The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 176


The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 176

Luke 16:9-18 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. “Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? “And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail. “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Jesus, the Christ of God/Messiah
Did you notice the shift of speaking by parable regarding the unjust steward with His disciples and that Jesus began speaking directly to the Scribes and Pharisees who were listening to what the LORD was saying? Notice in verse 9 “And I say to you” is not a statement to His disciples, but to those who are eavesdropping (spying). The thoughts regarding unjust business ventures and the results of cheating are serious. The Law; “Thy shall not steal or covet property, or the wives of others” is as real then and today as when it was given to Moses on the Mount, some three thousand years earlier. (see Luke 16:17).

Sometimes while listening to the pastor, it may seem that he is speaking directly to us regarding our conduct as a child of God. If you have an evil desire or covet something that belongs to another, the conviction of this truth can be extreme and the result in your soul might be just the same as the Pharisees here in this passage! You may find justification with other likeminded men, but it is God who knows our heart. Men often seek to justify what they do among themselves. Slapping each other on the back with comments like, “way to go bro!” or “attaboy” last but for a moment, but the consequence of self-indulgence will last a suffering lifetime.

Coveting and pride are in the heart of all humans, placed there by the original sin of Satan (Isaiah 14:14) – I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. The last of the five “I will” statements of Lucifer. Yet and just like Satan, those who will not repent from coveting and pride will find themselves in the lowest depths of the pit. Place your faith in the “I AM” (John 8:58) and not in the coveting pride of the one who says; “I will!”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 203

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 203 Luke 21:7   –   So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?” Matthew 24:3 – Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Mark 13:4 – “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” Jesus, the Christ of God/Messiah Yesterday we looked briefly at the First coming of the LORD Jesus, born of the virgin Mary, suffered and crucified, killed by the power of sin of which we all had and have a part in. He rose from this death; He is alive again . The apostle Paul writes, “For I deliver to you first of all that which I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose
Read more

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 169

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 169 Luke 14:7-14 - So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; “and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. “But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. “But when you give a fea
Read more

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 161.1

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 161.1 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:   Luke 12:1-5 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Jesus, the Christ of God/Messiah An excerpt from yesterday’s devotional: In our passage, the point of the LORD is not that of being a newscaster but placing the death of these people beyond human judgment, in fact; Jesus does not look at the death of human beings as we do. All humans, past present and future will die a ph
Read more