Justice

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. - Jesus (Luke 16:25)

Jesus told a parable about a rich man and a poor man. It wasn't a parable about riches and poverty but about justice.

Many complain life is unjust - some are born with with great advantages while others are in abject poverty. Some seemingly have it easy in life while others have problem after problem. There are those in power who oppress for personal gain and no one appears able to stop them.

Jesus points out this life is not all there is.

Jesus' parable indicates if you have been born with advantages use them to help others because life is more than now and justice will out; and if you have been born with great disadvantages remain faithful to God because life is more than now and justice will out.

- fritz

God has no Grandchildren.

[The rich man] cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. - Jesus (Luke 16:24)

Jesus told a parable about a rich man and a poor man. Most focus on wealth aspect - in the story the rich man ends up in hell and the poor man ends up in pre-heaven, "Abraham's Bosom", the place the Jews believed the faithful awaited the advent of Christ.

Few notice both the men were descendants of Abraham. The hearers commonly believed all descendants of Abraham were an automatic shoe-in to God's kingdom.

The story indicates entrance into heaven is not a matter of heritage but personal faith and if one ignores what God has already said, more evidence won't make a difference - note the conclusion:

Then he said ... father ... send [Lazarus] to my father's house:...that he may testify ... lest they also come into this place of torment ... Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them .... If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. - Luke 16:27-31

We can apply, today, that being a member of a church or religious group is not enough, one must have a personal faith.

- fritz.

Algebra in the Bible

"[T]he kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. - Matthew 13:45-46

In algebra class we were given word problems. We had to express them in terms of variables ("x", "y", and "z") then solve the equation. We considered them both enlightening and confusing - enlightening if figured correctly, confusing if our equation was wrong.

Jesus taught parables both illustrating and obfuscating reality, but they can be seen like heavenly word problems that, with the right correlation of variables, reveal their secrets.

Jesus, here, says there is a Merchant man, a valuable pearl, and currency to purchase it - "x", "y", and "z". He also tells us the merchant man, "x", is really the Kingdom of Heaven. What, then, could the currency of Heaven be? Not gold, that's paving material, the valuable God had was his only Son.

"Christ purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation]" - Galatians 3:13a (Amplified)

And the Pearl of great price, that would be you and me.

"... true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." - Jesus (John 4:23b NIV)

Do you see yourself as a valuable pearl? God does.

- fritz

Heavenly Bankers

Jesus tells of a man who gives his servants money to manage until his return. In the story when the man returns he condemns a fearful servant for making no attempt do anything with what he was given. The servant was fired with the statement:

"Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury." - Matthew 25:27

Jesus says the man of the story is, actually, the Kingdom of Heaven. We, as members of that Kingdom through Christ are, probably, the servants of the story.

We know we are to do something to produce results for God's Kingdom, and some are really good at it, but what about the rest of us? How do we invest in the "Exchangers" or "Bankers" the parable talks about?

Partner with those whom God is using to produce a return of souls for the Kingdom of Heaven - churches, missionaries, and focused groups, like heaven's bankers, who are successfull at managing pooled resources and who are actually producing results.

As we support them we, too, are participating in their work. Our resources are producing a return for the Kingdom of Heaven.

"you have always been faithful in helping other followers of the Lord, ... support people like them, so that we can take part in what they are doing to spread the truth." - 3rd John 1:5,8

Anyone and everyone can do that!

- fritz

1 - Matthew 25:14-30
2 - 3rd John 1:5, 8 (Contemporary English Version)