“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” Luke 16:10.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Today we are going to look at a conversation that began with the disciples but as the Pharisees listened in and scorned what was being taught, Jesus turned it to a conversation with the Pharisees and it was about My justice as well as My mercy.
Today’s conversation with the Pharisees, however, takes some background and insights to understand what Jesus is getting at. He often told the Pharisees parables that were about justice with compassion and mercy. Remember it is mercy and obedience I desire more than your own ideas of sacrifice. The Pharisees in maintaining their cleanness above others by their reading of the Law, oppressed the poor and those not of their class. They exalted themselves and maintained a dividing line between themselves and the “lost.”
Thus, Jesus told them parables that addressed this. He told them the story of the good Samaritan (which we will consider in another life lesson), the prodigal son, the lost sheep, the lost coin, the guests at a wedding banquet vying for the highest places, the tenants in the vineyard, and many others. He called them out as hypocrites and devourers of widow’s houses. He got after them for refusing to care for their elderly parents by stating that all they had was dedicated as sacred to Me.
And with respect to the poor among them, I had commanded Moses that those with fields should leave the edges and drop grain for gleaning by the poor and there should never be a poor one among them. I had commanded the year of Jubilee when debts were forgiven, lands lost returned, and slaves set free, which they never actually kept according to My commandment.
They said long prayers but were not talking to Me but themselves. Jesus got after them about wanting front seats and places of honor and dressing in ways to show their untouchable holiness.
It was good they wanted to observe My laws and keep themselves pure but they neglected any direction from Me they did not like and had their own interpretation of justice, which did not necessarily line up with Mine, such as their debate about healing on Shabbat that was an ongoing issue between them and Jesus.
They shut their eyes and hearts to the cry of the poor, they left My people like sheep with no shepherd, while they grew fat on My sheep, whom they should have been serving. And this was not a new problem with them. It was rampant at the time of Ezekiel as well. But you know where that all ended up. Yes, the conquest of Nebuchadnezzar of Judah and Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple and the burning down of the city and its walls. They all went into captivity except for the poor who were left as a remnant to cultivate the land under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar through those he appointed as kings over them.
In our last Life Lessons we were considering Kingdom living and that one cannot serve two masters. This was a recurring theme of Jesus throughout His time of preaching on earth from the first conversations He held to the last. It was all about the Kingdom.
Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15.
The thief next to Him on the Cross wanted to go to that Kingdom and Jesus graciously received him and took him with Him there.
One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:39-43.
In today’s conversations, Jesus had been speaking with His disciples and the Pharisees had come up into the same area. Jesus was just finishing up a parable on an unfaithful steward and He stated:
“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon.” Luke 16:10-13.
Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. Luke 16:14.
The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy. 2 Chronicles 36:15-17.
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2.
And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” Luke 16:14-15.
I look at little things to see if I can entrust you with bigger things. I look at how you treat earthly things to see if I can entrust you with heavenly things. Nothing goes unnoticed that you do for love of Me. Remember Jesus said if you receive a prophet in the name of a prophet, you shall receive a prophet’s reward, and if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the little ones because he is a disciple, you will never lose your reward. Matthew 10:41-42.
What do I mean by little things? Things most people consider unimportant and do not control themselves on, such as answering another person with a rude remark or cutting in while they are talking and talking over them, showing you consider their view unimportant. It is not lying just to protect yourself in a situation. It is not gossiping or judging others when you are very tempted to do so. It is not repeating an evil or reputation ruining story about another person that is not necessary to tell. It is not taking offense when you easily could do so. It is not bearing a record of wrongs in your heart but forgiving and moving on. And it is not entering into strife but trying to be at peace as far as your part is concerned.
It is doing your work in an excellent manner not only when others are watching but even when you are alone. It is getting places and doing things on time that you have committed to do. It is not making fun of others or making derogatory remarks about them.
And it has to do with honesty and integrity even when it would be easy to take things that are not yours. It has to do with clocking your hours accurately at work.
And I love a cheerful giver but even more I love a thankful receiver for all I give you and have done for you in Jesus. I look for hearts they want to please Me in everything.
Remember the parable about the servants with talents from the Master? The ones who did something with their talent received a great reward.
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:10-11.
If you notice from that passage from the letter of My apostle Peter, I do not ask you to employ your gift without Me, I tell you to do it with My Words and with the strength that I supply. If you will work with Me, I can complete the good work I have begun in you in Christ Jesus. I want to bring you complete in spirit, soul, and body to the finish line of your earthly life and I am faithful to do it if you work with Me and not against Me. The finish line of your glorious work on earth is the starting line of your forever in My Kingdom. And that is the most glorious entrance you can make. So you can say with Jesus and with Paul and Peter and Mary and Elizabeth and John and Aquila and Priscilla, and Lydia, and so many others, “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, and a merited crown awaits me.” You are all winners and overcomers because in your race there is no other competition, if you are faithful each day, you win. Each person has their own unique life. But it all starts and ends with being faithful in all the little things every day, for the little things are the pieces forming the mosaic of your life story for the praise of My glory.
Jesus had more to say to the Pharisees, “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.” Luke 16:16-17.
This is very deep if you pause and consider what Jesus is telling you. The Torah (the first five books of the Bible, which you translate as “Law”) and the Prophets foretold and forthtold the coming of and the signs of the Messiah. Everything about Jesus’ life and ministry was shared with My prophets and spoken into the earth, thus releasing the opening for Him to come, sometimes in shadows and signs, other times plainly as descriptions and locations, careful depictions of all that came to be in Jesus the Messiah. And here Jesus is telling the Pharisees, who were looking for the promised Messiah, that at the coming of John all that followed was the fulfillment of what had been foretold, and its fulfillment had come in Jesus, as John had announced to all at the Jordan. Jesus brought the glorious gospel of My Kingdom to earth, for He is the door to the Kingdom which had been shut since Adam’s abdication of his dominion throne to Satan, which Jesus reclaimed for you.
And this is where we will end our Life Lesson for today. We will pick up where we left off in our next Life Lesson.
I love you. Watch the little things every day and you will find that the little things are your road to greatness.