Luke 16:15-18
Corrected
We are in the middle of a chapter that appears to go together. It is
a difficult chapter. The parable that Jesus taught at the beginning
of the chapter gave the impression that Jesus expected His disciples
to fail. Even more, with that expectation, Jesus seemed to have
taught them to make friends with the rich and the powerful so that
when they fail, they will have a backup plan. Any chapter that starts
that way is bound to have some confusion in it.
I believe that parable was satirical, that Jesus said the opposite of
what He wanted the disciples to do. I believe that would have been
obvious if we had been there. We would have seen it in Jesus’ body
language and in the tone of voice He used, but we were not so all I
can do is suggest that to you.
However the confusion did not stop there. In these verses, the
Pharisees had been offended and so mocked Jesus. That wasn’t very
smart. While Jesus had been teaching His disciples, in verse 15 He
turned to rebuke the Pharisees. We already looked at verse 15, but
tonight we continue to look at the other three verses in this rebuke.
Each of these verses deal with a totally different topic, but I
think, are all part of the same rebuke.
Some thoughts about these three verses: No one knows for certain why
Jesus mentioned these three topics at this time.
1. Not knowing is not a problem.
2. Jesus had His reasons and just because we don’t understand
them, doesn’t mean we should doubt that He this said or that
what He said was important.
3. In attempting to explain the statements, Some people think
the statements were random truths given here
a. They do not necessarily think these statements relate to
anything that Jesus had or would said to the Pharisees.
b. That is entirely possible.
c. We are only getting highlights of the conversation and
Jesus may have spoken about several different topics.
4. I personally think Jesus brought up some things to further
rebuke the Pharisees.
a. \\#15\\ I note that the last indication Luke gave us
was that Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees in
response to their sinful behavior.
b. There is nothing to indicate that Jesus ever stopped.
5. Why Jesus said what He said here really doesn’t matter
because what Jesus said is true no matter why He said it.
6. But if Jesus was still rebuking the Pharisees, it would
mean that these are more of their sinful behaviors.
I. \\#16\\ A Change Came with John the Baptist
Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until
John: since that time the kingdom of God is
preached, and every man presseth into it.
A. Jesus told His listeners that there had been a change.
B. From the birth of Jesus to the resurrection of Jesus
and for several years beyond, the way God dealt with mankind
and the worship of mankind to God were changing.
1. I don’t suppose I have understood all of changes that came
to pass but some were already clear:
(a) The preaching had changed - Old Testament worship had
been by the law and with the help of the prophets
but John the Baptist and Jesus were teaching some
new truths.
(b) The worship had changed - The message in worship had
been "repent and offer a sacrifice at the temple"
but now it was "repent and be baptized."
(c) The expectation had changed - The Old Testament
saints were told the Kingdom of God would come.
(1) John and Jesus taught that it HAD come.
(2) Of all the changes, that is the one change that
this verse emphasized.
(3) This was the Jewish opportunity to have all that
God had ever promised to them.
(4) Their response would determine their earthly
outcome for millenniums to come.
2. Soon, more changes would come.
(a) The preaching will change from "repent and be
baptized" to "repent and believe."
(1) Faith has always been an important element of
worshipping God.
(2) But now it is incorporated directly into the
message of salvation.
(b) The worship will change from temple worship to church
worship.
(c) The expectation will from the Messiah's first coming
to His coming for the church.
3. And with the changed message, men were "pressing," pushing
and facing struggle, to get into the kingdom of God.
(a) The Pharisees had a part in creating that struggle.
(b) I do not know that they "created" the struggle for
the flesh and the devil always struggle against
salvation, but they had their part in the struggle.
Matt 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom
of heaven against men: for ye neither go in
yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are
entering to go in.
(c) Perhaps Jesus mentioned this here to demonstrate
another of the Pharisees’ abominations.
II. \\#17\\ Some Things Did Not Change with John the Baptist
A. Even with the changes that had and would come, Jesus made it
clear that the Law would still be the Law.
Luke 16:17 And it is easier for heaven and earth
to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
B. By "the law," Jesus meant the right and wrong of the law would
not be changing.
1. The parts of the law that dealt with Jewish worship would
be set aside once the church began and the temple was
removed but not the moral law of God.
2. We understand this by studying what Jesus AND Paul said.
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat,
or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of
the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but
the body is of Christ.
3. Why is the moral law not changing?
a. Because right and wrong is not an arbitrary decision
made by God.
b. Right and wrong are determined by the holy and just
nature of God.
c. That never changes.
4. It bothers some that Jesus did not plainly say this.
a. Some dismiss grace and Paul’s writings saying they
contradict Jesus’ teaching here.
b. They say we should worship on the Sabbath and maybe
not eat certain things.
c. However, no one can keep the whole law.
(1) No one can travel to the Jewish temple three
times a year to offer their worship and
sacrifices.
(2) No one can bring their sin and trespass
offerings.
(3) No one can be properly cleansed from uncleanness.
(4) No one can do these or the many others rituals
demanded by the law because this is no temple and
there is no priesthood.
d. So even the Pauline doubters have to acknowledge God
has set aside some elements of the law.
5. The Pharisees had a problem with the unchanging, eternal,
moral law of God as well.
a. They obeyed the commands that suited them and
disobeyed the ones that did not.
Matt 15:3 But he answered and said unto them,
Why do ye also transgress the commandment of
God by your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father
and mother: and, He that curseth father or
mother, let him die the death.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father
or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou
mightest be profited by me;
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he
shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment
of God of none effect by your tradition.
b. Perhaps Jesus mentioned this here to demonstrate
another of the Pharisees’ abominations.
III. \\#18\\ Marriage Will Never Changed
Luke 16:18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and
marrieth another, committeth adultery: and
whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her
husband committeth adultery.
A. God has always intended marriage to be between a man and a
woman for a lifetime.
B. The teaching of this verse is not about who can legally get a
divorce. The teaching is about who is legally committing
adultery.
C. It is never my desire to open a wound, but the Bible teaches
us right and wrong whether we like it or not.
(1) To you who are divorced and remarried, make this
relationship work and move on.
(2) However, if you have not been divorced, consider what
the Bible says before you get one.
D. Note, this verse says that anyone who remarries—the man or the
woman, the one that does the putting away or the one who is
put away—commits adultery.
(1) There is no disagreement that the Bible grants grounds
for divorce.
(2) The issue is, "Does it grant grounds for remarriage?"
(3) All I can say is that I have never seen a verse that
makes me think God has granted grounds for remarriage.
E. The Pharisees were some of the worst about divorce and
remarriage, allowing it for a variety of reasons.
F. One source says that a man could obtain a divorce:
(1) For any grounds that would disqualify a Levite from being
a priest \\#Lev 21:16-21\\.
(2) Excessive perspiration, bad breath, or moles.
(3) Having scars… It was suggested that the potential groom
have his female relatives physically examine the bride
BEFORE the marriage.
(4) If she speaks too loudly inside her own home, if she
feeds her husband the wrong food, if she goes out with
her head uncovered, if she curses her husband’s parents
in his presence.
http://come-and-hear.com/editor/america_7.html
G. Of course divorces and the rules that governed them were the
work of Jewish religious leaders like the Pharisees.
who also wrote up the rules!
H. Perhaps Jesus mentioned this here to demonstrate another of
the Pharisees’ abominations.
In the end, we do not know why Jesus mentioned these three truths but
He did and thus is behooves us as the people of God to take these
truths and live according to them.
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