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BIBLE STUDY LESSON 11

SERIES S --- THE SON OF YHVH

THE MILLSTONE

STEWARDSHIP AND SERVICE

From Luke 16:1-17:10

Yeshua told another story to His disciples. [A rich man had a steward managing his affairs, but this steward was stealing the man’s money. The man called the steward in and fired him. ‘Get the accounts in order and then you will have to leave,’ he said. But the steward began to think about his future. ‘What kind of work will I find?’ he wondered. ‘I can’t dig and I’m ashamed to beg.’ Then he had an idea which would make many people indebted to him, so that they would help him later. The steward called in each person who owed his master something, and reduced that person’s debt. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked one. ‘A hundred barrels of oil,’ the man replied. ‘We’ll make that fifty,’ the steward replied. ‘Let’s make out a new bill.’ Another came in and the steward asked him, ‘How much do you owe?’ The man answered, ‘A hundred sacks of wheat.’ Then the steward said, ‘We’ll make that eighty, so let’s make out a new bill.’ The rich man admired this dishonest steward for being so shrewd. The people of this world often handle business affairs much more shrewdly than the people of YHVH. But I tell you that it is wise to be good stewards over your earthly possessions so that when they are gone you will have built up riches in your eternal home. If you do not faithfully handle worldly wealth wisely, how can you expect to have far greater riches placed in your stewardship? And if you are not a good steward over the money which belongs to others, why do you think you will be entrusted with the ownership of money? No one can serve two masters, for he will either hate one and love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve YHVH and worldly things at the same time.] The Pharisees scoffed at this, for they loved money and they pretended to serve YHVH at the same time. [You pretend to serve YHVH,] Yeshua told them. [But YHVH sees in your hearts, so the godly image you pretend to men is repulsive to YHVH. Until John the Baptist came, YHVH spoke to you through the Law of Moses and the messages of the prophets. But John introduced the Gospel of YHVH’s Kingdom, and crowds gather to hear about it. The Gospel doesn’t cancel the Law, for heaven and earth would pass away before it would. Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries the woman who was divorced commits adultery. A rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, and lived in luxury every day. But a man named Lazarus lay in poverty at his gate, covered with sores. As he begged for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs came to lick his open sores. At last, this poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man died about the same time, but he went to Hades. In torment, he looked up and saw Lazarus far away with Abraham. [‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me,’ he cried out. ‘Send Lazarus to put some water on my tongue to cool it, for I am suffering in these flames.’ But Abraham answered, ‘While you were alive you had many good things and Lazarus had bad things; now he is comforted and you are suffering. Anyway, there is a great chasm between us so that you cannot come here, and those who are here cannot go over there.’ Then the rich man begged Abraham, ‘Please send Lazarus back to my father’s home to warn my five brothers so they will not come here.’ But Abraham answered, ‘They already have the Scriptures, the Law of Moses and the Prophets, to warn them. Why don’t they listen to what they have?’ Then the rich man said, ‘Oh, if only someone would return from the dead, they would repent.’ But Abraham answered, ‘If they will not listen to the Scriptures, neither will they listen to someone who rises from the dead.’] Later, Yeshua spoke with His disciples. [Children will always face temptations, of course,] Yeshua told them. [But woe to the man who causes that temptation. He would be better off with a millstone tied to his neck and thrown into the sea than to cause one little child to stumble. So be on guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him! If he repents, forgive him! Even if he sin against you seven times a day, forgive him, as long as he repents each time.] [Adonai, increase our faith!] the disciples begged. [All you need is faith as big as a mustard seed,] Yeshua answered. [If you had that much, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Rise from the ground and be planted into the sea,’ and it would obey you. Will a slave sit down to eat as soon as he returns from ploughing in the field or taking care of sheep? No, of course not, for his master expects him to first get dressed and prepare his dinner and serve him until he is satisfied, then the slave may eat and drink. Then does the master thank the slave for doing all these things? No, of course not, for the slave did only what was commanded. So when you do all that YHVH has Commanded, say, ‘We do not deserve any special praise, for we have done only that which we should have done for our Master.’]

COMMENTARY

DINNER AT A WEALTHY ROMAN’S HOME

A wealthy Roman of New Testament times would find the modern way of eating a meal very strange. In his day, only poor people ate sitting in chairs around a table. The rich preferred the custom of reclining on couches during a meal. At dinner parties, three people usually shared one couch. Each guest lay on his left side, supported by his left arm. His right hand remained free to receive the food served by the slave who attended him. Each person brought his own napkin, which he spread out before him. Because it was impolite to eat while wearing sandals, another slave had already removed the guests’ shoes and washed their feet by the time the meal was served. The evening meal in the home of a wealthy Roman family often lasted three or four hours. Each of the several courses was served from elegant silver, glass and pottery dishes. The Romans did not use forks, they brought the food to their mouths with their fingers. Spoons, however, were used to eat soup and ladle sauces. After the slaves cleared away the dishes, they returned the sandals for the guests preparing to leave.

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