Tithe: What Counts? (Part 3)

0:00 We are continuing our Series in the Book of Luke as a brief reminder Luke is writing to Theophilus and he gives the purpose for the book. We find it in verses three and four of the first chapter. Therefore you're Excellency Luke is writing to Theophilus again, since I have carefully investigated all these things from the beginning. It seems good to me that I too should write you an accurate in ordered narrative so that you might know how well founded or for sure are the things about which you have been taught. Again Luke is writing to Theophilus as a manner of encouraging him. It seems to me that Theophilus is already a follower of Yeshua, perhaps he's come upon.

0:48 Some some doubts or some trials and tests something but whatever. It is Luke seems to think that he needs to write to Theophilus to encourage him to know theophila for Theophilus to know how for sure the things that he has already been taught about Yeshua how for sure they actually are. The Book of Luke really gets into the coming of the kingdom of God the the coming down of the Kingdom with the arrival of Yeshua, but it's not just the coming down of the Kingdom it's also bringing the the king's subjects into alignment with him. So as I say as I said last week and I say I think almost every week now it's when we take a moment in and

1:33 take one action that's in alignment with the way of Yeshua that we take one step further in the Kingdom advances one step every time that we do something each one of us. and at one point the king's subjects will will be fully following him in the king will fully be down in Yeshua will be sitting upon his throne in Jerusalem raining. In his kingdom and that's when the the top comes down in the bottom comes up and that's where they meet in. Yeshua will be raining here on Earth if that makes sense. We've talked about the location the location being the Yeshua has already turned his face

2:19 to Jerusalem. He's already turned and he's walking From Galilee to Jerusalem. He's somewhere in between and if you are reading ahead at all, you'll realize he's not quite too Samaria yet because we get to Samaria. I think it's it's chapter 17 or 18. Oh in 1711 is when we arrive in Samaria. So Yeshua is somewhere in between even the Galilee and Samaria if that helps lower our location of where he is at the time. We talked the last couple weeks. about a few different Parables we started with the we started with Yeshua addressing some Pharisees at

3:04 this at this mealtime or what I what I think to be a mealtime. He addresses three Parables one concerning the one lost sheep out of a hundred another concerning the one lost coin out of 10, and then the final one concerning. The compassionate father and his two lost sons. And if you go, I don't know that Parable. You probably know it by the name of the prodigal son. But the reason I think that I gave this to you last week, but I'll give it to you one more time. I think that's a an incorrect name because it actually is his two lost Sons. They're both lost. We see that the the son who leaves and comes back. We see the the completion of that storyline, but we actually see an incomplete

3:52 story with the older son. And that's how the parable ends and it leaves the crowd waiting. I want you to note that there is no reaction. at the conclusion of those three parables Which Yeshua has clearly looked at the Pharisees and said let me tell you a story. Imagine. You're one of these. There's no reaction. then Yeshua turns his Focus or his attention away and he turns it to his his tomodine in. And this is at the beginning of Luke 16. He says it says Yeshua was also saying to the talladeem. So to me, I just want you to this is my interpretation to me. What happens in Luke 15 and what happens in Luke 16

4:40 are the same place? And and really the same group of people nobody's changed. What Yeshua has done is he's taken his Focus from the top from the from the Pharisees and then for the first 10 verses he looks to the Tom edemi and he gives them a parable. and it's interesting because the the Pharisees present over here this parable. And they get upset. Yeah, you ever have that moment where you're clearly speaking correction to someone and they just It's right over their head and then you decide. Okay. Well, let me let me let me give it to somebody else and and they're sitting there and they go I'm upset by that because they're they're e-dropping

5:28 on your conversation. sometimes we just don't get it as people. You see Yeshua ends the story with you cannot serve God and Mammon. and now we come to the passage where I'll be speaking to you from and in fact The last two weeks. I've entitled my message. What counts part one part two, and I and I realized After all of my looking I didn't quite look ahead far enough. This is I'm just gonna call it part three. Because we're still in the same. We're in the same context. We're dealing with the same people. And really we're still dealing with money with the

6:14 way we treat others. We're dealing with all of this and it's the same topics that have already been through four Parables so far. So let's let's get into this. Luke 16 verses 14. I'm going to start in verse 14. We're gonna stop. The Pharisees hurt all of this and since they were money lovers they ridiculed him. So I'm gonna I'm gonna stop this right here and and just give you a few notes first of all. As I I recently learned determined by recently. I mean probably within the last year or two. The Pharisees are ear hustling on what Yeshua was teaching. their eavesdropping

6:59 You give it your hustling? Okay, never mind. You can laugh. Feel free to laugh. It's okay to laugh. Even if it's a bad joke, it encourages me. They haven't what Yeshua said to them and now he's dropping on Yeshua and talking about this generous master in the beginning of of chapter 16, and then they have this reaction. Concerning what what yeshua's teaching with this the moral of this story The this manager, this is a crooked manager who? He does all these things in if you missed our Wednesday night discussion. I'm not going to recap everything because we had a fantastic discussion on

7:45 Wednesday night and if you missed it. All I can say is you should come next next time which is not this Wednesday, by the way. There they get upset. And so now we need to investigate why they're upset out of the out of what they heard from the most recent parable. But not from the previous three. so I want you to understand there are some linguistic ties between the the father with two lost Sons or you may know it as The Prodigal Son. There's linguistic ties between that and the generous master who with the

8:30 Crooked manager and also with the parable that will get to shortly with Eleazar who's in Abraham's who's next to Abraham's side in the in the the rich man who ends up in shale. There's linguistic ties that tie all three of them together. So you you should understand that. They're not to be considered separately. This is I think led to some issues over the centuries when we take one without seeing the others connections and even lessons. So why are they ridiculing Yeshua, that's the question that we should be asking. Luke inserts a comment here Luke inserts the comment or the description if you will money lovers

9:17 maybe yours says something different lovers of money. I'm not sure there was another one. I can't remember the other word anyways lovers of money money lovers the their focused on the money. I do Wonder actually if what they're ridiculing him about concerning that the first 10 verses of chapter 16. Is the fact that the generous Master ends up praising the servant who seems to be squandering away, by the way that where it's squanders the same word that connects with the the youngest son. the squandering who seem I wonder if you know this this squandering.

10:06 um manager Is it seems to be forgiven and actually even Praise by the generous Master by the end of the parable? And I just wonder. If they're they're snickering or ridiculing him because that generous Master lost a lot of money or let me maybe I should put it this way. He lost a lot of potential money. He didn't actually lose the money because he he still made money. Otherwise, he wouldn't have praised his servant. He lost a potential. If you will a potential increase that as you ever hear the story you ever hear the phrase one in the hand is worth two in the bush.

10:52 It's because when you have money on hand, it's actually worth more than man. I could make so much money if I did that. Those those aren't worth a whole lot until they actualize and they're in your hand. So, I wonder if if they're ridiculing issue of based upon that he's creating a moral teaching out of this generous Master losing money. If that's the case now, I'm this is my if if that's the case. Then they're judging him based upon his money usage not based upon his Humanity as a as an owner and his caring for other people including the Crooked manager.

11:38 Now I want to make an important note. This passage. This is why I stopped with verse 14. This passage has been used and abused over the last 2,000 years to purport anti-semitic caricatures that all Jews are lovers of money or all Jews are rich or all Jews own all businesses. In fact, I heard one this week when I was at a business. And this person said you this person was talking to someone in a different country. And that person asked him. Do the Jews own all the businesses where you are, too? I mean, this is I just heard this this week. and

12:23 let me just spell any notion of that. Because most likely if you're Jewish in this room, you've already lost everything. That's why he came to Yeshua in the first place. but It's if this this misunderstanding and misinterpretation of passages like this, it's not just this one. We're going to find more of them in Luke has led to a common Trope equating Judaism and love of money or avarice or greed. Also equating materialism or focus on this world as opposed to the world to come and I want to be very clear. These are simply not true.

13:10 Let me let me show you a couple pictures if you guys can let's let's start with one. If you did you get that email. Oh, yeah, perfect. Here we go. What we have here. Is the great Jew who oversees capitalism? And is about winning money. You see in everybody else's serving. This is by the way. This was a newspaper ad. Let's go. Let's let's go to the next one. I'm just showing you a few of these that will pop up. This is an older version a Jewish person at a bank sitting on top of all of the gold. Gold spilling out. Let's go to the next one. This one's more recent. In fact, this one's from I think

13:57 it was 2016 2018 something like that. If you if you don't understand the caricature, it's BB Netanyahu the prime minute. They actually current actually again prime minister of Israel holding the money. behind the Jewish star controlling the world and the way the world does everything if you guys can go to the next one. There's another old one. It's a Jewish person again, I just want to point out all of these have certain characteristics features big noses large ears huddled around money. And because why do I say that because these all come from a misunderstanding of verses like this? lovers of money and unfortunately, it has been used to produce.

14:44 An extreme amount of hate and extreme amount of anti-Semitism that continues to roll around the world. So I'm showing you these so that you understand in fact. I looked for it this time. I couldn't find any pictures but in 2020. You think well, we're in America. We're we're Beyond. We're Beyond this. In 2020, there were at least a half a dozen. paid for political ads against Jews who are running for office whether Democrats or Republican and if you remember I I pretty sure I showed him or I tried to all of them exuded the same features large large features agreed

15:31 for power and control and money because they're trying to denigrate the opposition. By the way it if there's any politicians listening to me. The way to get my vote is to not denigrate others, but to actually tell me what you really think and what you believe. that the quickest way to lose my vote is to start attacking somebody else and how Listen, you can attack policies. I don't have a problem with attacking policies. But if you start throwing caricatures, then all of a sudden I can see your your true character has been revealed. So all of that should cause us to ask the

16:16 question. Why would Luke and or he Yeshua utilize such strong language and regard to to the Pharisees? That's a question that you should always ask when you see really strong language. Why do they feel comfortable using strong language? Now, let me give you my perspective. first of all when you have a A family let's put it in terms of family here. Let's just say in terms of my parents. I have two older sisters. Let's just take that family unit that the five of us. If you know my family unit that family unit.

17:01 Or if you've sat at dinners with us, you have heard some very strong. disagreements to to the point where it seems like we might not like each other. and name calling even but I'm telling you that the moment that it comes from the outside. It's okay to it's a this is going to sound really bad. It's okay to tear each other down if you're inside, but it's okay to fire fire within the family, but the moment fire comes from outside of the family all the walls tighten and all the all the ammunition begins to be pointed outward. Because I'm telling you. I'm the only one who can call my sister that.

17:48 In the moment you do those are fighting words. And why is that that's because there is something which I will call Insider language versus from the outside this exists in every Community around the world. And there are certain things that are permissible to be said with inside the community. But the moment they come from the outside is not permissible anymore. So to me, I'm telling you all of this because I think this actually reinforces my view that Luke was Jewish. Because he feels free to employ this language within the family. not which oh

18:34 I just drew another conclusion not only does this to me conclude that Lucas Jewish but also Theophilus his recipient is as well because you wouldn't sin that to someone who's not within the family. And so to me, this is where I'm beginning to well. I hadn't even thought of it in those terms other than Luke, but But you can see how this begins to justify now if if Luke is not Jewish and Theophilus or not Jewish then we have another issue because it's fire from the outside coming inward. Do you understand? Some of that is not permissible. in terms of from the outside in

19:20 okay. That's the that's the longest deviation. I'm going to take from the text today. I hope he said to them again. So let's let's this is verse 15. of chapter 16 Yeshua said to them you are the ones you make yourselves look righteous to others. But God knows your hearts. What people regard highly is an Abomination before the Lord? Up to that time. Up to the time of John there was the Torah in the prophets since then the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed and everyone is pushing to get in.

20:05 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter in the Torah to become void every man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery in a man who marries a woman divorced by her husband commits adultery. We're going to stop there. I don't know about you. But I just got more confused. Yeshua is talking about he gave the previous lesson of you can only serve God or Mammon. And then he is responding to to the Pharisees ridicule. With what what seems to me to be for unrelated statements. Which should cause all of us to go what?

20:50 That doesn't make sense. Because I don't know if I don't know about you, but it's quick jumping he jumps real quick. So we're gonna spend the bulk of our time here and we're gonna hit the parable and hopefully we'll be done. by that point whenever that point is So let's start with statement. Number one, you make yourselves look right just to others. Well, this is sounds very familiar. This is this is exactly what Luke has been talking about what Luke has been scribing Yeshua to have said for the last several chapters dealing with the hypocrisy you you look righteous, but in reality you're not They regard what other people see highly but they don't regard what's inside.

21:41 So now let me so we we see you you make yourselves look righteous, but God knows your hearts, but then it says what people regard highly is an Abomination before the Lord. Why is that because we as people I don't know if you realize this but we as people look at the outside. In fact, we judge all books by their cover. Let's use another one. We look at the outside. We're like, I don't know. Maybe you guys maybe you guys are wrong. Maybe you guys don't do this. Maybe it's just me. When I go down when I go to Half Price Books, it's like when my favorite places to go. It's like I go there and I just become calm and relaxed unless I have my children. Then I have to watch because they do the same thing I do which is they want to buy every book that they see. So when I go down.

22:28 I go to a particular cubby hole. And I go down the cubby hole. And I just look at all the bindings. I don't look at the I don't read every title though. I will read a lot of them. I just look at them. And do you know how often I find a really good book just by the way, it looks on the spine. Why do I say this? Because this is what all of us do. We come to Brook Hashem on Shabbat morning. We all get nice dressed up and look we look really nice on Shabbat and we get that nice spine. Whereas during the week we forget what happens? with everything else the rest of us don't see each other during the week. We see each other only on Shabbat. So, oh it's so nice to see you. My life is all together.

23:13 No, I don't have children that are that are running rampant. And I don't know where they are. No, I've like having it slept at all this week because my kids wake up three times a night whether it's one or the other or you know, or maybe I just can't sleep. Maybe I have a problem. Maybe I drink three two three too many cups of coffee before bed. We judge each other by what we see and so all of us put ourselves together to look nice. That's what we regard as highly that's not what the Lord regards us, highly. The Lord regards what's inside? Like the cover of the book if you will. The Lord regards what's inside our lives? That's what he judges. highly So you see what this is again strong language what

24:00 we as people regard highly is an Abomination to the Lord or in other words. He doesn't care about what we look like on the outside. He wants to look on the inside and see what we look like and see if we match what we project on the outside. You can see this in first Samuel 16 the Lord judges the condition of the heart. So let's so we so now we have statement number one. Which is we make ourselves look righteous. I'm making some applications here as we go. But the Lord regards the matter of the heart more important. So now we come to verse 16. The tour in the prophets. Oh wait, let me read it verse 16 up to the time of John. There were this tour then the prophets then the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed and everyone is pushing to get in. Let me see if there's another version here.

24:49 Everyone tries forcing his way in years. Maybe say something along those lines tries forcing their way in that doesn't sound right. I don't know what you guys but I don't have anybody trying to force their way in to Brook Hashem because they want to be in the kingdom of God, which maybe that's a problem. We can talk about that another time. But I don't see often people like oh, yeah, that's The Godly thing to do. I'm gonna get in there and let's do that. Rather It's usually the other way around. so, let me let me let me share with you a couple insights one from Dr. Stern from his Jewish New Testament commentary the Torah and the prophets were giving their prophetic and predictive witness to the coming of the kingdom of God.

25:35 in addition to their Witness the kingdom of God, which is now near why is the kingdom of God now near because it's been proclaimed directly by John. and now by Yeshua So what the Torah and the prophets has already been declaring has now been has now garnered. two other Witnesses post Torah and and Prophets namely John and now Yeshua So those who hear the message? And the ones who truly hear the message, they are the ones who are being compelled or being driven to come into the kingdom. It's not their forcing their way in it's when they hear the message about the kingdom of God, it compels them to turn

26:22 into try to get in and do everything possible. To enter into the Kingdom. So we have one statement about the outside you make yourselves look righteous. We have another statement about the kingdom of God being near. And now again to what I would see as unrelated statements and now let's go for statement number three. Itally boils down to this it's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Torah to become void. Well, we just like went into a whole another ballpark. So I wanted to point out if this statement is true. Then the Torah and the prophets.

27:09 continue to be applicable. If the term the prophets were done. This statement would make zero sense. So let me read to you. This is going to take a few minutes if you don't mind. Let me read to you a comment from Brad Young. From his book called Jesus the Jewish theologian. the meaning for the words Torah abolish and fulfill Are Illustrated in a colorful story about King Solomon and Jewish literature? Solomon is remembered for his legacy. Excuse me for his legendary wisdom.

27:55 Nonetheless, even why Solomon could decide to cancel a letter from the Torah? Because of his own desires he interpreted the Bible in such a way as to cancel its meaning as the King Solomon had problems with one of The Commandments of the Torah which dealt with the obligation of Israel's royalty. The king of Israel is instructed in the Torah only he shall not multiply horses to himself. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself that his heart turns not away neither silver and gold Deuteronomy 17 verses 16 and 17. The command forbids the king of Israel to increase for himself horses wives or money. So that his heart will not turn away from God. So King Solomon decided to cancel a jot

28:42 or a tittle from the Hebrew words of the verse. And now I'm going to read to you he's quoting. Let me see who he's quoting. He's quoting Exodus rabass six one. When God gave the Torah to Israel, he inserted there in both positive and negative Commandments and gave commands for a king as it says only he shall not multiply horses to himself to himself. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself that his heart turned not away neither silver and gold Deuteronomy, 17 16 17, but Solomon arose and studied. The reason of God's decree saying, why did God command he shall not multiply wives himself is it not that his

29:30 heart turned not away. Well, I will multiply and still my heart will not turn away. Our rabbis say at that time the yod, the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet the first letter of yarbeh meaning multiply of the word yarbe went up on high and prostrated itself before God and said Master of the Universe have you not said that no letter shall ever abolish ever be abolished from the Torah behold Solomon has now risen and abolished one. Namely the the who's doing the the pleading? Who knows today. He is abolished one letter tomorrow. He abolish another until the whole Torah will be nullified. God responded Solomon in a thousand like him will pass away, but the smallest Tittle will not be

30:17 canceled from you. So let me continue with what Brad young says by deleting the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet King Solomon interpreted the Commandment according to his own wisdom in the end. He changed it from a negative command do not multiply to yourself horses wives and money to a positive command giving himself the Divine imperative that he must multiply to himself many horses many wives and much money. He fulfilled the verse according to his own revised version. All this is possible through the wisdom of biblical interpretation. The miraculous power of exegesis should never be underestimated the legend concerning clever King Solomon tells about his ability to cancel and to fulfill Torah through his own interpretation this example

31:03 from rabbinic literature demonstrates that even removing one jot or tittle from a verse could cause the Torah to be abolished. When Yeshua uses the words Torah abolish and fulfill the people naturally thought of proper interpretation. so you see that was a lot to comprehend in and if you're not used to thinking that way it's a lot by moving one if I can summarize it this way by by moving one letter. He changes the interpretation of the scripture to mean don't have a lot of wives to meaning. Feel free to have a lot of wives. Just don't let your heart change. And and by changing one, it permits really the changing of everything.

31:50 That's the argument being made in terms of interpretation. So now Yeshua gives this so I just want you to remind yourself Yeshua started with looking at the outside with the Pharisees. He then continued with the tour in the prophets were proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom. Which is now near and it's confirmed nearby two witnesses namely John and myself. Not me Ari, but I'm speaking as Yeshua and then he says then he goes from that and he transitions to it's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of the letter of the Torah to become void. And and now he transitions to one more. He says every man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery and a man who marries a woman divorced by

32:35 her husband commits adultery. So what Yeshua he's just spoken about the continuing validity of the Torah. And the prophets and the importance of getting a correct interpretation. Namely looking at the motivation of the heart. That's where you find the interpretation and now he provides an instance from the Torah with his own interpretation. That calls into question what has already been interpreted. You see in the Torah divorces permitted. Under under particular circumstances divorce is permitted. and Yeshua says well

33:22 Yeah, I don't want to get ahead of myself here. Yeshua takes us and he says divorce is permitted in the Torah, but let me tell you something about this law he says. Namely he says this law has been used. to justify incorrectly a way of life and he says let me give you the deeper interpretation or the deeper meaning so that the law can't be abused. I don't know if you guys realize this but when you have a law a law can be abused. It can be abused and misapplied in lots of different circumstances. Brad young continues in his book and says that this phrase here in in the

34:07 in the text every man who divorces his wife and marries another commits on Mary's another woman commits adultery. In a Marion and a man who marries a woman divorced by her husband commits adultery. This phrase is probably better understood in English as this everyone who divorces his wife in order to marry another commits adultery. Do you see that? Do you see just the slight change? One is just divorce in general. and then marrying, but if you understand it as divorce in order to Marry, someone else it's as if that person has already committed adultery why because the motivations in the heart. And it changes the meaning. Yeshua is not abrogating the teaching of the Torah.

34:54 Rather he's seeding to he's seeking to set its limits in its application for for something. That's that's a positive. These by the way, this is very similar to the sayings that you find in Matthew 5 and 6 where Yeshua addresses motivation of the heart. Yeshua now immediately transitions into another parable Okay, but I just want to make sure everybody's clear on what we just did. Yeshua got up. And who's being he's being ridiculed and he says you look at the outside. The Torah and the prophets are still here. And in fact, they proclaim the kingdom and now that kingdom is coming and it's confirmed by the two witnesses John and myself.

35:44 The Torah is not done away with. Even if you try to do away with it the way you interpret it. by removing one by removing one jot or tittle and let me give you the for instance within the scripture as to how I would interpret this and it's really coming down to the to the to the condition of the heart so you see Yeshua did all of that and and it's I mean I'm telling you. this is if Yeshua is not Messiah. He is a brilliant thinker on his feet. Because he immediately flips the script. and turns it right back to them and says this is

36:29 what you've done and now you're permitting a rampant divorce that is really adultery which in then at in essence violates, one of the one of the 10 Like if we want to talk about biggies we talked about those like two weeks ago, I think. What you've done is is you're not even just permitting you're promoting that. When in fact it shouldn't be that way it should be. It's should be can tied with the condition of the heart. And so Yeshua with this Parable he connects the rich man and the poor man and as we get into this Parable, I want you to just notice the contrast between this world and the world to come between being

37:16 rich in this world and being rich in the world to come in the differences that lie there in so we're gonna by the way we're finishing the chapter. So if you think I'm done, I'm not done. We're we're finishing the chapter. But I will say that's probably to me that stuff that I just covered is actually the weightiest. Of everything in this Parable is now being used to prove what Yeshua has just said. Once there was a rich man who used to dress in the most expensive clothing and spent his days and magnificent luxury at his gate had been laid a beggar named eliaser who was covered with sores by the way. We're in chapter.

38:03 Marine chapter 16 I just forgot Yeah, we're in Jeff. Thank you chapter 16 verse 19 and following he would have been glad to eat the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. But instead even the dogs would come and lick his sores. And time the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to avarams to Abraham's side. Perhaps your version says Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried its interesting because even here you notice that there's a difference. In the way someone who is in the way people are treated in this world. So in this world, there's a rich man who's dressed to

38:48 impress. He Spencer spends his days in luxury. He takes no notice of those in need even if they're sitting on his doorstep. Sitting on his doorstep means he passes by them every day. It's clear that this man has used his money for his own gratification and satisfaction and to build up his appearance or in other words his outside that which is highly regarded by others. He's built that up the beggar meanwhile. By the way, this is the only person named in any of the parables. And his name is eliaser. So some people say that actually this is not necessarily a parable but a story. perhaps true perhaps not Eliezer which is interesting. He's a beggar with open wounds

39:36 sitting on the doorstep of this rich man. Elias are meaning God has helped. Do you see the irony? That's in this story. He sat at this rich man's gate and great need and he never received any relief from his worldly burdens. He even would have eaten this scraps now again a linguistic tie to the youngest son. When he was in a foreign country willing to eat the scraps. That were given to the pigs. He would have eaten the scraps, but the but the dogs would bother him. They would eat the scraps and lick his own wounds. Can you imagine the pain that was going on in this man's life? And in time both the beggar and the rich man died.

40:22 It's interesting. Because I don't see anywhere in the text where it says that leaser is buried. The rich man died and was buried so even in death. Listen, I want you to know in death one of the most important Mitzvahs and Judaism is to bury someone. And even in death this this beggar is is dismissed. And he's at least it seems he's not buried but the rich man is buried. So then we move forward in verse 23 and shayol where he was in torment the rich man looked up and saw Abraham far away with Eleazar at his side. He called out Father Abraham take

41:09 pity on me and send Eleazar just to dip the tip of his finger and water to cool my tongue because I am in agony in this fire. However, Abraham said Son remember that when you were alive, you got the good things while he had the bad but now he gets his consolation here. Well, you are the one in agony. Yet that isn't all between you and us. A deep Rift has been established so that those who would like to pass from here to you cannot nor can anyone cross over from there to us? a couple things to note Two places there's two places of after death of destination that are mentioned here shall and Abraham. Did that opposite Abraham's side

41:56 and show It seems geographically that sheol is located below Abraham's side because he looks up. I'm just reading through the text. I am not making any theological statements here. It just seems that way. The rich man looked up saw Abraham and Elias are asked for a drop of water to cool his tongue. He knows Elias are by name notice. Which means that all those years that he sat on his front porch. He knew him by name even and never did anything. Listen, it's different. It's a little bit different to not do something for someone you don't own by name, but then to know them by name and ignore them to me. It's it's a little bit different. It's even stronger in terms of his his attitude.

42:45 What we also see in this verse. It's at least hot wherever the rich man is because he goes I'm so hot. Just give me a drop of water on my tongue. And Abraham replied when you were alive, you got the good things and he got the bad. And beyond that a rift is there's a rift and nobody can pass to and from I want you to notice Lazarus is not communicating. Abraham is the one who's doing the communication. So we don't know. I don't know if we can make a conclusion by that but at least it seems that Abraham's handling the communication and that there's not a back and forth communication between Lazarus and the rich man Abraham addressed him as son and actually he addresses

43:31 Abraham as father. It seems to me at a minimum that this the rich man was probably Jewish. Because he's calling saying father Abram and then Abraham replies and says Son by the way the son. Is the same Greek word that's used when the when the wealthy father addresses his Elder son. And and deals with the issues in that in the in the what did I call that the compassionate father and two lost Sons? It's the same same term. Again, there's so many linguistic ties between these two between these three parables. That it's hard to deal with one at a time though. We must He answered continuing on in verse 27. He answered then father. I beg

44:19 you to send him to my father's house for well. I'll make this I'll make this comment a minute where I have five brothers to warn them so that they may be spared having to come to this place of Torment, too. But Abraham said they have Moses and the prophets again tying back to what Yeshua has already said about Moses in the prophet speaking to the coming of the Kingdom. They have Moses in the prophets. They should listen to them. However, he said no father Abram they need more if someone from the dead goes to them. They'll repent. But he replied if they won't listen to Moses in the prophets. They won't be convinced. Even if someone rises from the dead. first of all, this this rich man seems to

45:06 have grown some compassionate bones while being in the heat because he's like, if not for me at least for my brothers. I don't know if that's Compassion or not actually. But at a minimum he seeming to think of someone else. Warn the brothers so that they can be spared from coming to this place. Moses replies they should listen to Moses and the prophets again. Tying, what's in this Parable to what Yeshua has already said? It just a couple of verses prior. Why because what's in the what's present in the tour in the prophets could leave someone to lead a different life. Than than what this rich man did what is that? That's in the tour in the prophets. That could lead someone to lead a different life.

45:51 Well number one what's in the tour in the prophets first and foremost is dependence upon the Lord. also known as Faith or trust depending upon how you want to how you want to delineate it. The Lord is our sustenance. If you really study and meditate on the sabbatical laws the sabbatical year laws, it's exactly what they promoted. Why because they're in the land they've come into the land and the Lord says every seventh year don't do anything. Do you know how hard it would be for any of us to do that? We work for six years. I mean, I'm not issuing a challenge by the way. I'm just saying if we work for six years and then the seventh Year. We're like, yeah, we're

46:39 not going to work this year. We're going to trust the Lord. For his provision for this seventh year. I'm telling you. I don't know about y'all. I think I can say for y'all safely. That would be terrifying. because at least for me because I think as I can can probably assume about everyone else. I think that I have control. Over what comes in in my life and if I work harder, I'm going to make the land produce more. Do you know what's not true? that I mean, I'm not I'm not speaking against hard work.

47:25 because the lands produce comes from the rain the sunshine and really God telling you the seat. Hey, you should probably grow right now. Like that's where it comes from. Now, we have to be diligent and plant the seeds and that sort of thing. But if I work hard work hard, can I just tell you we planted a garden last year? We planted all of these cucumber seeds. And I was like we're working hard we watered it every day. Man, we got like three cucumbers. I planted a hundred seeds and each seed was supposed to produce at least 20 cucumbers a seed and I was like, this is so many cucumbers. How are we gonna deal with all of our overflow?

48:12 Is the most ridiculous thing to think that we can control what the ground produces now we can help influence it. But in reality, it's God. Upon whom we should be dependent. Again, I'm not saying don't work hard. You should work. You should work hard in the scripture never says they were lazy for six years and then they had the seventh year. Like it says that they worked for six years and then they had the seventh year and the Lord to provide it. It's what it's what the Torah and the prophets talk about speaking looking to the Lord as our provider not just doing the actions thinking that we control everything that's called manipulation. When we think we can do particular things to influence no to change God.

49:00 In reality when we pray, you know, we always think we're going to pray or change God's mind in reality in the praying we change ourselves. It may seem like we're changing God's mind when he begins to answer it, but it's different. But in that process we've changed ourselves to see what we actually really need. What else do we see in the Torah in the prophets generosity toward others? So actually let me just boil this down. What are the two most greatest commands love the Lord your God with all of your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. You see this dependence upon the Lord and generosity toward others. It's the same thing. Yeshua's teaching the same thing always. It's never gets boring though.

49:47 Let me take a couple notes. Let me make a couple notes about this parable. First of all, I want to ask the question. Is God against rich people? No, absolutely not. How can I 100% say that without conviction? Because the prior Parables have all displayed the rich person in a positive light. What is God look at the heart? It's the motivation of the heart that judge that God judges. Not your status in terms of wealth. The compassionate father is Rich, but he's depicted in a positive light. The owner in the previous Parable is Rich, but it doesn't seem to be a negative depiction of him. In fact,

50:33 I think I can say that God is rich. Why can I say that Psalm 50 says this? I have no need for a bull from your farm or male goats from your pins. For all Forest creatures are mine already. As are the animals on a thousand hills. I know all the birds in the mountains. Whatever moves in the fields is mine. If I were hungry, I wouldn't tell you. Because the world is mine and everything in it. You see God is Rich. He owns everything. Yeah, that's right. We're just borrowing it. We're stewarding it. Hey, you're just leading me right into my next point. I love that. Yeshua is talking in this context about

51:19 what Master it is that you are serving is your master Mammon. Or possessions or wealth or is your master god? Because you can only serve one of them. if the object of one's wealth Let me let me rephrase this. Hold on. What determines which one you're serving is the object? Of your of the way, you utilize your wealth. You see in these stories and all of these stories. There's attention between wealth and riches between care for people and wealth and so

52:06 on and so forth. So let's let's look at this focus on wealth and riches tends to lead one to concentrate more on oneself. And the possessions of this world. Let me put it this way. on Black Friday when you go shopping Who's the number one person you think about? I know who you're supposed to think about. But who's really who are really really thinking about? You're thinking about yourself. You may be trying to get a discount on a gift for somebody else. But if that's if that's your motivation for going then then you're thinking about yourself because you getting a discount. You see we can play this game all day. Whenever you do that you're focusing on yourself.

52:53 And when you focus on yourself and the in your possessions it shifts. The object of your worship or your your work by the way linguistically tied and in Hebrew you shift the object of that from God to yourself, or we can call it Mammon. Unfortunately Whatever We Gather. Can't follow us after death. The possessions we have may Comfort Us in this life. like the rich man But they cannot follow us to the next life also like the rich man. In this Parable the rich man is unable to bring anything with him. And so it seems that he was motivated by

53:40 his desire to live an opulent lifestyle to live to to be in the praise of everyone else to make himself appear to be a particular way. in other words Pride or self-focused That's what motivated his relationships his business dealings. you see in the previous Parable in in the verses 1 through 10 of 16. The rich man isn't motivated by what he perceives as loss. He's motivated by what he perceives perceives as changed. And what's changed the people?

54:27 Namely his manager and also the people that he that owe him. All of them have changed. and he by that we can see that he values the relationships the people more than the money. So here let's let's come. closer to the end the horrible way to start that. How do these Parables and stories recorded in Luke help us and direct us in our own lives? Number one all of us experience the tension between what is valuable in this world? And what is valuable in the world to come we experience that tension every day.

55:12 So the question is really are we utilizing our resources to develop relationships now? For the purpose of winning and compelling others into the kingdom of God. In other words, let me let me just even go simpler. How am I using my money right now? Can I tell you you only know how you're using your money if you track it? If you look at it daily. If you look at your money and you listen, my wife and I I think I said something like this. I mean November December talking about tracking money being good stewards and so on and I got super convicted because I

56:00 stopped tracking my money and so my wife and I we started tracking our money again. And can I just tell you guys the number one change in my life? When we started in January. I didn't go to Costco. Why because when you go to Costco? Oh, man, let's get some of that. Let's get some of this. I'm gonna need at least three of those. and all of a sudden your Costco bill is $500. When you walked in and you all you needed. Actually, you don't really need anything. All you desired was something that was about $20. And in that process because they route you through the whole place.

56:46 In that process you're like man, this is great. That's great $500 later. I'm telling you Brittany looks at me one day and she is I think you've been in Costco recently and I was like because I don't think I can go in there anymore because I'm gonna spend too much money. So anyway, she goes in with me now. Keep a log. what category what category you should also in your log if you're keeping a log try to put some categories on there because when you when you have categories, you can see even closer where your money goes. For instance. Let's talk about a personal discretionary spending in other words what you spend on yourself. Does what you spend on yourself? This is gonna this is gonna sound ridiculous. But this what you

57:34 spend on yourself exceed even your tithe. or offerings to the Lord I was talking to someone this week about this and I started listening out things that I pay for that are specifically for me. And two of them are streaming services. And I was like those I was like Brittany doesn't even use those like a hundred percent. I know that that $15 a month. I'm spending on myself for my own gratification. So all of a sudden like I'm starting it at a my base has moved up $15 a month. Now, I got to figure out what is it that like what else am I spending on myself? again

58:19 You guys feel free to take a look at your own money. Where do you invest your money again? You'll find that when you look at when you look at your spreadsheet. I once heard Pastor Robert Morris give an illustration. And I don't know if you if you ever listened Pastor Robert Morris, but he's been talking about generosity. For 25 years ish? And I heard him give an illustration must be about four years ago or so and he says, you know, I realize someone came up to me and said I've been generous I've been interested in the Lord isn't blessing me. and he started asking what they were doing and he go in in his sermon he goes, you know, I realized there are two legs that we stand on one

59:04 is generosity and the other is stewardship. If if all I am is being generous and I'm not being a good steward. I just am spinning in circles. If all I'm doing is being a good Steward and not being generous. I'm just spinning in circles. I was like, that's a great illustration because what he says now. Like I don't know it's not magic. So you can't just do something in all of a sudden where it happens with God. But what Pastor Robert says if you're a good Steward with what the Lord gives you and you're generous to others. He's going to give you more why because he wants others to be influenced toward the kingdom. And he knows that you're a good Steward and you're

59:51 going to be generous to others who are in need and you're gonna listen to the spirit when the spirit tells you you need to give this person money or you need to give this person a car or you give this person a house. and if you are good stewards with the little now I'm going back to the first verses of 16 if you're good with what is little then he knows you're going to be faithful with what is a lot. And the Lord knows that you'll become trustworthy through that practice and what happens? Listen being generous is just like playing football. And everybody in here should go what are you talking about? I'm gonna tell you let's go with soccer because in this regard, I'm gonna I like

1:00:36 soccer a little bit better. If all of us were to go out onto a soccer field right now. I'm going to tell you I'd be winded in about three minutes. Maybe I could last to six. But I'm not in the peak shape of my life anymore. And so I probably would get winded a little bit more. But I'll tell you if I made a decision today to get back into soccer shape and we had this discussion in a year. Guess who would last longer than six minutes? Why would I last longer than six minutes? Because I've been exercising the muscles that I'm going to use the muscle of generosity is one that has to be used.

1:01:22 And if you don't exercise the muscle guess what you're always going to be bad at it. Same with being a good Steward. If you don't ever exercise the muscle, you're always going to be bad at it start with something little something that you can see perhaps you don't have money. But you have a lot of time on your hands. or talents and I don't mean talents like money but talents like You know like gifts. Use those for the Lord be generous in those be good stewards. Be sure that you're not squandering whatever it is that the master has given in entrusted to you. And use your time your talents to compel others into the kingdom of God.

1:02:09 You know in the in the in the first verses of chapter 10 the owner applauds the manager because the manager changed. If you go back and look the manager changed. And in that process he changed and he set out to achieve his desired goal. How many of us are achieving our desired goal as followers of Yeshua? It's a difficult thing to think about. because I I think I don't think I'm going out too far out on the limb, but often I don't know that we're as focused. on our goal as a follower of Yeshua as the manager was

1:02:56 to get back his job. But we should be equally desperate. And in that what we do is compel others into the kingdom. So I want to finish with this. Who are you in this story? Are you Eleazar? Are you Outcast downtrodden and completely ignored? Are you the rich man living lavishly and ignoring the needs of others? Let me let me connect to Second Timothy chapter 3. The same word for lovers of money is utilized but understand this that in the last days hard times will come. For people will be lovers of self lovers of money boastful arrogant blasphemers disobedient

1:03:44 to parents ungrateful Unholy hard-hearted unforgiving backbiting without self-control brutal hating. What is good treacherous Reckless conceded lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God holding what to an outward form of godliness, but denying its power. avoid these people You know you could also be the rich man's Brothers. sitting back waiting to hear are you going to ignore the word of the Lord and those who are compelling you to enter into the kingdom? just as if you have one of the brothers just as your brother did or rather will you be?

1:04:31 like Eleazar looking for the consolation that is to come not to consolation now. of English subashimaya my Father in heaven Lord we come to you on this Shabbat. Or we just ask that you would. That you would convict us and drive us. Toward you oh Lord. Lord we just ask that you would reveal. the motivations of our hearts Lord if we're if we're in need of Of Direction toward you Lord. I just asked that you would. Convict us. In those particular areas in our lives.

1:05:21 Lord we seek to follow after you. Lord help us help us understand that what is on the outside is not what you desire? But Lord what the motivations of our hearts that's what you're looking for. Lord we bless you and we praise you and yeshua's name. amen The Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Give our recognize.

1:06:12 Yeah, I don't I Panola vehic. Le Ye sonai panavaleka. There are some lack of Hello. Be sure in the name of our Messiah Yeshua. shabbat shalom