same as the first. Not everybody has the same giftedness, ministry or influence. We live according to His design.

Faithfulness is the key principle here. When the faithful servant succeeds, we give Him all the credit for everything that happens. According to 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 believers in Christ will rule over His kingdom with Him.

In v.20-21 we read, "20 Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’"

Now, we go from the faithful to the faithless. This third servant is a different kind of servant. This servant had not lost his master's money. He hid the money in a piece of cloth. He had no desire to invest his master's money. Fear motivated him, not love. He viewed his master as a hard man.

This man did not obey his master and as a result lost even the money that his master had given him. This servant was unfaithful because his heart had not been gripped by his Master's grace. He saw his master as a hard man who was demanding and unfair. As a result, this servant had no love for his master. In fact, he feared him and was afraid to displease him. Since when, though, were we saved because of our performance. This isn't about justification.

As believers in the Lord Jesus we are either motivated by debilitating fear or by loving faith. While there is a proper “fear of the Lord” that should be in every believer's heart, that “fear” should be the respect of a loving child and not the dread of a frightened slave.

In v.22-23 we read, 22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’" 

Biblical fear leads to humble submission before a loving, gracious God. Respect is built in to a relationship with the God of love. A. W. Tozer once said, "Nothing twists and deforms our soul like a low concept of God." If we have a low concept of God, we're going be ill-equipped to be motivated to do His work in this world. If we have a high concept of God, we are going to live the life the Lord Jesus died to provide us. 

In v.24-27 we read, 24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ 25 “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ 26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”

All that we have is a gift from God. And, if we understand this, we will live our lives out of such grace. And, when we live out of God's grace, we are freed to be free. This is the point of this parable.

The fourth group, those who did not care about the honor of the King, they did not even like Him. Their response to Him will be due to their incorrect assessment of His person. Not recognizing His grace, they think Him to be harsh, demanding, unjust and unfair. As a result, they will choose to lose all they have been given and all they have. They were never moved by God's grace and they will be found to be His enemies.

Grace is love that seeks us out when we have nothing to give in return. It communicates the heart of the giver that is greater than any bad found in its recipient. Grace melts the heart of the most hardened. Grace is our only hope for a meaningful future. And, when it grips us, we are mesmerized by the One who gives it.

Luke 19:11-15

Click here for the Luke 19:11-15 PODCAST

11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ 14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ 15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. ~ Luke 19:11-15

The parables of the Lord Jesus are always designed to capture us in the familiar and then move us to the unfamiliar. The desire of the Lord Jesus is always to convey spiritual truth to us. He does this by using analogies, illustrations, parables and stories. In fact, the story in today's text was very familiar to the people who heard Him that day.

In v.11 we read, "While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once."

The Lord Jesus tells this story to the curious crowd while on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem. They were headed to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover  which was a reminder of God's deliverance from their slavery of Egypt. This annual celebration made the Jews all the more yearn for their Messiah and deliverance from the Roman rule of the day. 

Once again the Jews were not on the same page with the Lord Jesus. They expected that He was going to set up His kingdom immediately. Notice, though, as is always the case with the Lord, He finds a way to correct their bad theology by telling them this story. And, with the correction, he gave them a challenge.

In v.12-13 we read, "12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’"

A man of noble birth goes away to have a higher authority than he give him a kingdom. The kingdom is going to be the very country he leaves, so he's going away to get a kingdom and that kingdom is his own country and he will come back and rule over that country. 

While he's gone, he gives his servants a certain amount of money each and expects that they will do his business while he's gone and earn a respectable profit with their efforts. This was how they could demonstrate their love and respect for him and their own trustworthiness as his servants.

Many of the people in the crowd who listened to the Lord Jesus no doubt connected this story with an event in Jewish history. Herod the Great had a son named Archelaus, who had to go to Rome to have his inheritance approved. Not wanting Archelaus as their ruler, the Jews sent fifty men to argue their case before Augustus Caesar, who, as a result ratified the inheritance without giving Archelaus the title of “king.”

The Lord Jesus in this parable explained that the kingdom would not come until a future time, but that His servants were expected to be faithful to do the job assigned to them. In this parable, we see three different responses from the servants.

In v.14-15 we read, "14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ 15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it."  

Those who did what was expected were rewarded. Those who did not were rejected. Those who hated him were destroyed. We are all represented in this story. We are either a true servant, a false servant or we are His enemy. There are no other categories.

The Lord Jesus first came to seek and save that which was lost. He came first as Savior. In the future He will come as King. During His first coming, He did not come to overthrow Rome to set up an earthly kingdom. He did not come to right all social and ethical wrongs. He did not come to make the world moral. He did not come to establish economic justice. 

He came to do the work of salvation. He came to offer salvation to all who would realize our need, repent from our way and believe in His death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. The Lord Jesus paid the bill of God in its entirety. As a result, we are free from the need to do it all. Our identity, worth, and value, are not anchored in what we can accomplish but in what the Lord Jesus has accomplished on our behalf. 

The stories of the Lord Jesus were always about this, lost sheep, lost coins, lost sons, a beggar, Lazarus, the salvation of the leper, the  publican, the two blind men, and the salvation of a despised tax collector. It was always about salvation. The gospel of the Lord doesn’t just free us from what other people think about us, it frees us from what we think about ourselves. 

Luke 19:1-10

Click here for the Luke 19:1-10 PODCAST

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:1-10

Most thought the Lord Jesus came to Jericho because He was on His way to Jerusalem but He had far more up his sleeve as today's text illustrates. He always does good by all who are willing, and this is the beauty of such a God who is actively at work in this love-starved world. In context, we are now entering into the final week of Jesus' life on earth.

Living in Jericho at that time was a man named Zacchaeus who was a Jewish man who collected taxes from his people for Rome. As the chief tax collector, Zacchaeus was in charge of the collection of taxes from that entire lower desert area down and around Jericho and the Jordan River.

Zacchaeus means “righteous one.” And, as the chief tax-collector, he collected more taxes than were required. This practice made him very wealthy. This is why the Jewish people hated him.

Like many, Zacchaeus was not content with his opulent lifestyle, so when the Lord Jesus came to town, he hurried to get a glimpse of Him in the large crowd which was with Him. 

It was unusual for a man of Zaccheus' status to run, yet he did so to satisfy his curiosity. He even climbed a sycamore-fig tree to improve his vantage point. Perhaps he had heard of the many healings performed by the Lord Jesus and the raising of Lazarus from the dead. 

Earlier in Luke 18:17, the Lord Jesus said, "whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."

In v.5 of today's text we read, "When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."

Every time we are introduced to a tax-collector in Luke's Gospel, it is always in a favorable light because the Lord Jesus reached out to those who were more convinced by their sinfulness that they needed a savior. 

The word “must” in v.5 means it’s a mandate, not a request. Zacchaeus had no choice.  And, the word “stay” in v.5 is a Greek construction meaning “to stay the night.” There was a lot of one on one time that night. Time to explain and to be understood. And, time to understand.

In v.6-7 we read, "6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner." 

In the eyes of the people Zacchaeus was worse than a prostitute or a robber. He was a traitor to the Jews. Yet, the Lord Jesus knew his condition had prepared him for His kingdom. And Zacchaeus was elated that Jesus took note of him. This made the Jews all the more dismayed at the Lord Jesus.

The irony here is the host became the guest. The Lord Jesus invited Himself to Zaccheus’s house, and Zaccheus received Him joyfully. Joy is one of the key themes in the gospel of Luke, and the word is found over twenty times in one form or another. 

In v.8 we read, "But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

According to Leviticus 6:1-7, if a thief voluntarily confessed his crime, he had to restore what he took, add one fifth to it, and bring a trespass offering to the Lord. If he stole something he could not be restored until he had repaid fourfold, according to Exodus 22:1. And if he was caught with the goods, he had to repay double, according to Exodus 22:4. Zacchaeus came clean by saying, "Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." This was evidence that over night Zacchaeus came to faith in the Lord Jesus.

In v.9-10 we read, "9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

The Lord Jesus came to seek and to save sinners. Our salvation is much dearer to us when we gain an accurate understanding of just how wicked we truly are. If we do not see ourselves as all that bad, our salvation will equal it.

Just as the Lord Jesus doesn’t require from us a changed heart or lifestyle to enter His home, He doesn’t demand good behavior from us to be saved. The Gospel creates what the Law could only require. 

Zacchaeus, influenced by the power of God’s one-way, undeserved love for broken, sinful people, pledges to do more than the law ever would have asked of him.

Zacchaeus' story is a story wherein we are taught this valuable truth: love inspires what the Law demands. The Law prescribes good works, but only grace can produce them. Gratitude, generosity, acts of kindness spring from a forgiven heart. Grace creates a new life of unrequired obedience, bringing forth more “good works” than the law could ever demand.

Luke 18:35-43

Click here for the Luke 18:35-43 PODCAST

35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.  Luke 18:35-43

In v.35 we read, "As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging." The Lord Jesus and the huge crowd following Him were all headed for Jerusalem for the Passover. In addition, Jericho had a large population, and was flourishing at that time. This explains why it was so difficult for this blind man to connect with the Lord Jesus.

The city of Jericho was about fifteen miles from Jerusalem. Luke introduces us to one blind beggar who Mark identifies as Bartimaeus. This man called out to the Lord Jesus as He approached Jericho. In Matthew 20:29-30 we learn there were two blind beggars who met the Lord Jesus as He was leaving Jericho.

In v.36 we read, "When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening." This blind man illustrates the quote: "Ninety percent of life is how we respond to the ten percent that happens to us." He was blind and he was a beggar. But, he benefitted from his few assets: He could hear. Actually he had more assets, he could speak and he could walk and run. He was no victim to a "woe is me" mentality.

In v.37 we read, “They told him, '“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”'  This blind man couldn't see anything physically but he could see with his heart. Such is the nature of faith, the heart's ability to see God.

In v.38 we read, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." The blind man was confirming his faith that Jesus is the Messiah, by addressing Him as the Son of David.

In that day, blindness was a common, incurable disease. This man persisted in crying out to the Lord, in spite of the obstacles in his way: his inability to see Jesus, his lack of status in the city and the opposition of the crowd. But, he was not going to let the Lord Jesus pass by without first pleading to regain that which he lost.

Trying to be heard over the crowd, his obscurity and his isolation, all was working against him, yet he shouted at the top of his voice, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." He understood that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah when he used the term "Son of David.

His plea, "Have mercy on me" came from his desperate heart.  Here was a man who had long concluded that he could not be healed. And, out of his desperation, he cried out to the only one who could possibly help. If we are going to ever attract the attention of heaven, we must start with admitting that we need help.

In v.39 we read, "Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me." For whatever reason, we will always have those who will be faithful to try to quell our passion for God. If we are going to experience real life, God's life, we must be defined by His word rather than being overcome by what others say.

There will always be people who will discourage us in our pursuit of the Lord Jesus, even church people. We can get stuck at the bar of public opinion. This man could not be brow-beaten back. This man would not allow his passion to be crushed. He would not be silenced. If he had listened to the crowd, he would have remained blind.

In v.40 we read, "Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him."  He heard that one voice out of the cacophony and He commanded that he be brought to Him. One final time the Lord Jesus is framing up His deity publicly. In Matthew 20:34 we read, "He had compassion on him." As a result, the Lord Jesus commanded that he be brought to Him.

In v.41 we read, "What do you want me to do for you?" This is just stunning. The King of heaven, the Creator God of the universe, wants to be the servant of this lowly outcast.

In v.42 we read, "Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Here we have the free dispensing of miraculous power without any diminishing of the supply. When the Lord Jesus healed people, sometimes He did it with just a word. Sometimes He touched them. In Matthew's account of the other two blind men, he writes, "He touched their eyes."

Sometimes Jesus used spit, sometimes clay. Sometimes He put His finger in people's ears. But no matter what gestures accompanied His healing and no matter whether people had faith or didn't have faith, always His healings were total, instantaneous, verifiable and inexplicably God. Faith is not necessary for healing, however faith is absolutely necessary for salvation.

In v.43 we read, "Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God." This is the mark of true conversion: this once blind man followed Jesus. And, then his actions influenced others. This is the bare bones of life: to be loved and to love. And, do you know what? Life is really about the latter, it's about the good influence that God brings to others through our yielded lives. In fact, this is the point of our sanctification, that other might benefit. It is not about us getting better. It is about ministry to others.

Luke 18:31-34

Click here for the Luke 18:31-34 PODCAST

31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” 34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. ~ Luke 18:31-34

The disciples had just proclaimed how they had left all to follow the Lord Jesus, but this must not be the focus of our lives. On His way to Jerusalem, the Lord Jesus made three specific references to His death which are recorded in Matthew and Mark and Luke. In Luke, the first one was in Luke 9:21-22, the second in Luke 9:44-45, and this is the third one in Luke 18:31-34. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ must be our primary focus because it must define us on a day by day basis. Otherwise, we will be defined by the lesser, and we will lack.

In v.31 we read, "Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled." Only days from today's text will the Lord Jesus enter Jerusalem, and a week after that He will die a cruel death on the cross.

The Old Testament contains well over 100 prophecies about the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of these Messianic prophecies deal with His death even though they were written by several different men over many years.

In v.32-33 we read, "32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again."

To the Jews, the idea of a crucified Messiah was crazy and blasphemous. In fact, it was a massive barrier they couldn't get beyond. They were convinced the Messiah could not come to earth in order to die. They did not understand the fallenness of mankind. They didn't understand our separation from God. They didn't understand that the Messiah must be judged by God on mankind's behalf. They still don't understand it to this day.

On the road to Emmaus, according to Luke 24:25-27, the Lord Jesus said to the two men, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." He is the focal point of all the scriptures!

Then in Luke 24:31 we read, "And their eyes were opened."  Then in Luke 24:44 we read, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me and the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."

Genesis 3 records how Adam sinned against God, and Romans 5 reminds us that the punishment he brought upon the entire human race was death, since we are all descendants of Adam. And, according to Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

God, in His patience, gave mankind a chance by a system of sacrificing an animal without blemish on behalf of the people and through the death of the animal mankind could be  forgiven by God. Once a year the high priest would enter the Holiest of Holies, carrying the blood of the sacrifice, and he would obtain atonement for the people. According to Leviticus 17:11 and Hebrews 9:22 through the spilling of the blood of an innocent sacrifice, the debt of sin was paid. 

The blood of animals, though, couldn’t take away the root cause of the problem, the sin in human nature. After their sins were forgiven, the people continued to sin, meaning that they had to come back and sacrifice again and again, year after year. According to Hebrews 10, not even the high priest could help them; he himself was a sinner, and the sacrifice was for him just as much as it was for the people.

Enter the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God delivered over His Son to crucifixion in order to defeat sin once and for all and unite mankind with Christ. God did the excruciating part, delivering His Son at great cost to Himself. God is for us, and He has proven this by sending His Son.

In v.34 we read, "The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about." 

The reason the disciples did not understand was due to the fact they were not quite there in order to understand it. Yet, as they went through the chaos and the confusion that followed, they came out on the other end with such great understanding that they all ended up dying for this gospel, this good news of God's redemption of man. I know, John died of natural causes. But, make no mistake, he died for the gospel.

Finally, the chaos and confusion were necessary for any disciple to understand the gospel. The darkest of moments are useful because these moments frame up God's goodness for us. They reveal to us God's heart, if we let them. And, out of this framing up we are granted understanding. And, it was at the cross that understanding won the day. The cross hairs of the cross of the Lord Jesus grant clarity to us on a day by day basis. We never leave the teaching of the cross, otherwise we give our existence to chaos and confusion.

Luke 18:28-30

Click here for the Luke 18:28-30 PODCAST

28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” ~ Luke 18:28-30

The rich young ruler walked away as his understanding of the Lord Jesus jerked him in the wrong direction. It is not surprising that he walked away from Him because that which blunted his view of the Lord Jesus was his wealth. If God is not bigger in our lives than anything else, He will appear small in certain areas of our lives. And, unless the Spirit of God through His word has not broken us of our puny view of Him, we will lack the power to rise above the tugs of this world.  

As the young ruler was walking away from the Lord Jesus, Peter speaks powerful words. In v.28 Peter said, "We have left all we had to follow you!" The disciples had experienced the miracle of justification and their values and subsequent choices were being radically changed. For the willing, the Lord Jesus puts His finger of conviction on the areas of our lives which we have yet to yield to His sovereignty. 

God's goal is not our perfection or total yieldedness, this will never happen this side of heaven. His goal is to increase our trust in Him and that trust will spread as far through our wills as is possible. 

Trust is essential in any relationship whereby we learn that we are loved. Trust is feeling safe when vulnerable. It is only in the realm of vulnerability that we grow in our trust of another. This is why the Lord tells us to rejoice in our trials for it is through our trials that the goodness of God can be magnified. If we try to avoid our trials by holding on to the control of our lives, like the rich young ruler, we will end up walking away from Him.

In v.29-30 we read, "29 "Truly I tell you," Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life."  

The disciples had walked away from their families while the young ruler walked away from the Lord Jesus. The disciples took seriously the words of the Lord Jesus, "Whoever loses his life will find it." 

The disciples left everything to follow the Lord Jesus, and they were able to do that because He drew them to Himself. They had come to follow the Lord Jesus because the Spirit of God had made them alive to God. It is the Holy Spirit who reveals to us our utter need of the Lord Jesus.

In the Lord Jesus' response to Peter, He communicated that He knew what Peter and the other disciples had done. They had done what's impossible for them to do because God had granted it to them.  

When we came to Christ, we turned away from those things that we had trusted in before. When we turned away from the things of the world, we had experienced something that we had no idea about. And now, all of our priorities are changing and we are learning to love Him with our hearts, souls, minds and strength. As a result, we find ourselves wanting Christ to such a degree that we would let go of anything and everything that keeps us from Him.  

To this, the Lord Jesus says in v.30, "You will not fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life." The Lord Jesus is describing the ability to see what is really real. This translates into our ability to move beyond the lesser things that have always defined us, to being defined by His way of thinking and living. 

It is said, "the tighter we squeeze, the less we will have." The more we hold on to our lives, the harder it will be to hang on to reality. Most live life, for the most part, with closed fists. When the Lord told the rich young ruler to give all his money to the poor, He was prying his hands off that which was defining him.

Our lives must not be defined by the possible. Our lives must be defined by the impossible. Otherwise, our view of and faith in the God of the Bible will be stunted. It is the goodness of God that leads us to let go. And, if the goodness of God is not being given the chance to display itself through our trials, we will have a stunted view of God's goodness. If we have a stunted view of God's goodness, we will end up walking away from the Lord Jesus when the trials come.  

Luke 18:23-27

Click here for the Luke 18:23-27 PODCAST

23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” ~ Luke 18:23-27

The events of today's text happens in response to the question of the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18: "What do I do to inherit eternal life?" Here is a man who believed in God. The Lord Jesus doesn't say one thing to this man about faith. He doesn't tell him to believe. He doesn't tell him what to believe. He doesn't give him facts to believe. The rich young ruler's issue was discovered within his heart. Salvation begins in the heart.

No matter what we may believe, no one enters the kingdom of God unless we confess our sinfulness and submit our eternity to the person of the Jesus Christ as our Savior. Salvation is not just about what we believe concerning God and His work. In addition, it is about what we believe concerning our own hearts. It is about coming to the end of ourselves and it is about recognizing that we have not and will not achieve anything to merit God's favor.

In John 17:3 we read, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." “Eternal life” is God's life. For mankind, eternal life is having a personal relationship with God through His Son, the Lord Jesus. We can not have a personal relationship with God but through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. This is justification and it precedes sanctification.

The practical result of having a personal relationship with God is being given His definition of all things. This is sanctification, not to be confused with justification which is being made right and acceptable before God. Justification renders a personal relationship with God wherein we have the possibility of growing in a deepening knowledge of God and His ways. It is out of this relationship with God that we learn to view time through the lens of His word and eternity.

In v.23 we read, "When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy." When the rich young ruler heard the words of the Lord Jesus, "Give all you have to the poor and come and follow me", he was sad because he was used to being defined by His wealth.

The Lord Jesus was not saying that everyone must give up all their wealth in order to be saved. It is not possessing riches that keeps people out of heaven. It is not even being possessed by riches and trusting them that makes salvation difficult for the wealthy. It is our willingness to allow God the experience of driving His flag into our existence that makes the difference. The one thing this young man lacked was the Lord Jesus. 

In v.24-25 we read, "24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

It is impossible for rich people who trust in their wealth to be saved. The Jews had been conditioned for thousands of years that wealth was a sign of God's favor. They assumed that their acceptance before God was based on certain conditions, like wealth. But God's grace is the opposite of their assumptions. His grace is unconditional acceptance given to an undeserving people by an unobligated giver.

Some say this needle of which the Lord Jesus spoke in v.25, was a reference to the Needle Gate, a low and narrow after-hours entrance found in the wall surrounding Jerusalem. It was purposely small for security reasons, and a camel could only go through it by stripping off any saddles or packs and crawling through on its knees. 

Others say, "No, no, the Lord Jesus is referring to a survival needle and an actual camel ring through it." Whichever is correct, the point is it is an impossibility. And to add to that was the fact these Jews believed that riches were a mark of God’s blessing in their life. So they ask, “Who then can be saved?” 

The world is full of people who are caught up in religion because they are aware of the huge hole in the human soul.  And, most can't figure out what's missing. This is the cry of the unsatisfied, the unfulfilled heart. The answer is to get to the place where we cry to God out of our lack. But, this man's life-long habit of appearing to have it all together fought against him.

In v.27 we read, "Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God." Only God can bridge the chasm that man created, separating us from God. And, He did this by sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who took our sin head on and defeated it. As a result, the foundation of Christianity is God’s faithfulness, not ours. 

Christianity is Good News, not good advice, good technique, or good behavior. We experience His eternal life, not ours. We, in no way, contribute to the life the Lord Jesus died to give us. And, His life, eternal life is unaffected by death.