Intro

This is Dreamwalker1960. As a reminder you can read the transcripts of all my podcasts at dreamwalker1960.com. You can use most podcast platforms if you wish to listen. All you need do is do a search for Dreamwalker1960.

Discussion

Today as we continue our study of “The Biblical teaching for those that have earthly wealth.” We will start with a study of some verses from the Gospel of Luke, and we will see where the Holy Spirit leads us in today’s podcast from there.

Luke 16:1-13 – Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. 2 So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’ 3 “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. 4 Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’ 5 “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ 6 The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’ 7 “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’ 8 “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. 9 Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home. 10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? 13 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

We will start in on Christ’s description of His parable from verses 9 – 13. Therefore, I will restate them in the KJV:

Luke 16:9-13 – 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. 10 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 ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the 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? 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. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Most of the verses here have importance to those that profess to being a follower of Jesus Christ. Accordingly, we will take a look at those that will cause people to think from different perspectives. We will start with verse eleven from the Amplified Bible classic

16:11 – Therefore if you have not been faithful in the [case of] unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), who will entrust to you the true riches?

Once again in the KJV so we can do a breakdown of certain words:

Luke 16:11 – If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

Ye have not – G3756 – ou, ouk, ouch – no or not

Faithful – G4103 – pistos – objectively trustworthy; subjectively trustful, faithful, reliable.

Unrighteous – G94 – adikos – unjust, by extension wicked by implication treacherous

Mammon – G3126 – mamónas – (Aramaic) riches, money, possessions, property

Will commit to your trust – G4100, G5213

               G4100 – pisteuó – to believe, entrust

               G5213 – humin – you

The takeaway from the translation:

If a person has not been trustworthy with their earthly riches, possessions and property how can they be trusted with those heavenly rewards yet to come.

What does this mean?

For that we look to Timothy:

1 Timothy 6:17-19 – Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

Verses 18 in the KJV:

1 Timothy 6:18 – That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

Now we will break this down.

That they do good – G14 – agathoergeó – do good: I work that which is good, perform good deeds.

Good – G2570 – kalos – beautiful, good. Properly beautiful, but chiefly (figuratively) good (literally or morally), that is valuable, virtuous.

Works – G2041 (G1511)

               G2041 – ergon – to work, toil, an act – deed, labor

               G1511 – einai – am, was, come, is, there is, to be, was

ready to distribute – G2130 – eumetadotos – ready to impart, good at imparting

               impart – to grant a part or share of. to give; bestow; communicate

willing to communicate – G2843 – koinónikos – willing to share, sociable, ready to communicate, beneficent.

Per the TDNT when these two words are combined as seen in this verse, these two words mean this: “He who gladly gives others a share.”

Therefore, this verse comes out saying:

They do good works that are virtuous who gladly gives others a share of their earthly riches.

Now most do not do this. They say they tithe their ten percent. They cling to the majority of their money and claim it as their rewards, and none are welcome to a share. Simply they have not been faithful with their corrupt riches. For it is made clear that to be faithful they must share most of it and joyfully.

Those who insist upon keeping their wealth. Using a majority share for their own wants and desires are poor stewards of their money. So, they are showing they cannot be trusted with their heavenly rewards. This is why we see this said in verse thirteen:

Luke 16:13 – “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

By seeking after more and more. Seeking after wealth, luxuries. Fancy clothes, possessions. Those that do this are enslaved to money. They do not serve God, even though in their eyes they believe they are. The Glorified Jesus Christ sent a letter to them:

Revelation 3:14-22 – “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation: 15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. 20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

The key element in the description of the lukewarm:

Revelation 3:17 – You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

“You say, I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!”

Does this not describe those that are enslaved to money and not God?

Do they not profess to being “Christian,” yet they insist upon having all their wealth for their own comforts and desires?

The Bible shows they are to give most away and to do it gladly, as stated earlier. Yet right now if they are still reading this, or listening to this. They are getting angry and protesting.

1 Timothy 6:4-10 -Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. 5 These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy. 6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

“To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.”

“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”

Later in Luke 16 this is said:

Luke 16:14-15 – The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. 15 Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.

Wealth, status, possessions and the seeking after them is seen as detestable in the sight of God.

Are people willing to accept their short comings?

Time is running out. For His return is nigh.

God Bless