Render Right

Posted on May 15, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Walter Martin on Unsplash

(Matthew 22:15-17 KJV) Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in [his] talk. [16] And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any [man]: for thou regardest not the person of men. [17] Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

Jesus Loved His Father, Loved His People,
and Hated Corruption

Our Lord Jesus has entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the cheers of the people. Jesus cleansed the Temple:

(Matthew 21:12-13 KJV) And JESUS WENT INTO THE TEMPLE OF GOD, and CAST OUT ALL THAT SOLD AND BOUGHT in the temple, and OVERTHREW THE TABLES OF THE MONEYCHANGERS, and the seats of them that sold doves, [13] And said unto them, It is written, {here Jesus quoted Jeremiah 7:11 and Isaiah 56:7} My house shall be called the house of prayer; but YE HAVE MADE IT A DEN OF THIEVES.

The Pharisees and the Ruling Council of Israel, the Sanhedrin, had turned the Court of the Gentiles into a place for buying and selling. Of note were the moneychangers. When people came to worship God, Jewish men were expected to pay a Temple Tax. In effect, the Temple Tax was paid by the sons of Abraham, half a shekel going to the Kingdom of God. This was instituted in:

(Exodus 30:11-16 LSB) Yahweh also spoke to Moses, saying, [12] When YOU TAKE A CENSUS OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL TO NUMBER THEM, then each one of them shall GIVE A PRICE OF ATONEMENT FOR HIMSELF to Yahweh when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them. [13] This is what EVERYONE WHO IS NUMBERED SHALL GIVE: HALF A SHEKEL ACCORDING TO THE SHEKEL OF THE SANCTUARY (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel AS A CONTRIBUTION TO YAHWEH. [14] Everyone who is numbered, from TWENTY YEARS OLD AND OVER, shall give the contribution to Yahweh. [15] The RICH SHALL NOT PAY MORE AND THE POOR SHALL NOT PAY LESS THAN THE HALF SHEKEL when you give the contribution to Yahweh to make atonement for your souls. [16] And you shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and shall GIVE IT FOR THE SERVICE OF THE TENT OF MEETING, that it may be a remembrance for the sons of Israel before Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls.

The purpose of the Temple Tax (called “A PRICE OF ATONEMENT”) was to pay for the services of the Levites and serving Priests. Levites were not given land when they went into the Promised Land:

Deuteronomy 10:9 LEVI HATH NO PART NOR INHERITANCE with his brethren; THE LORD IS HIS INHERITANCE, according as the LORD thy God promised him.

The Levites served God, and God made sure that they were compensated. Therefore each Jewish adult male 20 years old and up gave a half shekel, about 2 days wages, to help support those who served God in the Temple.

Now, here’s where the moneychanger come in. God told Israel that the “HALF A SHEKEL” was to be “ACCORDING TO THE SHEKEL OF THE SANCTUARY”. The “SHEKEL IS 20 GERAHS”, which is about 6/10th of a gram of silver. A shekel would be 12 grams of silver, about 30$ today. So each male Jew gave the equivalent of two days labor, or $15 toward support of the Levites.

BUT the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin refused to allow foreign currency to be applied as the Temple Tax. Why? Because most of the foreign coins had images of false gods on them. The Roman Denarii (worth about 1 days wage) had the Roman Caesar’s face on it. Under the image of Caesar were the words:

High Priest

On the back of the coin was the words:

Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus, Augustus

So the coin was regarded by the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin as an idol. The coin itself said that Caesar was both High Priest and the Son of God. So they decreed that all foreign coins be exchanged for the Tyrian Shekel, or a half shekel that had no image on it. And the moneychangers charged a fee for this – charging people far more than they should for the exchange. The Pharisees and the Sanhedrin made money on the proposition. And Jesus called them on it.

Hitting the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin in the wallet hurt – BAD!
And they were BAD MAD at Jesus!

(Matthew 22:15-16 KJV) Then WENT THE PHARISEES, and took counsel how THEY MIGHT ENTANGLE JESUS IN HIS TALK. [16] And THEY SENT UNTO JESUS their disciples WITH THE HERODIANS …

The Pharisees and the Sanhedrin were very anti-Rome. But the Herodians were very pro-Rome. Both groups were Jews. The Herodians were political, supporters of Rome and of Herod.

The Herods were a dynasty of Edomites, the descendants of Esau. You remember the story of Jacob and Esau. The Israelites came from Jacob, but the Edomites were their cousins. Herod Antipas ruled in the north with the permission of Rome, whereas Pilate ruled in the south. The Romans left Herod in charge in the north because he was useful, and did not seek to overthrow Pilate. The Herodians supported Herod and his northern rule. They believed that at least a cousin of Israel was on the throne of David. The Herodians also hated Jesus. Why? Because of John the Baptist.

Herod Antipas married his brother Phillip’s wife contrary to the Law of God:

Leviticus 20:21 … if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing… they shall be childless.

Leviticus 18:16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife…

John the Baptist PUBLICLY chastised Herod Antipas for taking his brother’s wife (Mark 6:18), which was a vile, shameful thing. Herod had John imprisoned, and eventually beheaded. And John the Baptist endorsed Jesus as the Messiah. Oh, how the Herodians hated Jesus.

There’s an old saying: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”. The two sides that hated one another, the Pharisees and the Herodians, united to destroy Jesus.

The Weapon The Devil Chooses Is Flattery

How best to destroy Jesus? The devil has a choice tool he loves to use when he wants to destroy an obstacle. He uses flattery. The devil loves flattery. He used it in the Garden of Eden, when he told Adam and Eve:

“You will not die if you eat the fruit of the forbidden tree! God knows that the day you eat of it, YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD. You will be able to determine right and wrong!”
(Genesis 3:4-5, AP)

The devil has found that flattery is the best way to trip up a human. “You’ll be like gods. Go ahead, you deserve it!” So here’s what they say to Jesus:

(Matthew 22:16 KJV) … MASTER, {didaskalos} we know that thou art TRUE {alēthēs}, and teachest the way of God IN TRUTH {alētheia}, neither carest Thou for any [man]: for Thou REGARDEST NOT THE PERSON OF MAN.

Word Study: They don’t just call Jesus a “TEACHER” or rabbi, but a didaskalos, a master teacher. Then they say that “Jesus is a man of integrity” (alēthēs), and that Jesus is always scripturally accurate (alētheia). Finally they say, “Jesus, You don’t teach to please people – you are not swayed by important people. You are no respecter of persons!”. Then they spring the trap:

(Matthew 22:17 KJV) Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

Jesus listens to these Herodians and Pharisees – but He doesn’t take the bait. First of all, Jesus sees Herodians with Pharisees, and He isn’t stupid. These people are sworn enemies. They’re not here on a friendly quest. They are here, like snakes, trying to slither up and bite Him.

Beloved, if we would be wise, we would RUN from the flatterer. The flatterer is insincere:

(Psalm 12:1-2 NKJV) Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For THE FAITHFUL DISAPPEAR from among the sons of men. [2] They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; WITH FLATTERING LIPS AND A DOUBLE HEART THEY SPEAK.

The flatterer uses smooth words. “His speech is as smooth as butter, YET WAR IS IN HIS HEART; his words are more soothing than oil, YET THEY ARE DRAWN SWORDS” (Psalm 55:21). “With their mouths THEY BLESS, but IN THEIR HEARTS, THEY CURSE” (Psalm 62:4). I knew a man several years ago who loved to exclaim loudly whenever he saw me coming,

“We’ve got a real MAN OF GOD as our Pastor!”

And yet he and his wife worked behind the scene to destroy my pastorate. These Pharisees and Herodians are doing this with Jesus. Out loud they are buttering Him up, trying to feed his pride. What does the Bible say about pride:

(Proverbs 16:18-19 CSB) PRIDE COMES BEFORE DESTRUCTION, and an ARROGANT SPIRIT BEFORE A FALL. [19] Better to be lowly of spirit with the humble than to divide plunder with the proud.

When a person becomes enamored of themselves, it isn’t long before they slip, crash, and burn. The flatterer doesn’t want what’s best for you. The stepbrother of Christ wrote:

(Jude 1:16 CSB) These people are discontented grumblers, LIVING ACCORDING TO THEIR DESIRES; their mouths utter arrogant words, FLATTERING PEOPLE FOR THEIR OWN ADVANTAGE.

It is fine to compliment someone, to encourage them in doing good. But the flatterer does not do what they do for encouragement. They want YOUR place, YOUR stuff, YOU job. They want what YOU have, and will get it if they can trick you into falling into their snare. Here’s the snare that they put before Jesus:

(Matthew 22:17 KJV) Is it LAWFUL to GIVE TRIBUTE unto Caesar, or not?

Jesus always kept in mind the brokenness of people. The Bible tells us:

(John 2:23-25 CSB) While He was in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival, many believed in His name when they saw the signs he was doing. [24] Jesus, however, WOULD NOT ENTRUST HIMSELF TO THEM, since HE KNEW THEM ALL[25] and because He did not need anyone to testify about man; for HE HIMSELF KNEW WHAT WAS IN MAN.

Jesus came to this earth because “HE HIMSELF KNEW WHAT WAS IN MAN”. He knew that mankind is terribly broken, and that we all need a Savior. He is that Savior. So rather than recognize the flattering words the Pharisees and Sadducees say, Jesus confronts them directly and to the point. The Bible says,

(Proverbs 28:23 LSB) He who reproves a man will afterward find [more] favor Than he who flatters with the tongue.

(Matthew 22:18 KJV) But JESUS PERCEIVED THEIR WICKEDNESS, and said, Why tempt ye me, YE HYPOCRITES?

Jesus calls them “HYPOCRITES”, people with two faces. He wants them to know that HE KNOWS what they are trying to do.

Should We Pay Taxes?

(Matthew 22:17 KJV) Is it LAWFUL to GIVE TRIBUTE {kēnsos} unto Caesar, or not?

Word Study: In the question these clowns bring to Jesus, they ask Him if it is “LAWFUL to GIVE TRIBUTE” to Caesar. The word TRIBUTE is the Greek kēnsos, which is where we get our word “census” from. We talked earlier about the Temple Tax, which was a type of kēnsos. Each Jewish male 20 years old and upward paid a Temple Tax of two days wages. Now the Romans also had taxes. The Romans had …

Land Taxes – 1/10th of your produce was given to Rome
Import or Customs Taxes – taxes were paid on goods that came to Rome
Income Tax – 1% of your income went to Rome
Kēnsos or Census Tax – Each citizen paid one denarius, one day’s wage

What did Rome do with the taxes received? What did the Levites do with their taxes received. They maintained the Temple. The Romans maintained Rome. While Rome occupied Israel, Rome looked after Israel. The great Roman Aqueduct brought water to the citizens. The Romans made and maintained roads. The Roman government provided protection from highway robbers and invading armies. In short, Rome offered all the peace of the Roman Empire.

The Jews paid the other taxes, but hated to pay the Kēnsos or Census Tax. They believed that they were the people of God, not of Rome. They didn’t think they were citizens, so why would they pay the Kēnsos?

In 6 AD when Pilate was made Governor of Southern Israel, a rebellion was led by Judas of Galilee. Judas told those who followed him, “God is our only God; God is our Lord, and God is our Ruler. We will not pay the Kēnsos to Rome!” Those who followed Judas thought that their fight was just, and that God would give them victory.

God didn’t. They lost the battle miserably because God did not back it.

In the early Church when the Sanhedrin wanted to kill all the Apostles, Gamaliel, a Teacher of God’s Law, warned the Sanhedrin:

(Acts 5:35, 37-39 LSB) {Gamaliel} said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. … JUDAS THE GALILEAN ROSE UP IN THE DAYS OF THE CENSUS and drew away people after him. HE TOO PERISHED, and all those who were following him were scattered. [38] “So in the present case, I also say to you, STAY AWAY FROM THESE MEN and let them alone, for IDF THIS PLAN OR ACTION IS OF MEN, IT WILL BE OVERTHROWN; [39] but IF IT IS OF GOD, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OVERTHROW THEM; or you may even be found fighting against God.”

How would Jesus answer?

(Matthew 22:19-21 KJV) {Jesus said} Shew me the TRIBUTE {kēnsos} money. And they brought unto him a PENNY {dēnarion, Denarius}. [20] And he saith unto them, Whose [is] this image and superscription? [21] They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, RENDER THEREFORE UNTO CAESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE CAESAR’S; and UNTO GOD THE THINGS THAT ARE GOD’S.

Had Jesus said just “Pay the tax”, a bunch of Jews on the Pharisee’s side would be mad at Him. They don’t think they are citizens of Rome. But had Jesus said, “Don’t pay the tax”, the Herodians would have went back to both Pilate and Herod and said, “Do you remember that mess with Judas the Galilean? Jesus of Galilee is starting the same thing all over again!”. They thought they had Jesus. He would either be an enemy of the state, or an enemy of God’s people.

So Jesus shows them a coin. “Who made this coin? Who put the inscription on it, the face on it? In whose image is it?” Well, it’s Caesar’s. It’s made by the government.

In the Temple you give a coin for services rendered according to the Law of God. The coin you give in the Temple is worth two days wages. But in this land you also have services rendered. You give a coin once a year according to the Law of Rome. The coin you give Rome is worth one days wage. It is for services rendered. John MacArthur put it this way:

“Notice {Jesus’ use of} the word “render” … It is the word apodidōmi, meaning “to pay back, to give back”. It speaks of a debt; it speaks of an obligation; it speaks of a responsibility. It is not something you have a choice about. “Give back”, Jesus says. “Give it back. He made it, He minted it; it belongs to His economy. Give it back to him. You’re not giving Caesar a gift. You’re giving to him what belongs to him. It is a debt, and it must be paid.”

Rome may have been a pagan government. Rome will drive the nails into Jesus’ hands and feet, ram a spear into His side, and watch Him die though Pilate declares Him an innocent man. But Jesus tells them, “Pay your taxes”. God institutes governments for His purposes. Governments exist in order to help God carry out His plan in this world. If you don’t pay your taxes, even if you don’t agree with your government, then you resist the ordinance of God. This is why Judas of Galilee failed in his armed revolt against Rome.

The Apostle Paul – imprisoned for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and destined to be beheaded in Rome, wrote:

(Romans 13:1-6 LSB) EVERY PERSON IS TO BE IN SUBJECTION TO THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES. For there is NO AUTHORITY EXCEPT FROM GOD, and THOSE WHICH EXIST HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY GOD. [2] Therefore whoever resists that authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. [3] For rulers are not [a cause of] fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of that authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; [4] for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain, for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. [5] Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of that wrath, but also because of conscience. [6] FOR BECAUSE OF THIS YOU ALSO PAY TAXES, for [rulers] are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.

The Christian is to obey the Law of the land as long as the Law of the land does not conflict with the Law of God. When the Apostles were told not to preach Christ, they said “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Peter led the Apostles in saying this. But Peter also wrote:

(1 Peter 2:13 NKJV) Therefore SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO EVERY ORDINANCE OF MAN for the Lord’s sake…

Christians should be good citizens. We should pray for our government (1 Timothy 2:2). We receive services from the government. We should support our government. That is, until the government oversteps it’s boundary. Then we stay with God. But we must not become like Judas of Galilee. If we are using the state’s resources, we owe it to the state to help pay for those resources.

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The Most Important Thing In Life

Posted on May 12, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

(Luke 14:25-33 KJV) And there went great multitudes with Him: and He turned, and said unto them, [26] If any [man] come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. [27] And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple. [28] For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]? [29] Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish [it], all that behold [it] begin to mock him, [30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. [31] Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? [32] Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an {ambassador}, and desireth conditions of peace. [33] So likewise, whosoever he be of you that FORSAKETH NOT ALL THAT HE HATH, he cannot be My disciple.

What Is The Most Important Thing In Your Life?

If Jesus were a modern day preacher, He would have the greatest thing in His life. If Jesus were a Joel Osteen or a Creflo Dollar or Benny Hinn, or one of these charismatic preachers in a modern American Church, He would have all He wanted. Did you read that?

there went GREAT MULTITUDES with Him

Jesus had a huge following. He could be a MEGACHURCH Pastor. Cities are emptying out. People hear that Jesus is coming, and they pour out to be with Him. But Jesus didn’t care about the crowd. He cared about the people, cared about their souls. But for Jesus – He was more about saving souls and growing the Kingdom of God than He was about packing stadiums.

What Jesus said next would be arrogant if someone else said it. Jesus said:

If any [man] come to Me, and HATE {miseō} not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

What in the world is Jesus saying? There are a lot of people following Jesus. These people believe in Jesus. Ask any one of those following. They would tell you.

“We saw Jesus feed 5000 with just two little fish and five tiny loaves of bread. I believe in Him”.

“We saw Jesus heal a leper, a blind man, a cripple. I believe in Him.”

“Jesus raised a little girl from the dead. I saw it. I believe in Him”.

Crowds are following Him and every single person following says,

I BELIEVE IN JESUS! I want to see what He’s going to do next. And then Jesus tosses ice water on the whole crowd!

(Luke 14:26 KJV) If any one come to me, and HATE {miseō} not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, AND HIS OWN LIFE ALSO, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

Word Study: Now I’ve heard preachers try to explain away what Jesus was saying. Let’s look at the word “HATE”. This is the Greek miseō, which means “to hate, pursue with hatred, detest”. In every place I find this word in the New Testament, the word means “to hate”. Look at where else the word is used:

(John 12:25 KJV) He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth {miseō} HIS LIFE IN THIS WORLD shall keep it unto life eternal.

(John 15:18-20 KJV) If the world HATE {miseō} you, ye know that it HATED {miseō} Me before [it hated] you. [19] If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world HATETH {miseō} you. [20] Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have PERSECUTED ME, they will also PERSECUTE YOU; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also.

The word miseō means simply “to HATE”. So what is Jesus doing here? He said, in effect, you must “HATE YOUR MOTHER”. Well, Jesus didn’t hate His mother. He loved her dearly. As He hung on the Cross, Jesus spoke seven times. As He hung on Calvary in terrible pain, Mary and John stood at the foot of the Cross. As Joseph had passed away, Jesus was the eldest son of the family. In agony He pulled Himself up on the nails, and we read:

John 19:26-27 (KJV) … saith unto his mother, WOMAN, BEHOLD THY SON! Then saith he to the disciple, BEHOLD THY MOTHER! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

Jesus loved His mother! So what did He mean by:

(Luke 14:26 KJV) If any one come to me, and HATE {miseō} not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, AND HIS OWN LIFE ALSO, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

True Salvation Will Strive To Put God First

Jesus is using the word to show us that genuine salvation is marked by a Covenant Love for God, a love that supersedes all other loves. Jesus demands that we love Him more than anyone else. Jesus is NOT just another Teacher. Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is God in the flesh. To be saved, you must receive Him as FIRST in your life. We put Him first, even when we regard our own family members. In fact, we are to love Jesus more than our earthly life. What is the Prime Directive of Christianity? God told His Old Covenant believers …

(Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV) And thou shalt LOVE the LORD thy God with ALL THINE HEART, and with ALL THY SOUL, and with ALL THY MIGHT.

You cannot love God halfway. God demands primacy. When Jesus was asked, “What is the GREATEST COMMANDMENT in the Law?”, He replied:

(Mark 12:30 KJV) And thou shalt LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, and WITH ALL THY SOUL, and WITH ALL THY MIND, and WITH ALL THY STRENGTH: this [is] the first commandment.

Let’s illustrate this using the Bible that Jesus used, the Old Testament.

Abraham is approached by God, and God promises Abraham a son, a nation, and that his lineage will bless ALL THE WORLD. So Abraham follows God. God told Abraham,

Genesis 21:12 … In ISAAC shall THY SEED BE CALLED

The Apostle Paul quotes this in Romans 9:7. But Paul also explains this further in

(Galatians 3:16 LSB) Now the promises were spoken to Abraham AND TO HIS SEED. He does not say, “AND TO SEEDS,” as [referring] to many, but [rather] to one, “AND TO YOUR SEED” THAT IS, CHRIST.

What God was telling Abraham – and we should understand – that from Isaac the Christ, the Messiah would come. God would make Isaac, from Isaac would come Israel, from Israel would come the Messiah.

Illustrate: So one day God comes to Abraham and says, “Take now your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac, and go forth to the land of Moriah, and OFFER HIM THERE AS A BURNT OFFERING on one of the mountains of which I will tell you” (Genesis 22:2). Imagine this. Abraham gets up the next morning, and has breakfast. Sarah asks Abraham, “Where are you going? I saw Isaac outside loading the wagon, and the servants getting ready to go with you.” Abraham says, “I’ve got to go to Moriah. God told me I have to sacrifice Isaac on the mountain there.” What does Sarah do? What does any mother do? “Absolutely not! You’re not going to kill my boy, I don’t care WHAT you think God said. IF YOU LOVE ME YOU WILL FORGET THIS FOOLISHNESS.”

Abraham goes anyway. Isaac must die, because Jesus said so. To Sarah, it looks like Abraham HATES her, and HATES Isaac. When Isaac is put on the altar, perhaps he thinks his daddy hates him. He doesn’t. But Abraham loves God, regardless as to how it looks.

True and saving faith doesn’t care what the world thinks or says. True and saving faith trusts in God. Abraham knew God, and loved God. God had told him that the Messiah Jesus Christ would come through Isaac. So even though he didn’t understand, Abraham obeyed. The believer in Christ trusts Christ no matter what life may bring your way.

(Luke 14:26 KJV) If any one come to me, and HATE {miseō} not his FATHER, and MOTHER, and WIFE, and CHILDREN, and BRETHREN, and SISTERS, yea, AND HIS OWN LIFE ALSO, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

Illustrate: Or consider the man known as Job. Job loved the Lord. The Lord allowed Job’s children to die. The Lord allowed Job’s farm to suffer destruction. Job even suffered poor health because God allowed it to come into his life. After all this his wife said:

(Job 2:9 LSB) Do you still hold fast your integrity? CURSE GOD AND DIE!”

This woman – a mother who lost her children – is in effect telling her husband, “If you love me, YOU WILL HATE GOD. Curse Him! Curse Him for what we are going through. Curse Him for the pain, the suffering. Curse Him for taking my babies. Curse Him, and rest in hatred with me”. But Job told her:

(Job 2:10 LSB) You speak as one of the wickedly foolish women speaks. SHALL WE INDEED ACCEPT GOOD FROM GOD AND NOT ACCEPT CALAMITY?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Preach! Wicked people do not rest in their salvation. Wicked people speak well of God when things go their way, but doubt and curse Him when tried. Beloved, life is hard. Christians get diseases. Christians suffer loss. Being a Christian is no assurance that life will go your way. You will be hated of the world. You will suffer diseases. You will go through valleys. Yet what does the Christian do? The Christian loves God anyway. Jesus commands us to …

(Luke 14:27 KJV) And whosoever doth not BEAR HIS CROSS, and COME AFTER ME, cannot be My disciple.

The Gospel demands the primacy of Christ. Being a Christian is a free gift. Salvation is a free gift. But you cannot join hands with Jesus and join hands with Satan. Your allegiance must be with Jesus and Jesus alone. You have to “BEAR HIS CROSS”.

The Cross is HARD. The Cross is BLOODY. The Cross is LONELY. The Cross is SHAMEFUL. The Cross is HEARTBREAKING. The Cross is INCONVENIENT. You “BEAR HIS CROSS”. The world will mock you. The world will try and shame you.

There are many false Gospels out there. There are many “free gifts” offered in the guise of salvation. The Apostle Paul spoke of two free gifts, the free gift you get from Adam, and the free gift offered by Jesus. We read:

(Romans 5:15-16, 18 NKJV) But the FREE GIFT {charisma} [is] NO LIKE THE OFFENSE. For if BY ONE MAN’S OFFENSE MANY DIED, much more the grace of God and the GIFT BY THE GRACE OF ONE MAN, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. [16] And the GIFT {dōrēma} [is] not like [that which came] through the one who sinned. For the judgment [which came] from one [offense resulted] in condemnation, but the FREE GIFT {charisma} [which came] from many offenses [resulted] in justification. … [18] Therefore, as through one man’s offense [judgment came] to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act [the FREE GIFT {charisma} came] to all men, resulting in justification of life.

The “free gift” you get from Adam when you’re born is a sin nature, a nature that makes YOU god and God nothing. But the “free gift” offered by Jesus saves us from sin – but it makes Jesus first in our lives. HE IS LORD.

Once you are saved, you automatically become Jesus’ disciple, Jesus’ workmanship. God will work in you to destroy the old you. He will work in you to give you a desire for Jesus. Will God give you the “desires of your heart?” Absolutely. The desire of your heart will be a desire for Jesus, to know Him in as Paul said:

(Philippians 3:9-10 NKJV) to be found in Him, NOT HAVING MY OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, which [is] from the law, but that which [is] through faith in Christ, THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS FROM GOD BY FAITH; [10] that I may KNOW HIM and THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, and the FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS, being CONFORMED to His death

True salvation does not make YOU a better YOU. True salvation kills you. It starts with the humbled heart. It starts with your collapse on Damascus Road, where you stop following YOUR agenda and begin to follow Jesus. To put HIM first in all you do. To where you will, like Paul, look up from the dirt and say,

LORD, what do YOU want ME TO DO?

If you’re not in that spot, dear friend, you may not be saved. “Work out your OWN SALVATION with FEAR AND TREMBLING” (Philippians 2:12). Is Jesus in your life? Is Jesus “working in you to will and to do OF HIS GOOD PLEASURE” (Philippians 2:13). Or are you just part of the crowd?

Dear Friend, Have You Counted The Cost?

(Luke 14:28-30 KJV) For which of you, intending to BUILD A TOWER {pyrgos}, sitteth not down first, and COUNTETH THE COST, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]? [29] Lest haply, after HE HATH LAID THE FOUNDATION, and is NOT ABLE TO FINISH IT, all that behold [it] begin to mock him, [30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

Word Study: The word “TOWER”, the Greek word pyrgos which means “a fortified structure high in the air, enabling someone to watch for the enemy in all directions”. Towers were placed strategically around the walls of large cities. Their function was to be a place where a watchman stood to guard the city from the enemy. If the watchman saw someone coming, an invading army, he would sound the alarm. The people would grab their weapons and rally to the walls, shutting the gates, so as to repel the enemy.

When I first read this text the Holy Spirit directed my mind to The Tower of Babel. God had told mankind to “multiple and fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28; 9:1; 9:7). But sinful humanity decided they wouldn’t do that. Instead, they disobeyed the command of God (as sinners will do) and said:

(Genesis 11:4 NKJV) Come, let us BUILD OURSELVES A CITY, and a TOWER WHOSE TOP IS IN THE HEAVENS; let us make a name for ourselves, LEST WE BE SCATTERED ABROAD OVER THE FACE OF THE WHOLE EARTH.

God scattered them by confusing their languages. The reason we have 7000 known living languages in the world today is because of this place called Babel. They sought to work their way to Heaven by ignoring the most important thing.

If you love Jesus, you will do as Jesus says.

Jesus spoke of those who “LAID THE FOUNDATION, and is NOT ABLE TO FINISH IT”, how stupid they look to the world when they fail. Do you know what the FOUNDATION of Christianity is? The Bible says:

(1 Corinthians 3:11 LSB) For NO ONE CAN LAY A FOUNDATION OTHER THAN THE ONE WHICH IS LAID, WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST.

You can’t lay the foundation of the Christian way of life. You must be born again (John 3:3, 5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:23). You can’t make yourself “born again”. You must “repent, and be CONVERTED that your sins may be BLOTTED OUT” (Acts 3:19). God wants you to repent. The Bible says:

(2 Peter 3:9 LSB) The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but IS PATIENT TOWARD YOU, not willing for any to perish but FOR ALL TO COME TO REPENTANCE.

God must build the tower to Heaven. God must lay the foundation. That foundation is Jesus Christ. You cannot be saved by your own power. Jesus must save you. He calls you to cast your life at His feet. To let Him be your Shepherd (John 10:10). To give Him your brokenness, and to love Him more than you love anybody or anything else. The COST of salvation is SURRENDER TO JESUS, and YOU MUST SURRENDER!

Jesus again illustrates what He means by saying:

(Luke 14:31-32 KJV) Or what king, GOING TO MAKE WAR AGAINST ANOTHER KING, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he BE ABLE WITH TEN THOUSAND to meet him that cometh AGAINST HIM WITH TWENTY THOUSAND? [32] Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an {ambassador}, and DESIRETH CONDITIONS OF PEACE.

In this illustration Jesus mentions two kings. One king has an army of 10,000. But the king he is going against has an army of 20,000. Two to one. So let’s put it this way. Life is hard. Times are tough. As you go through this life, are YOU THE KING of your life – or is JESUS THE KING? If you’re the king of your life, brother, YOU ARE OUTNUMBERED TWO TO ONE. All you false Christians who are saved by your own goodness and your own abilities, in time that which you are following will fall apart. The Apostle talks about false faith and false salvation in:

(1 Corinthians 15:1-2 NKJV) Moreover, brethren, I declare to you THE GOSPEL which I preached to you, which also YOU RECEIVED {paralambanō} and IN WHICH YOU STAND, [2] by which ALSO YOU ARE SAVED, IF YOU HOLD FAST THAT WORD which I preached to you—UNLESS YOU BELIEVED IN VAIN.

You have “BELIEVED IN VAIN” if you have put your life under the control of anything or anyone outside of Jesus. The Christian’s life is “built on the FOUNDATION of the APOSTLES and PROPHETS, JESUS CHRIST being the CHIEF CORNERSTONE”(Ephesians 2:20). If you are a Christian you love Jesus. If you are a Christian you love the Bible. Your standard of life is not based on what culture says, not on what your best friend says, not on what your “father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters” says. Your standard is complete surrender to the Lord Jesus, and what the Bible says.

And brothers and sisters, you do not try and explain the Bible away.You just DO it. Jesus said,

(John 14:15 LSB) If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

(John 8:42 LSB) Jesus said to them, “IF GOD WERE YOUR FATHER, YOU WOULD LOVE ME, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come of Myself, but He sent Me.

John 8:31 If ye CONTINUE IN MY WORD, then are ye My disciples indeed.

Count the cost before coming to Christ. Jesus demands your all, not your part. He came to “Save HIS PEOPLE from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). To receive Jesus as Savior, He must ALSO be your LORD. Count the cost. Are you saved? If not, TODAY is the day to give your life to Jesus.

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Parable Of The Wheat And Tares

Posted on May 12, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash

(Matthew 13:24-30 KJV) Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: [25] But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. [26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. [27] So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? [28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? [29] But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

What did Jesus come to this earth to do? In Matthew chapter 12 Jesus had just been through a series of battles with the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the organized Church in Israel. They didn’t call it a “Church”. They called it a Synagogue (synagōgē), which meant “a formal gathering of Jews that offered prayers and listened to the exposition of the Old Testament Scriptures. Assemblies were held on the Sabbath, the last day of the week”. In other words, it was a Church – except they did not worship Jesus. The Pharisees criticized Jesus because:

He allowed His disciples to pick, shuck, and eat corn on the Sabbath
Jesus healed people on the Sabbath
The Pharisees claimed that Jesus cast out demons by Beelzebub
Jesus chastised them for committing the unpardonable sin
Jesus claimed the Pharisees were a generation of evil vipers
Jesus refused to satisfy their demand for “a sign”
Jesus said they were wicked, demon possessed houses
And Jesus claimed only those who love Him were His family

Everything Jesus did, the Pharisees attacked. So as we come to this chapter, Jesus begins to speak in parables:

(Matthew 13:1-2 KJV) The SAME DAY went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. [2] And GREAT MULTITUDES were gathered together unto Him, so that HE WENT INTO A SHIP, and sat; and the WHOLE MULTITUDE STOOD ON THE SHORE.

Jesus went to the Sea of Galilee, got on the boat, had them take Him out a little ways into the water, and a “GREAT MULTITUDE” gathered on the bank to hear Jesus. Jesus’ choice of where to preach was ideal because,

(1) The Pharisees couldn’t interrupt Him as He preached,
(2) The crowd couldn’t hinder Him as He preached, and because the Sea acted as an amphitheater,
(3) Every person could hear His every word.

This message from Jesus was very important. Great crowds of people are following Him, all with this question in mind:

What is the Messiah here to do?

Some thought He was here to run Rome out of Israel. Others thought Jesus would purge all iniquity from Israel and the earth. They thought that the Messiah would bring in the fulfillment of what the Prophet said in …

(Jeremiah 31:33-34 LSB) But this is the covenant which I will cut with the house of Israel after those days,” declares Yahweh: I WILL PUT MY LAW WITHIN THEM, and ON THEIR HEART I WILL WRITE IT; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. [34] And they will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh,’ for THEY WILL ALL KNOW ME, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.

They thought that Jesus was going to bring in a utopia, a wonderful world in which everyone, both Jew and Gentile, would know the Lord. But here we see Jesus in battle with the Pharisees, the religious leaders of Israel. So what is going on?

So Jesus begins to speak parables concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. Is Jesus the Messiah, or is there another to come? Why is it that not every heart is turning to Jesus, IF He is the Messiah?

Is There Something Wrong With Jesus’ Gospel?

Perhaps there’s something wrong with what Jesus is preaching. After all, if the Pharisees, the Chief Priest, the Herodians, the Sadducees, and the Scribes all seem united against Jesus, maybe His Gospel is tainted. Jesus addressed the Gospel of the Kingdom first. He said:

(Matthew 13:3-9 KJV) And He spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a Sower went forth to sow; [4] And when He sowed, some [seeds] fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: [5] Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: [6] And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. [7] And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: [8] But OTHER FELL INTO GOOD GROUND, and BROUGHT FORTH FRUIT, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. [9] WHO HATH EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR.

Jesus came preaching “The Kingdom of Heaven”, also known as “The Kingdom of God”. In Matthew 19:23-24 Jesus calls the Kingdom of Heaven the Kingdom of God. They are the same thing. Jesus is the Messiah, the King of Kings (Revelation 17:14). He is preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. So why is there so much resistance.

The resistance to the Gospel seed has nothing to do with the goodness of the seed. It has to do with the soil of the human heart.

Jesus explains the four types of human heart, or the four soils. And Jesus explains why His Gospel is not spreading so as to correct the entire world they live in. Jesus said that Isaiah (6:9-10) prophesied this would be the case:

(Matthew 13:14-15 KJV) … IN THEM IS FULFILLED THE PROPHECY OF ISAIAH, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and SHALL NOT UNDERSTAND; and seeing ye shall see, and SHALL NOT PERCEIVE: [15] For this PEOPLE’S HEART IS WAXED GROSS, and [their] EARS ARE DULL OF HEARING, and their EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and SHOULD BE CONVERTED, and I should heal them.

The religious leaders who rejected Jesus had hardened their hearts to the Gospel. They saw the miracles of Jesus. They saw Him raise the dead. They saw Him feed thousands with a pittance. They heard Him speak with authority. All the evidence was there, but they rejected it all, demanding “show us a sign”. And once Jesus showed them a sign, they rejected it, saying “He does what He does because Satan backs Him”.

Jesus explained the Parable of the Soils (the four types of heart). He said:

(Matthew 13:19 KJV) When any one HEARETH THE WORD OF THE KINGDOM, and understandeth [it] not, then COMETH THE WICKED ONE, and CATCHETH AWAY THAT WHICH WAS SOWN IN HIS HEART. This is he which received seed by the way side.

One heart hears the Word, the Gospel of the Kingdom. But they don’t understand, and don’t want to understand. These people have a set of beliefs in place that they have walked for a long time. They have a well trodden path following the world. The ground is packed tight. The seed cannot get in. Jesus is the Sower, and the seed is perfectly good. But they have hardened their hearts so that Satan sends “the fowls to devour the seed”.

Then Jesus sows the Kingdom Gospel on some called “STONY PLACES” (Matthew 13:5-6). It looks like these people will be converted. They receive the Word. But Jesus says:

(Matthew 13:20-21 KJV) But he that RECEIVED THE SEED INTO STONY PLACES, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon WITH JOY RECEIVES IT; [21] Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for WHEN TRIBULATION OR PERSECUTION ARISETH BECAUSE OF THE WORD, by and by he is offended.

There are a lot of people who apparently receive the Gospel WITH JOY. They don’t repent. They don’t weep over their sin, or realize their brokenness. But they were told “You can receive Jesus as SAVIOR and go to Heaven – but you don’t have to listen to Him at all. Salvation is a TOTALLY FREE gift. Be saved, then live your life the way you want to”. Of course, these people “WITH JOY RECEIVE IT”. But when the world comes up and challenges them, when “TRIBULATION OR PERSECUTION ARISETH BECAUSE OF THE WORD”, then these people “deconstruct their faith”. I see this all the time, preachers trying to explain away the difficult passages of Scripture, lest they offend their audience. Beloved, the Gospel is offensive. The Gospel says,

We are all sinners.
We are all broken.
We all deserve to be damned.
Even little babies!
We all fall short of the glory of God.
We all need the Word of the Kingdom.
God calls us to an ABSOLUTE SURRENDER.
Jesus is the Messiah, the King of Kings
and WE ARE NOT!

It is BY GRACE we are saved, and that not of ourselves. It is the GIFT OF GOD, not of works, for NO ONE CAN BOAST (Ephesians 2:8-10).

(Matthew 13:22 KJV) He also that RECEIVED SEED AMONG THE THORNS is he that HEARETH THE WORD; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Then there are those who love riches, and covetousness. They hear the Kingdom Gospel, but they reject that Gospel and choose instead to follow after earthly riches. Jesus spoke of these people when He said:

(Matthew 6:24 KJV) NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches).

Oh, there are so many who hear the Gospel of the Kingdom. They receive the seed only on a temporary surface basis. But their heart is with the money. You cannot follow Jesus and the money.

But then there is the fourth heart, the fourth soil. Jesus said:

(Matthew 13:23 KJV) But he that RECEIVED SEED INTO THE GOOD GROUND is he that HEARETH THE WORD, and UNDERSTANDETH IT; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Preach! There’s nothing wrong with the Gospel of the Kingdom. Those who “HEAR THE WORD” understand that Jesus came as BOTH Lord and Savior. It is a KINGDOM Gospel. Those who HEAR and RECEIVE the Gospel realize they are broken. They realize that God Himself is calling them to a complete and total surrender. It’s not a truce. It’s a surrender. We give ourselves to Jesus, and Jesus gives himself to us.

Since The Problem Is The Ground And Not The Seed

Now Jesus is a Master Teacher. I am sure some of the questions you have all asked is,

“Why is there evil in the world? Why are there so many religions? Why are there so many denominations? Why can’t the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9-10 be fulfilled right now??

Jesus answers this question with another parable, The Parable of Tares Among Wheat.

(Matthew 13:24-26 KJV) Another parable put {Jesus} forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a Man which SOWED GOOD SEED IN HIS FIELD: [25] But while MEN slept, HIS ENEMY CAME AND SOWED TARES AMONG THE WHEAT, and went his way. [26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, THEN APPEARED THE TARES ALSO.

I’m sure you’re wondering what a “TARE” is. I’m sure you’ve all seen it. It goes by different names. It’s scientific name is Lolium temulentum, also called poison darnel, darnel ryegrass or cockle. It grows in the same zones that wheat grows in. In fact, while green it looks like wheat. It’s head looks like wheat. When I was a boy (and even now), I’d pull a stalk of it and pop the stem in my mouth. That won’t hurt you. But you don’t want to eat its head! When wheat matures, the head turns BROWN. But when Poison Darnel matures, the head turns BLACK. If you eat the head, it will cause a drunken nausea which can be fatal.

The genius of Jesus’ parable is that both Wheat and Tares look alike. But the FRUIT of each is different. The FRUIT of wheat is a blessing. The FRUIT of tares is a curse!

When Jesus gave us the Parable of the Soils, the SEED was the GOSPEL. But the SEED this time is not the Gospel, but what the Gospel creates. The Gospel brings forth wheat. It brings forth a life that does good, not evil. Jesus said:

(Matthew 13:37-39 KJV) {Jesus} answered and said unto them, HE THAT SOWETH THE GOOD SEED IS THE SON OF MAN; [38] The FIELD IS THE WORLD; the GOOD SEED ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM; but the TARES ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE WICKED ONE; [39] The ENEMY THAT SOWED THEM IS THE DEVIL; the harvest is the end of the world; and the REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS.

In this Parable, “THE FIELD IS THE WORLD”. In this world that we live in there are “GOOD SEED THAT ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM”. The Gospel Seed that Jesus gave us brings Christians into the world. Jesus is the Sower, the Maker of Christians. We do not make ourselves. He makes us. In this world Christians are sown all over the world. But guess what. The devil sows the bad seed, the tares, into the world.

And the wheat and the tares look alike.

The Pharisees, Chief Priests, Herodians, Sadducees, and Scribes all look like men of God. They have religious titles. They are called “Father”, “Pontiff”, “Priest”, “Pope”, “Preacher”, “Apostle”, “Pastor”, “Elder”, “Evangelist”. They dress the part. They know all the right words. There is tares among the wheat. Jesus says:

(Matthew 13:27-30 KJV) So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? [28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? [29] But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

“What shall we do with the tares?” Shall they be torn up? Shall we burn the field? What shall we do? There is nothing we can do but be patient, and wait on God. Jesus is in control of the field, the world. Yes, Satan sows tares, and they look just like wheat. But what does Jesus tell us?

(Matthew 13:40-43 KJV) As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; SO SHALL IT BE IN THE END OF THIS WORLD. [41] The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and THEY SHALL GATHER OUT OF HIS KINGDOM THE THINGS THAT OFFEND, and THEM WHICH DO INIQUITY; [42] And shall CAST THEM INTO A FURNACE OF FIRE: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. [43] THEN SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS SHINE FORTH as the sun in the KINGDOM OF THEIR FATHER. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

One will SHINE. One will BURN.
Both will serve Jesus’ purpose.

It is not the wheat’s job to cast out the tares. If you are wheat, it is your job to produce fruit that glorifies Jesus. There’s going to be tares, false believers, in this world. There’s going to be people who pretend to be good ground, but are poison. “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:20). The world will not be a utopia until prophecy is completely fulfilled. Think about Judas Iscariot. Jesus chose him as one of the Apostles in His Church, but Jesus knew he was a tare. Jesus said:

(John 6:70 KJV) Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and ONE OF YOU A DEVIL?

(John 17:12 KJV) While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and NONE OF THEM IS LOST, BUT THE SON OF PERDITION; that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Jesus knows them that are His (2 Timothy 2:19). He allowed Judas to infiltrate the Apostles, knowing he was a tare. God knows. Jesus did this to fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah (Psalm 109:6-19; Psalm 41:9; Zechariah 11:12-13; Psalm 69:25).

What are we to do? Understand that there will be tares that look like wheat. By their fruit you will know them. Rather than worry about the tares, let us sow the seed of the Kingdom. Let us not be discouraged. One commentary I read put it this way:

“Even though the field is the world, recognize that it is among the wheat that the tares are sown. They are intertwined with the wheat. That’s how close they are to the wheat. If the wheat are the sons of the kingdom – the members of the visible and invisible church – then the tares are members of the visible church who are not members of the invisible church. In other words, they made a confession, but the reality of Christ is not in them. But, they’re intertwined with those who are truly believers. … it is our experience – and it has been from the beginning of time – that we see people who make professions of faith in the Lord who do not in fact believe in Him; even amongst Jesus’ inner circle, the twelve, there was one who was reprobate. ”

How do we recognize tares? By their fruit. Do they live their lives by the Word of God? Or do they make statements like, “MY God, the God I love, wouldn’t send anyone to hell”. Or “MY God, the One I trust, wouldn’t send a good person to hell because they didn’t believe in Jesus alone”.

If someone professes Christ as Savior and Lord, professes to be wheat, but does not return to the hand of the Master Who sowed him – then that person is in reality a tare. And I can’t fix a tare. Neither can you.

Until the day that Jesus returns there will be wheat and tares. Let us examine ourselves. Are we children of God by faith in Christ? Do we love His Word? The Gospel Seed is good, and effective. Let us trust in Him and His Word. Amen.

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His Mercy Endures Forever

Posted on May 8, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

The last time I was in this Psalm, it was in 2016 – and on a Wednesday night – about 10 years ago. I think it’s time we looked at this Psalm again. I was reading it the other day with a friend, and it struck me how great this Psalm is. In fact, the Jews called this “The Great Hallel Psalm”. It is written like a responsive reading. Every single one of the 26 verses ends with:

His MERCY endureth forever

Word Study: The word translated MERCYis the Hebrew ḥeseḏ (pronounced kheh’-sed). It is translated 149 times as “mercy”, but 30 times as “lovingkindness” and 40 times as “kindness”. The New American Standard translates the word as “faithfulness”, and the Legacy Standard as “lovingkindness”. One source notes that ḥeseḏ refers to faithful, enduring love rooted in commitment, not emotion. A loyal devotion expressed through proper action.

The Christian – like ancient Israel – is in a Covenant Relationship with God. God takes His covenant relationship seriously – and expects us to do the same. As we break this Psalm down, I’m going to ask you to do as Israel would have done. In Israel, the Cantor or the ḥazzan (Hebrew, pronounced khah-ZAHN) would sing

or chant the first part of the verse. Then the congregation would TOGETHER say:

His MERCY endureth forever

You Are In A Covenant Relationship
With The True God

(Psalm 136:1-3 KJV) O give thanks unto the LORD; for [He is] good: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [2] O give thanks unto the God of gods: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [3] O give thanks to the Lord of lords: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

The Apostle Paul said:

(1 Corinthians 8:5-6 KJV) For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (AS THERE BE GODS MANY, AND LORDS MANY,) [6] But to us [there is but] one God, the Father, of Whom [are] all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom [are] all things, and we by Him.

There are many gods that this world follows, and all of these gods stem from the fallen angel who would be God, Lucifer. Lucifer, created by God to be an Archangel, a General among the angels, forgot who his Creator was. The Bible says that he stood up against God, saying “I will ascend to Heaven. I will exalt my own throne above the angels of God. I will be just like God Himself!” (Isaiah 14:12-14). He became puffed up with pride, and led a heavenly revolt against God. When Lucifer came to this earth, he entered into the Garden of Eden as “that old serpent, the devil, the deceiver of the world” (Revelation 12:9). A god has to have a follower. Satan enticed Adam to follow him – and the whole world fell into sin.

In the first three verses the Psalmist pleads with God’s people with an “O GIVE THANKS”.

But our God is the True God, and there is no other. He is “the God of gods”. Though Lucifer led the world away from God, God is Lucifer’s God. Pastor C.H. Spurgeon said:

“gods who have a God over them cannot possibly be gods themselves”

God is the Source of all authority and power. “There is NO POWER but OF GOD: the powers that be are ORDAINED OF GOD” (Romans 13:1). Satan believes himself to be god, but he is deluded. Man creates gods of things, and they are deluded. There is but one God, one Lord, and Jehovah is the Lord over all lords, the God over all gods. They have no more power than what God allows them to have. They operate as His pleasure, and are like puppies in a kennel, and He the Master. We who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior are in a Covenant Relationship with the BOSS of everything. Nothing happens without His permission.

You Are In A Covenant Relationship
With The Creator God

(Psalm 136:4-7 KJV) To Him who ALONE doeth great wonders: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [5] To Him that BY WISDOM MADE THE HEAVENS: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [6] To Him that stretched out the earth above the waters: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [7] To Him that made great lights: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER:

Our God ALONE does great wonders. God did not use evolution or time to create the universe, to create our planet. The evolutionist says that everything just happened over millions or billions of years, that life is an accident. If you believe that everything is an accident, just something that luckily came together, then how can you even believe this is true. If your mind is the result of chaos and accident, then how can your thoughts even be reliable? Yet the Bible says that “God BY WISDOM MADE the Heavens”. The word “MADE” is the Hebrew ʿāśâ (pronounced aw-saw’), which means “to fashion, to shape, to work with, to press or squeeze”. The same word is used in:

(Genesis 1:7 KJV) And God MADE [ʿāśâ] the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.

God ALONE shaped the earth, the land masses. God put the continents where they are by Himself. Then God created trees that would make (ʿāśâ) fruit (Genesis 1:11). God made the animals (Genesis 1:25), giving them the ability to reproduce. God made humanity (Genesis 1:26), and gave us the ability to reproduce. Creation did not just happen. God “stretched out the earth”. God “made the great lights”, the sun and the moon (Genesis 1:16), as God is the Source of Light:

1 John 1:5 God is LIGHT, and in Him is NO DARKNESS AT ALL

(Psalm 136:8-9 KJV) The sun to rule by day: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [9] The moon and stars to rule by night: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

He is “The Father of Lights” (James 1:17). And all these things were not evolved, but made by God, wisely made, from a heart driven by lovingkindness.

You Are In A Covenant Relationship
With The Redeeming God

When God made the heavens and the earth, the earth was WITHOUT FORM and VOID. It was lifeless. Anything or anyone without God’s touch is lifeless and empty. The same is true of His people Israel. When Israel first entered Egypt under the reign of Joseph, God was honored. But in time Israel drifted from God. Drifting from God, Israel lost her status and privilege as the people of God, and became slaves to the Egyptians.

But God did not forget His people.

God told Moses, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people… and have heard their cry… for I know their sorrows.” (Exodus 3:7). When Israel drifted into the world, they lost sight of God. But when His people cried out, God responded and delivered them from slavery.

(Psalm 136:10-15 KJV) To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [11] And brought out Israel from among them: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [12] With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [13] To him which divided the Red sea into parts: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [14] And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [15] But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

God loves us even when we mess up. We are His children by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He redeems us from darkness and damnation. We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Oh, how He loves us!

Illustrate: I recently heard the comedian Jeff Foxworthy tell this story. He was witnessing to some men when one said, “The Bible is just a book of rules”. His buddy who was with him picked up the Bible and said, “Really? It’s just a book of rules?” Then he threw the Bible in the trashcan. A big, huge guy named Wayne got up, walked to the trashcan, and pulled the Bible out. He said, “Don’t ever do that again!” Jeff said, “Wayne, if it’s just a book of rules, why does that bother you so much?” Wayne told him, “When my mother died, I inherited 70,000$ from my mother’s insurance policy, along with my mother’s Bible”. Wayne took the money and started a life of addiction, smoking crack cocaine. He lost all his money on drugs. Shortly, in jst a few months, he was homeless and on the street. He started losing his stuff, piece by piece. Then he lost his mother’s Bible. Inside of the Bible was a love letter his mother wrote to him, and he lost it. His mother wrote how Jesus was the answer to all his needs. He lost the backpack that had the Bible in it. He’s on the street for a year and a half, when one day a guy comes by and asks two of the homeless if they wanted a job. Wayne went with him. The man took the two men to a place about 100 miles away, where the man had an old apartment building he was renovating. Wayne started cleaning up, and carrying trash out to the dumpster, and his buddy did the same. Wayne went upstairs to where his buddy was working, and his buddy had a pile of stuff that had not yet been bagged to throw away. Wayne goes over to the pile, starts looking through it, and finds his mother’s Bible. Wayne said, “I collapsed to the floor and started crying”. He said “I figured if God is going to chase me that hard, I would finally quit running”.

You Are In A Covenant Relationship
With The Reigning God

(Psalm 136:16-22 KJV) To him which led his people through the wilderness: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [17] To him which smote great kings: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [18] And slew famous kings: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [19] Sihon king of the Amorites: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [20] And Og the king of Bashan: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [21] And gave their land for an heritage: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [22] [Even] an heritage unto Israel his servant: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

When God led His people from Egypt, to the entrance of the Promised Land, His people rebelled again Him. Joshua and Caleb told Israel:

(Numbers 14:7-9 LSB) … The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. [8] If Yahweh is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us–a land which flows with milk and honey. [9] “But as for you, only DO NOT REBEL AGAINST YAHWEH; and do not fear the people of the land, for THEY ARE OUR BREAD. THEIR PROTECTION HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THEM, and Yahweh is with us; do not fear them.

But Israel would not hear. This is what we need to understand about our Covenant Relationship with God. He is LORD. He is the BOSS. Not us, but HIM. They were to go into the Promised Land because God said so. I heard a preacher say this the other day. I don’t know his name, but I love what he said.

“God’s not interested in you being a better you. He came to do away with you. He is not interested in you achieving your goals and dreams and desires and ambitions. Jesus came to destroy your dreams and goals and desires and ambitions. He came to give you a desire for Him and Him alone. If you trust God, He will give you the desires of your heart. And the desire of your heart will be to know Him in the power of His resurrection, the likeness of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. … The Word of Faith message and the Prosperity message, which are one and the same, is a doctrine of demons. They are all about manipulating and maneuvering God so you can get what you want. Jesus Christ did not come to this earth so you can be successful. He came so that you can die to you and be alive unto Christ.”

The God Who saved us is the God Who reigns. When Israel refused to go into the Promised Land, God could have killed the entire nation. Instead, He had the wander in the wilderness for forty years. As they wandered, Israel came up against great kings and great warrior nations. “Sihon king of the Amorites” came against Israel. The Bible says,

Deuteronomy 2:33 And THE LORD OUR GOD DELIVERED HIM BEFORE US; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.

And “Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land” (Numbers 21:24). Our God’s MERCY ENDURES FOREVER. And as Israel traveled, “Og the king of Bashan” went out against them to battle. God told Israel,

Deuteronomy 3:3 So the Lord our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan… and we smote him until none was left to him remaining.

For the 40 years that Israel wandered in the wilderness, they never suffered defeat in battle while they trusted in and obeyed God. God wanted the disobedient generation to die in the wilderness, so that the next generation could go into the Promised Land. Our God’s MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.

Israel would go into the Promised Land, because the God Who redeems us is the God Who reigns. We will do His will. Period.

You Are In A Covenant Relationship
With The Remembering God

(Psalm 136:23-26 KJV) Who remembered us in our low estate: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER: [24] And hath redeemed us from our enemies: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [25] Who giveth food to all flesh: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. [26] O give thanks unto the God of heaven: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER.

I read this passage, and thought of the thief who died next to Jesus on Calvary. Not the one who mocked Jesus, but the one who said:

(Luke 23:42 LSB) Jesus, REMEMBER ME when You come in Your kingdom!

That thief did not pray that his torment be removed. Nor did he even ask that Jesus allow him into Heaven. The repentant thief just asked our Lord to remember him. And Jesus told him, “Truly I say to you, TODAY YOU SHALL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE” (Luke 23:43). Our God does not forget us when we are in a low place. We may forget Him when we are in a high place, but He doesn’t forget us. That thief was asking what the Psalmist asked:

(Psalm 106:4 LSB) REMEMBER ME, O Yahweh, in [Your] favor toward Your people; Visit me with Your salvation

God will not forget His people. We who have called on Him in the name of Jesus are saved by grace, and kept by His lovingkindness. Our God is faithful. Praise Him, He is faithful to those who love Him.

Let us pray.

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Lazarus And The Rich Man

Posted on May 5, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Lazarus and the Rich Man Jacopo Bassano
(Italian, c. 1510–1592)

In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus tells us a story about two men. One is rich, the other is poor. If this is a parable (some say it is, some say it’s not), then this is the only parable where Jesus uses a person’s name (Lazarus). Regardless as to whether it is a parable or a true story, this text tells us what Jesus believed about life and death.

Physical death is not the end of life, but the entrance into another life. Your next life can be a great life, or a miserable life. The decisions you make in this life will effect what happens in your next chapter!

Let’s read the parable:

(Luke 16:19-23 KJV) There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: [20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, [21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. [22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; [23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Everyone Must Die, But Not All Go To Heaven

Who goes to Heaven? Not everybody. We see that clearly in this parable. There are two characters, the rich man and Lazarus. Both die. When Lazarus dies we read, “he was carried by the angels into ABRAHAM’S BOSOM”. Abraham is the father of faith, the one that God made His Covenant with. God asked Abraham to follow Him, and promised:

(Genesis 12:2-3 KJV) And I will MAKE OF THEE A GREAT NATION, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: [3] And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and IN THEE SHALL ALL FAMILIES OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED.

Abraham is the first person that the Bible says

(Genesis 15:6 KJV) And ABRAHAM BELIEVED IN THE LORD; and THE LORD COUNTED IT TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

God imputed or credited righteousness to Abraham because he believed the Lord, and walked with the Lord in faith. Every person who is saved is saved after the pattern of Abraham. God makes a promise. We believe the promise. We walk daily with God according to that promise.

When a believer in Christ dies, that believer goes to the same place father Abraham is. Abraham believed God (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23) and God credited him with righteousness. When Abraham left this life, he did not sleep in the grave. Because Abraham believed God, Abraham went to where God is. When a believer dies in this life, our bodies sleep on this earth awaiting the resurrection, but our souls are transported to where God is. Let’s look at some texts:

(2 Corinthians 5:6-8 ESV) So we are always of good courage. We know that WHILE WE ARE AT HOME IN THE BODY we are AWAY FROM THE LORD, [7] for we walk by faith, not by sight. [8] Yes, we are of good courage, and we would RATHER BE AWAY FROM THE BODY AND AT HOME WITH THE LORD.

Now it is certain that Jesus said “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). He promised, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus is the “good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14), and He stays with us through this life if we are His. But while you are in this body, you are not in the direct presence of God. Every Christian should feel as Paul did, saying “I would RATHER BE AWAY FROM THE BODY AND AT HOME WITH THE LORD”. Home is where the Lord is. Christian, Heaven is your home. While we who are saved are on this earth, we should, as all God’s children want, produce fruit for the Master. We are to do good, not evil. The Apostle wrote:

(Philippians 1:22-25 ESV) If I am to LIVE IN THE FLESH, that means FRUITFUL LABOR FOR ME. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. [23] I am hard pressed between the two. MY DESIRE IS TO DEPART AND BE WITH CHRIST, for that is far better. [24] But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. [25] Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, FOR YOUR PROGRESS AND JOY IN THE FAITH

While on this earth the Christian should want to follow Jesus, to produce “FRUITFUL LABOR” for the glory of God. Paul wanted to do that. But he also said that he “DESIRED TO DEPART AND BE WITH CHRIST”. To leave this body, and be where father Abraham is. Oh what a joy that will be when we get to Heaven!

When we all get to Heaven,
what a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory

At the Second Coming of Christ, those who have gone on to be with Jesus will return with Him to receive their glorified bodies.

(1 Thessalonians 4:14 ESV) For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP.

When a Christian leaves this life, the Bible calls this “FALLING ASLEEP”. The body sleeps in the dust of the earth (see Daniel 12:2),, but the soul goes to where Abraham’s children gather, where Jesus is. “Do you not know that THOSE WHO HAVE FAITH LIKE ABRAHAM, THE SAME ARE THE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM?” (Galatians 3:7). When that good Christian Stephen was stoned to death, the Bible says “He FELL ASLEEP” (Acts 7:60). In Acts 13:36 we see that King David “FELL ASLEEP and was laid with his fathers and SAW CORRUPTION” (Acts 13:36). The body “sleeps” and decays, returning to the dust that God made it from. But the soul that loves Jesus goes to be with Jesus, with Abraham, with those who love the Lord.

Illustrate: I was at my bank the other day when I got in a conversation with a teller there about Jesus. This dear woman said she was driving with her young daughter in the back seat about a year ago. The little girl was singing, then she said “Mama, I’m not afraid to die.” Startled, she asked her daughter what she meant. The little girl said “I’m not afraid to die, because I’m going to Heaven. Mama, are YOU going to Heaven?” The woman said she examined her life, and realized that no, she wasn’t going to Heaven. She had gotten far away from Jesus, away from His Church. She told me that last year not long after that she was baptized – along with her daughter – and is following the Lord Jesus. She’s going to Heaven. Heaven is the home of those who love Jesus. Jesus said,

John 12:26 … where I AM, THERE shall also My servant be …

Those who are saved are servants of Christ. You may be in a low spot. You may be going through a trial. But if you are saved by faith in Christ, Jesus is with you, and …

Jesus Knows Your Name If You Are His

Luke 16:19-21 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and FARED SUMPTUOUSLY every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And DESIRING TO BE FED with the CRUMBS which FELL FROM THE RICH MAN’S TABLE: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Does Jesus know your name? The first man mentioned in this story is the rich man. Look at his outfit. He was “clothed in PURPLE and FINE LINEN”. Linen is very durable, stronger than cotton. It stays cool in hot weather, and as it’s fibers are hollow, it helps moisture evaporate quickly. The linen was PURPLE, which was harvested from a tiny snail from the city of Tyre. It’s a very rare color, and very costly. This rich man “FARED SUMPTUOUSLY” every day. He had the best of everything. He had the best home. He had a full belly. He had the finest clothing money could buy. But …

The man didn’t have Jesus. God didn’t know his name. The rich man didn’t know Lazarus’ name. To him, Lazarus was a human dog. He was nothing.

When I hear these people on television and social media gleefully wishing that our President die, I know these people are lost. When I hear women who get on Facebook or TikTok who joyfully report their abortions, or brag about the number of men they have slept with, I know these people are lost. Lost people care nothing for others. Lazarus is a man that God created. Every person has value because of that. No person is garbage. All people are sinners who will one day die. After death, we will be judged by God. That judgment is instantaneous. The Bible says:

Hebrews 9:27-28 And as it is appointed unto men once TO DIE, but AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT: 28 So CHRIST WAS ONCE OFFERED TO BEAR THE SINS OF MAN

Jesus came to make payment for our sins. God blesses us with life. This rich man had the very best life. What did he do? He worshiped himself. He mistreated Lazarus. The rich man sold his soul, and lost it, to demonic gods. There are people on Facebook and YouTube and TikTok and Instagram selling their souls so they can be known as a “social influencer”. They are exchanging a glorious eternity with God for something diabolical (Matthew 16:26).

But what of Lazarus? It looks like God doesn’t know who he is. God knows who he is. Jesus knows his name. Look at Lazarus’ life. He was laid at the rich man’s gate, “FULL OF SORES”. When I was on mission in Southern Belize, I found out the greatest need of the poor people was not necessarily food, but SOAP. Lack of soap and access to clean water causes so many diseases. Lazarus ate the CRUMBS from the rich man’s table. And the only medical plan Lazarus had was dogs licking his sores.

The rich man had ample opportunity to help poor Lazarus. The Bible says:

Proverbs 19:17 He that hath PITY UPON THE POOR LENDETH UNTO THE LORD; and that which he hath given will THE LORD pay him again.

Those who are Christ’s children should love. We are called to LOVE GOD with all our hearts, and to LOVE OTHERS as we would be loved. To see someone suffering like Lazarus, and yet do nothing to alleviate it, is horrible!

The way you treat people is an outward show of your inward spiritual condition. In Matthew 25:35-46 in the Parable of the Final Judgment, those who are cast into hell are those who did as the rich man. Those who loved others and treated them accordingly were called “blessed by My Father”, and inheritors of the Kingdom of God. But those who hardened their hearts were told to “GO AWAY INTO ETERNAL PUNISHMENT”.

If God knows your name, when you die in this life you go to be with Abraham and the other children of faith.

Luke 16:22-23 And it came to pass, that THE BEGGAR DIED, and was CARRIED BY THE ANGELS INTO ABRAHAM’S BOSOM: the RICH MAN ALSO DIED, and was buried; 23 And IN HELL HE LIFTED UP HIS EYES, being in TORMENTS, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Both men died. The rich man had everything. When he died, he went unaccompanied to hell. He had no one around him, not even the so called “Grim Reaper”. He just died. But Lazarus, oh, how things changed for Lazarus. Lazarus was not welcomed at the table of the rich man. But Lazarus dies, and is carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom. Lazarus is embraced by God. He is cradled. He is comforted. The Bible says:

Proverbs 22:2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD IS THE MAKER OF THEM ALL

God makes everybody. He made the rich man. He made Lazarus. God makes everybody to walk with Him. Those who walk with God are ultimately rich. Those who admit their brokenness, and give their lives to Jesus, are genuinely rich. We may go through bad moments. We may be in a Lazarus state. Ask yourself, “Why would the God Who loves us so, let us be in a Lazarus state?” The Bible says:

(Romans 8:28 ESV) And we know that for THOSE WHO LOVE GOD ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD, for those who are CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.

If that is true (and I believe it is), why let Lazarus suffer on earth like he did? Because Lazarus laid at the rich man’s gate. Lazarus was a witness to this man. Lazarus was an opportunity for this man to repent, to turn his faith from money and power, to loving God by loving others. God uses us as His children to try and reach others.

The rich man never repented. He never sought God.
God was his money, and pleasure his mistress.

And “IN HELL, HE LIFTED UP HIS EYES, BEING IN TORMENTS”.

Keep Rejecting Jesus, And See What Happens

Oh my friend, there is a hell. Jesus believed in Hell. Our Jesus is no liar, no deceiver. What did Jesus say about Hell?

Matthew 5:29-30 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that THY WHOLE BODY should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that THY WHOLE BODY should be cast into hell.

Our Lord Jesus saw hell as a horrible, torturous place. The final destination of the lost, the lake of fire (Revelation 20:13-14), is called “the second death”. Oh, how horrible that place! “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they HAVE NO REST DAY NOR NIGHT” (Revelation 14:10-11). It is a place that Jesus said “it is outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Jesus warned that Hell is a place where the fire never stops, and the soul does not die:

(Mark 9:47-48 ESV) And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with TWO EYES TO BE THROWN INTO HELL, [48] ‘where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE and THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.’

Not everybody goes to Heaven. Only those who love Jesus. Only those who cherish God’s creation. How does the rich man respond in the midst of suffering?

Luke 16:24 the rich man … cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and SEND LAZARUS, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The rich man doesn’t repent. When people leave this life and go to hell, they don’t repent. Their souls are hardened to sin. The rich man doesn’t call out to Jesus. He doesn’t call out to God. He calls out to Abraham, asking Abraham to “SEND LAZARUS, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue”. The rich man’s not sorry for the life he lived. He just wants to use Lazarus once more. Send that dog Lazarus. Let him cool my tongue!

This is the problem of sin. When sin enters a life, if it is not repented of it becomes more persistent, harder to eradicate. Abraham tries to reason with the rich man:

Luke 16:25-26 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but NOW HE IS COMFORTED, and THOU ART TORMENTED. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a GREAT GULF FIXED: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

What you do in THIS life will echo into eternity. There is a gulf between Heaven and Hell. There is no purgatory, no second chance. And if the lost were given a second chance, they wouldn’t take it. They would curse God and demand. The rich man lived a life devoid of God on this earth. Now he will live a life devoid of God in eternity.

But there is a tiny speck of compassion for the rich man. It’s for his family. He says:

Luke 16:27-29 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest SEND LAZARUS TO MY FATHER’S HOUSE: 28 for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, THEY HAVE MOSES AND THE PROPHETS; let them hear them.

There is no second chance after you leave this life. God has given us ample evidence for us to believe in “MOSES AND THE PROPHETS”, a term Jesus used for the Bible. The Bible tells us that “CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS” (1 Corinthians 15:3). The rich man said:

(Luke 16:30-31 KJV) … Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, THEY WILL REPENT. [31] And he said unto him, IF THEY WILL NOT HEAR MOSES AND THE PROPHETS, NEITHER WILL THEY BE PERSUADED, though one rose from the dead.

Moses wrote of Jesus (John 5:46). Abraham saw Jesus and His coming (John 8:56). The Old Testament Prophets foretold the coming of Christ (Luke 24:27; Deuteronomy 18:15; 1 Peter 1:10-11). If you won’t believe the Book, the Bible, you wouldn’t believe a resurrected Lazarus. You must receive Jesus NOW.

2 Corinthians 6:2 NOW is the accepted time. LOOK. TODAY is the day of salvation.

Do you know Him? Have you given your life to Jesus? If you have, you need not fear death. When you die in this life, you’re just going home. But if you have not received Jesus as Lord and Savior, today is the day to give your life to Him.

(John 3:16-18 KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Oh, please come! Do not delay! If you are Christ’s, love. If you are not, come to His love. In Jesus’ name I ask, amen.

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The Journey Of Faith

Posted on May 5, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Renée Nicole on Unsplash

Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke 15:11-32. Last Wednesday we started studying Jesus’ Parable of Two Sons:

(Luke 15:11 KJV) And JESUS said, A CERTAIN MAN HAD TWO SONS

The younger son goes to his father and demands his inheritance. This son then begins to wander, gets in a bad situation because he has departed from his father, and begins to suffer and starve. I believe the younger son is a picture of a young Christian. And if I were to summarize this whole parable, I believe …

The Parable shows the faithfulness of God as well as the journey of faith that each believer must go through.

Salvation is not a “one and done”. I often hear of places in America where there are “great revivals”. In California’s 7,750 people were baptized in one day at Huntington Beach May 3, 2025. Called “The Largest Water Baptism In U.S. History”, the reporter wrote:

“The first person baptized Saturday was a 71-year-old woman, Joanne, who told organizers she had considered baptism for 40 years but kept procrastinating. “We now baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” Francey said as the woman entered the ocean. “We pray that you would rise up out of these waters with a new nature and a new life.”

In another place in California called Pirates Cove some 2100 were baptized in one day at the “Third Annual Jesus Revolution Baptism” on August 17, 2025. The article said:

“Harvest Christian Fellowship’s Senior Pastor Greg Laurie reports, “We had an incredible day yesterday at the 3rd Annual Jesus Revolution Baptism. We baptized 2,100 people in a single day! Can you believe that? Add that number to the last two years, and in just three years we’ve baptized 8,600 people!”

That’s really good news. But baptism is not the destination of the Christian walk.

The destination of Christianity is a walk, a changed life, a believer who follows Jesus one step at a time one day at a time. Baptisms are wonderful – but is the person baptized changed from light to darkness? Are these people who live to honor their Father?

If someone is saved by grace, they are made a child of God by the Holy Spirit. From that point on the believer “Walks BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Every Christian must learn to “Walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). We must learn to listen to Jesus, to the Father Who loves us, and learn to do as He says. The younger son (and he was a SON) goes to his Father and demands:

(Luke 15:12 KJV) And the younger of them said to [his] father, Father, GIVE ME THE PORTION OF GOODS THAT FALLETH TO ME. And THE FATHER DIVIDED UNTO THEM HIS LIVING.

Someone gives their life to Jesus. “Jesus, I want to be saved. I want to go to Heaven. I want you to heal me. I want you to bless me.” And what does the Father do? “THE FATHER DIVIDED UNTO THEM HIS LIVING”. He gives the blessings. But we have a bad problem. We wander. I got to thinking about those whom God called to salvation.

* Abraham followed God – but lied about his wife (Genesis 12:11-13) and had a child by Hagar.

* Moses strikes the rock rather than speaking to it (Numbers 10:11-12).

* David kills a man and takes his wife (2 Samuel 11:2-4, 12:13). He commands a census of Israel (2 Samuel 24:1-2), following Satan instead of God (1 Chronicles 21:1-2).

* Jonah ran from God (Jonah 1:1-3), refusing to serve Him.

* Peter denied Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69-75). He also played the hypocrite with the Gentile Christians (Galatians 2:11).

* And how many times did Israel disobey God? Yet God never disowned His people!

God never calls perfect people to salvation. He calls broken, imperfect people to His side. He tells us to stay by His side. God sums up the Christian way of life this way:

(1 John 1:7-10 ESV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. [8] If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The Younger Believer Learned That Genuine Salvation
Is Accompanied With A Close Walk With The Father

I am proud of all these people I hear of getting baptized. I am proud that there is a resurgence among Generation Z, people who want to publicly profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. If you are saved, you are a broken person God saved. And one of the problems we have to deal with in our journey of faith is to understand

The only safe place for a Christian to be is in the Presence of the Father!

The younger son battles with PRIDE, just like we ALL battle with PRIDE. “Give me what I demand, Father, so I can go my own way”. No, it doesn’t work that way. Jesus is BOTH Lord and Savior. God is God, and I am not. But we can’t be told this. We have to learn it the hard way. So we wander from the Father’s presence – and find nothing but misery.

(Luke 15:17-19 KJV) And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my Father’s HAVE BREAD ENOUGH AND TO SPARE, and I PERISH WITH HUNGER! [18] I WILL ARISE AND GO TO MY FATHER, and will say unto him, FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN, AND BEFORE THEE, [19] And am NO MORE WORTHY TO BE CALLED THY SON: make me as one of thy HIRED SERVANT.

Here’s the beginning of Christian growth. Yes, you should be baptized. But the beginning of Christian growth is when you realize how worthless YOU are, and how good GOD IS. You stop worrying about what other people think, and humble yourself before the Father. This young Christian said “FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN, AND BEFORE THEE”. He was saying “I have violated the Laws of the Kingdom of God”. But he is also saying, “I have spat on Your love, Father. I’m not worthy – just let me SERVE you!”

Christians, you are saved to serve, not be served. The wandering young son realized this. There is no joy in being waited on. The joy is in serving the Father. When God came to the little virgin called Mary and told her she was going to have the Messiah, hear her words:

(Luke 1:38 NASB20) … Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s BOND-SERVANT; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Paul loved to use that phrase “BOND-SERVANT” for himself.

(Romans 1:1 NASB20) Paul, a BOND-SERVANT OF CHRIST JESUS, called [as] an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God

and again,

(Galatians 1:10 NASB20) For am I now seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I WOULD NOT BE A BOND-SERVANT OF CHRIST.

Where that young wander son’s mind is, where Mary’s mind is, where Paul’s mind is, is where OUR MINDS ought to be. “Lord, I’m not worthy – just let me serve You!”

God became a “BOND-SERVANT” in order to save us. The Scripture says:

(Philippians 2:5-7 NASB20) Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, [6] who, as He [already] existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, [7] but EMPTIED HIMSELF BY TAKING THE FORM OF A BOND-SERVANT, [and] being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, He HUMBLED HIMSELF by becoming obedient to the point of death: DEATH ON A CROSS.

Like the wandering younger son, the Father – in love – will allow us to wander away so we can learn. The young man learned. He turned back to the Father, What did he find? We read:

(Luke 15:21-24 KJV) And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and AM NO LONGER WORTHY TO BE CALLED THY SON. [22] But the Father said to his servants, BRING FORTH THE BEST ROBE, and PUT IT ON HIM; and PUT A RING ON HIS HAND, and SHOES ON HIS FEET: [23] And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill [it]; and LET US EAT, AND BE MERRY: [24] For THIS MY SON WAS DEAD, and is alive again; HE WAS LOST, and IS FOUND. And they began to be merry.

As Christians, when we walk in darkness, we walk alone. God will not walk with us. You cannot be a Christian homosexual, a Christian transgender, a Christian racist, a Christian hater, a Christian murderer, a Christian thief, a Christian slanderer, a Christian womanizer, a Christian liar, a Christian gossip, or a Christian _______. You fill in the blank. The Bible says:

1 John 1:5 God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

When the younger son began to do the wrong things he did, he walked away from the presence of the Father. Now listen – He didn’t cease to be a Son. The Father said, “THIS MY SON WAS DEAD, and is alive again”. The Father never disowned him – but also the Father will not walk with him. Again, “If we say we have FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM and WALK IN DARKNESS, WE LIE, and do NOT THE TRUTH” (1 John 1:6). The Bible says to CHRISTIANS:

(James 4:1-7 NKJV) Where do wars and fights [come] FROM AMONG YOU? Do [they] not [come] from your [desires for] pleasure that war in your members? [2] You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. [3] You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend [it] on your pleasures. [4] Adulterers and adulteresses! DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD IS ENMITY WITH GOD? WHOEVER THEREFORE WANTS TO BE A FRIEND OF THE WORLD MAKES HIMSELF AN ENEMY OF GOD. [5] Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? [6] But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” [7] Therefore SUBMIT TO GOD. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. [8] DRAW NEAR TO GOD and HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU. Cleanse [your] hands, [you] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [you] double-minded.

Those are verses written to – not the lost – but to saved people. When the young wandering son drew near to God – God the Father drew near to him.

What About The Second Son?

We’ve spent a lot of time on the first son, the young son. But what about the elder son? What did he do?

(Luke 15:25-28 KJV) Now HIS ELDER SON WAS IN THE FIELD: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. [26] And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. [27] And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. [28] And HE WAS ANGRY, and WOULD NOT GO IN: therefore CAME HIS FATHER OUT, and ENTREATED {parakaleō} HIM

The older son – the more mature believer – is out in the field working. He stayed with the Father. If you remember, when the younger son went to the Father demanding his inheritance, we read:

(Luke 15:12 KJV) … the younger of them said to [his] father, Father, GIVE ME THE PORTION of goods that falleth [to me]. And HE DIVIDED UNTO THEM HIS LIVING.

The Father gave the inheritance to BOTH the younger son and the elder son. One took his inheritance and went out into the world, far away from the Father. But the other stayed home, but also distanced himself from the Father. Why did he do this? I’ve seen it before.

Preachers preach, and God gives them a following. Then the preacher decides that he’s really that good – and stops doing what he does for the Lord. He’s in the field, blessed of God, but doing it for the head count.

Singers sing, and God gives them a following. Then they begin to forget that their talents, their blessings came to them by the Grace of God. They get a following, a platinum album, and exalt themselves in the worship of their followers.

The elder son, an older Christian, begins to forget that what we do, we do for the glory of God. We become judgmental. We see someone – like the younger son – walk away from the Father. Rather than pray for their return, we make judgments. “Well, they were really never Christians in the first place”. How do YOU know? Can you read the heart? Can you see inside the mind of people. The Apostle Paul wrote:

(1 Corinthians 4:1-5 NKJV) Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. [2] Moreover it is REQUIRED IN STEWARDS THAT ONE BE FOUND FAITHFUL. [3] But with me it is a VERY SMALL THING THAT I SHOULD BE JUDGED BY YOU or by a human court. In fact, I DO NOT EVEN JUDGE MYSELF. [4] For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but HE WHO JUDGES ME IS THE LORD. [5] Therefore JUDGE NOTHING BEFORE THE TIME, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

When the elder son heard the rejoicing inside, he did not seek out the Father. Instead, he sought out a servant. And when he found that his brother had returned home, he was angry.

How dare they have a party WITHOUT ME? I stayed with Father. I worked the fields. That bum of a brother went off and had a good time. But I SERVED. I’m better than he is. Why does he deserve the fatted calf? Why does he deserve the best robe? Do you see what’s going on here? The elder son has forgotten that he was saved by Grace as well. The elder sons feels that his staying in Church, doing the Law, has made him better than that shiftless brother of his.

Word Study: The Bible says that Father comes out and “ENTREATS HIM”. The word parakaleō means “to call alongside so as to embrace”. When the Father embraces this older son, he says:

(Luke 15:29-30 KJV) {The older son} said to [his] father, Lo, these MANY YEARS DO I SERVE THEE, NEITHER TRANSGRESSED IN AT ANY TIME THY COMMANDMENT: and yet THOU NEVER GAVEST ME A KID, that I might make merry with my friends: [30] But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath DEVOURED THY LIVING WITH HARLOTS, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

The older son is upset. He’s mad at the younger son, and mad at the Father. He wants the fatted calf. He wants the best robe. He even makes up something about his brother. He says, “he DEVOURED THY LIVING WITH HARLOTS”. There’s no indication earlier in the text that he had anything to do with sexual sin. He just wasted his life in the darkness. The Father simply replies:

(Luke 15:31-32 KJV) And {The Father} said unto him, Son, THOU ART EVER WITH ME, and ALL I HAVE IS THINE. [32] It was {correct} that we should make merry, and be glad: for THIS THY BROTHER WAS DEAD, and IS ALIVE AGAIN; and was lost, and is found.

Jesus never finishes this parable. Does the older son repent? Does he go in, and celebrate that the younger believer has learned from his journey of faith? Or does he stay outside. I’d like you to notice two things. God told His elder son “THOU ART EVER WITH ME”. That’s better than a fatted calf. That’s better than the best robe. To be with God. To know that God is with you where ever you are. That’s the gift of salvation. Not that we’re going to Heaven one day. Not that we’re saved from hell. To just know that …

God is our Father Who loves us though we are broken and oft times petty. To know that, because of Jesus, we “ART EVER WITH HIM”.

The mature believer knows, like David, that:

(Psalm 84:10-11 NKJV) For a day in Your courts [is] better than a thousand. I WOULD RATHER BE A DOOR KEEPER IN THE HOUSE OF MY GOD THAN TO DWELL IN THE TENTS OF WICKEDNESS. [11] For the LORD God [is] a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good [thing] will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.

The second thing the Father told him was “ALL I HAVE IS THINE”. We who are saved are joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). God never robs us. His grace is amazing! As we take our journey of faith, let us focus on staying in the presence of the Father. And if we get off base, dearly Beloved, let us repent as fast as we can and get home where we belong.

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The Parable Of Two Sons (1)

Posted on May 2, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Damian Siodłak on Unsplash

Every time I come to a parable of Jesus, I learn more things about Jesus AND MYSELF. Sunday night we studied the most difficult parable Jesus ever gave, the Parable of the Cheating Business Manager (Luke 16:1-13). Tonight we’re going to look at the LONGEST PARABLE Jesus ever told. It is often called The Parable Of The Prodigal (Wandering) Son. It’s found in Luke chapter 15. Please turn there. Read with me:

(Luke 15:11 KJV) And he said, A certain man had TWO SONS:

Most Bibles have in the heading to this parable, “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”. As a result, most Pastors, myself included, have preached this parable as “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” (though no modern person knows what “Prodigal” means. Here’s what I learned when I studied it:

The word “Prodigal” is found in the Bible right next to the word “Purgatory”. It’s just not there.

Jesus introduces this parable by saying, “A certain man had TWO SONS”. And the truth is, neither son is a prize winner. Jesus leaves the parable open to many applications. Where I’ve often seen the parable used (and I’ve preached it this way myself), the characters are:

A “CERTAIN MAN” is God
The “YOUNGER” son is a lost person
The “ELDER SON” (vs 25) is a believer

I have also heard it preached that:

A “CERTAIN MAN” is God
The “YOUNGER” son is the sinner needing Grace
The “ELDER SON” is Israel

It can be preached that way. But there is yet another way this text can be preached. Before I tell you that way, let me explain what the main subject, the main point of the parable is. It is this.

God Is Unbelievably Gracious

Throughout this parable (22 verses, 384 words in the King James) that which shows forth is how gracious and kind God is. And this shouldn’t surprise us. The Bible says:

Exodus 34:6 (ESV) The Lord, the Lord, A GOD MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS, slow to anger, and ABOUNDING IN STEADFAST LOVE and FAITHFULNESS

God ABOUNDS in STEADY LOVE and FAITHFULNESS. What He promises, He will do. When God calls someone to salvation and that person receives the call and responds in faith, God covers them with His Grace. You cannot find but just a few people in the Scripture that God called to salvation who did not fail God in one way or another. And yet, God did not cast them away. They themselves hurt themselves by their stupid actions. But God is faithful, filled with grace.

Psalm 103:8-13 (ESV) The LORD IS MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS, slow to anger and ABOUNDING IN STEADFAST LOVE. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He DOES NOT DEAL WITH US ACCORDING TO OUR SINS, nor REPAY US ACCORDING TO OUR INIQUITIES. …

If God were to punish us each time we doubted Him, we would be puddles now. Though not every sin has the same weight (for Jesus spoke of the “greater sin” (John 19:11) and “greater punishment” (Luke 12:47-48)),

Every sin separates us from God.

God told His Old Covenant Israel,

Isaiah 59:2 … your INIQUITIES HAVE SEPARATED YOU FROM YOUR GOD; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that HE WILL NOT HEAR.

Sin does not make God hate His children by faith. But sin separates us from God, taking us to where He cannot commune with us. King David, a child of God, wrote:

Psalm 66:18 If I REGARD (rā’â) iniquity in my heart, the LORD WILL NOT HEAR ME.

Word Study: The word “REGARD” (Hebrew rā’â, Qal Perfect) means “to look at, to observe, to gaze on”. What David is saying is that you know there is sin in your life, but instead of repenting, you dwell on it and in it. You make your peace with it. You get used to it. And doing so takes us far from God.

So I want to go back and talk about the THIRD way to preach this parable. Go back to the beginning. Jesus says:

(Luke 15:11 KJV) And he said, A CERTAIN MAN HAD TWO SONS:

Let’s consider the parable this way. This is NOT a lost and a saved person. These are TWO SONS. They are not just creations of the CERTAIN MAN or God, but they have been born again into the family of God. The Bible teaches us that when we all enter this world, we enter it physically alive but spiritually dead. We have earthly, physical parents. But God is not our FATHER from birth. He is our CREATOR, but we do not know Him. Jesus explained it this way:

“That which is BORN OF THE FLESH IS FLESH, and that which is BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT” (John 3:6).

Everyone is born in the flesh. By our first birth we are flesh. We are born physically alive, but spiritually dead. Jesus told a disciple “Come, follow Me”, and that disciple said “I’ve got to go and bury my father first”. Jesus told him, “Let the DEAD bury the DEAD” (Luke 9:60). Let the spiritually dead be overly concerned about burying physically dead people. Follow Jesus. Period.

Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3, 5 (LSB) Truly, truly, I say to you, UNLESS ONE IS BORN AGAIN HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” … [5] … unless one is BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT HE CANNOT ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

You cannot be in proximity to God, nor even understand the most apparent truths of God, unless you are BORN into His family by faith in Christ. The Apostle said …

(Romans 8:7-8 ESV) For the mind that is SET ON THE FLESH is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. [8] Those who are IN THE FLESH CANNOT PLEASE GOD.

(1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV) The NATURAL PERSON DOES NOT ACCEPT THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD, for they are FOLLY to him, and HE IS NOT ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THEM because they are spiritually discerned.

In this parable “A CERTAIN MAN” (who represents God) has TWO SONS. Both are born into the family. Both have inheritances. Let’s not consider this two men without God.

What If This Is This Is TWO SONS In
DIFFERENT STAGES OF FAITH.

What do I mean by “faith”? The word “FAITH” is very common in our world, but people define if differently.

* Some people define faith as wishful thinking. “I have FAITH we’ll win the championship”.
* Others define faith as a set of doctrines. “I follow the Christian FAITH”.
* Yet others define faith as a way to manipulate God so as to get something. They say, “If you BELIEVE hard enough and have ENOUGH FAITH, God will answer your prayer in the way you want”. It’s like putting God in a holy headlock.

Faith as the Bible defines it is none of those things. The Bible defines “faith” this way:

(Hebrews 11:6 LSB) And WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM, for he who DRAWS NEAR to God must BELIEVE THAT HE IS and [that] He is a rewarder of those who SEEK HIM.

Faith is to believe that God is Who He says He is. Faith is to draw NEAR to God. Faith is to desire God, to seek Him because you must have Him. Faith trusts God, and obeys God. The day we are saved, we simply gives ourselves to Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Then as sons of God we follow Him one day at a time, one step at a time.

And here’s the kicker: Christians can and do get away from God. Even Christians in Church get away from God. It happens. The maturity of a Christian is shown in their consistent works for God. The believer loves God. As we follow Him, we grow closer to Him. But sometimes, we make bad decisions. The Christians that grow and mature believe two things:

1. God has a purpose for all the things happening in my life, even things I think are bad. The Bible says:

(Romans 8:28 LSB) And we know that for those who love God ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD, for THOSE WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.

2. I am to praise God and show gratitude to Him even when life is difficult. God loves me, and I will trust His process.

That’s developed faith. That’s mature faith. But young Christians receive blessings from God (the CERTAIN MAN) and wander away. Let’s look at it that way.

(Luke 15:12 KJV) And the YOUNGER of (the Sons) said to [his] father, Father, GIVE ME THE PORTION OF GOODS THAT FALLETH TO ME. And He divided unto them [his] living.

What Jesus is saying here is actually shocking to the audience, and it should be shocking to us. The Young Son is treating his Father as if He were dead already!

Under the Law of Moses the firstborn child received a double portion of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:15-17), whereas the other children received a portion. When Abraham neared death “Abraham gave all he had unto Isaac” (Genesis 25:5). But he did this just before dying. We see this throughout the Bible. When

Isaac was dying, he blessed Jacob (Genesis 27)
Jacob was dying, he blessed his sons (Genesis 48-49)
David was dying, he blessed Solomon (1 Kings 1-2)

The inheritance is not normally given until the Father is dying or dead. Though it was not unlawful to transfer property to the children early, it was highly unusual. The only clear place I can find in the Bible where this is done is in this parable. So it’s shocking! It would make the audience gasp!

The young son is the picture of a young believer, someone who has been born again. He is a son. But he treats the Father as if He were dead. In the ancient world, if a child treated the Father in this way, the parents had the right to have the child killed. The Law says that a child who disrespects his parents …

(Deuteronomy 21:19-21 KJV) THEN shall his father and his mother LAY HOLD ON HIM, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; [20] And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This OUR SON IS STUBBORN AND REBELLIOUS, he WILL NOT OBEY OUR VOICE; [he is] a glutton, and a drunkard. [21] And ALL THE MEN OF HIS CITY WILL STONE HIM WITH STONES, THAT HE DIE: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

What does “The CERTAIN MAN” or God do when the young son impudently demands his inheritance? The Scripture declares, “If we are FAITHLESS, GOD REMAINS FAITHFUL – for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). Beloved, we have ALL failed God at one time or another. In 30 years of ministry …

I have seen people come to Christ, professing Him as Lord and Savior. Then I have seen them wander away from God, sometimes for years.

Does God kill His children that wander away? No, for “He divided unto them [his] living”. God is merciful and kind. He lets us have our free will.

(Luke 15:13 KJV) And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there WASTED HIS SUBSTANCE with RIOTOUS LIVING (asōtōs zaō).

Word Study: Jesus said that the young son, “wasted his substance with RIOTOUS LIVING”, the Greek asōtōs zaō. The word asōtōs is only used here in the Bible by our Lord. The word means to “be given to reckless waste, extravagance, a lifestyle that is ultimately destructive”. The Bible tells us that God is the Source of LIFE. “God gives everyone LIFE” (Acts 17:25). “The LORD is Your LIFE” (Deuteronomy 30:20). Jesus said in John 14:6, “I AM the way, the truth, and THE LIFE”. When you walk away from God, your LIFE will begin to degrade. God gave you physical life. God gives you spiritual life. Walk away from God, and you cut yourself off from the Source. I can take a rechargeable flashlight and use it to get light. But if I don’t recharge it, get it back to the source, I’ll be in the dark. I can use my cell phone but, if I don’t return it to the Source, in time it will be DEAD and USELESS. This is the lesson that all Christians must understand.

(Luke 15:14 KJV) And when HE HAD SPENT ALL, there arose a mighty FAMINE in that land; and he BEGAN TO BE IN WANT

Who causes famines? Are they just accidents of nature? God told Israel when they walked away from Him:

(Leviticus 26:15, 17, 19-20 LSB) if, instead, YOU REJECT MY STATUTES, and if your soul loathes My judgments so as not to do all My commandments [and] so break My covenant, … [17] ‘And I WILL SET MY FACE AGAINST YOU so that you will be DEFEATED BEFORE YOUR ENEMIES; and those who hate you will have dominion over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you. … YOUR LAND WILL NOT GIVE FORTH ITS PRODUCE and the TREES OF THE LAND WILL NOT GIVE FORTH THEIR FRUIT.

The young man lost his resources, then God sent famine into the land. The young man got as low as he could get.

(Luke 15:15-16 KJV) And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and HE SENT HIM INTO HIS FIELDS TO FEED THE SWINE. [16] And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and NO MAN GAVE UNTO HIM.

Christian, if you wander from God, you wander from the Source of your power and of your blessing. A Christian walking with the darkness and not with the light is an abnormality.

I have seen so many who professed Christ as Savior and Lord, but who turned against Him with their lives. And I have buried man from cancers, and diseases without measure, who were once members of Churches but who wandered from holy land into devilish darkness. Were these people saved, but later lost. I believe they were still sons of God, for in Jesus parable this young man was still a ‘SON”. As the pressure mounted, finally we read:

(Luke 15:17-19 KJV) And when HE CAME TO HIMSELF, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! [18] I WILL ARISE AND GO TO MY FATHER, and will say unto him, FATHER, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST HEAVEN, and BEFORE THEE, [19] And am NO MORE WORTHY TO BE CALLED THY SON: make me as one of thy hired servants.

Pride Takes Us Away From God.
Humility & Repentance Brings Us Back.

Sons of God should be walking with God, not with the world.

(Ephesians 5:8-11 LSB) you were FORMERLY DARKNESS, but now YOU ARE LIGHT IN THE LORD; WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT [9] (for the fruit of that light [consists] in all goodness and righteousness and truth), [10] trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. [11] And DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE UNFRUITFUL WORKS OF DARKNESS, but instead even expose them.

Whereas before the young son pridefully demanded his rights and his inheritance, now he humbles himself, begging a servant’s place before his Father. He is unworthy, and knows it. This is the point where God can use you. God can’t use arrogant people. God doesn’t care how educated you are. He wants you in His presence, willing to do as He says. As the young son heads home, his mindset is Father, “am NO MORE WORTHY TO BE CALLED THY SON: make me as one of thy hired servants”. So what happens?

(Luke 15:20-24 KJV) And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. [21] And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. [22] But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put [it] on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on [his] feet: [23] And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill [it]; and let us eat, and be merry: [24] For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

This is not the end of the parable, but this is a good place to stop. The Father takes the repentant son back without question or restriction. We’ll talk about that – and about the other son – in another message. Remember, this is “The Parable of the Two Sons”. Sunday night we’ll look at this parable again, and look at the Elder Son. Until then, God Bless You!

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A Question Of Power

Posted on April 29, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Milen Kolev on Unsplash

Mark 11:27-33 (KJV) And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, THERE COME TO HIM THE CHIEF PRIESTS, and THE SCRIBES, and THE ELDERS, 28 And say unto {Jesus}, BY WHAT AUTHORITY DOEST THOU THESE THINGS? And WHO GAVE THEE THIS AUTHORITY TO DO THESE THINGS? 29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The BAPTISM OF JOHN, was [it] from heaven, or of men? Answer me. 31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? 32 But if we shall say, Of men; THEY FEARED THE PEOPLE: for all [men] counted John, that he was a prophet indeed. 33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

A Rebuking Parable To A Foolish Question

When Jesus spoke a parable (Greek parabole), it was always in reaction to something someone said to Him. Parabole means to lay alongside. It taught a spiritual truth by comparing it to a physical story. In His parables, Jesus taught, but at other times rebuked or corrected. We’re going to look at a rebuking parable today.

You need to understand the background. Jesus has ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people celebrate His coming in an event we call Palm Sunday. In a few days Jesus will be crucified on a cross between two thieves. Before His crucifixion Jesus will cast the moneychangers out of the Temple, something that made the scribes and chief priests angry (Mark 11:15-19). Why? Because they were making money off of selling sacrifices to pilgrims during the Feast of the Passover. The next day we see:

Mark 11:27-28 (KJV) And they {Jesus and His Apostles} come again to Jerusalem: and as HE WAS WALKING IN THE TEMPLE, there come to him the CHIEF PRIESTS, and the SCRIBES, and the ELDERS, 28 And say unto him, BY WHAT AUTHORITY DOEST THOU THESE THINGS? And WHO GAVE THEE THIS AUTHORITY to do these things?

They lost their little side business in the Temple. They were selling sacrifices and exchanging money for Jewish coinage at a profit, taking advantage of the Law of God to make money. The “ELDERS” that are mentioned here are the ruling Elders of Israel called “The Sanhedrin”, considered the supreme authority among the Jews. It’s 70 or 71 members included high ranking priests, scribes, and Pharisees. The Sanhedrin was both a religious as well as a legal court, interpreting and enforcing the Law of Moses as they interpreted the Law.

The moneychangers and the sellers in the Court of the Gentiles were authorized by the Sanhedrin. Who gave Jesus authority to chase these moneychangers out? Religion doesn’t care about souls, but about prestige, power, and at heart profit.

Preach: Jesus’ authority was not derived from the Sanhedrin. Jesus didn’t just overthrow tables, He challenged the Sanhedrin’s power. How dare He do what He did? Jesus exposed the Sanhedrin as the self righteous bunch they were. He hurt their prestige. “We are the rulers – not You, Nazarene”. And where it really hurt, Jesus took away their unrighteous profit. Now it’s ON! They are HOT! How DARE You do what You did, you silly Nazarite Rabbi?

Jesus is more than a backwater Rabbi. Jesus is God in the flesh. Jesus applied the title “Son of Man” to Himself, a title for the Messiah. Jesus called Himself “The Son of God”, “making Himself EQUAL WITH GOD” (John 5:18). So what does Jesus do? How does He answer these enraged dupes? It’s genius!

Mark 11:29-30 (KJV) Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The BAPTISM OF JOHN, was [it] FROM HEAVEN, or OF MEN? answer me.

Who authorized John the Baptist to baptize in the wilderness? Was it something some man authorized, or did it come of God? Did the Sanhedrin approve John and authorize him to baptize? No, because John called them a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 3:7). John told them to “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8). They were not friends with John.

It Is A Question Of Authority

Did John come of his own accord and start baptizing, or did he come because God called him to come? It was prophesied that when the Messiah was to come, that He would have a Herald who would go before Him. The Prophet Isaiah foretold:

Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD, make straight in the desert a HIGHWAY FOR OUR GOD.

God was coming, and John was like the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY Highway Department. He was authorized to spiritually pave a road that the Messiah would enter into His ministry on.

God through the Prophet Malachi said:

Malachi 3:1 Behold, I WILL SEND MY MESSENGER, and he shall prepare the way before Me

When John came, he told the crowd that “I am not the Messiah”, but “I am the Voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah”. Jesus later affirmed that John the Baptist was chosen of God to be His Herald (Matthew 11:10, 14). God chose John to be the Herald of the Messiah. The Angel of God told Zacharias, John’s father that:

Luke 1:13-17 (AP) your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son … and many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God … HE SHALL GO BEFORE MESSIAH … to PREPARE THE PEOPLE FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD …

The leaders of Israel are asked by Jesus, “By Whose authority did JOHN do what he did?” I want you to notice what the leaders of Israel did.

Mark 11:31-32 (KJV) And they REASONED WITH THEMSELVES, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; {Jesus} will say, Why then did ye not believe him? 32 But if we shall say, Of men; they FEARED THE PEOPLE: for all [men] counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

The leaders of Israel did not turn to the Scripture. They “REASONED WITH THEMSELVES”. These are supposed to be leaders of Israel, but they have detached themselves from the Scripture. They are not living by the Law of Moses. They have taken God off of the throne, and their opinion is now the god they follow.

These people have never examined Jesus in the light of what God has said in His Word. They never saw the ministry of John as God’s fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Neither John nor Jesus suited their agendas. But they dare not deny John lest the people turn on them. And if they don’t deny John, and John affirmed Jesus is the Messiah, then they look like fools.

Jesus Doesn’t Answer Directly, But He
Does Answer With A Parable

Mark 12:1 (KJV) And {Jesus} began to speak UNTO THEM {the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders} by parables. A [certain] man PLANTED A VINEYARD, and SET A HEDGE about [it], and digged [a place for] the WINE FAT {hypolēnion}, and BUILT A TOWER, and let it out to HUSBANDMEN {geōrgos}, and went into a far country.

Word Study: In this parable a “MAN PLANTS A VINEYARD”. The purpose of a vineyard – a place where grapes are raised – is to make wine. This Man plants the vineyard, then “SETS A HEDGE” or a fence around that vineyard to protect it from harm. The Man puts in a wine press, and makes a place for the “WINE FAT” or the vessel that holds the juice of the grapes. It’s like a big vat. The Man also “BUILT A TOWER”, that is, He put a watchtower over the field, high above the crop to look after it. The Man, the Owner of the Vineyard, then contacts “HUSBANDMEN”, what you might call hired farmers or gardeners. It was the job of the farmers to oversee and make sure the vineyard was profitable for the owner.

Now what are all these elements? The Man is a picture of God, and the Vineyard a picture of God’s people. God planted the Vineyard. God loved the Vineyard. God came to Abraham., and told him:

Genesis 12:2-3 (AP) I will MAKE OF YOU A GREAT NATION {Israel} … in you shall ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD WILL BE BLESSED

God asked Abraham to follow Him, to obey Him, and Abraham did. And God blessed Abraham. Over time God raised up Jacob, renamed him Israel, and from Israel came God’s people. God gave Israel great promises. He planted Israel in Egypt, allowed it to grow, then moved Israel toward the Promised Land. God loved His people, His Israel. God set a HEDGE around Israel:

Isaiah 5:1-2, 7 (NKJV) Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved REGARDING HIS VINEYARD: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. 2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected [it] to bring forth [good] grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes…. 7 For the VINEYARD OF THE LORD OF HOSTS IS THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL

God put a HEDGE around His people. He gave them the Law and the Prophets. God puts a hedge around those whom He loves (Job 1:10). God gave Israel a place their own – the Promised Land. God built a TOWER for His people by watching over them.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a STRONG TOWER: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress… my HIGH TOWER…

Psalm 61:3 For Thou {O Lord} hast been a shelter for me, and a STRONG TOWER from the enemy

Preach: Then God called geōrgos, skilled Farmers to oversee the Vineyard. The FARMERS were the leaders God called to His people. The Leaders are the Priests, the Pharisees and Sadducees, the Sanhedrin itself. The Farmers do not own the vineyard. God planted the vineyard. Adam didn’t own the Garden of Eden. He was to farm it, as a sharecropper, to manage it for God. The Farmers were not to make the rules, but were to follow the rules set by the Owner of the Vineyard. You don’t make the rules. The Pastor doesn’t make the rules. The Southern Baptist Convention doesn’t make the rules. I don’t care if you’ve been to Seminary, and have a string of doctorates – no one makes the rules BUT THE OWNER OF THE VINEYARD.

Now we come to the meat of the parable. Jesus continues:

Mark 12:2-5 (KJV) And at the season He {this is God} sent to the HUSBANDMEN {the leaders of Israel} a SERVANT {a Prophet}, that He might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they caught {God’s Servant}, and beat him, and sent [him] away empty. 4 And again he sent unto them another SERVANT {another Prophet}; and at him they cast stones, and wounded [him] in the head, and sent [him] away shamefully handled. 5 And again HE {God, the Owner of the Vineyard, of Israel} sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.

The Owner of the Vineyard has the right to the FRUIT of that Vineyard. God told Israel:

Isaiah 5:2 (NKJV) {God} expected {His Vineyard Israel} to bring forth GOOD grapes, But it brought forth WILD grapes.

What did God mean by that? He explains in:

Isaiah 5:7 (NKJV) For the Vineyard of the LORD of hosts [is] the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for JUSTICE, but behold, OPPRESSION; For RIGHTEOUSNESS, but behold, a cry [for help].

The fruit that God expected was JUSTICE. He expected His people to love one another, and to help others find salvation through God. God said to Israel:

Leviticus 19:18 You shall not AVENGE or BEAR ANY GRUDGE … but YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF: I am Your LORD

God commands His New Testament Church, (Matthew 7:12) “All things that you want others to DO TO YOU, DO IT TO THEM”. It is in no way loving to sell sacrifices to people trying to get to God. It is OPPRESSIVE, not freeing. God looked for RIGHTEOUSNESS, but found only oppressed people crying out for HELP.

Righteousness doesn’t mean holier than thou. Righteousness means to DO THAT WHICH GOD CONSIDERS RIGHT, regardless as to what others say. The Owner of the Vineyard sets the standard, not the Vineyard nor the Farmers.

When God looks at the Vineyard, the fruit He expects is worship from His people. We are not to chase golden calves. The fruit the Owner expects is OBEDIENCE and REPENTANCE, HUMILITY and TRANSPARENCY. Anything else is a wild grape, unfit for the work of God. The Apostle tells us to avoid the wild grapes, the grapes Whose vine is not Christ. These wild grapes “have a form or show of godliness, but deny the very power of God. Turn away from these people!” (2 Timothy 3:5).

When Sin Is Not Cast Out Of The Vineyard, It Grows

I want you to notice something else that Jesus has in this parable. Notice what happens with the “SERVANTS” or the Prophets that God sent to the Vineyard Israel. When the FIRST Servant was sent, the Farmers/ Overseers of the Vineyard “caught {God’s Servant}, and beat him, and sent [him] away empty”. When the SECOND Servant was sent, “at him they cast stones, and wounded [him] in the head, and sent [him] away shamefully handled”. They didn’t repent of their sin. No, they got stronger in their sin. When the THIRD Servant was sent, “him they killed”. This is what sin does when it is not dealt with – it GROWS.

They BEAT the first
They STONED the second
They KILLED the third

When the Bible tells us “The wages of sin is DEATH” (Romans 6:23), the first sin is a small thing. Think about it. When Cain first sinned, he was ENVIOUS of his brother Abel. God told Cain, (and I paraphrase Genesis 4:7)

“If you DO WELL, YOU WILL BE ACCEPTED. But if you refuse to repent, SIN LIES AT YOUR DOOR like a monster or a trap.”

Cain refused to repent. Envy became HATRED, then HATRED boiled over into MURDER and LYING TO GOD! Oh that Cain had repented! And what of Peter the Apostle. As Jesus was being tried, Peter was asked if he knew Jesus. The first sin was “I don’t know Him”. When challenged, Peter refused to repent. “I tell you, I don’t know this Jesus”. But challenged a third time, Peter SHOUTS with OATHS and CURSES. “Are you all deaf? Can’t you hear me? He is NOTHING to me! Nothing at all! This Jesus – I hate Him!”

and Peter died a little that day.

Sin never stays small. Oh no, don’t you believe it. The Bible tells us in the very first Psalm:

Psalm 1:1 (NKJV) Blessed is the man Who WALKS not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor STANDS in the path of sinners, Nor SITS in the seat of the scornful

When sin starts, it is a WALK. But if you will not repent, it turns to a tarrying. You STAND in sin. Then in time you become comfortable enough in sin to where you SIT and stew in it. This is what happened with the leaders of Israel. They forgot that the Vineyard didn’t belong to them. Then when it came time to provide fruit to the Owner (God), they ran off, hurt, and ultimately killed those whom the Lord of Glory sent. Beloved,

You don’t play with sin. Sin plays with YOU. It drags you down. It robs you of your calling and your peace. It makes you into a monster who justifies wild grapes rather than honorable fruit for the Master.

Sin Ultimately Kills The Son

The Owner of the Vineyard (God) is so wonderfully patient. We read:

Mark 12:6-8 (KJV) Having yet therefore one Son, His Well Beloved, He sent Him also last unto them, saying, THEY WILL REVERENCE MY SON. 7 But those husbandmen {the Farmers, the leaders of Israel} said among themselves, This is the Heir; come, let us kill Him, and the inheritance shall be ours.’ 8 And they took Him, and killed Him, and cast Him out of the vineyard.

When Jesus was baptized of John the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). John the Baptist told the leaders of Israel, “Behold! The Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The Bible says that “Jesus CAME UNTO HIS OWN, and HIS OWN WOULD NOT RECEIVE HIM” (John 1:11). The Sanhedrin knew by what authority Jesus did what He did. Jesus did not do what He did in the dark. He did not hide nor secret His word away. They knew that this was the Son of the Vineyard Owner. They knew that Jesus was the Son of God. But they said:

This is the Heir; come, let us kill Him, and the INHERITANCE shall be ours

They wanted the POWER and the PRESTIGE and the PROFIT of leading Israel. They wanted to be the BOSS, the OWNER, and not the SHARECROPPERS. Just like Adam, they forgot their place. Or knowing their place, they preferred damnation over obedience.

they took Him, and killed Him, and cast Him out of the vineyard

They saw the miracles He did. They heard from Heaven, but demanded yet another sign. So they killed Him. They had Him nailed to a Cross between two thieves. They mocked Him as He hung bleeding and dying.

Matthew 27:35-43 (KJV) And they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture did they cast lots. 36 And sitting down they watched Him there; 37 And set up over His head His ACCUSATION written, This Is Jesus The King Of The Jews. 38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 39 And they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads, 40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. IF THOU BE THE SON OF GOD, come down from the cross. 41 Likewise also the CHIEF PRIESTS mocking him, with the SCRIBES and ELDERS {The Farmers of the Vineyard}, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. IF HE BE THE KING OF ISRAEL, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 HE TRUSTED IN GOD; let {God} deliver him now, if {God} will have Him: for He said, I AM THE SON OF GOD.

The Leaders of the Vineyard know Who Jesus is. But they killed Him, hoping to rule the Vineyard, to be gods themselves. This is what sinners do. They hope to rule the Vineyard, to control the Kingdom of God. The Parable ends with:

Mark 12:9 (KJV) What shall therefore the Lord of the vineyard do? He will come and DESTROY THE HUSBANDMEN, and will GIVE THE VINEYARD UNTO OTHERS.

God bent over BACKWARDS with Israel. He sent His Beloved Son Jesus “to the Jew FIRST, and also to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16; 2:9-10). The Kingdom of God on earth was Israel. But The Leaders of Israel thought they owned the Kingdom. Israel thought they could make up their own rules. The Sanhedrin thought they were gods. Jesus warned them:

Matthew 21:43 The KINGDOM OF GOD SHALL BE TAKEN FROM YOU, and GIVEN TO A NATION BRINGING FORTH THE FRUITS THEREOF.

Though many Israelites turned to Jesus and received Him as Lord and Savior, God moved His Kingdom from Israel to the Church. Because the Leaders of Israel rejected the Messiah – the “Builders” – God removed the Kingdom (for now) from Israel. Jesus told them:

Mark 12:10-11 (KJV) And have ye not read this scripture; The STONE which THE BUILDERS REJECTED is become the HEAD of the corner: [11] This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?

God moved His Kingdom from Israel to the Church. Today the Kingdom of God is composed of those who reverence the Son of God, and who bring forth grapes, NOT wild grapes. There are a few things I can say as we close this text today.

1. What God did with Israel, He can do with this CHURCH! This is God’s Vineyard. Jesus said, “I am the VINE, and you are the BRANCHES” (John 15:5). We are to abide in Jesus, in His Word. We are to produce grapes, not wild grapes. If we fail to do so, as the Owner shut Israel down, He can shut us down.

2. What God did with the Rulers, He can do with YOU. God gave you life, and only God can give you eternal life. God made you to walk with Him. He proved this by sending His Son. Will you walk with Him? Or will you, like the Rulers of Israel, kill Jesus so that you can rule your own life? If you do, if you reject Jesus, just know that Jesus is the HEAD of the CORNER. There is no building without Jesus. There is no vineyard, no fruit, no joy without Jesus. James S. Stewart wrote:

“Come, let us kill Him, and the Vineyard will be ours”. No, they killed Him once, and He arose. They could have killed Him a hundred times and a hundred times He has risen. And He is living tonight, and He is here. Of all the strange delusions, the strangest, wildest, insanest, is to think we can get rid of Jesus.

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The Parable Of The Cheating Steward

Posted on April 29, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Fabio Sasso on Unsplash

Tonight we’re going to look at one of the most difficult parables Jesus ever told. We’ll be in Luke 16:1-13. Most Bible texts will have at the head of this section, “The Parable of the Unrighteous Steward”. We read in verse:

(Luke 16:8 KJV) And the lord commended the UNJUST STEWARD, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

Word Study: Jesus called the man the “UNJUST STEWARD”, the Greek

adikia oikonomos, which means “a manager or overseer who does evil or wickedness”. Jesus uses the word adikia four times in the Book of Luke. The first time is in:

(Luke 13:27 KJV) But {The Master of the House} shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, all [ye] workers of INIQUITY (adikia).

Here He refers to those who were told to enter into the narrow gate, but refused to come for whatever reason. They made other things more important than coming when Jesus called to salvation because they did other things and made other things more important than salvation. Their works were not necessarily evil (like robbery, murder, rape, etc), but they made what they wanted more important than answering the call of the Master of the House (Jesus). You see, sin is not just a violation of the Ten Commandments, or doing something evil. Sin is to NOT DO WHAT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO as well.

I would call this parable “The Parable of the CHEATING Overseer”. He knew what his job entailed, but he snuck around and cheated the customer in order to increase his gain. And he got reported!

Let’s get into our parable:

(Luke 16:1-2 KJV) And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain RICH MAN, which had a STEWARD; and the same was ACCUSED unto him that he had WASTED HIS GOODS. [2] And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

In Jesus’ parable there is a RICH MAN who owns a large company. We don’t know all of the items that this rich man’s business sold, but we do know he invested in oil and wheat. He hired a STEWARD, a man who was to oversee the buying and selling of both oil and wheat. The steward owned nothing, but was responsible to properly manage what had been entrusted to him so the Owner of the company could see the company grow.

Word Study: But there was a problem. Someone contacted the rich man and told him “Your steward is WASTING (diaskorpizō) your goods. The Greek diaskorpizō means “to scatter, as if sowing, to throw into the air”. The purpose of the Business Manager is to MAKE MONEY for the owner of the company. Whatever this man is doing is not making money, but throwing money to the wind. Customers are leaving the company. Sales are dropping. What is this man doing?

We’ll find out in a minute this man was selling oil at a 100% markup, and selling wheat at a 20% markup. He was taking the product, inflating the cost, and pocketing the difference. When people went to buy oil or wheat, they were not buying it from this company because the other companies sold it at a better or lower price. When the owner looked into it, he called the man in and told him “give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward”.

So what does this cheating business manager do? We read:

(Luke 16:3-4 KJV) Then the steward said WITHIN HIMSELF, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. [4] I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

This man doesn’t go to God, but he is a shrewd man. So he starts to think. In the ancient world, an unskilled laborer could do something like dig ditches, or could beg for alms. When word gets around that this business manager has been dishonest at his company, no one’s going to want to hire him. The one thing he knows is sales. So he takes what he has, and acts so that once his stewardship is gone perhaps “they may receive me into their houses”.

(Luke 16:5-7 KJV) So he called every one of his lord’s debtors [unto him], and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? [6] And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. [7] Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

Now what the steward is doing is not robbing the rich man. Instead he goes back to those who bought OIL and has them reduce their bill by 50% – the same amount that he inflated the bill by when he sold that oil. And to those he sold WHEAT he has them reduce their bill by 20%. Again, this was the same amount that he inflated the bill by. How did the rich man react to this? We read:

(Luke 16:8 KJV) And the lord COMMENDED {epaineō} the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

Word Study: The owner of the business PRAISED and APPROVED of what this man did. This man did not steal from the owner. He reimbursed the customers what he had taken before. Jesus was not saying the rich man approved theft, for theft is a sin. The business manager is returning his illegally gotten commission back to those he stole it from. Jesus says “the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light”. There’s something we can learn from this cheating business manager.

Use Your Money Wisely, For It Is A Stewardship You Will Be Held Accountable For

Luke 16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the MAMMON OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into EVERLASTING HABITATIONS.

The “CHILDREN OF LIGHT” (a title for a Christian – see John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5) often fail to understand a principle of salvation. The principle is this.

We are saved by faith in Christ. We are saved by surrendering our lives to Him. Once saved, we become the POSSESSIONS of God. And everything we own, we really don’t own it. We are STEWARDS of all that we have.

(1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN? [20] For ye are BOUGHT WITH A PRICE: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, WHICH ARE GOD’S.

(1 Peter 2:9 LSB) But you are A CHOSEN FAMILY, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God’s] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

(2 Timothy 2:19 KJV) Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The LORD KNOWETH THEM THAT ARE HIS. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

The Christian is the property and Child of God. We are not the owners of anything. God owns our bodies, and our souls. God owns the stuff we think we own. Everything we have is a STEWARDSHIP. It belongs to God, and God has entrusted it to us to use to grow His Kingdom.

Now God doesn’t care that we have nice things. God is not against us as Christians having money. Abraham was rich, and got richer as he followed God. Job was rich, and got richer as he followed the Lord. But when Job lost his riches, he said:

Job 1:21 (ESV) Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

Job realized he was just a steward of all that God gave him. Job’s greatest possession was God Himself, not money or things. It was God. “The LORD MAKES POOR and MAKES RICH; He brings low, and He exalts” (1 Samuel 2:7, ESV). Everything we have belongs to God. And one day we will have to report to God on how we used our stewardship.

Luke 16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the MAMMON OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS; that, WHEN YOU FAIL, they may receive you into EVERLASTING HABITATIONS.

What did Jesus mean by “MAMMON OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS”? Pastor R.C. Spoul wrote:

“When Jesus said, “Make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon,” He was not saying to go out and steal money. “Unrighteous mammon” was an idiom used in that day simply to describe worldly goods. Jesus was saying, “Be careful about how you use your worldly goods,” because every one of us has worldly goods and is a steward of those worldly goods. Everything that you and I have comes from God. We do not own it; He does. We are stewards in the kingdom of God. God requires from us not unjust stewardship but just stewardship.”

How we use our money and resources should benefit and not take away from the Kingdom of God.

“WHEN YOU FAIL” – and we will all “FAIL” or leave this life one day, if you were a good steward of what God gave you there will be others in Heaven (everlasting habitations, aiōnios skēnē, the world without beginning or end). How you use your resources should look toward eternity. Think about it. You come into Heaven one day, and someone comes up to you and says “Thank you for leading me to Jesus. I owe my eternity to you!” And you look at that person and say, “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you”. And that person smiles, and says “Maybe not, but your gift led me to Jesus. Your investment in missions, your contribution to the Gideons, your giving to the poor, where you gave willingly of your substance, God used it to reach me with the Gospel”.

The Cheating Business Manager Learned That Money Is Not That Important. We Need To Learn The Same.

Luke 16:10-12 He that is faithful in that which is LEAST is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11 IF THEREFORE YOU HAVE NOT BEEN FAITHFUL IN THE UNRIGHTEOUS MAMMON, WHO WILL COMMIT TO YOUR TRUST TRUE RICHES? 12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?

The place where many people stumble is with money. Money is just a tool. Money is what Jesus considered the LEAST. Money comes and goes. Jesus warned us:

Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURE IN HEAVEN, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO.

A believer should never place too much emphasis on money. The cheating Business Manager realized once he misused his stewardship, that it would be better to have NO BANK ACCOUNT but a PLACE TO GO ONCE HE LEFT HIS CURRENT LIFE. Jesus said “IF THEREFORE YOU HAVE NOT BEEN FAITHFUL IN THE UNRIGHTEOUS MAMMON, WHO WILL COMMIT TO YOUR TRUST TRUE RICHES”. If you do not handle your money in a way that honors the Kingdom of God, then why would you expect reward in Heaven when you stand before Jesus. The Bible tells us that:

(2 Corinthians 5:8-10 KJV) We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be ABSENT FROM THE BODY, and to be PRESENT WITH THE LORD. [9] Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, WE MAY BE ACCEPTED OF HIM. [10] For WE MUST ALL APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST; that every one may RECEIVE THE THINGS DONE IN HIS BODY, according to that he hath done, WHETHER IT BE GOOD OR BAD.

We will stand before the Owner of this Company, the Kingdom of God, one day in glory. We will have to give an account of how we used our stewardship. Those who stored up treasure in Heaven, who did not worship money but used it for the glory of God, will be rewarded.

We will rule and reign with Christ if we were faithful in that which is least, in the unrighteous mammon.

Money is to be your tool, your stewardship, something you manage for the glory of God and the promotion of His Kingdom. Money is NOT to be your master.

Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. YOU CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MAMMON.

The Christian is to serve the Lord Jesus, not money. Money is a stewardship, a tool, but it is not our God. Under the Law of Moses, the believer was to TITHE. Jesus told the Pharisees:

(Matthew 23:23 NKJV) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you PAY TITHE of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier [matters] of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, WITHOUT LEAVING THE OTHERS UNDONE.

Under the Law, the MINIMUM given to God was 10% of your increase, also called a TITHE. But under GRACE, hear me Christian, EVERYTHING YOU OWN BELONGS TO GOD. Not just 10%. ALL OF IT. The Bible says:

(2 Corinthians 9:7-11 NKJV) [So let] each one GIVE AS HE PURPOSES IN HIS HEART, not GRUDGINGLY or OF NECESSITY; for GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER. [8] And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always HAVING ALL SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS, may HAVE AN ABUNDANCE FOR EVERY GOOD WORK. [9] As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” [10] Now may HE WHO SUPPLIES SEED TO THE SOWER, and BREAD FOR FOOD, supply and multiply the seed you have [sown] and increase the fruits of your righteousness, [11] while [you are] ENRICHED IN EVERYTHING FOR ALL LIBERALITY, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

We do not owe God 10%. We are God’s possession. God owns us. We owe God EVERYTHING. His Kingdom is the business we manage. If we do well, we will be abundantly rewarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ. God told those under the Law of Moses:

(Malachi 3:10-12 NKJV) Bring ALL THE TITHES into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And TRY ME NOW IN THIS,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not OPEN FOR YOU THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN And POUR OUT FOR YOU SUCH BLESSING That [there will] not [be room] enough [to receive it]. [11] “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts; [12] “And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the LORD of hosts.

If God was faithful to those under the Law, will He not be faithful to those under Grace? Yes He will. Let us not, as the lost world does, worship money. Let us worship God, and use all we have as good stewards to promote His Kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Be Broken Like Agur

Posted on April 24, 2026 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

Through the first 29 chapters of Proverbs we have studied the sayings of Solomon, though Solomon may not have created all, but he collected them all.

Proverbs 1-22:16 Proverbs of Solomon
Proverbs 22:17-24:34 Proverbs of the “Wise”, collected by Solomon
Proverbs 25-29 Proverbs of Solomon compiled
by King Hezekiah’s wise men

Tonight we’re looking at the writings of an unknown man named Agur.

Agur Was A Broken Man

Proverbs 30:1 The words of Agur [āḡûr (pro. aw-goor’)] the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

No one knows who these people really are. We are told in:

1 Kings 4:30-32 KJV Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. 32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.

Solomon was the wisest man of his day. But there are others who were wise, “Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol”. My commentary notes that āḡûr (pro. aw-goor’) – his name means “one who gathers or collects” – could have been one of the wise men who lived during Solomon’s reign.

What is interesting about āḡûr (pro. aw-goor’) is that Derek Kidner’s Commentary he notes that both chapters 30 & 31 are from non-Israelites, just like the Book of Job.

When Agur refers to God, he uses the Hebrew אֱלוֹהַּ (‘ĕlôha), rather than Elohim the Triune Name of God. Eloha is singular, and used in the Book of Job (who was from the land of Uz) about 44 times. The Bible tells us that:

2 Peter 1:20-21 (NKJV) … no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for PROPHECY NEVER CAME BY THE WILL OF MAN, but HOLY MEN OF GOD SPOKE[as they were] MOVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Though he might have been a Gentile (perhaps an Arabian from Massa per Derek Kidner), the words he wrote as he was moved by the Holy Spirit. One of the most overriding principles of Christianity is that …

In order to be used of the Holy Spirit, you must be broken. You must be surrendered to God and His leading.

We see the brokenness of Agur in how he speaks of himself. He is possibly a public teacher, as he is addressing “Ithiel and Ucal”. He says of himself:

Proverbs 30:2-3 Surely I am more BRUTISH {baʿar, stupid, like a beast} than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. 3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

This word was used in Proverbs 12:1 to describe someone who could not be taught:

“he that HATETH REPROOF IS BRUTISH”

Agur is saying “like a beast, I am hard to teach”. He makes himself out to be the worst of men that he knows. The Apostle Paul often did this.

1 Timothy 1:15-16 (NKJV) This [is] a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save SINNERS, OF WHOM I AM CHIEF. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.

Paul is saying “When I’ve examined all around me, I am the worst sinner of all times. Yet God used me to lead others to Christ”. When Paul compared himself to the other Apostles, he wrote:

1 Corinthians 15:9-10 (NKJV) For I AM THE LEAST OF THE APOSTLES, who am NOT WORTHY TO BE CALLED AN APOSTLE, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But BY THE GRACE OF GOD I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God [which was] with me.

Paul is not an Apostle because he is better than other Christians. Paul is an Apostle because he is more broken than those around him. He gives glory to God. It is all of grace.

Ephesians 3:8 (NKJV) To me, WHO AM LESS THAN THE LEAST OF ALL THE SAINTS, this GRACE WAS GIVEN, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Paul not only calls himself to chiefest of sinners, the least of the Apostles, but the most unqualified Christian ever. Here is the principle: The more broken you are, the more God Himself can use you. God is using Agur because he is humble. Not like the Pharisees humble, but genuinely humble, unable to do.

Agur Did Not Doubt The Word of God

Proverbs 30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?

The words that Agur uses here are very similar to those of Moses. When Moses gave Israel the Word of God, the commandments that they were to follow, he said:

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (NKJV) For this commandment which I command you today [is] not [too] mysterious for you, nor [is] it far off. 12 “It [is] not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 “Nor [is] it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 “But THE WORD IS VERY NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART, that YOU MAY DO IT.

Only God has gone into Heaven and returned. Jesus said:

John 3:13 (NKJV) No one has ascended to heaven BUT HE WHO CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, [that is], the SON OF MAN WHO IS IN HEAVEN.

Only Jesus had – up to that point in human history – ascended to Heaven, and come down from Heaven. Our God is incomprehensible. He “GATHERS THE WIND IN HIS FISTS”. We can’t touch the wind nor hold the wind. God moves it as if it were a solid. God “BOUNDS THE WATERS IN A GARMENT”. It is God Who tells the sea, “thus far you shall come, AND NO FARTHER, and HERE shall your proud waves be STAYED” (Job 38:11). As Agur wrote, he said “can you tell me God’s Name, and God’s Son’s name?”.

Only God can reveal Who He is. Only God can reveal His Son Jesus as Messiah. The only way we know of God is through His Word, what HE has SAID to us.

Agur knew Who God was not because of his knowledge, but because he brokenly received the Word of God, trusting in it. We cannot know anything of God apart from His Word. We must, like Agur and Paul, become surrendered to God’s Word. Though God is incomprehensible, though God is higher than all our thoughts, “His Word IS VERY NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART, that YOU MAY DO IT”

God never tells us what He wants us to do, and makes it undo-able.

Proverbs 30:5 EVERY WORD OF GOD IS PURE: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.

The means by which we get closer to God is through the application of His Word. Most of the people who have joined the Church – it has been my experience – will join and come to the Church maybe on Sunday morning, and maybe regularly on Sunday morning. But I would honestly access that most of those who join the modern Church in America spend about 1 hour a week contemplating God, and no more than the 30-45 minute sermon on Sunday morning dwelling on the Word of God.

You cannot grow as Christians that way.

God can take a Saul and turn him into a Paul, and take a brutish man and turn him into an Agur, but only if the person is broken and willing to seek God out through the Scriptures. Many see the Bible as an old, outdated book. God says:

Psalm 12:6 (KJV) The WORDS OF THE LORD [are] PURE WORDS: [as] silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

God brings trials into our lives to break us, to bring us to the state of Agur, where we realize our full dependence on God. “For You, O GOD, have PROVED US, and TRIED US as SILVER is TRIED”. The Word of God is pure. God uses that Word to draw us closer to Him when we are tried.

Psalm 3:3-8 (KJV) But thou, O LORD, [art] a shield for me; my Glory, and the lifter up of mine head. 4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and He heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. 5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set [themselves] against me round about. 7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies [upon] the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. 8 SALVATION BELONGETH UNTO THE LORD: THY BLESSING IS UPON THY PEOPLE. Selah.

We cry out to God with our voice in prayer. God speaks His answer to us through His Word in our hearts.

Preach: Because people have rejected the Word of God – but want the Presence of God – many who profess to be Christians are spiritual Schizophrenics. When troubles come they don’t know how to deal with them, because the Word of Christ is not in their hearts. Lloyd J. Ogilvie wrote in his book “The Other Jesus”:

“(The Real Jesus is) not the Jesus we’ve created of our own making and faking – an easy going, good natured Jesus Who’s on call when we want Him to help us deal with our personal agenda. Having only this culturalized, benevolent, but somewhat weak ‘errand boy’ Jesus stunts our spiritual growth. ‘It’s a sniveling, modern invention … for which there’s no warrant in the Gospels”.

When the Living Word came into His Creation, He repeatedly said “it is written”, quoting and emphasizing the written Word of God. If you want to know more of God, you must surrender more of your life to God.

Proverbs 30:6 Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

We are to heed God’s Word, but not add to God’s Word. God warns us:

Deuteronomy 12:32 (ESV) Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. YOU SHALL NOT ADD TO IT OR TAKE FROM IT.

As God finished our Bible, He wrote:

Revelation 22:18-19 (ESV) I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone ADDS TO THEM, God will ADD TO HIM THE PLAGUES described in this book, and if anyone TAKES AWAY FROM THE WORDS of the book of this prophecy, God WILL TAKE AWAY HIS SHARE IN THE TREE OF LIFE and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

It is a serious thing to mishandle the Word of God. But it is a great blessing to learn from it, and to do as God has said.

Agur’s Prayer Was To Know More Of God

Proverbs 30:7-8 Two things have I REQUIRED (šā’al) of thee; deny me them not before I die: 8 REMOVE FAR FROM ME ALL VANITY AND LIES

What Agur does here is very similar to what Solomon did when God called him to be King over Israel. Solomon asked God to:

1 Kings 3:9 “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil”

Agur prayed and “BEGGED (šā’al)” God for two things. He asked God to remove “FAR FROM ME ALL VANITY AND LIES”. When King David prayed, he asked:

Psalm 27:4 (NKJV) ONE THING I HAVE DESIRED of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD All the days of my life, To BEHOLD THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD, And to INQUIRE IN HIS TEMPLE.

David prayed that the LORD would be the LORD of his home, and that He would be present in his life in a very real way. David wanted to “BEHOLD THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD”, and to “INQUIRE IN HIS TEMPLE”, to be able to speak face to face with God in glory.

Agur asked that God remove all “VANITY” or emptiness from his life, along with all “LIES”. That’s a really good prayer! We all often, when we misstep, tell ourselves lies to justify what we did. LET US BE REAL IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

Proverbs 30:8-9 give me NEITHER POVERTY OR RICHES; feed me with food CONVENIENT (ḥōq, pro. khoke) for me: 9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Agur asked God to help keep their relationship real, by removing anything that hindered a close relationship with God. And then Agur addressed the dangers of misplaced economy.

As I came to the Church this morning I saw a black, four door, top of the line Jeep pulling a trailer. On that trailer was the most tricked out golf cart I’ve ever seen. Agur would have fallen out! The person driving that Jeep, parading that gold cart on the new trailer, his focus is not a deeper relationship with God. This is the problem we have in America! Our gods are wealth and health. Jesus said:

Matthew 16:24-27 (NKJV) Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

If you want to follow Jesus, to get closer to God, you need to “DENY YOURSELF”. You can’t chase riches and Jesus at the same time. Agur prayed that God would give him just enough so that he could continue to pursue God without distraction. Agur didn’t want to be impoverished, for those whose bellies are gnawing with hunger cannot focus on a good relationship with God. But Agur didn’t want to be rich, because the rich are often focused on being richer rather than getting close to God. Agur said,

feed me with food CONVENIENT (ḥōq, pro. khoke) for me

Word Study: The word rendered “CONVENIENT” is the Hebrew ḥōq, which means “that which is prescribed or for the best of”. Agur said, “Lord, whatever You give me, I will receive it graciously knowing this is what YOU want me to have. I will be satisfied with the lot You have given me. Just let me be closer to You.”

This again is similar to what the Apostle Paul said:

Philippians 4:11-13 (KJV) Not that I speak in respect of want: for I HAVE LEARNED, in WHATSOEVER STATE I AM, THERE WITH TO BE CONTENT. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENETH ME.

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