Exit Church Teachings

In this passage, known as the Parable of the Ten Minas, Jesus has difficult words for his listeners. He warns them to spend all of the resources at their disposal--their time, energy and money--for the sake of the kingdom. He conveys that a safe life is a wasted life. And if we do not live with any risk in our lives for the kingdom, we ought to question if we are actual followers of Christ. Granted, we are not saved by anything we do/accomplish. But true faith is always accompanied by action.

As Jesus narrows the focus of his ministry toward Jerusalem (and the cross), he overtly prophesies his disciples that he will be abused, killed and raise again on the third day. And yet while he is looking into the eyes of his own death, he takes the time to respond to a blind beggar and a tax collector. This shows us Jesus' tremendous patience, his care for seemingly insignificant in society as well as traitorous sinners (whom we often think of as the worst of the worst). If Jesus takes time out of his schedule for these two people, does he not care for the same today? This passage shows us that no one is too insigificant to receive Jesus' affection and that no one is too sinful to experience his grace.

The story of the rich, young ruler is both widely known and often misunderstood. The Holy Spirit found it fitting to pair the stories of Jesus inviting little children to come to him while the wealthy ruler walked away in sadness. In order to come to Jesus, we must become like little children with nothing in our hands, nothing that we depend on for our righetousness. The stark contrast between these two (children and those with wealth/power) is a warning to us to trust fully in Jesus' life, death and resurrection to save us.

What do we actually trust in for our righteousness--in our own ability to perform or in Jesus' performance on our behalf? The longer we are a Christian, the better we get at hiding how we depend on ourselves, which makes this passage all the more timely.

God's desire for his people is that they continually come to him in prayer and not lose heart. In this passage, Jesus uses the example of a sinful judge's treatment of a vulnerable widow in order to contrast that with God's character as a perfect judge. And Jesus is in search of those that have faith to continually plead for God's kingdom and justice to come in fullness.