The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue

to know the word that sustains the weary.

He wakens me morning by morning,

wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears,

and I have not been rebellious; … (Isa 50:4-5, NIV).

All humans as well animals have two eyes and two ears. With two eyes, we see things around us in three dimensions: we can see that objects in front of us are closer to us than the other objects behind them. With two ears, we can discern which direction a sound is coming from: if the object that emits the sound is moving, we can also sense which direction it is moving to. So these two eyes and two ears help us knowing more accurately what is happening around us—the reality of the world we live in.

It is important to keep in mind that according to the Bible, there are two kinds of reality: one spiritual, and the other physical. All spiritual beings like angels, evil spirits and God are living in the spiritual world, and everything that exists there, or is happening there is reality for them just as everything of physical existence as well as of what is happening in this world is reality for us. We humans are very unique in that we live in two different worlds—the spiritual and the physical. A human is a spirit, a soul and a body. With our body existing in the physical world, we live in the physical reality. With our spirit existing in the spiritual, we live in the spiritual reality. And the soul is sandwiched between the two realities with the role to connect one to the other.

However, the problem for those who are spiritually dead is that they are spiritually blind or deaf, and can no longer perceive the spiritual reality they live in. The only reality that such people can sense or perceive is that of this world, and they do not even know that there is another reality in the spiritual world. They live thinking that this world is the only world that exists, and the life on earth is the only life they have. Such is the lifestyle of sinners, and such is their world.

God is spirit, and his word is spirit, too. If God’s word is spirit, it teaches about the spiritual reality. And in order to understand his word and perceive such reality, we need to use our spiritual eyes and ears, not physical ones. This is what we Christians need to learn more.

Words are spoken physically through the mouth of a person. Or they are written by someone’s hand. So, even if someone is delivering God’s message (God is actually speaking though him), it might be true that we are hearing it only by physical ears with the spiritual ears closed. Or, even if we are reading God’s word in the Bible, it is possible that we are only reading it with our physical eyes with the spiritual eyes closed. Then, we would not understand God’s word and message though we think we do.

Read the above scripture in Isaiah, and meditate upon it. It is our spiritual ears that God opens so that we can be taught by him. It takes God’s miracle for our spiritual ears as well as physical ears to open. But once they are open, we can hear!

As for the spiritual reality, we cannot know it by thinking hard in our head. We need to be taught. We even do not know the fact that we do not know it. We do not know what it is that we do not know, and what it is that we should know. “The Sovereign Lord (lit. my lord Yahweh)” is the teacher, and we are the “one being taught.” He opened “my ears” and your ears!

When he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear (Luke 8:8)."

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph 1:3).

All believers should know that there is such a thing as a “spiritual blessing” as opposed to a physical blessing. As for physical blessings, we know what they are so well that we all seek them as we live here on earth. But we should not forget that God is spirit, and when he blesses us he does it first by giving us spiritual blessings. God who is spirit blesses us with what he has, and what he has is always spiritual.

In chapter 4 of Ephesians, we find the following scripture. It explains how such blessings, once stolen from us, were recovered and given back to us through Jesus Christ.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men (4:7-8)."

The place to which “he ascended” was the highest throne in heaven—the right hand of the Father, and the “captives” were Satan and the angles who had followed him. And the “gifts” were the spiritual gifts that had been stolen by Satan. But Christ took them from him, and gave them back to us. So, these gifts and blessings are now given to us who are the heirs of God today according to God’ will and plan as we have seen in Eph 1:3-4. Paul goes on to say:

What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe (vv. 9-10).

Concerning such defeat of Satan, he also says in Colossians:

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Col 2:15).

Note the expression, “having disarmed the powers and authorities.” This was what happened in the heavenly realms when Jesus died and was raised from the dead. Christ returned with glory and victory leading all captives in his train, and putting them to shame publicly in front of all angels in heaven. The plunder that Christ took by “having disarmed powers and authorities” has been given back to us who are heirs of God.

We have an interesting true story that metaphorically illustrates this truth—the spiritual reality that came to be realized through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For some time during the period in which David was running away from king Saul, he and his six hundred men went to the land of the Philistines, and stayed with Achish king of Gath. David and his men were given the city of Ziklag, where they lived with their wives and children. One day they returned to Ziklag, and found that the Amalekites had raided the city: all wives and children were carried away, and the city was destroyed by fire. David and his men wept loud until they had no strength left to weep.

David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God (1 Sam 30:6).

He and his men went to pursue the Amalekites who had taken their wives and children. God had given David victory, and he recovered everything the Amalekites had taken including all women and children. But what is so interesting is the way he gave the plunder even to those who did not go out to fight. It was exactly in this way that Jesus gave spiritual blessings to us.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Pet 1:3-5).

If there is an earthly inheritance in this world that people seek, such as houses and land, there is also a heavenly inheritance that all spiritual beings seek. Whatever people value, they seek it. If they do not see any value to it, they do not seek it. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. A problem comes when the things we seek do not really have the value we think they do. The Bible says that those who are born of God have “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven.” That means that the inheritance kept on earth perishes, spoils and fades.

All humans were created as heirs of such an imperishable heavenly inheritance—with all the spiritual authority and power. But when we sinned, the thief robbed us of such an inheritance. Think why the thief, Satan, wanted to steal it from us so badly. Because it was so valuable!

After sin came into this world, we were all brainwashed into thinking that the earthly things are the only valuable things we should seek: we lost the eyes to see the value of spiritual things. Jesus said to those who came to follow him after they ate a free meal, which he gave by multiplying from five loaves of bread and two fish.

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval (John 6:27).

There is “food that spoils,” and there is also “food that endures to eternal life.” The question is: which food are we working for? If the food we work for spoils and perishes, our work is wasted. But if the food we work for is genuine and imperishable, our work remains, and we are rewarded for it.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it (Mat 13:44-46).

Blessed are those who see the value of this treasure! Blessed are those who have eyes to see the value of these pearls! Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, came to die just to give us this treasure and these pearls. Think how valuable they are, and such is the inheritance we came to receive as heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ.

Read again the last speech of Jesus in John 13ff with the eyes to see the value of such an inheritance “that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you.” You will sense more what was in Jesus’ heart when he spoke these words: how valuable is the inheritance we have received though his death and resurrection, and how precious are we now to him as those given to him!

Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him (John 17:1-2).

The key to understanding the last speech and prayer of Jesus in John 13-17 lies in the fact that Jesus was leaving the earth in the way that the disciples had never expected or imagined. He was leaving, but he would be back to be with them in a very unique way. It was not easy for the disciples to know how Jesus actually would be with them, so he tried to explain it to them. He began by saying:

My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come (John 13:33).

At first, these words of Jesus sounded as though he would go to a far country where it would be difficult for the disciples to follow him. So, Peter asked:

Lord, where are you going (v. 36)?

Jesus replied:

Where I am going you cannot follow now, but you will follow later (v. 36).

As for the things that are easy for us to understand today, it was not easy at that time for the disciples to understand because they had no idea what was going to happen. Jesus went on to say:

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live (14:19).

In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me (16:16).

Jesus was about to die, but the disciples would see him again. The most important point that Jesus wanted them to understand was that he would continue to be with them all the time even though he would no longer exist on earth physically. In other words, Jesus’ presence, even after his death, would be the same for the disciples as if they had him physically. But how was it possible? It was by the name of Jesus and through the help of the Holy Spirit. Oh, it must have been difficult for Jesus to explain it to them.

At the end of his prayer to the Father, he said:

Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world (17:24).

In these words, you can see how strongly he desires his followers to be with him. The name of Jesus is the same as the presence of him. And the Holy Spirit helps us to experience it. Jesus’ presence today is a spiritual reality, not a physical one, and the Spirit of truth guides us into it: that is to say, the Holy Spirit makes his presence real for us so that we can live as co-heirs with Christ. So, the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the shares we receive as heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ. Through Jesus and together with him, we now have the same Father. Jesus further prayed:

I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them (v. 26).

All children of God are entitled to have certain spiritual shares with God through Jesus Christ. If you are a child of God, you are an heir of God and a co-heir with Christ. Unless you know what your shares are, you will not be able to live as an heir of God utilizing them. These shares are promised to be given to us, and Jesus taught us what they are in his farewell speech (John 13-16). When Jesus washed Peter’s feet, he said to him, “Unless I wash you, you have no part (share) with me (v. 8).” The share was given in a package of two things—the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Now, as for the use of the name of Jesus, there are two ways to use it. Of course, we should not forget that Jesus’ name is not simply a tool, but it represents the person of Jesus himself whom we admire and worship. However, it is also important to know that, according to Jesus, it is a share given to us so that we can use it.

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it (John 14:13-14).

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name (15:16).

Compare these two statements on the use of Jesus’ name. The first one is about asking Jesus, and the second one is about asking the Father. While in the first one, Jesus says he will do it, in the second one, he says the Father will give it. These are not the same. The first type of asking is really a demanding or proclaiming type of asking directly upon the circumstances as Jesus did to the fig tree, or as Peter did to the invalid man at the gate called Beautiful. The second type of asking is more familiar to us: it is what we normally call a prayer. But we need to look at these words of Jesus more carefully. He further taught about the second type of asking as follows:

In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. (v. 23).

Note that it is the Father who gives you what you ask in Jesus’ name in this type of asking. As Jesus said here, the disciples had not, so far, asked the Father in this way. In fact, they never had a direct access to the Father so that they could ask him. That was why Jesus came to the earth as the way to the Father. He became the bridge between us and the Father. Before Jesus came and died for us, no one on earth was able to ask the Father directly. All that people could do that time was to pray vaguely to God, not really knowing who God was. How could they be sure that their prayers were heard when they were not sure whom they were praying to? For them, God was only a God, not their Father.

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete (v. 24)

When Jesus was on earth, he always prayed to the Father asking him to heal the sick, raise the dead, and provide whatever people needed. Whenever the disciples had needs or some kind of trouble, they came to Jesus, who then asked the Father on their behalf. His prayer was always heard, and the Father did whatever he asked. But now, he no longer asks the Father for us because we all have the same access to the Father as Jesus had. And when we ask the Father in the name of Jesus, it is the same as Jesus asking the Father. So Jesus said:

In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf (16:26).

We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit (1 John 4:13).

While “believing” is for what is not seen yet, “knowing” is for what is already seen. We have already seen and “know” that we live in God, and he lives in us. The reciprocal “living”—“we live in him and he in us”—is one of John’s favorite expressions to mean oneness in the fellowship that believers now have with God (2:24, 4:15). As Jesus was one with God when he was on earth, we are one with him. It is important to realize that God himself desires to be one with us more that we seek him and desire to be close to him. We can be one with the Creator, and God’s word says that we are one with him through Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit who has been given to us is the proof of that. And if we are one with him who is love, we need to put love as the center and the foundation of our life by loving each other. Paul speaks of this truth in his letter to the Colossians:

13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col 3:13-17).

I want you to pay attention to the underlined clauses/sentence. The last one is the conclusion: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus (v. 17).” And the first two are the conditions necessary for that conclusion: 1) to “bear with each other and forgive whatever … (vv. 13-15),“ and 2) to “let the peace of Christ dwell in you richly (v. 17).”

The condition 1) is the same as to love each other—the new command Jesus gave to his disciples. We believers, though our sins were, once for all, forgiven through the death and resurrection of Jesus, are still in the process of being purified, and some of the sinful nature we had obtained from this world before we believed still remain in us, causing “grievances” against one another sometimes. That is why we must bear with each other and forgive each other. Otherwise, it would be impossible to have unity among us. Thus, Jesus set an example for us and said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet (John 13:14).”

Speaking of the same truth, Jesus has given us a new command:

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34).

Note that this was given as a command, not as a recommendation or a suggestion. It is a must for us who are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ if we desire to remain in him and his love.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love (15:9-10).

"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."

Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me (John 13:8)."

The Greek word for “part” in this verse is meros, and it means “share”—a part that is allotted to an individual—in this case, a share allotted to Peter and the other disciples. The same word is used in the Parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15 where the younger son asks his father for his “share” of the estate (15:12). Interestingly, it is also used twice in John 19:23 for the pieces of Jesus’ clothes—the four “shares” that were divided by soldiers before he was crucified. The theological implication of this is deep (cf. Gal 3:27).

So, the disciples received a share from God. What was it? Note that Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you have no part (share) with me.” It must have been something that Jesus already had so that he could share it with the disciples. With this question in mind, read the whole speech of Jesus in chapters 13-16. Actually, it is not difficult, at all, to find out what it was. It was a package of two things—the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it (vv. 13-14).

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you (vv. 16-17).

What we do in the name of Jesus is what Jesus does. Note that Jesus said, “I will do whatever you ask in my name.” This asking is not a seeking or begging type of asking, but a demanding, claiming and proclaiming type of asking. A good example of this is seen in the story of the healing of the crippled beggar in Acts 3: Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk (v. 6).” The name of Jesus is the same as the real presence of Jesus. It was Peter who asked or proclaimed in the name of Jesus in the reality of our physical world, but in the reality of God and his spiritual world, it was Jesus who both spoke and healed this man. What we say or do in the name of Jesus is the same as what Jesus says and does.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col 3:17).

If what we do and say in the name of Jesus is what Jesus does and says, our thinking in our mind must match with Jesus’ thinking. Our responsibility is great because what we do is what Jesus does. We cannot demand in Jesus’ name the things that are not his will. So the Bible urges us to renew our mind and let the word of Christ dwell in us richly.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God (v. 16).

The second portion of our share is the Holy Spirit. Note that he is called “another Counselor (helper).” We do not have physical Jesus on earth anymore, but we have the Holy Spirit who has come to dwell in us as his temple. The same Holy Spirit lived in Jesus, and worked through him to heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, and save people from all manners of Satan’s oppressions. Now, the same Holy Spirit has come to dwell in us, and together with the name of Jesus, we are no different from Jesus himself.

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father (John 14:12).

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Rom 8:17).

The sufferings we are to share with Christ are the burdens he carries for the salvation of humanity. Jesus died on the cross, was raised from the dead, ascended to the heaven, and sat at the right hand of the Father. The salvation is now complete as he said on the cross, “It is finished.” But that does not mean that he has no more burdens for the salvation of humanity, and stays indifferent to the sufferings that humans are still going through on earth. Satan has been defeated, but many are not saved yet, and even those who confess him as Lord know so little that they still suffer from what they have been already redeemed from. And of course, there are Christians who suffer from persecutions for the name of Jesus. He still bears all these burdens on him, and is interceding for us at the right hand of the Father. If so, there is no question about what we need to do as co-heirs with Christ. Paul speaks of sharing in this kind of sufferings as knowing “the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings (Phil 3:10),” or as filling up “what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions (Col 1:24).”

The following parable describes well how Christ sees the sufferings that people are going through:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left (Mat 25:31-33).

Jesus who died and was raised from the dead 2000 years ago was “the Son of Man,” and that time, he did not come “in his glory, and all the angels with him.” But the time will come when he “comes” that way, and “all the nations will be gathered before him”—the Jews and the Gentiles, Christians and non-Christians.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world (v. 34).

“The Son Man” 2000 years ago is now “the King.” What is so interesting is the reason or the criteria for which the sheep were separated from the goats:

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me (vv. 35-36).’

This is the calling given to us as co-heirs with Christ living in this era. There is another interesting parable to illustrate the same truth. First, pay attention to its introduction as to what prompted Jesus to tell this parable:

While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back (Luke 19:11-13).’

So, there is a period between the time this “man of noble birth” goes and the time he returns as “king.” During this period, “his servants” are given “minas,” one mina for each servant, and are told to put them to work. What is this one mina for us, and how do we put it to work?

He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit (Gal 3:14).

What we inherit as heirs of God is not physical material like food and clothes, but something spiritual. It does not mean, however, that blessings on our material needs are not included in our inheritance. Neither does it mean that spiritual blessings we receive are something insubstantial or imaginary. In fact, the heaven, the eternal kingdom, which we will enter is a physical one, and there, we will live with physical bodies and have physical blessings. What we need to remember is that this world in which we live now will come to perish one day, and if we value earthly things too much, we will be very disappointed later. There is something much more valuable than what we physically see and possess in this world. According to the above scripture, it is “the promise of the Spirit” that we, the spiritual descendants of Abraham, come to receive.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory (Eph 1:13-14).

The Holy Spirit is “a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance,” and testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. And it was through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as we see in Acts 2 that the church came to be on earth. The gospels refer to it as “the kingdom of God,” and it is the symbol of our inheritance—the forerunner for the eternal kingdom, the new heaven and earth.

The passage of Luke 11:1-13 is not merely a set of teachings on prayer, but gives an answer to how we should live in this world as heirs of God. Keep in mind what we discussed above, and meditate upon this passage.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples (Luke 11:1).”

We wonder what kind of a prayer John the Baptist taught his disciples. It is interesting to note that the request this disciple brought was, “teach us to pray,” not “teach me to pray.” This prayer was taught for the disciples as a group, and “we” is the subject.

He said to them, "When you pray, say: “’Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come (v. 2). …

It begins by calling God as “Father.” Therefore, only his children, the heirs of God, can utter this prayer. Probably, this was one of the main differences from John’s prayer. The first thing they are to seek in the prayer is, “your kingdom come,” and it sets the theme for the whole passage up to v. 13 including the parable of seeking three loaves of bread, and that of a son asking his father for a fish or an egg. At first glance, it appears that these are simply a collection of teachings on prayer. But there is something more to it. Pay attention to the conclusion in v. 13:

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him (v. 13)!"

It is a surprise to see that the promise at the end is about the Holy Spirit, not the bread. Our good Father does not give us a snake or scorpion when we ask for a fish or an egg. But he gives the Holy Spirit when we ask him for bread—even with our “boldness”! This does not seem correct. Something must be wrong, but what?

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory (Rom 8:17).

In order to know what sufferings we need to share with Christ as heirs of God, we are now looking at the stories in Luke 16. Jesus had just finished telling his disciples the Parable of the Shrewd Manager and teaching them the importance of living for the benefits of other people. There among the listeners were the Pharisees, and:

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus (v. 14).

It is interesting to guess what the Pharisees thought about the Parable of the Shrewd Manager. They were mostly rich people, and were so eager to keep the Law. Therefore, it must have been almost impossible for them to identify themselves with the shrewd manager as the disciples did. They rather saw themselves as “the rich man,” “the master.” So, for them, what the shrewd manager did was very wrong, and they probably thought that if they were in the position as the master, they would demand the manager to pay for all the losses that were incurred by the reductions of the debts. They considered themselves as “the people of the light” looking down upon “the people of this world,” so, they could not, obviously, agree about the fact that master commended the manager. Needless to say, they could not follow the rest of Jesus’ teaching. So, Jesus said:

You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight (v. 15).

We Christians, too, need to meditate upon these words seriously. We are also in danger of having the same ideas, attitude and lifestyle that the Pharisees had. Try to see the difference between “in the eyes of men” and “in God’s sight.” Jesus said:

The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it (v. 16).

John preached “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3).” According to the Old Testament, there is no forgiveness of sins unless a substitutive sacrifice is given. The wages of sin is death, and if our sin can be still forgiven, it must be completely by God in his grace that we can be forgiven. The attitude of self-righteousness “in the eyes of men” goes directly against this truth, and those who have this attitude are in danger of not receiving the righteousness of God—the righteousness given “in God’s sight.” Jesus came to die as this substitutive sacrifice for our sins, and our responsibility is to repent from our sins by believing in him. And this began with the preaching of John.

It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery (vv. 17-18).

It was a well-known fact that many Pharisees divorced. They divorced in order to marry another women, to which the above words of Jesus referred. Yet, they thought they were doing nothing wrong because they legally divorced their wives by giving certificates of divorce as required by the Law. We know that the Law and the Prophets, which they were so familiar with, hang on two commandments: one is “to love the Lord your God with all your heart…” and the other is “to love your neighbor as yourself.” Keep this in mind, and go on to read:

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores (vv. 19ff) …