Reflective Bible Study

As Jesus was approaching Jerusalem leading up to His death, there was anticipation in the group of followers that something big would happen. While they were not wrong believing something big was coming, they were a little off with how they understood the timetable of prophecy.

To help give those listening a better perspective, Jesus decides to tell them a parable to help them reframe their expectations, and this parable is what our passage for this episode will cover. Both Matthew and Luke share similar parables, but there are enough unique differences in each that make me think that Jesus shared two similar parables on two different occasions rather than one parable that was heard in two significantly different ways.

For our episode, we will be looking at Luke’s gospel, and the parable Jesus shared with the crowd. Our passage is found in the gospel of Luke, chapter 19, and we will read if from the New International Reader’s Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 11, Luke tells us that:

¹¹ While the people were listening to these things, Jesus told them a story. He was near Jerusalem. The people thought that God’s kingdom was going to appear right away. ¹² Jesus said, “A man from an important family went to a country far away. He went there to be made king and then return home. ¹³ So he sent for ten of his slaves. He gave them each about three months’ pay. ‘Put this money to work until I come back,’ he said.

¹⁴ “But those he ruled over hated him. They sent some messengers after him. They were sent to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

¹⁵ “But he was made king and returned home. Then he sent for the slaves he had given the money to. He wanted to find out what they had earned with it.

¹⁶ “The first one came to him. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned ten times as much.’

¹⁷ “ ‘You have done well, my good slave!’ his master replied. ‘You have been faithful in a very small matter. So I will put you in charge of ten towns.’

¹⁸ “The second slave came to his master. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned five times as much.’

¹⁹ “His master answered, ‘I will put you in charge of five towns.’

²⁰ “Then another slave came. He said, ‘Sir, here is your money. I have kept it hidden in a piece of cloth. ²¹ I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in. You harvest what you did not plant.’

²² “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you evil slave! So you knew that I am a hard man? You knew that I take out what I did not put in? You knew that I harvest what I did not plant? ²³ Then why didn’t you put my money in the bank? When I came back, I could have collected it with interest.’

²⁴ “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his money away from him. Give it to the one who has ten times as much.’

²⁵ “ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten times as much!’

²⁶ “He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more. But here is what will happen to anyone who has nothing. Even what they have will be taken away from them. ²⁷ And what about my enemies who did not want me to be king over them? Bring them here! Kill them in front of me!’ ”

In this parable, we have a number of different things we can focus on. However, for the sake of this episode, and wanting to keep it to a manageable length, let’s focus on two of the really big picture themes that this parable teaches.

The first theme is that the important man who left on a journey came back as king. This man went to become king, and he returned as king. This detail is important for us to focus on because Jesus represents this man who left to become king. Jesus stepped down to this earth, and then down again into death, because His nature is one of stepping down. God the Father balances this characteristic out by lifting Jesus up.

It is interesting that in Luke’s version of this parable, we discover that this man has enemies and people who would prefer to not see this man become king. They send messengers and people to plead their case, desiring probably any other king in this man’s place; but regardless of what happened, this man becomes king in spite of his enemies desires.

Applying this parable to Jesus’ ministry and His role in the world, it doesn’t surprise anyone to learn that Jesus had enemies. While there wasn’t really anything to not like about Jesus, those who were interesting in building themselves up really didn’t get along with Him because Jesus pushed back against their self-serving attitudes.

Jesus had enemies because He wasn’t the sort of leader who was impressed by ambitious ladder-climbing individuals. Those who wanted to climb the latter of spiritual hierarchy did not have an ally in Jesus.

However, circling back to the big truth we learn in this parable is that regardless of what Jesus’ enemies wished to happen, Jesus is made king. This detail is not up for debate.

We then are left with a challenging conclusion: Knowing that Jesus will ultimately return as king, it would be unwise to be one of His enemies.

I don’t know if the time when Jesus returns will mark the time when it is too late to change allegiances, but what I do know is that when Jesus returns as king, the fate of those who have decided to be His enemies is not positive.

This leads us to the second big truth we can learn from this parable. While some people have openly sided against Jesus, we know from other portions of the gospels that Jesus is willing to forgive them. In other parts of the gospels, we learn that Jesus promises to forgive those who speak out against Him.

When we combine the details that Jesus has not returned yet, that He will return as King regardless of our wishes, and that He has promised to forgive those who have spoken against Him while He was away, we can conclude that now is the perfect time to ask for forgiveness and to ally with Jesus.

There is not a better time than now to side with Jesus, because we don’t know when later will be too late. We truly don’t know when the door to changing our decision will close. It might close at the end of our lives, whenever that is for each of us, or Jesus could return and close the door personally.

While we could then shift our focus onto the servants or slaves and what they accomplished, that is the perfect subject for another podcast. The big thing we can take away from the themes we focused on in this podcast is that we should be fruitful for God while we are allied with Jesus. The worst thing we can do is nothing.

So with these thoughts in mind, let’s close this podcast episode with some challenges to apply into our lives:

Whether you’ve chosen to ally with Jesus yet or not, be sure to make your choice before it is too late. Since we don’t know when that is, it would be better to choose today. While this goes without saying for most of us listening, be sure to chose to ally with Jesus, because He has already won. And with our decision for Jesus, be sure to be fruitful in your life with the blessings that God has given to us.

Also, because it is very important for every follower of Jesus to do, be sure to pray and study the Bible for yourself, because through prayer and Bible study, we can grow our personal relationship with God. While other believers can give you ideas to think about, don’t let a pastor, blogger, podcaster, or anyone else get between you and God. Test everything you hear with what you read in the Bible, and only if the Bible supports it should you believe it.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

As we read through Jesus’ life from the gospels, frequently we find events that are both powerful and relatable. The miracle present in our passage for this week is no exception. When we look at the background details surrounding this event, I can’t help but chuckle a little at the crowd of people following Jesus.

With that said, let’s read this event from the gospels, and as we read it together, pay attention to the crowd’s actions and reactions in each of the stages of this event and miracle. Our passage is found in the gospel of Mark, chapter 10, and we will read it using the Good News Translation. Also, at the end of this passage, I will pull in Luke’s closing verse for this event, since Luke includes a detail that Mark doesn’t include.

Mark, chapter 10, starting in verse 46, tells us that:

⁴⁶ They came to Jericho, and as Jesus was leaving with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting by the road. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸ Many of the people scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called the blind man. “Cheer up!” they said. “Get up, he is calling you.”

⁵⁰ So he threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

“Teacher,” the blind man answered, “I want to see again.”

⁵² “Go,” Jesus told him, “your faith has made you well.”

At once he was able to see and followed Jesus on the road.

That is how Mark concludes this miracle. Luke’s gospel ends this event with a little more detail. Luke chapter 18, verse 43 concludes this event by saying, “At once he was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving thanks to God. When the crowd saw it, they all praised God.”

With Mark and Luke’s gospels painting a picture of this miracle for us, did you notice how the crowd’s reaction changed and progressed?

At the start of our passage, as Bartimaeus is sitting along the side of the road, some of those passing by inform him that Jesus is on His way by. Bartimaeus knows this probably is his only chance to be healed, so he begins shouting to get Jesus’ attention.

The first reaction the crowd gives is unsympathetic rejection. They completely miss the possibility that Jesus could perform a miracle in their midst, and they would prefer if this blind person would be quiet rather than shouting over Jesus who may have been sharing one of His fascinating parables.

Too often, we are like the crowd. When we are with friends or focused on a task, unless the culture of our friends or the nature of our task is to help people, we are quick to discount, dismiss, and ultimately miss the opportunity to change a life. Had the crowd got its way, everyone present would have missed a miracle.

The second reaction the crowd gives is acceptance. This comes when they realize that Jesus has heard the shouts of the blind man. The crowd accepts the man only after Jesus stopped and gave focus to the situation at hand.

Again, we are like the crowd in this phase of our event. Too often, we only decide to pay attention to something or someone after a friend brings it up in conversation. Instead of actively looking for opportunities to include others, we wait for someone else to take the lead with inviting. Perhaps this is based on growing up in a society of peer pressure, but whatever the cause is, the result is that we become people who are more focused on simply being liked by others rather than people who are known.

The sad part of many people’s lives in this culture is that they don’t know who they are because they have lived to please others for so long.

The third reaction the crowd gives following the miracle is praise. This is why I brought Luke’s conclusion in, because after Bartimaeus was healed, he praised God, and the crowd praised God with him. At the conclusion of this event, the crowd realizes they were blessed by what happened and they ultimately realize that they were able be a small part of a life being changed.

We are like the crowd at the conclusion of this event because too often, we will drag our feet when trying something new only to learn that we actually enjoy it. Whether it is trying a new restaurant, playing a new game, or even finding someone to be a friend, the fear of the unknown can stop us in our tracks if we let it. Almost always, if we let the fear of the unknown stop us, we later realize this was a mistake and we ultimately miss out.

While the crowd was a crowd full of followers, Bartimaeus was a natural leader. Bartimaeus ignores the crowd when they tell Him to be quiet. The crowd’s scolding is seen in Bartimaeus’ mind as a challenge. When Jesus calls for Bartimaeus to come, Bartimaeus jumps up and runs to Jesus without any hesitation. In response to Jesus asking Bartimaeus what He can do for him, Bartimaeus replies instantly that he wants to see again. And at the conclusion of this event, after being healed, Bartimaeus leads the crowd in giving praise to God.

We can learn from both the crowd in this event as well as from Bartimaeus, the formerly blind man. Too often, it is the challenges that come into our lives that help refine us into being leaders instead of being followers. By overcoming trials, we learn that what culture says is normal is most likely bad for us in the long term. Our culture today lives for the moment, and very few people think about the long term results. This event helps remind us – or at least it reminds me – that trials can been seen as blessings, and that we won’t ever know what we are capable of unless we step out and push past our fear.

Bartimaeus pushed past his fear of rejection and he was healed because of it. I suspect that if a group of people did this in a real way, today, living over 2,000 years after this miracle, we might witness a revival that would transform the world through the power of the Holy Spirit in a similar way that the original 12 disciples did when they worked with the Holy Spirit to transform their world. At the very least, stepping out in faith to confront our fears with the Holy Spirit’s help and eternity as our goal is definitely worth a try!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally put God first in your life and purposefully choose to push past your fear of the unknown. Never let fear of the unknown stop you from stepping out in faith. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t plan, but it does mean that you don’t over plan or overanalyze your way out of a decision. With God, we are called to plan what we can and then step forward in faith.

Also, as I always challenge you by saying in one way or another, always pray and study the Bible for yourself, never taking my word or anyone else’s word at face value for what the Bible teaches. With eternity at stake, the Bible is worth looking into personally rather than accepting or rejecting it based upon someone else’s opinion.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

As we approach the big event that all the gospels focus in on, otherwise known as the crucifixion, some people believe that the events of crucifixion weekend came as a surprise to both Jesus and His disciples. However, people who believe Jesus was surprised about his upcoming death are not very familiar with the gospel record.

Numerous times, Jesus tried to prepare the disciples for what was coming, and it would appear as though Jesus’ words fell on deaf ears. The passage we are focusing in on in this episode is one such time where we find Jesus trying to warn His disciples about His crucifixion and what would happen soon.

Our passage is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 18, and we will be reading it from the New International Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 31:

³¹ Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. ³² He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; ³³ they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”

³⁴ The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

In this short, four-verse passage, we find Jesus clearly telling His followers about His upcoming arrest, His death, and His resurrection; and we see that the disciples didn’t understand any of what He was saying.

Luke’s gospel shares an interesting detail, and this is that the meaning of what Jesus was sharing was “hidden from them”.

The implication of this idea is that God hid the meaning of Jesus’ words from them. While I don’t know why He might have done this, I wonder if it had to do with God wanting the disciples to ask the challenging questions about what would happen.

In the first century, the whole Jewish culture was eagerly looking forward for a messiah to lead them out from being under Roman rule. The messiah they saw the scriptures predicting was one who would lead them to victory and who would last forever. Whether the prophecies about a suffering messiah were misunderstood, or whether they discounted their significance, the last thing on anyone’s mind was that the Messiah God would send would be jointly killed by both Jews and Gentiles.

But Jesus came and He was teaching this alternate view of prophecy. It took Jesus’ death and resurrection to break the preconceived ideas about the Messiah from the disciples’ minds. I don’t believe that God desired the message Jesus was sharing with His followers to be ignored or discounted; I believe God wanted Jesus’ disciples to ask for more information, and to learn from Jesus about what the scriptures said was to take place.

Jesus hints at this when He says in verse 31, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.” While Jesus then describes what will happen, we know that more things happened than Jesus decided to share here. I wonder if Jesus touched on the big points, but really wanted the disciples to ask for more details. It would have been amazing if one of the disciples had been brave enough to push past the confusion to ask Jesus what all was written by the prophets about Him. If one of the disciples had asked Jesus some further clarifying questions, I believe the crucifixion weekend wouldn’t have found the disciples hiding in the upper room for fear of being killed next.

Instead, if one of the disciples had given Jesus an opening, I believe He would have shared with them similar to how He shared with the two disciples walking to Emmaus following Jesus’ resurrection.

It is also interesting in my mind to hear people talk about how Jesus’ death was a surprise to Him. It is as though Judas Iscariot was able to pull off the greatest betrayal in history without Jesus being aware He was being duped.

However, what we find here in this passage is that Jesus knows Jerusalem is where He will face His death before Judas Iscariot even knows He will be the betrayer. Jesus knows exactly what will happen, including His resurrection just days later. Nothing about that trip startled Him, surprised Him, or caused Him to back away from the entire reason He came.

Jesus came to this earth to give His life for us, and He came to help us see how much the Father loves each of us!

In our own lives, with all the challenges, struggles, and problems we face, we can look to this passage and know that even if we don’t understand what is going to happen, God knows, and He is more than happy to walk with us through the struggles we face in this life. God has a bigger perspective and His perspective is saving us for eternity!

Also, we can know from this passage that God doesn’t want us to be surprised by the future. He wants us to know that He knows what will happen, and regardless of the state of the world, He is in control and leading history towards the end of sin and eternity for His people!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As we move through life, be sure to seek God first and to trust Him, believe His promises, and to depend on Him for help facing the struggles of this life. Ask Him to help us see His perspective, and to see things with an eternity focus.

Also, be sure to pray and study the Bible for yourself in order to grow your personal relationship with Jesus.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or give up on where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

If you have ever felt conflict over the role of money in our relationship with God, chances are that you have come across a verse that is found in our passage for this week. The verse is Mark 10:25, and the New Century Version translates it as: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew and Luke also share this verse as well, and these three gospels share this statement almost word-for-word identical.

When preparing for this podcast episode, I found no shortage of opinions surrounding this verse and teaching. When looking at what other people think about this impossible-sounding teaching, there is a huge range of ideas. Two theories surrounding this passage are worth mentioning to set the stage for this passage.

The first theory regarding this “eye of a needle” reference refers to a narrow gate through the wall in Jerusalem, which a camel would need to be blindfolded to go through, because it believed the opening to be too small. The second, but also similar, theory worth mentioning is that others who hold to this “eye of a needle” gate belief say that this gate would let a camel through, but only if it was completely emptied of its load.

However, while researching this passage and uncovering these theories to help explain Jesus’ words, I couldn’t validate them with other evidence. As far as I am aware, no evidence of such a gate ever existed, and if there was a crack like this in the walls of Jerusalem, I suspect it would have been patched or secured quickly. With how often Jerusalem was attacked and put under siege, a weak point in the wall would need to be patched instead of made into an alternate entrance.

Also, while reading these theories and the disciples’ reaction, I am less inclined to believe in a “needle-gate” theory. I’m doubtful of this angle of interpretation because if a camel could get through the needle-gate, the reaction of those present wouldn’t be one of impossibility. The needle gate theory claimed it was possible for a camel to fit, and those present believed Jesus’ words to be impossible.

However, the really amazing part of this verse about rich people, camels, and the eye of a needle does not come when we look at the verse itself. The amazing truth this verse hints at is found when we look at the context in which this verse is given. To help us unpack this truth, let’s read the context for this event from Mark’s gospel, and discover what Jesus wants to teach us about wealth and the role of money when being a follower. We’ll start reading in Mark, chapter 10, and like we did earlier, we will read from the New Century Version. Starting in verse 17, Mark tell us that:

¹⁷ As Jesus started to leave, a man ran to him and fell on his knees before Jesus. The man asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to have life forever?”

¹⁸ Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good. ¹⁹ You know the commands: ‘You must not murder anyone. You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not steal. You must not tell lies about your neighbor. You must not cheat. Honor your father and mother.’”

²⁰ The man said, “Teacher, I have obeyed all these things since I was a boy.”

²¹ Jesus, looking at the man, loved him and said, “There is one more thing you need to do. Go and sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”

²² He was very sad to hear Jesus say this, and he left sorrowfully, because he was rich.

We’ll pause briefly in the passage to draw our attention onto a key idea: We don’t learn the end to this man’s story. While he did leave sorrowfully, nothing in this verse stops us from wondering if a week or a month later, after wrestling with Jesus’ words, the man decided to obey Jesus’ instructions. While traditional thought says this man ultimately chose to reject Jesus in favor of keeping his riches, the passage leaves the end of this man’s story open-ended – and this is good news for us.

With this event as a backdrop for a teaching moment, we’ll continue reading as Jesus then turns to His followers because He senses a teaching moment. Picking back up in verse 23, Mark tells us that: 

²³ Then Jesus looked at his followers and said, “How hard it will be for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

²⁴ The followers were amazed at what Jesus said. But he said again, “My children, it is very hard to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ The followers were even more surprised and said to each other, “Then who can be saved?”

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “For people this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

We’ll stop reading here, because in what Jesus has shared, we have a full picture of the craziness of Jesus’ words and the response of those who were present to hear them. The most basic reading of this idea is that it is easier for a camel, which is something large enough for a person to ride, going through the eye of a needle – which is an opening designed for only thread, and in most cases, only large enough for a strand or two of thread. Maybe needles had bigger eyes in Jesus’ day, but even still, needles were used to make and mend clothing, and they needed to be small to go through fabric.

The reaction of Jesus’ followers is perfect in this situation. They ask, “Then who can be saved?” Using the metaphor of a camel and the eye of a needle set the bar so high that it was truly impossible. While the context relates to wealthy people, the immediate context for these verses is everyone.

Jesus concludes with a promise: “For people this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

The big message Jesus wants the disciples to learn is that the best idea we could come up with as a solution to the sin problem would still not be enough. This big message says that the best, most selfless actions from our best people is still not good enough to gain entrance into God’s kingdom.

However, while dashing our hopes of being able to save ourselves, Jesus quickly follows up with the promise that God can turn our impossible into being possible with Him. In the rich man’s case, while he obeyed the law, it’s likely that he hadn’t learned the love within the law, and that his money had been clouding his vision. Generosity was the key that could grow a loving outward-focused character in this potential disciple’s life.

But the real question many people have with this entire event is about who should pay attention to Jesus’ instruction for this “rich, young ruler” to sell everything and give it away to the poor. Is this an instruction for everyone, is it an instruction for only those who are rich, or is it an instruction for a specific person in a specific context?

While you might have a quick and clear answer from these three options, I am inclined to believe that Jesus’ focus is different from all three of these categories, and it is more based on the theme of what Jesus shared rather than on the specific message.

The really big truth I see in Jesus’ instruction for this almost-a-disciple, and in what He shares with the disciples, is that we must learn to be generous and dependant on God. Dependence on God is often harder to learn if you have always had money, and if one has always been poor or had to work hard to get by, being generous might not come easily.

For those who started off with nothing and earned their way into wealth, it is impossible for them – but just as impossible for each of us. For every human who has ever lived, salvation is impossible. That is why we must learn to depend on God and to lean on Him.

This truth makes our passage’s focus be on something other than the amount of money we have saved or haven’t saved. This truth is a challenge for us to depend on God for His help. It is also a challenge for us to be generous like He is generous.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open these challenges by saying, intentionally seek God first in your life and learn to depend on God above everything and everyone else. If the thought of giving money away makes you feel uneasy, perhaps it is because your money has inched its way into a space of your heart that God was designed to fill. Perhaps Jesus’ challenge to this rich man is a challenge for you to give some of your money away.

However, before you give anything away, prayerfully study the Bible for yourself and don’t take my word – or anyone else’s word about this. While reading about Jesus from gospels, listen for a message that God will impress upon your heart and follow that. It is better for you to follow what the Bible says and model the love we see present within Jesus’ life rather than take other people’s ideas without personally studying them out.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or give up on where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!