What Jesus Did

[Continuing the tale of the two sons and talking about when the younger son returned home, Jesus said,] "Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 'Your brother is back,' he was told, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.' The older brother was angry and wouldn't go in. His father came out and begged him...

 

[Jesus said,] "Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in."

—Luke 16:16 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus helps us understand that the Good News of the Kingdom began with John's preaching about the Christ. Moses and the prophets were the guides God had given for his people. However, with the coming of Jesus, a new time had begun. Jesus...

 

The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all [of Jesus' teaching] and scoffed at him. Then he said to them, "You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God."

—Luke 16:14-15 NLT

Key Thought


Who switched the price tags? Our world values things very differently than God does. The Pharisees loved their money, and they tried to look good in public. They were honored for their...

 

[Jesus said,] "And if you are not faithful with other people's things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money."

—Luke 16:12-13 NLT

Key Thought


Money can be our master, but we must not let it. If we aren't careful, we can covet money, sell our virtue for money, be manipulated for money...

 

[Concluding the story, Jesus said,] "The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. Here's the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home."

—Luke 16:8-9 NLT

Key Thought


Some worldly people are quite...

 

[Continuing the story, Jesus said,] "The manager thought to himself, 'Now what? My boss has fired me. I don't have the strength to dig ditches, and I'm too proud to beg. Ah, I know how to ensure that I'll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.' So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe him?' The man replied, 'I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.' So the manager told...

 

Jesus told this story to his disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer's money. So the employer called him in and said, 'What's this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.'"

—Luke 16:1-2 NLT

Key Thought


In today's age where feelings and intentions are given greater value than behavior, Jesus' teaching on being held accountable...

 

One day some people said to Jesus, "John the Baptist's disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?" Jesus responded, "Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast."

—Luke 5:33-35 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus was basically telling folks that his presence meant that it wouldn't be "business as...

 

[Concluding the tale of the two sons, Jesus said,] "His father said to [the older son], 'Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!'"

—Luke 15:31-32 NLT

Key Thought


When sinners come to salvation, celebration isn't optional! The angels in heaven celebrate. The Father celebrates. God's children...

 

[Continuing the tale of the two sons, Jesus said, "So the younger son who had wasted all his money] returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.' But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put...