WEBVTT

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 Heavenly Father, we are being addressed by you today on an issue that touches so many aspects of our lives.

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 Amen.

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 Money can so insidiously take us as its captive, wean us away from our affections for you.

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 So please, as you speak to us from your word, change our hearts so that our affections are focused on you and reflect your purposes and priorities so that we might live with eternity in view in the way we steward the resources you entrust to us.

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 In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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 Luke 16, verses 1 to 31. Let me read it out loud for us.

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 He also said to the disciples, there was a rich man who had a manager and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions.

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 And he called him and said to him, what is this that I hear about you?

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 Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.

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 And the manager said to himself, what shall I do since my master is taking the management away from me?

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 I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.

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 I decided what to do so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.

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 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, how much do you owe my master?

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 He said, a hundred measures of oil.

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 He said to him, take your bill, sit down quickly and write fifty.

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 Then he said to another, and how much do you owe?

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 He said, a hundred measures of wheat.

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 He said to him, take your bill and write eighty.

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 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.

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 For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.

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 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

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 One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much.

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 And one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

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 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?

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 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

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 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

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 You cannot serve God and money.

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 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard of all these things and they ridiculed him.

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 And he said to them,

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 There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and who feasted sumptuously every day.

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 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table.

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 Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

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 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side.

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 The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment.

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 He lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

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 And he called out,

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 Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.

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 But Abraham said,

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 But Abraham said,

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 Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things and Lazarus in like manner bad things.

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 But now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.

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 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed,

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 in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.

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 And he said,

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 Then I beg you, Father, to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

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 But Abraham said,

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 They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.

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 And he said,

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 No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.

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 He said to him,

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 If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.

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 This is God's holy and authoritative word.

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 A 16th century Christian theologian, Martin Luther, once said this,

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 That there are three conversions necessary.

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 The conversion of the heart, the conversion of the mind, and the conversion of the purse, meaning the way we use our money.

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 Similarly, in his sermon on 2 Corinthians 9, verse 7,

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 The 19th century British preacher Charles Spurgeon noted that with some Christians,

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 The last part of their nature that ever gets sanctified is their pockets.

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 So this is no small matter, and it's because we spend a considerable amount of time and energy thinking about and dealing with money.

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 We spend many of our days working to earn money, and we spend much of our time buying stuff with money.

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 We budget, we buy, we sell, we lend, we borrow, we save, we invest, we donate.

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 So it's no wonder then that a significant portion of what Jesus is teaching throughout his life is on the topic of money.

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 Money is everywhere.

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 It affects our lives in profound ways.

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 And so he naturally has to deal with it because it affects how we relate to God and how we live for him as his followers.

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 And in Luke chapter 16, Jesus' message to us is that only those who use money to serve God on earth will be received into heaven.

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 I will unpack that because it might be confusing for some of you.

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 It's more specifically, he teaches us first that we are managers, not owners, of God's money.

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 Secondly, that we are to be God lovers, not money lovers.

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 And lastly, that we are to focus on heavenly riches, not earthly riches.

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 First is the illustration, in the illustration that Jesus uses in verses 1 to 13.

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 He teaches us that we're managers, not owners, of God's money.

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 Having rebuked the Pharisees and the scribes for their callousness toward the sinners in chapter 15,

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 Jesus now turns to his disciples in chapter 16 and begins to tell them about how they should behave in a way that's different from the Pharisees and the scribes.

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 And he begins this way in verse 1.

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 There was a rich man who had a manager.

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 The word manager or management occurs a total of seven times in this first section, and it's the main topic at hand.

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 It's the same word that gets translated sometimes as steward or stewardship.

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 And a steward was usually a slave entrusted with managing a household for his master.

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 But he functions with delegated authority, so he has some authority in the household to manage the expenses, the finances of the master.

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 But he was ultimately accountable to the master.

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 And as we can see in this passage, this kind of household manager, even though he was a slave, is not the kind of slave that we would think of.

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 He was really more like a medieval indentured servant or modern-day contractual employees because he had considerable freedom with which he could even waste his master's money.

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 And not only that, after he wastes his master's money, the master's, master Dan doesn't begin to beat him senseless or sell him because he's not that kind of, he's not property Dan.

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 So this is not chattel slavery like that.

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 But he's more like a contractual obligation.

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 And so this is a servant, a household manager.

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 And he worked for a rich man, which is an enviable thing if you are into that kind of work.

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 You get better benefits.

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 You manage bigger sums of money.

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 You make more money.

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 And charges, however, were brought about this steward, this manager, that he was wasting his possessions.

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 And verse 2 makes it clear that the master believes the charges that have been brought about this steward.

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 So he calls the manager and says to him, what is this that I hear about you?

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 Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.

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 So we don't know exactly how this manager's been mishandling the funds of his master.

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 It could be that he simply was investing in a bad way.

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 He was not making good use of the money.

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 Or it could be that he was fraudulent and siphoning off his master's money into his own wallet.

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 We don't know what he was doing.

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 But he was mismanaging his master's money.

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 And so the master demands an accounting, a final accounting, before he is fired for good.

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 And this puts the manager in a bind because you can hear his inner monologue in verse 3.

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 It says,

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 So this manager has had white-collar work most of his life.

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 And he recognizes that if he's dismissed from this job with this kind of, it looks bad on his resume, he's fired.

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 And he's probably not going to get a job that's as good as the one that he had.

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 He's going to have to get blue-collar work, manual labor.

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 But he recognizes he's not strong enough to dig.

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 And that leaves him, the only option that leaves him is to beg for the charity of people.

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 And he's ashamed to beg.

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 He's too prideful to beg.

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 Too weak to dig.

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 Too prideful to beg.

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 But he has, comes up with a plan.

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 He has an aha moment in verse 4.

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 I've decided what to do so that when I'm removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.

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 He devises a plan to curry favor with the business associates of his master, current master, so that after he's fired, they may show him favor and receive him into their homes and be hospitable and generous toward him.

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 And his plan is a massive debt reduction plan.

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 It says in verses 5 to 7,

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 So summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first,

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 How much do you owe my master?

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 He said,

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 A hundred measures of oil, he said to him.

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 And he said to him,

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 Take your bill and sit down quickly and write 50.

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 Then he said to another,

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 And how much do you owe?

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 He said,

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 A hundred measures of wheat.

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 He said to him,

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 Take your bill and write 80.

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 Just to give you kind of the scale of the kind of loans that we're dealing with here.

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 It's a hundred measures of oil.

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 The unit of measurement for liquid that's in view is the Hebrew bath.

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 Which is, one bath is 8.75 gallons of something, 33 liters.

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 So a hundred measures then is 875 gallons.

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 Remember, 875 gallon milk jugs.

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 And this is not milk, which would be cheaper.

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 This is olive oil.

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 And olive oil, you know, to get that much olive oil,

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 you would need 150 olive trees.

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 All the oil from 150 olive trees,

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 The price for that kind of oil,

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 That much oil would be around 1,000 denarii.

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 A denarius is a day's wage for an average laborer.

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 That's about three years' salary.

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 In Cambridge, for an average sight,

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 That's about $242,000.

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 Hopefully, that's a lot more than what anybody owed in debt.

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 And it's not a small debt.

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 The rich man only dealt with people that have large wallets.

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 But he takes this massive sum of debt and slashes it in half.

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 And the next case is even more severe.

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 A man owes his master a hundred measures of wheat.

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 And this here, the measurement for wheat is core.

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 Hebrew core, which is one core, is 12 bushels of wheat.

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 And you multiply that by 100 and get 1,200 bushels of wheat.

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 That's the amount of wheat you get from 100 acres of land.

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 100 acres of farmland.

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 So one acre is almost the size of a football field.

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 So all the grain that comes from about 100 football fields,

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 This guy owes this master.

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 That's about 10 years' salary.

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 30 denarii.

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 $870,000 in Cambridge.

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 So the manager, this man, and he takes a 20% discount on that.

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 20%.

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 That's a large sum of money.

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 Can you imagine someone canceling your debt,

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 Giving you that kind of debt reduction?

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 That's amazing.

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 The master's response after discovering this,

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 But it's even more surprising than this steward's debt reduction program.

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 Because instead of getting even more angry at the steward,

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 He says in verse 8,

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 The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.

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 He just tried to fire him for mismanaging his money.

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 So how come now he's happy he lost him more money?

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 Right?

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 That's the surprising thing about this paragraph.

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 And we have to be clear on what exactly it is that the master's commending him for.

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 He's not commending him for his dishonesty.

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 He cheats his master out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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 And that's not commendable.

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 The word dishonest is not used in a good way in this passage.

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 It's the same word that is translated as unrighteous in the same passage.

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 But it's contrasted with being faithful.

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 Being dishonest is not a good thing.

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 So what is it exactly he is commending him for?

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 He's commending the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.

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 Jesus explains in verse 8,

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 For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.

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 Notice that Jesus still categorizes this dishonest manager as belonging to the sons of this world,

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 not the sons of light.

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 He's not saying that this dishonest manager, his dishonesty is good,

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 that Christians should, followers of Christ should emulate that.

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 To follow that example, that's not what he's saying.

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 Don't be dishonest like this man,

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 but you should emulate his shrewdness.

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 It's the same word that occurs in Matthew 10, 16,

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 when Jesus says,

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 Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves,

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 so be shrewd as serpents,

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 and innocent as doves.

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 A son of light in this same situation

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 could have gotten fired quietly,

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 could have been more passive,

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 entrusting him or herself to God's care.

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 The son of light in this situation could have,

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 and I think it's natural actually that,

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 that sons of this world are better

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 in providing for themselves in this way,

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 because Christians are called

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 to look not only for our own interests,

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 but also for the interests of others.

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 We're supposed to love our neighbors as ourselves,

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 so it's natural that sons of light are less good,

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 they're not as good at doing this

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 as the sons of this world.

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 That's natural.

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 But what is it then,

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 what does shrewdness look like for the Christian?

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 Jesus is not saying that we should be just as shrewd

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 as non-Christians in the way we provide for ourselves

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 in this world.

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 If what we take away from this parable is,

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 oh man, I better re-examine my investment portfolio,

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 and I better jockey more aggressively

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 for my next promotion,

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 and then increase my job security,

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 and while I'm at it,

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 enlarge my network in case I get fired,

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 so that I have the next job to have

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 that I can go to.

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 If that's what we're taking away from this parable,

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 we're missing the main point by a wide margin.

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 Because look at verse 9,

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 where Jesus applies this for us,

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 and I tell you,

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 make friends for yourselves

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 by means of unrighteous wealth,

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 so that when it fails,

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 they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

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 The dishonest manager recognized

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 that his time was coming to an end,

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 that his time was coming

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 when his money would be useless,

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 his money would be gone.

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 And with that in mind,

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 he provided for his future,

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 and that's the shrewdness he had.

00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:23.399
 Then the day is coming

00:17:23.399 --> 00:17:24.519
 when for all of us,

00:17:24.599 --> 00:17:26.659
 all of the money that we have,

00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:28.240
 little or much,

00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:29.339
 it will fail us.

00:17:29.980 --> 00:17:31.120
 The day we die,

00:17:31.460 --> 00:17:34.099
 every single dollar we have

00:17:34.099 --> 00:17:36.359
 will have exactly zero value.

00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:40.759
 And when that time comes,

00:17:41.059 --> 00:17:41.799
 Jesus is saying,

00:17:42.620 --> 00:17:44.440
 emulate the steward,

00:17:45.140 --> 00:17:46.319
 look out for,

00:17:46.400 --> 00:17:48.859
 and prepare for that time that is coming,

00:17:49.079 --> 00:17:50.859
 when your money will have no value,

00:17:50.859 --> 00:17:53.099
 and provide for yourself

00:17:53.099 --> 00:17:55.799
 for the life after death.

00:17:56.659 --> 00:17:58.579
 Provide for yourself for eternity,

00:17:58.740 --> 00:17:59.480
 is what he's teaching us.

00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:00.480
 Use your money

00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:02.599
 to love God with your whole heart,

00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:04.439
 and to love your neighbor as yourself,

00:18:04.639 --> 00:18:05.740
 here on earth,

00:18:05.919 --> 00:18:09.279
 so that you might be received by God,

00:18:09.379 --> 00:18:11.500
 and by his people in heaven.

00:18:11.500 --> 00:18:16.880
 In the same way

00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:17.880
 that the people of this world

00:18:17.880 --> 00:18:18.720
 are shrewd

00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:21.400
 about providing for this life,

00:18:22.359 --> 00:18:24.039
 Christians are supposed to be shrewd

00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:25.559
 about preparing for the next life.

00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:28.420
 Money is called here

00:18:28.420 --> 00:18:29.720
 unrighteous wealth,

00:18:30.579 --> 00:18:34.119
 which does place a value judgment

00:18:34.119 --> 00:18:34.940
 on money itself.

00:18:34.940 --> 00:18:38.740
 Jesus is not saying thereby

00:18:38.740 --> 00:18:41.980
 that money in and of itself is evil.

00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:43.840
 In that case,

00:18:44.140 --> 00:18:45.900
 every Christian would have to take

00:18:45.900 --> 00:18:46.720
 a vow of poverty,

00:18:47.059 --> 00:18:48.360
 and we have to avert our eyes

00:18:48.360 --> 00:18:49.820
 whenever we see, you know,

00:18:50.340 --> 00:18:52.120
 bills or credit cards, right?

00:18:52.340 --> 00:18:53.759
 That's not what Jesus is saying.

00:18:55.140 --> 00:18:56.420
 He's commenting on

00:18:56.420 --> 00:18:58.240
 the enticing power of money.

00:18:59.220 --> 00:19:02.539
 Its tendency to produce unrighteousness.

00:19:03.460 --> 00:19:04.700
 So 1 Timothy 6,

00:19:04.700 --> 00:19:05.440
 9 to 10,

00:19:05.539 --> 00:19:05.700
 it says,

00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:07.380
 Those who desire to be rich

00:19:07.380 --> 00:19:09.360
 fall into temptation,

00:19:09.960 --> 00:19:10.720
 into a snare,

00:19:11.160 --> 00:19:12.400
 into many senseless

00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:13.580
 and harmful desires

00:19:13.580 --> 00:19:15.100
 that plunge people

00:19:15.100 --> 00:19:16.759
 into ruin and destruction.

00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:18.299
 For the love of money

00:19:18.299 --> 00:19:21.420
 is a root of all kinds of evils.

00:19:24.779 --> 00:19:25.900
 It's dangerous.

00:19:26.620 --> 00:19:27.460
 That's what Jesus means

00:19:27.460 --> 00:19:28.960
 when he says unrighteous wealth.

00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:31.220
 Instead of being controlled by money,

00:19:31.299 --> 00:19:32.340
 we are to use money

00:19:32.340 --> 00:19:34.120
 for God's purposes and priorities

00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:35.679
 because that's how we provide

00:19:35.679 --> 00:19:37.299
 for ourselves in the life to come.

00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:40.919
 That means the way we spend our money

00:19:40.919 --> 00:19:43.699
 is not just a mundane activity.

00:19:45.439 --> 00:19:47.239
 It's a spiritual exercise.

00:19:48.399 --> 00:19:50.439
 We should be as strategic

00:19:50.439 --> 00:19:51.579
 and shrewd

00:19:51.579 --> 00:19:52.979
 as the people of this world

00:19:52.979 --> 00:19:54.959
 who are seeking to enrich themselves

00:19:54.959 --> 00:19:56.319
 and provide for themselves are

00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:57.279
 in thinking about

00:19:57.279 --> 00:19:59.319
 providing for eternity.

00:19:59.319 --> 00:20:01.559
 So let me ask you some questions.

00:20:01.659 --> 00:20:02.819
 Do you know where your money

00:20:02.819 --> 00:20:03.679
 is going each month?

00:20:07.059 --> 00:20:09.359
 Do you think about your purchases

00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:11.779
 in light of God's priorities

00:20:11.779 --> 00:20:12.399
 and purposes?

00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:16.159
 Do you know the financial needs

00:20:16.159 --> 00:20:16.720
 of the church?

00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:19.639
 Are you aware of needy families

00:20:19.639 --> 00:20:20.099
 in the church

00:20:20.099 --> 00:20:21.679
 and what their situation looks like?

00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:24.299
 Are you giving

00:20:24.299 --> 00:20:25.380
 to various charities?

00:20:26.980 --> 00:20:28.060
 Do you know

00:20:28.060 --> 00:20:29.100
 what percentage

00:20:29.100 --> 00:20:31.140
 of their fundraising

00:20:32.220 --> 00:20:32.960
 goes into

00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:34.560
 actual programs

00:20:34.560 --> 00:20:35.360
 to help people

00:20:35.360 --> 00:20:36.560
 versus to overhead

00:20:36.560 --> 00:20:38.400
 and to more fundraising?

00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:43.480
 Are you spending

00:20:43.480 --> 00:20:44.560
 your money on things

00:20:44.560 --> 00:20:46.279
 that distract you from God

00:20:46.279 --> 00:20:48.440
 or draw you closer to God?

00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:53.460
 If you don't have answers

00:20:53.460 --> 00:20:54.080
 to these questions,

00:20:54.180 --> 00:20:55.000
 it may be that you're not

00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:56.120
 being shrewd enough

00:20:56.120 --> 00:20:57.559
 with the money

00:20:57.559 --> 00:20:58.600
 God's entrusted to you.

00:20:58.640 --> 00:20:59.759
 If we're only shrewd

00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:01.460
 with money in this life

00:21:01.460 --> 00:21:03.120
 or this life,

00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:04.420
 then we are behaving

00:21:04.420 --> 00:21:05.259
 just like the sons

00:21:05.259 --> 00:21:05.840
 of this world.

00:21:06.380 --> 00:21:07.019
 We must be shrewd

00:21:07.019 --> 00:21:07.480
 with our money

00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:08.900
 with eternity in view.

00:21:09.840 --> 00:21:11.200
 Jesus continues this lesson

00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:12.279
 in verse 10.

00:21:12.380 --> 00:21:13.200
 One who is faithful

00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:14.360
 in very little

00:21:14.360 --> 00:21:15.660
 is also faithful

00:21:15.660 --> 00:21:16.340
 in much.

00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:18.200
 And one who is dishonest

00:21:18.200 --> 00:21:19.059
 in a very little

00:21:19.059 --> 00:21:20.920
 is also dishonest

00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:21.799
 in much.

00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:23.360
 Jesus is here

00:21:23.360 --> 00:21:24.039
 talking about

00:21:24.039 --> 00:21:24.640
 the importance

00:21:24.640 --> 00:21:25.500
 of character.

00:21:26.700 --> 00:21:27.539
 It's the businessman

00:21:27.539 --> 00:21:28.900
 that has integrity

00:21:28.900 --> 00:21:30.220
 with small matters

00:21:30.220 --> 00:21:31.460
 that will also have

00:21:31.460 --> 00:21:32.940
 integrity in bigger matters.

00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:34.819
 It's the politician

00:21:34.819 --> 00:21:36.039
 that speaks the truth

00:21:36.039 --> 00:21:37.120
 in small matters

00:21:37.120 --> 00:21:38.160
 that will also speak

00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:38.680
 the truth

00:21:38.680 --> 00:21:40.420
 in bigger matters.

00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:42.000
 It's the researcher

00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:44.180
 that performs minor tasks

00:21:44.180 --> 00:21:45.740
 with attention to detail

00:21:45.740 --> 00:21:46.980
 that will do the same

00:21:46.980 --> 00:21:48.519
 and have the same care

00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:49.900
 when it comes to tasks

00:21:49.900 --> 00:21:50.819
 that require,

00:21:51.140 --> 00:21:52.259
 that have bigger consequences.

00:21:53.539 --> 00:21:54.599
 If you cheat

00:21:54.599 --> 00:21:55.920
 and take shortcuts

00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:57.839
 with insignificant matters,

00:21:58.000 --> 00:21:59.539
 you will do the same

00:21:59.539 --> 00:22:00.599
 when the stakes

00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:01.539
 are higher.

00:22:02.920 --> 00:22:03.779
 This is an important

00:22:03.779 --> 00:22:04.660
 principle that adds

00:22:04.660 --> 00:22:05.599
 significance to

00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:06.740
 everything that we do

00:22:06.740 --> 00:22:07.460
 no matter how

00:22:07.460 --> 00:22:08.819
 small it might seem

00:22:08.819 --> 00:22:09.440
 to us.

00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:12.140
 how we treat

00:22:12.140 --> 00:22:13.700
 powerless people,

00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:16.080
 how we treat children,

00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:19.340
 how we spend

00:22:19.340 --> 00:22:20.880
 our meager income,

00:22:21.980 --> 00:22:23.500
 how we work

00:22:23.500 --> 00:22:24.840
 at our small company,

00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:26.019
 how we perform

00:22:26.019 --> 00:22:27.500
 a small side job,

00:22:27.860 --> 00:22:29.360
 attest to the character

00:22:29.360 --> 00:22:30.460
 and therefore indicate

00:22:30.460 --> 00:22:31.160
 how we'll do

00:22:31.160 --> 00:22:32.539
 when God entrusts us

00:22:32.539 --> 00:22:34.180
 with more significant things.

00:22:34.820 --> 00:22:36.059
 So don't despise

00:22:36.059 --> 00:22:36.879
 small beginnings.

00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:39.359
 Be faithful

00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:40.220
 in the little things.

00:22:42.279 --> 00:22:43.559
 But this general principle

00:22:43.559 --> 00:22:44.519
 has a more particular

00:22:44.519 --> 00:22:45.899
 application in this passage

00:22:45.899 --> 00:22:47.419
 and Jesus continues

00:22:47.419 --> 00:22:48.599
 in verses 11 to 12,

00:22:48.599 --> 00:22:49.259
 If then

00:22:49.259 --> 00:22:50.940
 you have not been faithful

00:22:50.940 --> 00:22:52.599
 in the unrighteous wealth,

00:22:52.819 --> 00:22:54.440
 who will entrust to you

00:22:54.440 --> 00:22:55.299
 the true riches?

00:22:56.240 --> 00:22:57.059
 And if you have not

00:22:57.059 --> 00:22:57.720
 been faithful

00:22:57.720 --> 00:22:59.039
 in that which is another's,

00:22:59.059 --> 00:22:59.720
 who will give you

00:22:59.720 --> 00:23:00.779
 that which is your own?

00:23:01.399 --> 00:23:01.639
 Here,

00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:02.839
 unrighteous wealth

00:23:02.839 --> 00:23:03.599
 is contrasted

00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:04.299
 contrasted with

00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:05.319
 true riches,

00:23:05.699 --> 00:23:06.980
 the heavenly blessings,

00:23:07.159 --> 00:23:08.119
 eternal riches.

00:23:08.819 --> 00:23:09.980
 It's in some way

00:23:09.980 --> 00:23:10.899
 the riches we have

00:23:10.899 --> 00:23:11.379
 here on earth

00:23:11.379 --> 00:23:12.399
 is less true,

00:23:12.659 --> 00:23:13.699
 less lasting

00:23:13.699 --> 00:23:15.039
 than the true riches

00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:15.679
 that await us

00:23:15.679 --> 00:23:16.119
 in heaven.

00:23:18.599 --> 00:23:19.599
 So this is,

00:23:19.719 --> 00:23:20.439
 sometimes I play

00:23:20.439 --> 00:23:21.480
 grocery store

00:23:21.480 --> 00:23:22.259
 with my kids at home.

00:23:22.719 --> 00:23:23.339
 They have these like

00:23:23.339 --> 00:23:24.779
 fake toy registers,

00:23:25.019 --> 00:23:25.599
 cash registers

00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:26.500
 and you have these

00:23:26.500 --> 00:23:27.500
 little coins and money

00:23:27.500 --> 00:23:28.639
 and you put the price tags

00:23:28.639 --> 00:23:29.219
 on these little

00:23:29.219 --> 00:23:30.039
 household items

00:23:30.039 --> 00:23:30.839
 and they come

00:23:30.839 --> 00:23:31.599
 and they need some money

00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:32.459
 and I give them the product

00:23:32.460 --> 00:23:33.600
 and switch roles.

00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:34.720
 It's a good way

00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:35.400
 to practice,

00:23:35.700 --> 00:23:37.759
 to learn math,

00:23:38.079 --> 00:23:38.240
 right?

00:23:38.420 --> 00:23:39.160
 Learn how to add,

00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:39.579
 subtract,

00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:40.799
 but also it's a good way

00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:41.279
 to teach them

00:23:41.279 --> 00:23:41.960
 about the concept

00:23:41.960 --> 00:23:42.559
 of commerce.

00:23:42.940 --> 00:23:44.460
 This is why you work

00:23:44.460 --> 00:23:45.000
 because you need

00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:45.500
 to earn money

00:23:45.500 --> 00:23:45.840
 and you need

00:23:45.840 --> 00:23:46.400
 to buy things.

00:23:46.860 --> 00:23:46.980
 Yeah,

00:23:47.059 --> 00:23:48.519
 you want a lot of things

00:23:48.519 --> 00:23:49.200
 and the reason why

00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:50.000
 I say no sometimes

00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:50.880
 is because I don't

00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:51.279
 have money,

00:23:51.500 --> 00:23:51.700
 right?

00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:52.799
 You have to explain

00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:53.759
 to your kids sometimes.

00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:56.100
 And so in the same way,

00:23:57.100 --> 00:23:59.079
 and in a similar way,

00:23:59.720 --> 00:24:00.920
 the kids are practicing

00:24:00.920 --> 00:24:02.160
 and when they are good

00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:03.740
 at using this fake money,

00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:04.880
 I can entrust to them

00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:05.519
 real money.

00:24:06.460 --> 00:24:07.400
 In a similar way,

00:24:07.539 --> 00:24:08.920
 what we do with money

00:24:08.920 --> 00:24:09.800
 here on earth

00:24:09.800 --> 00:24:10.600
 is a rehearsal

00:24:10.600 --> 00:24:12.320
 for the true riches

00:24:12.320 --> 00:24:13.440
 that God will entrust

00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:14.980
 to us in eternal life.

00:24:17.660 --> 00:24:19.320
 It's much more real

00:24:19.320 --> 00:24:20.680
 than what we have.

00:24:20.740 --> 00:24:21.539
 Even though money here

00:24:21.539 --> 00:24:22.920
 on earth seems so real

00:24:22.920 --> 00:24:23.380
 to us,

00:24:23.480 --> 00:24:24.700
 but it's just like

00:24:24.700 --> 00:24:25.460
 fake money

00:24:25.460 --> 00:24:26.460
 that kids play with

00:24:26.460 --> 00:24:27.060
 in light,

00:24:27.140 --> 00:24:27.779
 in comparison

00:24:27.779 --> 00:24:29.120
 with the true riches

00:24:29.120 --> 00:24:29.700
 that will be given

00:24:29.700 --> 00:24:30.279
 to us.

00:24:31.420 --> 00:24:33.019
 So are you using it well?

00:24:36.620 --> 00:24:38.120
 A financial advisor

00:24:38.120 --> 00:24:39.620
 doesn't get to do

00:24:39.620 --> 00:24:40.420
 whatever he wants

00:24:40.420 --> 00:24:41.100
 with the money

00:24:41.100 --> 00:24:42.000
 that is given to him.

00:24:42.860 --> 00:24:43.960
 He has to look out

00:24:43.960 --> 00:24:44.460
 for the interest

00:24:44.460 --> 00:24:45.039
 of the owner.

00:24:46.340 --> 00:24:46.660
 Likewise,

00:24:46.840 --> 00:24:47.559
 we are managers,

00:24:47.940 --> 00:24:48.299
 stewards,

00:24:48.400 --> 00:24:48.880
 not owners

00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:49.539
 of God's money.

00:24:53.400 --> 00:24:54.200
 Waldean Wall,

00:24:54.580 --> 00:24:57.039
 who is a Christian author,

00:24:57.840 --> 00:24:58.720
 puts it this way

00:24:58.720 --> 00:24:59.220
 in his book,

00:24:59.339 --> 00:25:00.480
 Gospel and Money.

00:25:01.259 --> 00:25:02.220
 One of the great

00:25:02.220 --> 00:25:03.440
 presumptuous sins

00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:04.059
 of humanity

00:25:04.059 --> 00:25:05.420
 is the thinking

00:25:05.420 --> 00:25:06.839
 that we create success

00:25:06.839 --> 00:25:07.519
 and influence

00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:08.000
 and wealth.

00:25:08.779 --> 00:25:10.279
 This is completely false.

00:25:11.079 --> 00:25:12.380
 The blessings we have,

00:25:12.759 --> 00:25:13.759
 even if we work

00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:14.680
 to acquire them,

00:25:14.920 --> 00:25:17.200
 are all from God's hand.

00:25:18.059 --> 00:25:19.120
 Have you ever wondered

00:25:19.120 --> 00:25:20.180
 why you were born

00:25:20.180 --> 00:25:21.180
 where you were born,

00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:22.440
 or how you came

00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:23.200
 to have the talent

00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:23.680
 you have,

00:25:23.799 --> 00:25:24.779
 or the intellect,

00:25:24.980 --> 00:25:25.700
 or the opportunities,

00:25:25.700 --> 00:25:26.539
 or the health,

00:25:26.660 --> 00:25:27.420
 or the money?

00:25:28.420 --> 00:25:29.700
 Everything comes

00:25:29.700 --> 00:25:30.980
 from the hand of God,

00:25:31.279 --> 00:25:33.940
 even if we work hard.

00:25:35.900 --> 00:25:37.460
 The money that you have

00:25:37.460 --> 00:25:38.900
 worked hard to earn,

00:25:39.500 --> 00:25:41.259
 earn is not your money.

00:25:41.840 --> 00:25:43.259
 The money that's in your wallet,

00:25:43.799 --> 00:25:45.440
 the money that's in your bank account,

00:25:45.500 --> 00:25:46.400
 it's not your money,

00:25:46.460 --> 00:25:47.799
 it's God's money.

00:25:48.299 --> 00:25:49.080
 We're managers.

00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:52.919
 And if we start spending it

00:25:52.919 --> 00:25:53.759
 like it's ours

00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:54.759
 rather than God's,

00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:55.639
 then we're buying into

00:25:55.639 --> 00:25:57.279
 a worldly delusion.

00:26:02.079 --> 00:26:02.819
 That brings us

00:26:02.819 --> 00:26:03.519
 to the second point.

00:26:03.879 --> 00:26:05.199
 We are to be God lovers,

00:26:05.639 --> 00:26:07.159
 not money lovers.

00:26:07.439 --> 00:26:09.359
 And Jesus sums it up

00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:10.339
 in verse 13 this way,

00:26:10.399 --> 00:26:12.599
 No servant can serve two masters,

00:26:13.299 --> 00:26:14.819
 for either he will hate the one

00:26:14.819 --> 00:26:15.439
 and love the other,

00:26:15.480 --> 00:26:16.939
 or he will be devoted to the one

00:26:16.939 --> 00:26:18.579
 and despise the other.

00:26:18.579 --> 00:26:19.939
 You cannot serve

00:26:19.939 --> 00:26:20.980
 both God and money.

00:26:22.659 --> 00:26:24.199
 Jesus is not telling us

00:26:24.199 --> 00:26:26.939
 to emotionally detest money.

00:26:27.659 --> 00:26:29.039
 This is the same idea

00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:30.039
 that we saw earlier

00:26:30.039 --> 00:26:31.099
 in Luke 14, 26.

00:26:31.240 --> 00:26:32.839
 It's a love-hate duality.

00:26:33.919 --> 00:26:35.379
 Jesus is saying that

00:26:35.379 --> 00:26:37.039
 it's a Hebrew way

00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:37.759
 of describing

00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:39.519
 your choice over something,

00:26:39.659 --> 00:26:40.819
 priority over something.

00:26:41.679 --> 00:26:42.899
 So ancient Jews,

00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:44.000
 instead of expressing

00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:44.980
 an order of priority

00:26:44.980 --> 00:26:45.859
 in terms of lesser

00:26:45.859 --> 00:26:46.619
 and greater

00:26:46.619 --> 00:26:47.439
 kind of degrees,

00:26:47.559 --> 00:26:48.240
 different degrees,

00:26:48.579 --> 00:26:49.399
 they would express it

00:26:49.399 --> 00:26:50.460
 in terms of

00:26:50.460 --> 00:26:51.480
 categorical contrast.

00:26:52.199 --> 00:26:53.119
 So an ancient Jew

00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:53.659
 would say,

00:26:53.819 --> 00:26:55.240
 I love God

00:26:55.240 --> 00:26:56.099
 and I hate money,

00:26:56.419 --> 00:26:57.579
 when what they mean is

00:26:57.579 --> 00:26:58.699
 I choose God

00:26:58.699 --> 00:26:59.720
 over money.

00:27:02.019 --> 00:27:02.740
 He's saying

00:27:02.740 --> 00:27:04.179
 you cannot love God

00:27:04.179 --> 00:27:04.740
 more than money.

00:27:05.859 --> 00:27:07.399
 You cannot serve God

00:27:07.399 --> 00:27:08.019
 and money

00:27:08.019 --> 00:27:08.559
 at the same time.

00:27:08.779 --> 00:27:09.899
 Notice how this verse

00:27:09.899 --> 00:27:11.559
 personifies money

00:27:11.559 --> 00:27:12.980
 like it's a God

00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:14.139
 that we can worship

00:27:14.140 --> 00:27:14.920
 and serve.

00:27:16.600 --> 00:27:18.160
 We cannot pledge

00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:19.140
 allegiance to money

00:27:19.140 --> 00:27:20.240
 and at the same time

00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:20.940
 pledge allegiance

00:27:20.940 --> 00:27:21.660
 to Christ.

00:27:22.020 --> 00:27:23.200
 We can only serve

00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:23.800
 one master.

00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:26.200
 If your overriding goal

00:27:26.200 --> 00:27:26.780
 in life

00:27:26.780 --> 00:27:28.080
 is to get rich,

00:27:28.660 --> 00:27:29.640
 then you cannot

00:27:29.640 --> 00:27:30.520
 be a Christian.

00:27:31.520 --> 00:27:33.100
 It's that black and white.

00:27:33.099 --> 00:27:37.719
 if your greatest desire

00:27:37.719 --> 00:27:38.139
 in life

00:27:38.139 --> 00:27:38.879
 is for fame

00:27:38.879 --> 00:27:39.500
 and fortune,

00:27:39.619 --> 00:27:40.259
 then you cannot

00:27:40.259 --> 00:27:41.279
 desire God

00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:42.099
 by definition

00:27:42.099 --> 00:27:44.079
 as your greatest treasure

00:27:44.079 --> 00:27:45.519
 and that's what it means

00:27:45.519 --> 00:27:46.199
 to be a Christian.

00:27:49.319 --> 00:27:50.899
 If that's what you trust

00:27:50.899 --> 00:27:51.639
 most in life,

00:27:51.759 --> 00:27:52.019
 money,

00:27:52.139 --> 00:27:52.599
 it comes from

00:27:52.599 --> 00:27:53.740
 the Hebrew word

00:27:53.740 --> 00:27:54.339
 mammon,

00:27:54.679 --> 00:27:55.480
 personification

00:27:55.480 --> 00:27:56.299
 like it's an idol,

00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:56.859
 mammon,

00:27:56.980 --> 00:27:57.839
 worship of mammon.

00:27:58.639 --> 00:27:59.579
 Mammon comes from

00:27:59.579 --> 00:28:00.119
 the Hebrew word

00:28:00.119 --> 00:28:00.939
 for trust,

00:28:01.359 --> 00:28:02.039
 rely on.

00:28:02.039 --> 00:28:03.420
 if money

00:28:03.420 --> 00:28:04.420
 becomes the thing

00:28:04.420 --> 00:28:05.579
 that you rely on,

00:28:05.879 --> 00:28:06.779
 trust in,

00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:08.460
 that you put your hope in,

00:28:09.379 --> 00:28:10.680
 that you bank on,

00:28:11.960 --> 00:28:16.139
 more than God,

00:28:17.799 --> 00:28:19.000
 then we are in

00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:20.599
 the religion of money,

00:28:21.299 --> 00:28:21.839
 of mammon,

00:28:21.960 --> 00:28:23.200
 not Christianity,

00:28:23.960 --> 00:28:25.259
 not the worship

00:28:25.259 --> 00:28:25.940
 of the true God.

00:28:27.579 --> 00:28:29.019
 Sometimes obeying God

00:28:29.019 --> 00:28:29.720
 will mean

00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:30.839
 that you make less money

00:28:30.839 --> 00:28:31.839
 than you otherwise

00:28:31.839 --> 00:28:32.399
 can.

00:28:35.259 --> 00:28:36.119
 Maybe you can make

00:28:36.119 --> 00:28:36.599
 more money

00:28:36.599 --> 00:28:38.220
 if you move out of state,

00:28:38.759 --> 00:28:39.519
 leave your family,

00:28:39.639 --> 00:28:40.240
 leave your church,

00:28:40.619 --> 00:28:41.759
 but you decide to stay

00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:43.480
 because you have

00:28:43.480 --> 00:28:44.699
 a healthy local church family

00:28:44.699 --> 00:28:45.339
 and you want to serve

00:28:45.339 --> 00:28:46.099
 God with your family

00:28:46.099 --> 00:28:46.459
 together.

00:28:49.299 --> 00:28:50.279
 Maybe for the sake

00:28:50.279 --> 00:28:51.039
 of your integrity,

00:28:51.199 --> 00:28:52.240
 you refuse to partake

00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:53.459
 in certain underhanded

00:28:53.459 --> 00:28:54.659
 activities of your company

00:28:54.659 --> 00:28:55.539
 and so you lose

00:28:55.539 --> 00:28:56.179
 your promotion

00:28:56.180 --> 00:28:57.680
 or you get fired.

00:28:59.799 --> 00:29:01.340
 Maybe God will call you

00:29:01.340 --> 00:29:01.980
 to give up

00:29:01.980 --> 00:29:03.480
 a very lucrative career

00:29:03.480 --> 00:29:05.180
 to serve in an orphanage

00:29:05.180 --> 00:29:07.320
 or to be a wife

00:29:07.320 --> 00:29:07.799
 and a mother

00:29:07.799 --> 00:29:10.860
 or to be a missionary

00:29:10.860 --> 00:29:11.779
 in a poor country

00:29:11.779 --> 00:29:15.420
 or a pastor

00:29:15.420 --> 00:29:16.720
 of a small village church.

00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:20.920
 In all of these examples,

00:29:21.299 --> 00:29:21.900
 we don't know

00:29:21.900 --> 00:29:22.319
 what God

00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:23.620
 might call us to.

00:29:24.079 --> 00:29:24.819
 You cannot

00:29:24.819 --> 00:29:25.759
 follow God

00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:27.140
 if you're

00:29:27.140 --> 00:29:27.900
 a money lover,

00:29:28.480 --> 00:29:29.259
 not a God lover.

00:29:31.460 --> 00:29:32.259
 But it says

00:29:32.259 --> 00:29:33.120
 in verse 14,

00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:35.400
 the Pharisees

00:29:35.400 --> 00:29:37.400
 who are lovers

00:29:37.400 --> 00:29:37.940
 of money

00:29:37.940 --> 00:29:39.740
 heard all these things

00:29:39.740 --> 00:29:40.759
 and they ridiculed him.

00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:43.100
 The lovers of money

00:29:43.100 --> 00:29:43.900
 in Greek literally

00:29:43.900 --> 00:29:45.140
 is friends of money.

00:29:45.140 --> 00:29:46.820
 So it's a wordplay

00:29:46.820 --> 00:29:47.680
 on verse 9.

00:29:48.140 --> 00:29:48.880
 Jesus is teaching

00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:49.280
 his disciples

00:29:49.280 --> 00:29:50.259
 to make friends

00:29:50.259 --> 00:29:51.200
 for themselves

00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:52.259
 by means

00:29:52.259 --> 00:29:53.280
 of unrighteous wealth.

00:29:53.640 --> 00:29:55.040
 Use your earthly money

00:29:55.040 --> 00:29:56.160
 to make heavenly friends

00:29:56.160 --> 00:29:57.160
 is what Jesus is saying.

00:29:57.620 --> 00:29:58.759
 But instead of

00:29:58.759 --> 00:30:00.440
 making heavenly friends,

00:30:00.980 --> 00:30:01.880
 these Pharisees

00:30:01.880 --> 00:30:03.000
 are friends of money.

00:30:03.820 --> 00:30:04.740
 They'd rather have money

00:30:04.740 --> 00:30:05.480
 for his friend

00:30:05.480 --> 00:30:06.220
 and bad fellow

00:30:06.220 --> 00:30:08.680
 than heavenly friends.

00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:11.759
 And so Jesus rebukes them

00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:12.300
 in verse 15.

00:30:12.420 --> 00:30:13.100
 You are those

00:30:13.100 --> 00:30:14.320
 who justify yourselves

00:30:14.320 --> 00:30:14.960
 before men.

00:30:15.140 --> 00:30:16.680
 But God knows your hearts

00:30:16.680 --> 00:30:17.920
 for what is exalted

00:30:17.920 --> 00:30:18.480
 among men

00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:19.140
 is an abomination

00:30:19.140 --> 00:30:20.400
 in the sight of God.

00:30:20.740 --> 00:30:21.460
 The Pharisees

00:30:21.460 --> 00:30:22.500
 wanted to justify

00:30:22.500 --> 00:30:23.660
 themselves before men

00:30:23.660 --> 00:30:24.900
 to show themselves

00:30:24.900 --> 00:30:25.800
 to be righteous

00:30:25.800 --> 00:30:27.600
 before other people.

00:30:28.380 --> 00:30:29.340
 And many Jews

00:30:29.340 --> 00:30:30.640
 saw wealth

00:30:30.640 --> 00:30:31.820
 and status

00:30:31.820 --> 00:30:33.000
 as signs

00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:34.259
 of divine favor.

00:30:35.700 --> 00:30:36.280
 And we know

00:30:36.280 --> 00:30:37.220
 from Luke 11,

00:30:37.320 --> 00:30:37.640
 43

00:30:37.640 --> 00:30:38.540
 that the Pharisees

00:30:38.540 --> 00:30:38.880
 in fact

00:30:38.880 --> 00:30:40.180
 sought exactly

00:30:40.180 --> 00:30:40.680
 these things.

00:30:40.759 --> 00:30:41.740
 They sought status.

00:30:41.880 --> 00:30:42.960
 They sought the best seats

00:30:42.960 --> 00:30:43.759
 in the synagogues.

00:30:43.980 --> 00:30:44.740
 They wanted to be

00:30:44.740 --> 00:30:45.840
 recognized by men.

00:30:46.360 --> 00:30:47.400
 They loved money

00:30:47.400 --> 00:30:48.980
 because it conferred

00:30:48.980 --> 00:30:49.420
 on them

00:30:49.420 --> 00:30:49.980
 power

00:30:49.980 --> 00:30:51.059
 and status

00:30:51.059 --> 00:30:52.200
 and they used it

00:30:52.200 --> 00:30:53.819
 to justify themselves

00:30:53.819 --> 00:30:54.500
 before men.

00:30:56.140 --> 00:30:57.319
 It's not very different

00:30:57.319 --> 00:30:57.980
 from our days,

00:30:58.059 --> 00:30:58.160
 isn't it?

00:30:58.160 --> 00:30:58.920
 Our society

00:30:58.920 --> 00:30:59.940
 is fascinated

00:30:59.940 --> 00:31:00.600
 with the rich

00:31:00.600 --> 00:31:01.160
 and famous.

00:31:01.160 --> 00:31:04.860
 And even though

00:31:04.860 --> 00:31:05.259
 many people

00:31:05.259 --> 00:31:05.800
 act like

00:31:05.800 --> 00:31:06.759
 they're repulsed

00:31:06.759 --> 00:31:08.740
 by tabloids

00:31:08.740 --> 00:31:10.259
 or celebrity news,

00:31:10.740 --> 00:31:11.980
 secretly they admire

00:31:11.980 --> 00:31:12.800
 the rich and famous.

00:31:15.900 --> 00:31:17.420
 As this sarcastic,

00:31:17.640 --> 00:31:18.000
 cynical,

00:31:18.440 --> 00:31:19.420
 social commentator

00:31:19.420 --> 00:31:20.620
 that I advise you

00:31:20.620 --> 00:31:21.519
 never to read

00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:22.700
 named Flan Leberwood

00:31:22.700 --> 00:31:23.840
 writes this,

00:31:24.380 --> 00:31:24.600
 says,

00:31:24.700 --> 00:31:25.340
 Oh please,

00:31:26.200 --> 00:31:27.040
 Americans do not

00:31:27.040 --> 00:31:27.620
 hate the rich.

00:31:28.519 --> 00:31:29.540
 They want to be them.

00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:32.259
 Every American believes

00:31:32.259 --> 00:31:32.740
 that they are

00:31:32.740 --> 00:31:33.860
 the impending rich

00:31:33.860 --> 00:31:35.500
 and that will never change.

00:31:39.019 --> 00:31:40.400
 In a similar way,

00:31:40.500 --> 00:31:41.340
 the Pharisees

00:31:41.340 --> 00:31:42.220
 loved money.

00:31:43.220 --> 00:31:44.320
 They wanted status

00:31:44.320 --> 00:31:44.820
 before men.

00:31:44.880 --> 00:31:45.880
 They wanted to be admired.

00:31:45.880 --> 00:31:48.120
 But even when they

00:31:48.120 --> 00:31:49.240
 justified themselves

00:31:49.240 --> 00:31:50.019
 before men,

00:31:51.060 --> 00:31:51.640
 Jesus says,

00:31:51.860 --> 00:31:53.140
 God knows

00:31:53.140 --> 00:31:54.560
 your hearts.

00:31:55.940 --> 00:31:57.120
 For what is exalted

00:31:57.120 --> 00:31:57.660
 among men

00:31:57.660 --> 00:31:58.540
 is an abomination

00:31:58.540 --> 00:32:00.160
 in the sight of God.

00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:01.560
 Abomination

00:32:01.560 --> 00:32:02.680
 is such a strong word.

00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:03.800
 It's something

00:32:03.800 --> 00:32:05.580
 that causes repulsion.

00:32:06.920 --> 00:32:07.779
 Something that has

00:32:07.779 --> 00:32:09.420
 this stench

00:32:09.420 --> 00:32:10.840
 that will repel you.

00:32:11.880 --> 00:32:13.259
 It's odious to God.

00:32:13.779 --> 00:32:14.300
 People,

00:32:14.779 --> 00:32:15.660
 men and women,

00:32:15.779 --> 00:32:17.180
 they might be infatuated

00:32:17.180 --> 00:32:18.480
 with fame and fortune.

00:32:18.900 --> 00:32:19.620
 These things

00:32:19.620 --> 00:32:21.259
 might bring exaltation

00:32:21.259 --> 00:32:21.900
 among men.

00:32:22.400 --> 00:32:23.340
 In God's sight,

00:32:23.440 --> 00:32:23.920
 these things

00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:25.140
 are an abomination.

00:32:26.800 --> 00:32:28.080
 He could not care less.

00:32:28.180 --> 00:32:28.420
 In fact,

00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:30.100
 He is repulsed by it.

00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:34.440
 Self-justifying hypocrisy,

00:32:34.800 --> 00:32:36.300
 the prideful pretensions

00:32:36.300 --> 00:32:37.840
 of fame and fortune,

00:32:38.120 --> 00:32:39.500
 they're abhorrent to God.

00:32:40.460 --> 00:32:42.480
 So why would we desire it?

00:32:45.120 --> 00:32:46.240
 You can imagine

00:32:46.240 --> 00:32:47.620
 the shock of the Pharisees.

00:32:48.600 --> 00:32:49.940
 We're the exalted ones.

00:32:50.500 --> 00:32:51.940
 We're the respected ones

00:32:51.940 --> 00:32:52.680
 in the synagogues

00:32:52.680 --> 00:32:53.200
 in the streets.

00:32:53.620 --> 00:32:54.759
 We're the pioneers

00:32:54.759 --> 00:32:55.980
 of social reform.

00:32:56.160 --> 00:32:57.519
 We're the paragons

00:32:57.519 --> 00:32:58.220
 of virtue

00:32:58.220 --> 00:32:59.460
 in this society.

00:32:59.880 --> 00:33:00.839
 But you're saying

00:33:00.839 --> 00:33:02.039
 that what is exalted

00:33:02.039 --> 00:33:03.620
 among men

00:33:03.620 --> 00:33:04.480
 is an abomination

00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:05.140
 to God?

00:33:05.680 --> 00:33:06.640
 Are you implying

00:33:06.640 --> 00:33:07.600
 something about us?

00:33:09.000 --> 00:33:09.920
 Are you suggesting

00:33:09.920 --> 00:33:10.600
 that these sinners

00:33:10.600 --> 00:33:11.400
 and tax collectors

00:33:11.400 --> 00:33:13.019
 that keep flocking to you

00:33:13.019 --> 00:33:13.980
 and thronging to you,

00:33:14.259 --> 00:33:15.140
 that they're better

00:33:15.140 --> 00:33:15.779
 than we are?

00:33:16.180 --> 00:33:17.460
 That we're abominated

00:33:17.460 --> 00:33:17.900
 by God,

00:33:17.960 --> 00:33:18.960
 but that they are loved?

00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:22.279
 Are you setting aside

00:33:22.279 --> 00:33:22.960
 all the requirements

00:33:23.500 --> 00:33:24.400
 of God's laws

00:33:24.400 --> 00:33:25.360
 that we so,

00:33:25.579 --> 00:33:26.860
 try so hard to keep?

00:33:26.979 --> 00:33:27.740
 Is that what you're doing,

00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:28.039
 Jesus?

00:33:29.219 --> 00:33:30.519
 Are you abolishing

00:33:30.519 --> 00:33:31.099
 the scriptures?

00:33:33.859 --> 00:33:34.879
 That's the objection

00:33:34.879 --> 00:33:36.799
 that Jesus anticipates

00:33:36.799 --> 00:33:37.740
 in verse 16.

00:33:39.519 --> 00:33:40.759
 The law and the prophets

00:33:40.759 --> 00:33:41.859
 were until John.

00:33:42.719 --> 00:33:43.339
 Since then,

00:33:43.399 --> 00:33:43.939
 the good news

00:33:43.939 --> 00:33:44.699
 of the kingdom of God

00:33:44.699 --> 00:33:45.279
 is preached

00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:46.559
 and everyone

00:33:46.559 --> 00:33:47.639
 forces his way

00:33:47.639 --> 00:33:48.199
 into it.

00:33:48.599 --> 00:33:49.579
 The law and the prophets

00:33:49.579 --> 00:33:50.359
 are two of the longest

00:33:50.359 --> 00:33:51.439
 sections of the Old Testament

00:33:51.439 --> 00:33:52.439
 and it's together,

00:33:52.639 --> 00:33:53.399
 it's shorthand

00:33:53.399 --> 00:33:54.539
 for the entire Old Testament

00:33:54.539 --> 00:33:55.099
 for scripture.

00:33:55.099 --> 00:33:56.919
 And the law and the prophets

00:33:56.919 --> 00:33:58.559
 testify to the coming

00:33:58.559 --> 00:33:59.480
 of Christ

00:33:59.480 --> 00:34:00.939
 until John,

00:34:01.000 --> 00:34:01.699
 the John the Baptist.

00:34:02.259 --> 00:34:02.899
 John the Baptist

00:34:02.899 --> 00:34:04.179
 is a transitional figure.

00:34:04.299 --> 00:34:05.319
 He's the last

00:34:05.319 --> 00:34:06.139
 in the line

00:34:06.139 --> 00:34:07.119
 of all the prophets

00:34:07.119 --> 00:34:08.159
 that prophesied

00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:10.179
 about God's salvation plan

00:34:10.179 --> 00:34:11.440
 and about the Messiah,

00:34:11.599 --> 00:34:12.539
 about Jesus' coming.

00:34:13.159 --> 00:34:14.480
 And he's the last figure

00:34:14.480 --> 00:34:15.799
 in that long line

00:34:15.799 --> 00:34:16.119
 of prophets

00:34:16.119 --> 00:34:17.940
 among the Old Testament prophets.

00:34:18.480 --> 00:34:19.460
 And after him

00:34:19.460 --> 00:34:20.219
 came Jesus

00:34:20.219 --> 00:34:21.440
 and he now preaches

00:34:21.440 --> 00:34:22.279
 the good news

00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:23.500
 of the kingdom of God,

00:34:24.720 --> 00:34:25.780
 Jesus has ushered in

00:34:25.780 --> 00:34:26.920
 the era of fulfillment.

00:34:27.560 --> 00:34:28.800
 The era of promise

00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:29.440
 is now,

00:34:29.780 --> 00:34:30.880
 has come to an end

00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:31.820
 and now the era

00:34:31.820 --> 00:34:32.480
 of fulfillment

00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:33.220
 has begun.

00:34:34.500 --> 00:34:35.160
 Jesus knows

00:34:35.160 --> 00:34:35.780
 that he will soon

00:34:35.780 --> 00:34:36.760
 die on the cross

00:34:36.760 --> 00:34:37.300
 for the sins

00:34:37.300 --> 00:34:37.800
 of his people

00:34:37.800 --> 00:34:38.640
 and that he'll be raised

00:34:38.640 --> 00:34:39.519
 from the dead

00:34:39.519 --> 00:34:42.200
 so that his perfect righteousness

00:34:42.200 --> 00:34:43.380
 can be counted

00:34:43.380 --> 00:34:44.519
 on behalf of his people

00:34:44.519 --> 00:34:45.740
 so that we

00:34:45.740 --> 00:34:46.800
 who repent of our sins

00:34:46.800 --> 00:34:47.560
 can be saved.

00:34:48.360 --> 00:34:49.260
 And after his death

00:34:49.260 --> 00:34:49.760
 and resurrection,

00:34:49.960 --> 00:34:50.740
 Jesus says

00:34:50.740 --> 00:34:51.560
 in Luke 24,

00:34:51.559 --> 00:34:52.000
 44,

00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:53.840
 these are my words

00:34:53.840 --> 00:34:54.639
 that I spoke to you

00:34:54.639 --> 00:34:56.019
 while I was still with you

00:34:56.019 --> 00:34:57.139
 that everything

00:34:57.139 --> 00:34:58.079
 written about me

00:34:58.079 --> 00:34:58.539
 in the law

00:34:58.539 --> 00:34:59.239
 of Moses

00:34:59.239 --> 00:34:59.799
 and the prophets

00:34:59.799 --> 00:35:00.500
 and the Psalms

00:35:00.500 --> 00:35:01.480
 must be fulfilled.

00:35:02.360 --> 00:35:03.179
 Because Jesus

00:35:03.179 --> 00:35:04.559
 fulfills the law

00:35:04.559 --> 00:35:05.940
 and preaches

00:35:05.940 --> 00:35:06.480
 the good news

00:35:06.480 --> 00:35:06.940
 of salvation

00:35:06.940 --> 00:35:07.500
 for sinners,

00:35:07.960 --> 00:35:08.980
 sinners are flocking

00:35:08.980 --> 00:35:09.340
 to him,

00:35:10.980 --> 00:35:11.920
 swarming to get in.

00:35:11.960 --> 00:35:12.539
 That's what he's

00:35:12.539 --> 00:35:13.279
 likely referring to

00:35:13.279 --> 00:35:13.599
 when he says

00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:14.139
 the good news

00:35:14.139 --> 00:35:14.860
 of the kingdom of God

00:35:14.860 --> 00:35:15.299
 is preached

00:35:15.299 --> 00:35:16.039
 and everyone

00:35:16.039 --> 00:35:17.039
 forces his way

00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:17.659
 into it.

00:35:17.659 --> 00:35:18.599
 It's hyperbole.

00:35:19.199 --> 00:35:19.719
 In the same way

00:35:19.719 --> 00:35:20.820
 earlier in Luke 15,

00:35:20.900 --> 00:35:21.259
 verse 1,

00:35:21.260 --> 00:35:21.540
 he said,

00:35:21.620 --> 00:35:22.540
 now the tax collectors

00:35:22.540 --> 00:35:23.180
 and sinners

00:35:23.180 --> 00:35:24.080
 were all

00:35:24.080 --> 00:35:25.080
 drawing near

00:35:25.080 --> 00:35:25.760
 to hear him.

00:35:26.600 --> 00:35:27.440
 And that's what's

00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:28.360
 causing the jealousy

00:35:28.360 --> 00:35:29.200
 of the Pharisees.

00:35:29.380 --> 00:35:29.880
 That's what's

00:35:29.880 --> 00:35:31.040
 making them begrudge

00:35:31.040 --> 00:35:32.780
 Jesus' welcoming

00:35:32.780 --> 00:35:33.320
 of sinners.

00:35:34.440 --> 00:35:35.580
 But the fact

00:35:35.580 --> 00:35:36.180
 that Jesus

00:35:36.180 --> 00:35:37.820
 fulfills the scriptures

00:35:37.820 --> 00:35:39.700
 does not mean

00:35:39.700 --> 00:35:40.380
 that Jesus

00:35:40.380 --> 00:35:41.380
 is abolishing

00:35:41.380 --> 00:35:42.880
 the scriptures

00:35:42.880 --> 00:35:43.780
 and setting aside

00:35:43.780 --> 00:35:44.340
 the requirements

00:35:44.340 --> 00:35:44.840
 of the law,

00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:45.680
 the righteous living.

00:35:45.679 --> 00:35:46.940
 So Jesus

00:35:46.940 --> 00:35:47.619
 continues

00:35:47.619 --> 00:35:49.079
 in verse 17,

00:35:49.539 --> 00:35:49.899
 but it is

00:35:49.899 --> 00:35:50.960
 easier for heaven

00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:51.299
 and earth

00:35:51.299 --> 00:35:52.159
 to pass away

00:35:52.159 --> 00:35:53.259
 than for one

00:35:53.259 --> 00:35:54.159
 dot of the law

00:35:54.159 --> 00:35:55.099
 to become void.

00:35:56.419 --> 00:35:57.319
 It's a similar

00:35:57.319 --> 00:35:57.859
 expression

00:35:57.859 --> 00:35:58.739
 like when we say

00:35:58.739 --> 00:36:00.480
 we gotta dot our

00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:01.299
 I's and cross

00:36:01.299 --> 00:36:01.779
 our T's.

00:36:02.239 --> 00:36:02.579
 You're paying

00:36:02.579 --> 00:36:03.159
 attention to the

00:36:03.159 --> 00:36:03.940
 details of the

00:36:03.940 --> 00:36:04.159
 letter.

00:36:05.079 --> 00:36:05.940
 That's what he's

00:36:05.940 --> 00:36:06.159
 saying.

00:36:06.279 --> 00:36:07.139
 Not even that

00:36:07.139 --> 00:36:08.399
 minutest detail

00:36:08.399 --> 00:36:09.019
 of the law

00:36:09.019 --> 00:36:10.759
 will be abolished.

00:36:10.760 --> 00:36:12.500
 The law is

00:36:12.500 --> 00:36:13.060
 permanent

00:36:13.060 --> 00:36:14.360
 in this sense.

00:36:15.160 --> 00:36:16.000
 More permanent

00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:17.220
 than the heavens

00:36:17.220 --> 00:36:18.100
 and the earth

00:36:18.100 --> 00:36:19.340
 are the visible

00:36:19.340 --> 00:36:19.900
 creation,

00:36:20.040 --> 00:36:20.600
 visible world.

00:36:22.700 --> 00:36:23.400
 So even though

00:36:23.400 --> 00:36:23.800
 the Pharisees

00:36:23.800 --> 00:36:24.160
 are trying to

00:36:24.160 --> 00:36:24.900
 charge Jesus

00:36:24.900 --> 00:36:25.500
 with abolishing

00:36:25.500 --> 00:36:25.820
 the law

00:36:25.820 --> 00:36:26.200
 because he's

00:36:26.200 --> 00:36:26.640
 welcoming the

00:36:26.640 --> 00:36:26.900
 prophets,

00:36:27.000 --> 00:36:27.300
 he's saying,

00:36:27.380 --> 00:36:27.960
 no, I haven't

00:36:27.960 --> 00:36:28.580
 come to abolish

00:36:28.580 --> 00:36:29.080
 the law

00:36:29.080 --> 00:36:29.600
 and the prophets.

00:36:29.980 --> 00:36:30.660
 I'm the one

00:36:30.660 --> 00:36:31.540
 who fulfills it.

00:36:35.960 --> 00:36:36.820
 And after this

00:36:36.820 --> 00:36:37.140
 teaching,

00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:38.260
 verse 18 seems

00:36:38.260 --> 00:36:39.080
 to appear kind of

00:36:39.080 --> 00:36:39.640
 out of the blue.

00:36:39.880 --> 00:36:40.540
 Everyone who

00:36:40.539 --> 00:36:41.199
 divorces his

00:36:41.199 --> 00:36:41.679
 wife and

00:36:41.679 --> 00:36:42.219
 marries another

00:36:42.219 --> 00:36:42.980
 commits adultery

00:36:42.980 --> 00:36:43.500
 and he who

00:36:43.500 --> 00:36:44.179
 marries a woman

00:36:44.179 --> 00:36:44.840
 divorced from

00:36:44.840 --> 00:36:45.259
 her husband

00:36:45.259 --> 00:36:46.099
 commits adultery.

00:36:46.800 --> 00:36:47.659
 This is not

00:36:47.659 --> 00:36:48.320
 the place for me

00:36:48.320 --> 00:36:49.059
 to preach a

00:36:49.059 --> 00:36:49.739
 preach sermon

00:36:49.739 --> 00:36:50.460
 on marriage

00:36:50.460 --> 00:36:50.900
 and divorce

00:36:50.900 --> 00:36:51.619
 because here

00:36:51.619 --> 00:36:52.759
 it's just an

00:36:52.759 --> 00:36:53.659
 illustration for

00:36:53.659 --> 00:36:54.980
 Jesus to speak

00:36:54.980 --> 00:36:55.940
 on the binding

00:36:55.940 --> 00:36:57.239
 nature of God's

00:36:57.239 --> 00:36:57.500
 law.

00:36:58.599 --> 00:36:59.139
 He's saying the

00:36:59.139 --> 00:37:00.259
 law does not

00:37:00.259 --> 00:37:01.099
 pass away.

00:37:01.500 --> 00:37:02.920
 Why is when a

00:37:02.920 --> 00:37:03.719
 man divorces his

00:37:03.719 --> 00:37:04.239
 wife and marries

00:37:04.239 --> 00:37:04.699
 another woman,

00:37:04.779 --> 00:37:05.259
 why is that

00:37:05.259 --> 00:37:05.699
 adultery?

00:37:06.179 --> 00:37:06.860
 The implication,

00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:07.340
 of course,

00:37:07.420 --> 00:37:08.559
 is that before

00:37:08.559 --> 00:37:09.440
 God's eyes,

00:37:09.500 --> 00:37:10.019
 because he made

00:37:10.019 --> 00:37:10.519
 the covenant,

00:37:10.519 --> 00:37:11.840
 before God,

00:37:12.239 --> 00:37:12.900
 the marriage is

00:37:12.900 --> 00:37:13.539
 still valid.

00:37:15.099 --> 00:37:15.980
 And because your

00:37:15.980 --> 00:37:16.480
 marriage is still

00:37:16.480 --> 00:37:17.019
 valid and you

00:37:17.019 --> 00:37:17.440
 marry another

00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:17.820
 person,

00:37:17.920 --> 00:37:18.699
 that's adultery,

00:37:18.739 --> 00:37:19.179
 that's what he's

00:37:19.179 --> 00:37:19.300
 saying.

00:37:19.340 --> 00:37:19.940
 So he's using

00:37:19.940 --> 00:37:20.860
 this as an

00:37:20.860 --> 00:37:21.679
 illustration to

00:37:21.679 --> 00:37:23.259
 prove that it's

00:37:23.259 --> 00:37:24.239
 easier for heaven

00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:25.000
 and earth to

00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:25.980
 pass away than

00:37:25.980 --> 00:37:26.940
 for one dot of

00:37:26.940 --> 00:37:27.440
 the law to

00:37:27.440 --> 00:37:28.019
 become void.

00:37:31.139 --> 00:37:32.000
 Now, I know

00:37:32.000 --> 00:37:32.840
 there are some

00:37:32.840 --> 00:37:33.460
 in our midst and

00:37:33.460 --> 00:37:34.019
 people have come

00:37:34.019 --> 00:37:34.800
 who are already

00:37:34.800 --> 00:37:35.860
 divorced and this is

00:37:35.860 --> 00:37:37.099
 no condemnation for

00:37:37.099 --> 00:37:37.380
 you.

00:37:37.819 --> 00:37:38.759
 There's repentance

00:37:38.759 --> 00:37:39.279
 and forgiveness

00:37:39.279 --> 00:37:41.119
 for every sin and

00:37:41.119 --> 00:37:41.819
 I'm a sinner who

00:37:41.819 --> 00:37:42.539
 sins every single

00:37:42.539 --> 00:37:42.819
 day.

00:37:44.779 --> 00:37:45.779
 There's grace.

00:37:47.059 --> 00:37:48.880
 Jesus welcomes the

00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:49.659
 woman at the well

00:37:49.659 --> 00:37:50.519
 who has had five

00:37:50.519 --> 00:37:50.980
 husbands.

00:37:53.319 --> 00:37:54.719
 It extends the

00:37:54.719 --> 00:37:55.400
 grace of God for

00:37:55.400 --> 00:37:55.799
 salvation.

00:37:56.279 --> 00:37:56.940
 So this is not

00:37:56.940 --> 00:37:57.619
 intended to condemn

00:37:57.619 --> 00:37:57.739
 you.

00:37:57.819 --> 00:37:58.619
 It's to show here

00:37:58.619 --> 00:38:00.360
 the fact that God's

00:38:00.360 --> 00:38:01.139
 law is abiding.

00:38:02.039 --> 00:38:03.039
 It does not pass

00:38:03.039 --> 00:38:03.279
 away.

00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:04.800
 And after that

00:38:04.800 --> 00:38:05.440
 short aside,

00:38:05.580 --> 00:38:06.460
 Jesus returns to

00:38:06.460 --> 00:38:07.140
 his main teaching

00:38:07.140 --> 00:38:07.760
 about financial

00:38:07.760 --> 00:38:08.480
 stewardship in

00:38:08.480 --> 00:38:09.880
 verses 19 to 31

00:38:09.880 --> 00:38:10.820
 where he tells a

00:38:10.820 --> 00:38:11.780
 store of heavenly

00:38:11.780 --> 00:38:12.820
 riches instead of

00:38:12.820 --> 00:38:13.540
 earthly riches.

00:38:14.200 --> 00:38:14.860
 It's really a

00:38:14.860 --> 00:38:15.720
 negative illustration

00:38:15.720 --> 00:38:17.100
 about someone who

00:38:17.100 --> 00:38:17.940
 is a friend of

00:38:17.940 --> 00:38:19.680
 money rather than

00:38:19.680 --> 00:38:20.460
 someone who makes

00:38:20.460 --> 00:38:21.720
 heavenly friends

00:38:21.720 --> 00:38:22.260
 with money.

00:38:22.700 --> 00:38:23.460
 It begins in

00:38:23.460 --> 00:38:24.300
 verse 19 very

00:38:24.300 --> 00:38:25.100
 similarly to the

00:38:25.100 --> 00:38:26.320
 first verse of

00:38:26.320 --> 00:38:26.720
 this chapter.

00:38:26.820 --> 00:38:27.400
 There was a rich

00:38:27.400 --> 00:38:29.060
 man who was

00:38:29.060 --> 00:38:30.280
 clothed in purple

00:38:30.280 --> 00:38:31.260
 and fine linen

00:38:31.260 --> 00:38:32.200
 and who feasted

00:38:32.200 --> 00:38:32.940
 sumptuously.

00:38:32.940 --> 00:38:33.800
 Every day.

00:38:34.900 --> 00:38:35.960
 In stark contrast,

00:38:36.179 --> 00:38:37.019
 verses 20 to 21

00:38:37.019 --> 00:38:37.840
 say that at his

00:38:37.840 --> 00:38:39.500
 gate was laid a

00:38:39.500 --> 00:38:40.579
 poor man named

00:38:40.579 --> 00:38:41.880
 Lazarus covered

00:38:41.880 --> 00:38:43.079
 with sores who

00:38:43.079 --> 00:38:44.059
 desired to be fed

00:38:44.059 --> 00:38:44.760
 with what fell

00:38:44.760 --> 00:38:45.380
 from the rich

00:38:45.380 --> 00:38:46.019
 man's table.

00:38:46.740 --> 00:38:47.519
 Moreover, even the

00:38:47.519 --> 00:38:48.480
 dogs came and

00:38:48.480 --> 00:38:49.320
 licked his sores.

00:38:50.599 --> 00:38:51.700
 Unlike the rich

00:38:51.700 --> 00:38:52.639
 man who is

00:38:52.639 --> 00:38:53.440
 reclining at

00:38:53.440 --> 00:38:54.579
 table enjoying

00:38:54.579 --> 00:38:55.619
 sumptuous feasts,

00:38:56.099 --> 00:38:57.280
 this poor man is

00:38:57.280 --> 00:38:58.679
 laid outside the

00:38:58.679 --> 00:39:00.500
 gate waiting to

00:39:00.500 --> 00:39:01.179
 be fed with

00:39:01.179 --> 00:39:02.119
 leftovers that

00:39:02.119 --> 00:39:02.860
 fall from the

00:39:02.860 --> 00:39:03.300
 rich man's

00:39:03.300 --> 00:39:03.620
 table.

00:39:04.260 --> 00:39:05.099
 And unlike the

00:39:05.099 --> 00:39:05.640
 rich man that

00:39:05.640 --> 00:39:06.599
 is clothed in

00:39:06.599 --> 00:39:07.780
 purple and fine

00:39:07.780 --> 00:39:08.460
 linen, purple is

00:39:08.460 --> 00:39:08.940
 one of the most

00:39:08.940 --> 00:39:09.920
 expensive colors in

00:39:09.920 --> 00:39:10.380
 the ancient world

00:39:10.380 --> 00:39:11.079
 because it comes

00:39:11.079 --> 00:39:11.400
 from, they

00:39:11.400 --> 00:39:12.180
 extract it from

00:39:12.180 --> 00:39:12.840
 snails.

00:39:13.940 --> 00:39:15.099
 Every purple

00:39:15.099 --> 00:39:15.640
 color that's

00:39:15.640 --> 00:39:16.099
 cooked to linen

00:39:16.099 --> 00:39:16.320
 cloth.

00:39:16.440 --> 00:39:17.160
 So it's, this is,

00:39:17.320 --> 00:39:18.140
 and instead of

00:39:18.140 --> 00:39:18.740
 that, this poor

00:39:18.740 --> 00:39:19.840
 man is covered

00:39:19.840 --> 00:39:21.660
 with sores instead

00:39:21.660 --> 00:39:22.340
 of with fine

00:39:22.340 --> 00:39:22.539
 linen.

00:39:23.019 --> 00:39:23.800
 And even the

00:39:23.800 --> 00:39:24.760
 dogs came and

00:39:24.760 --> 00:39:25.740
 licked his sores.

00:39:26.099 --> 00:39:26.860
 The fact that this

00:39:26.860 --> 00:39:28.519
 man was laid by

00:39:28.519 --> 00:39:29.740
 somebody else at

00:39:29.740 --> 00:39:31.019
 the gate, it's a

00:39:31.019 --> 00:39:31.759
 passive verb, he

00:39:31.759 --> 00:39:32.420
 was laid there by

00:39:32.420 --> 00:39:33.079
 somebody else,

00:39:33.519 --> 00:39:34.500
 meaning, and the

00:39:34.500 --> 00:39:35.360
 fact that he can't

00:39:35.360 --> 00:39:36.440
 repel the dogs that

00:39:36.440 --> 00:39:37.139
 come to lick his

00:39:37.139 --> 00:39:37.980
 wounds and try to

00:39:37.980 --> 00:39:40.340
 eat his blood, it

00:39:40.340 --> 00:39:40.920
 shows that he was

00:39:40.920 --> 00:39:41.880
 either a cripple or

00:39:41.880 --> 00:39:44.280
 so malnourished that

00:39:44.280 --> 00:39:45.900
 he can't stand and

00:39:45.900 --> 00:39:46.259
 walk.

00:39:47.119 --> 00:39:48.179
 He's immobilized.

00:39:49.039 --> 00:39:50.119
 It's a picture really

00:39:50.119 --> 00:39:51.039
 of humiliation, he's

00:39:51.039 --> 00:39:51.880
 approaching death.

00:39:51.880 --> 00:39:54.940
 All these

00:39:54.940 --> 00:39:56.180
 descriptions seem to

00:39:56.180 --> 00:39:57.320
 favor the rich man

00:39:57.320 --> 00:39:59.240
 over Lazarus, but

00:39:59.240 --> 00:40:00.900
 there is one crucial

00:40:00.900 --> 00:40:02.619
 difference that is in

00:40:02.619 --> 00:40:03.900
 the poor man's favor.

00:40:04.720 --> 00:40:05.920
 It says, unlike the

00:40:05.920 --> 00:40:07.720
 rich man, the poor

00:40:07.720 --> 00:40:09.619
 man here is named.

00:40:11.940 --> 00:40:12.960
 Even though in their

00:40:12.960 --> 00:40:14.460
 earthly life, the rich

00:40:14.460 --> 00:40:15.920
 man was acclaimed by

00:40:15.920 --> 00:40:17.640
 men and the poor man

00:40:17.640 --> 00:40:18.700
 wasted away in

00:40:18.700 --> 00:40:21.000
 obscurity, God knows

00:40:21.000 --> 00:40:22.179
 the name of this

00:40:22.179 --> 00:40:24.579
 poor man, and his

00:40:24.579 --> 00:40:26.360
 name is Lazarus, which

00:40:26.360 --> 00:40:27.519
 means God helps.

00:40:30.300 --> 00:40:31.400
 On earth, no one

00:40:31.400 --> 00:40:32.539
 helped this man, but

00:40:32.539 --> 00:40:33.599
 God knows who this

00:40:33.599 --> 00:40:34.019
 man is.

00:40:34.219 --> 00:40:35.480
 It's a child of God,

00:40:35.639 --> 00:40:36.860
 and God helps him.

00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:38.840
 And that crucial

00:40:38.840 --> 00:40:39.500
 difference is what

00:40:39.500 --> 00:40:40.639
 matters more in

00:40:40.639 --> 00:40:41.099
 eternity.

00:40:41.239 --> 00:40:41.800
 It says in verses

00:40:41.800 --> 00:40:43.800
 22 to 23, the poor

00:40:43.800 --> 00:40:45.260
 man died and was

00:40:45.260 --> 00:40:46.719
 carried by the angels

00:40:46.719 --> 00:40:48.639
 to Abraham's side.

00:40:49.019 --> 00:40:50.019
 The rich man also

00:40:50.019 --> 00:40:50.980
 died and was buried,

00:40:51.000 --> 00:40:52.300
 and in Hades, being

00:40:52.300 --> 00:40:52.840
 in torment.

00:40:53.179 --> 00:40:54.099
 He lifted up his

00:40:54.099 --> 00:40:55.119
 eyes and saw Abraham

00:40:55.119 --> 00:40:56.500
 far off and Lazarus

00:40:56.500 --> 00:40:57.219
 at his side.

00:40:58.639 --> 00:40:59.780
 In the afterlife, there's

00:40:59.780 --> 00:41:00.940
 this great reversal.

00:41:01.179 --> 00:41:02.260
 The poor man is

00:41:02.260 --> 00:41:04.679
 escorted like the

00:41:04.679 --> 00:41:07.760
 VIP by the angels

00:41:07.760 --> 00:41:09.380
 themselves to Abraham's

00:41:09.380 --> 00:41:10.500
 side, the patriarch, the

00:41:10.500 --> 00:41:13.360
 first one, father of the

00:41:13.360 --> 00:41:13.679
 faith.

00:41:13.920 --> 00:41:14.940
 The rich man, on the

00:41:14.940 --> 00:41:15.719
 other hand, instead of

00:41:15.719 --> 00:41:16.599
 being escorted by the

00:41:16.599 --> 00:41:18.320
 angels to heaven, simply

00:41:18.320 --> 00:41:22.220
 buried in Hades, being

00:41:22.220 --> 00:41:22.720
 in torment.

00:41:22.880 --> 00:41:24.539
 Hades is a reference to

00:41:24.539 --> 00:41:25.580
 the realm of the dead.

00:41:26.100 --> 00:41:27.400
 It could refer more

00:41:27.400 --> 00:41:28.820
 generically to the realm

00:41:28.820 --> 00:41:29.840
 of the dead for both the

00:41:29.840 --> 00:41:30.420
 righteous and the

00:41:30.420 --> 00:41:30.880
 unrighteous.

00:41:31.059 --> 00:41:32.039
 Sometimes it's used that way

00:41:32.039 --> 00:41:32.380
 in the Bible.

00:41:32.960 --> 00:41:34.680
 Other times it's used more

00:41:34.680 --> 00:41:36.080
 specifically to refer to

00:41:36.080 --> 00:41:37.160
 the place of torment for

00:41:37.160 --> 00:41:39.559
 the unrighteous dead, which

00:41:39.559 --> 00:41:40.680
 is the way it's being used

00:41:40.680 --> 00:41:40.900
 here.

00:41:40.960 --> 00:41:41.720
 So in that sense, it's

00:41:41.720 --> 00:41:42.860
 similar to our idea, more

00:41:42.860 --> 00:41:43.960
 similar to the idea of hell

00:41:43.960 --> 00:41:45.440
 than simply Hades.

00:41:45.440 --> 00:41:48.099
 It has the realm of the

00:41:48.099 --> 00:41:48.700
 dead in general.

00:41:49.260 --> 00:41:50.619
 So the rich man's earthly

00:41:50.619 --> 00:41:52.579
 wealth counts for nothing

00:41:52.579 --> 00:41:54.019
 in the afterlife.

00:41:54.420 --> 00:41:55.740
 His status, his power,

00:41:56.340 --> 00:41:57.360
 means nothing.

00:41:57.920 --> 00:41:58.940
 God has helped, however,

00:41:59.019 --> 00:42:00.340
 this poor man, Lazarus,

00:42:00.440 --> 00:42:01.900
 who is enjoying eternal

00:42:01.900 --> 00:42:03.780
 blessings in heaven, while

00:42:03.780 --> 00:42:04.500
 this rich man is being

00:42:04.500 --> 00:42:05.380
 tormented and held a

00:42:05.380 --> 00:42:05.980
 great reverse.

00:42:07.260 --> 00:42:08.480
 And that continues in

00:42:08.480 --> 00:42:09.039
 verse 24.

00:42:09.179 --> 00:42:10.220
 The rich man calls out,

00:42:10.320 --> 00:42:11.519
 Father Abraham, have

00:42:11.519 --> 00:42:13.420
 mercy on me, and send

00:42:13.420 --> 00:42:15.139
 Lazarus to dip the end of

00:42:15.139 --> 00:42:16.539
 his finger in water and

00:42:16.539 --> 00:42:18.320
 cool my tongue, for I am

00:42:18.320 --> 00:42:19.980
 in anguish in this flame.

00:42:20.559 --> 00:42:21.860
 During their earthly life,

00:42:21.980 --> 00:42:23.220
 Lazarus sought to be

00:42:23.220 --> 00:42:24.619
 nourished by the crumbs

00:42:24.619 --> 00:42:26.220
 that fall from this man's

00:42:26.220 --> 00:42:26.619
 table.

00:42:27.000 --> 00:42:28.420
 But in the afterlife, the

00:42:28.420 --> 00:42:30.099
 rich man who hopes for

00:42:30.099 --> 00:42:31.539
 just the droplets of water

00:42:31.539 --> 00:42:32.780
 that will fall from the

00:42:32.780 --> 00:42:34.139
 ends of Lazarus' finger.

00:42:35.579 --> 00:42:37.180
 But Abraham responds this

00:42:37.180 --> 00:42:39.760
 way, Child, remember that

00:42:39.760 --> 00:42:40.920
 you in your lifetime received

00:42:40.920 --> 00:42:42.180
 your good things, and

00:42:42.179 --> 00:42:43.239
 Lazarus and like men are

00:42:43.239 --> 00:42:43.919
 bad things.

00:42:44.279 --> 00:42:45.500
 But now he is comforted

00:42:45.500 --> 00:42:46.339
 here, and you are in

00:42:46.339 --> 00:42:46.879
 anguish.

00:42:47.279 --> 00:42:48.259
 And besides all this,

00:42:48.319 --> 00:42:49.539
 between us and you, a

00:42:49.539 --> 00:42:50.759
 great chasm has been

00:42:50.759 --> 00:42:52.359
 fixed, in order that those

00:42:52.359 --> 00:42:53.339
 who would pass from here

00:42:53.339 --> 00:42:54.559
 to you may not be able,

00:42:54.659 --> 00:42:55.779
 and none may cross from

00:42:55.779 --> 00:42:56.639
 there to us.

00:42:58.759 --> 00:43:01.480
 Health and wealth in this

00:43:01.480 --> 00:43:04.239
 life do not translate into

00:43:04.239 --> 00:43:05.579
 health and wealth in the

00:43:05.579 --> 00:43:06.139
 next life.

00:43:07.059 --> 00:43:09.179
 The rich man did not use his

00:43:09.179 --> 00:43:10.619
 wealth on earth to care for

00:43:10.619 --> 00:43:12.279
 poor Lazarus, and he will

00:43:12.279 --> 00:43:14.119
 not be comforted by Lazarus

00:43:14.119 --> 00:43:15.219
 in the afterlife.

00:43:16.920 --> 00:43:18.380
 This rich man is an example

00:43:18.380 --> 00:43:19.500
 of someone who did not make

00:43:19.500 --> 00:43:20.799
 heavenly friends with money.

00:43:20.880 --> 00:43:21.719
 Instead, he made friends

00:43:21.719 --> 00:43:22.440
 with money.

00:43:23.739 --> 00:43:25.679
 And now, God himself has

00:43:25.679 --> 00:43:26.880
 fixed a great chasm.

00:43:27.059 --> 00:43:28.039
 It's been fixed.

00:43:28.859 --> 00:43:29.719
 It's been determined,

00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:31.719
 established, and you cannot

00:43:31.719 --> 00:43:33.099
 cross between the two.

00:43:34.159 --> 00:43:35.880
 There is no such thing as a

00:43:35.880 --> 00:43:38.440
 limbo between heaven and hell.

00:43:38.440 --> 00:43:40.000
 There's no such thing as

00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:41.780
 purgatory, where people are

00:43:41.780 --> 00:43:43.460
 punished for sins and then

00:43:43.460 --> 00:43:44.579
 purified so that they can

00:43:44.579 --> 00:43:45.880
 spring up to heaven afterward.

00:43:47.019 --> 00:43:49.159
 There are only two eternal

00:43:49.159 --> 00:43:50.700
 destinies after death.

00:43:51.360 --> 00:43:53.880
 And after death, physical death,

00:43:54.039 --> 00:43:56.880
 there is no opportunity to make

00:43:56.880 --> 00:43:59.159
 amends or to cross over to the

00:43:59.159 --> 00:43:59.740
 other side.

00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:02.320
 That's why our call to share the

00:44:02.320 --> 00:44:04.059
 gospel with those who do not

00:44:04.059 --> 00:44:06.219
 know Jesus is so urgent.

00:44:07.219 --> 00:44:08.980
 It's been fixed, the chasm.

00:44:11.679 --> 00:44:12.679
 That's why we ought to be

00:44:12.679 --> 00:44:14.059
 generous toward the poor with

00:44:14.059 --> 00:44:14.420
 our money.

00:44:15.500 --> 00:44:16.539
 We have to steward our money

00:44:16.539 --> 00:44:17.480
 for the glory of God.

00:44:18.960 --> 00:44:20.340
 The rich man, however, is not

00:44:20.340 --> 00:44:20.659
 done.

00:44:20.759 --> 00:44:22.239
 He contradicts Abraham.

00:44:22.980 --> 00:44:24.739
 In verse 30, no, Father Abraham,

00:44:26.179 --> 00:44:28.139
 if someone goes to them from the

00:44:28.139 --> 00:44:29.860
 dead, they will repent.

00:44:30.799 --> 00:44:31.960
 But Abraham corrects him.

00:44:31.960 --> 00:44:34.440
 No, if they do not hear Moses

00:44:34.440 --> 00:44:36.300
 and the prophets, neither will

00:44:36.300 --> 00:44:37.559
 they be convinced if someone

00:44:37.559 --> 00:44:39.220
 should rise from the dead.

00:44:40.179 --> 00:44:42.400
 We often hear people say things

00:44:42.400 --> 00:44:44.079
 like, I will believe God if he

00:44:44.079 --> 00:44:45.579
 proves himself with some

00:44:45.579 --> 00:44:46.860
 indubitable sign.

00:44:47.659 --> 00:44:49.079
 If he reveals himself in a

00:44:49.079 --> 00:44:50.860
 definitive manner by doing such

00:44:50.860 --> 00:44:52.000
 and such before my eyes.

00:44:52.380 --> 00:44:53.720
 I will believe in God only if you

00:44:53.720 --> 00:44:55.240
 answer this question that I have,

00:44:55.300 --> 00:44:56.820
 this objection that I have, to

00:44:56.820 --> 00:44:59.039
 my perfect satisfaction.

00:44:59.039 --> 00:45:01.940
 But God's word tells us that in

00:45:01.940 --> 00:45:03.460
 fact, that's not true.

00:45:05.960 --> 00:45:08.119
 God has already spoken to us from

00:45:08.119 --> 00:45:08.739
 the scriptures.

00:45:09.199 --> 00:45:11.079
 God has already revealed himself to

00:45:11.079 --> 00:45:13.000
 us through his word and through

00:45:13.000 --> 00:45:13.679
 his son.

00:45:14.000 --> 00:45:16.480
 And if people don't believe God's

00:45:16.480 --> 00:45:17.920
 truth from the testimony of his

00:45:17.920 --> 00:45:20.239
 word, they will not believe him

00:45:20.239 --> 00:45:22.059
 even if someone were to rise from

00:45:22.059 --> 00:45:22.500
 the dead.

00:45:22.500 --> 00:45:28.019
 The real reason for their unbelief

00:45:28.019 --> 00:45:31.420
 is not a lack of evidence, but

00:45:31.420 --> 00:45:32.300
 hardness of heart.

00:45:35.400 --> 00:45:37.239
 With that last statement about

00:45:37.239 --> 00:45:38.699
 someone rising from the dead, Luke

00:45:38.699 --> 00:45:41.239
 is foreshadowing Jesus' impending

00:45:41.239 --> 00:45:42.420
 death and resurrection.

00:45:43.139 --> 00:45:44.659
 And there's a great irony here.

00:45:45.519 --> 00:45:47.719
 The people currently listening to

00:45:47.719 --> 00:45:50.699
 Jesus' teaching, they're listening to

00:45:50.699 --> 00:45:52.619
 someone who will in fact rise from

00:45:52.619 --> 00:45:53.000
 the dead.

00:45:54.039 --> 00:45:56.899
 And we, as the listeners now, as

00:45:56.899 --> 00:45:58.559
 the readers of the Gospel of Luke,

00:45:59.619 --> 00:46:02.859
 we by extension have been warned by

00:46:02.859 --> 00:46:05.639
 someone who has risen from the

00:46:05.639 --> 00:46:05.960
 dead.

00:46:07.799 --> 00:46:10.179
 Luke 16 are the words of Jesus who

00:46:10.179 --> 00:46:11.159
 was raised from the dead.

00:46:11.239 --> 00:46:12.799
 So will you heed this warning?

00:46:13.299 --> 00:46:15.239
 Will you use your earthly money for

00:46:15.239 --> 00:46:18.259
 God's purposes and priorities so you

00:46:18.259 --> 00:46:19.379
 might make heavenly friends?

00:46:19.380 --> 00:46:21.519
 Or will we act like we're the

00:46:21.519 --> 00:46:23.000
 owners of money and use them for

00:46:23.000 --> 00:46:24.559
 our purposes and priorities and be

00:46:24.559 --> 00:46:25.519
 rejected from heaven?

00:46:26.720 --> 00:46:28.940
 Now let me be careful here in

00:46:28.940 --> 00:46:30.680
 telling you that how we use our

00:46:30.680 --> 00:46:32.660
 money is not what ultimately saves us.

00:46:34.440 --> 00:46:36.500
 It's Jesus who saves us.

00:46:38.760 --> 00:46:42.099
 But how we use our money does give

00:46:42.099 --> 00:46:44.740
 evidence of our salvation.

00:46:44.739 --> 00:46:49.359
 So we can be used as a criterion for

00:46:49.359 --> 00:46:49.839
 judging.

00:46:53.679 --> 00:46:55.339
 The dialogue between Abraham and the

00:46:55.339 --> 00:46:57.379
 rich man in verses 27 to 31 make

00:46:57.379 --> 00:46:58.679
 clear that only those who have

00:46:58.679 --> 00:47:00.419
 believed God's word and repented of

00:47:00.419 --> 00:47:01.699
 their sins will be saved.

00:47:02.019 --> 00:47:04.079
 But it's those people precisely that

00:47:04.079 --> 00:47:05.719
 give generously to serve God.

00:47:06.779 --> 00:47:09.039
 That's why Jesus can say only those

00:47:09.039 --> 00:47:10.639
 who use money to serve God on earth

00:47:10.639 --> 00:47:11.919
 will be received into heaven.

00:47:11.920 --> 00:47:16.280
 The bad news for all of us is that we

00:47:16.280 --> 00:47:17.960
 have all been greedy for gain.

00:47:19.059 --> 00:47:21.119
 We've all been selfish in our use of

00:47:21.119 --> 00:47:21.340
 money.

00:47:22.059 --> 00:47:23.000
 All of us.

00:47:23.139 --> 00:47:25.039
 We've all at some point turned our

00:47:25.039 --> 00:47:27.099
 eyes away from the needy among us.

00:47:27.680 --> 00:47:29.800
 We have failed on many occasions to

00:47:29.800 --> 00:47:31.800
 use our unrighteous wealth to make

00:47:31.800 --> 00:47:32.619
 friends in heaven.

00:47:33.059 --> 00:47:35.619
 And this dreadful fate of the rich man

00:47:35.619 --> 00:47:37.800
 awaits all of us.

00:47:37.800 --> 00:47:42.440
 And every single human being without

00:47:42.440 --> 00:47:42.900
 exception.

00:47:45.539 --> 00:47:47.000
 But there's good news as well.

00:47:48.120 --> 00:47:50.200
 We have been unfaithful managers of

00:47:50.200 --> 00:47:52.260
 God's wealth and ungenerous with the

00:47:52.260 --> 00:47:54.320
 riches he has entrusted to us.

00:47:54.560 --> 00:47:57.760
 But Jesus, on the other hand, was a

00:47:57.760 --> 00:47:58.680
 faithful manager.

00:47:59.560 --> 00:48:02.060
 He was the generous rich man that we

00:48:02.060 --> 00:48:03.360
 should have been.

00:48:03.860 --> 00:48:05.480
 That's why it says in 2 Corinthians

00:48:05.480 --> 00:48:07.960
 chapter 8 verse 9, for you know the

00:48:07.960 --> 00:48:10.559
 grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that

00:48:10.559 --> 00:48:13.880
 though he was rich, yet for your sake

00:48:13.880 --> 00:48:18.159
 he became poor, so that you by his

00:48:18.159 --> 00:48:20.780
 poverty might become rich.

00:48:21.639 --> 00:48:24.280
 Jesus, the Son of God, became a poor

00:48:24.280 --> 00:48:25.320
 Son of Man.

00:48:25.760 --> 00:48:31.559
 And Jesus became rejected on the cross

00:48:31.559 --> 00:48:33.480
 because he was bearing our sins and the

00:48:33.480 --> 00:48:35.800
 wrath of God the Father, so that we might

00:48:35.800 --> 00:48:37.719
 become adopted as his children and enjoy

00:48:37.719 --> 00:48:38.619
 the riches of heaven.

00:48:40.920 --> 00:48:42.719
 That's the good news of the kingdom of

00:48:42.719 --> 00:48:44.219
 God that Jesus preached to us.

00:48:44.280 --> 00:48:47.139
 That's the gospel that he fulfills, the

00:48:47.139 --> 00:48:51.139
 law and the prophets that we have broken, so

00:48:51.139 --> 00:48:52.820
 that we might be saved when we put our

00:48:52.820 --> 00:48:53.780
 faith in him.

00:48:55.139 --> 00:48:57.340
 We have an amazing privilege before us.

00:48:57.820 --> 00:49:00.199
 Father Abraham would not send Lazarus from

00:49:00.199 --> 00:49:02.519
 the dead to the rich man's brothers to

00:49:02.519 --> 00:49:06.679
 warn them, but God our Father has sent

00:49:06.679 --> 00:49:10.480
 Jesus Christ from the dead to warn us, to

00:49:10.480 --> 00:49:11.699
 save us.

00:49:12.619 --> 00:49:15.739
 Acts 2, 24 to 28 says, God has raised Jesus

00:49:15.739 --> 00:49:18.559
 up, losing the pangs of death, because he

00:49:18.559 --> 00:49:20.819
 would not abandon his soul to Hades.

00:49:22.779 --> 00:49:25.519
 Jesus was raised from the dead, and he

00:49:25.519 --> 00:49:28.699
 declares to us from his word that only those

00:49:28.699 --> 00:49:32.219
 who use money to serve God on earth will be

00:49:32.219 --> 00:49:33.179
 received into heaven.

00:49:36.559 --> 00:49:39.259
 Please take a moment to reflect on that

00:49:39.259 --> 00:49:41.199
 truth, and then we'll respond by praying

00:49:41.199 --> 00:49:42.739
 together corporately as a church.

00:49:42.739 --> 00:49:42.960
 Amen.

00:49:42.960 --> 00:49:43.019
 Amen.

00:49:43.019 --> 00:49:43.059
 Amen.

00:49:43.059 --> 00:49:43.099
 Amen.

00:49:43.099 --> 00:49:43.159
 Amen.

00:49:43.159 --> 00:49:43.199
 Amen.

00:49:43.199 --> 00:49:43.259
 Amen.

00:49:43.259 --> 00:49:43.299
 Amen.

00:49:43.299 --> 00:49:43.359
 Amen.

00:49:43.359 --> 00:49:43.399
 Amen.