Three parables of preparedness for the King's return.

[Littlelambseativy]

If at first you don't succeed _________!!

Easier to type than use Adobe, so here it is - at last!!

~~~~~~~

Three parables of preparedness for the King's return

Matthew 25

Much of Messiah's teaching consisted of parables and each parable taught one major principle. In Matthew chapter 25 all three parable underscore the main theme of preparedness in the light of Messiah's return to gather together He is elect.

A Wedding Parable of Wise and Foolish Virgins Mt.25:1-13

The wedding details described are Jewish in context, so the parable is directed to Israel, primarily in reference to the return of their Messiah. In Bible days the bridegroom first travelled to his bride's home. Along the journey , he would be followed by various friends until the entire company was complete.Then all would partake of the wedding feast at the bridegroom's home.

This parable may be applied to Israel's preparedness to wait for and acknowledge their promised Jewish Messiah. Unfortunately, a number of persons in the wedding party did not take sufficient oil for the lighting of the lamps.

Consequently, they became lost in darkness along the way. These foolish virgins arrived late for the marriage feast and were not permitted entrance. In fact, the bridegroom (the Lord Himself) stated to them,"I know you not." (Mt.25:12)

The unprepared virgins represent that portion of the nation Israel that refused to recognize their Messiah Jesus at His first com in (Jn.1:11), and also those who will refuse to recognize Him when He returns the second time(Rom. 11:20,25). Thus, the major lesson is directed to the nation Israel to believe in and be prepared for the return of their promised Messiah.

A Parable of Wise and Foolish Labourers Mt 25:14-30

In this instance, before the Master departed, He distributed His "talents" or finances and the oversight of His goods to His servants. The Church that Jesus promised to build (Mt. 16:18) was established at His death and resurrection. Our Lord left a legacy of instruction and example behind, including the promise of his return (Jn 14:3). Then, the Holy Spirit gave "gifts" to equip believers.

The parable of the talents applies to the Church Age from Pentecost to the Lord's return for His own (1Thess. 4:14-18). At his return, there will be an examination, with awards granted to all those who have invested the proper use of their "talents" for the glory of the Lord. (1Cor. 3:9-15)

A Parable of Sheep and Goats Mt. 25:31-46

This parable concerns Messiah's promised return to earth just after the horrible tribulation time. In Daniel 7, all the nations are portrayed as ferocious beasts. Just preceding our Lord's return to earth, Satan will gather all nations against the jews in Jerusalem (Rev 16:14). At that time, King Messiah will return with His own to battle and conquer these nations (Jude 14-17). In this context, Jesus will separate "the seep from the goats" according to their treatment of the Jewish people (Mat 25:41,46).

Conclusion

All three parables concern judgement and the spa ration of believers and unbelievers. May I ask you, do you have a personal relationship with the Lord? Does He recognize you as a sheep of His? What is your attitude toward the Jewish people, His "brethren according to the flesh"? Are you prepared for His imminent return?

by Dr. D. Goldberg, TH.D., D.D. for The Chosen People

[Retrobyter]

Shabbat shalom, Littlelambseativy.

If at first you don't succeed _________!!

Easier to type than use Adobe, so here it is - at last!!

~~~~~~~

Three parables of preparedness for the King's return

Matthew 25

Much of Messiah's teaching consisted of parables and each parable taught one major principle. In Matthew chapter 25 all three parable underscore the main theme of preparedness in the light of Messiah's return to gather together He is elect.

A Wedding Parable of Wise and Foolish Virgins Mt.25:1-13

The wedding details described are Jewish in context, so the parable is directed to Israel, primarily in reference to the return of their Messiah. In Bible days the bridegroom first travelled to his bride's home. Along the journey , he would be followed by various friends until the entire company was complete.Then all would partake of the wedding feast at the bridegroom's home.

This parable may be applied to Israel's preparedness to wait for and acknowledge their promised Jewish Messiah. Unfortunately, a number of persons in the wedding party did not take sufficient oil for the lighting of the lamps.

Consequently, they became lost in darkness along the way. These foolish virgins arrived late for the marriage feast and were not permitted entrance. In fact, the bridegroom (the Lord Himself) stated to them,"I know you not." (Mt.25:12)

The unprepared virgins represent that portion of the nation Israel that refused to recognize their Messiah Jesus at His first com in (Jn.1:11), and also those who will refuse to recognize Him when He returns the second time(Rom. 11:20,25). Thus, the major lesson is directed to the nation Israel to believe in and be prepared for the return of their promised Messiah.

A Parable of Wise and Foolish Labourers Mt 25:14-30

In this instance, before the Master departed, He distributed His "talents" or finances and the oversight of His goods to His servants. The Church that Jesus promised to build (Mt. 16:18) was established at His death and resurrection. Our Lord left a legacy of instruction and example behind, including the promise of his return (Jn 14:3). Then, the Holy Spirit gave "gifts" to equip believers.

The parable of the talents applies to the Church Age from Pentecost to the Lord's return for His own (1Thess. 4:14-18). At his return, there will be an examination, with awards granted to all those who have invested the proper use of their "talents" for the glory of the Lord. (1Cor. 3:9-15)

A Parable of Sheep and Goats Mt. 25:31-46

This parable concerns Messiah's promised return to earth just after the horrible tribulation time. In Daniel 7, all the nations are portrayed as ferocious beasts. Just preceding our Lord's return to earth, Satan will gather all nations against the Jews in Jerusalem (Rev 16:14). At that time, King Messiah will return with His own to battle and conquer these nations (Jude 14-17). In this context, Jesus will separate "the sheep from the goats" according to their treatment of the Jewish people (Mat 25:41,46).

Conclusion

All three parables concern judgment and the separation of believers and unbelievers. May I ask you, do you have a personal relationship with the Lord? Does He recognize you as a sheep of His? What is your attitude toward the Jewish people, His "brethren according to the flesh"? Are you prepared for His imminent return?

by Dr. D. Goldberg, TH.D., D.D. for The Chosen People

Major problem with this: Not all of these "parables" are parables! First, unless Yeshua` said that an account was a parable or introduced it as a parable with the words "like" or "as," one should NOT take it for granted that the account is a parable. One should not make rash assumptions about Yeshua`s discourses.

While the first two use the words "shall be likened unto" and "as" (Greek: "homoiootheesetai" and "hoosper," respectively), the "parable" of the sheep and goats is NOT a parable per se! The whole account is not what is likened to something real; just the nations are likened to "sheep" and "goats." The account is talking about the LITERAL RETURN OF THE MESSIAH and the impending judgment of the nations after the battle is over! It will be a LITERAL WAR TRIBUNAL! That's all.

[Littlelambseativy]

Shabbat shalom, Littlelambseativy.

If at first you don't succeed _________!!

Easier to type than use Adobe, so here it is - at last!!

~~~~~~~

Three parables of preparedness for the King's return

Matthew 25

Much of Messiah's teaching consisted of parables and each parable taught one major principle. In Matthew chapter 25 all three parable underscore the main theme of preparedness in the light of Messiah's return to gather together He is elect.

A Wedding Parable of Wise and Foolish Virgins Mt.25:1-13

The wedding details described are Jewish in context, so the parable is directed to Israel, primarily in reference to the return of their Messiah. In Bible days the bridegroom first travelled to his bride's home. Along the journey , he would be followed by various friends until the entire company was complete.Then all would partake of the wedding feast at the bridegroom's home.

This parable may be applied to Israel's preparedness to wait for and acknowledge their promised Jewish Messiah. Unfortunately, a number of persons in the wedding party did not take sufficient oil for the lighting of the lamps.

Consequently, they became lost in darkness along the way. These foolish virgins arrived late for the marriage feast and were not permitted entrance. In fact, the bridegroom (the Lord Himself) stated to them,"I know you not." (Mt.25:12)

The unprepared virgins represent that portion of the nation Israel that refused to recognize their Messiah Jesus at His first com in (Jn.1:11), and also those who will refuse to recognize Him when He returns the second time(Rom. 11:20,25). Thus, the major lesson is directed to the nation Israel to believe in and be prepared for the return of their promised Messiah.

A Parable of Wise and Foolish Labourers Mt 25:14-30

In this instance, before the Master departed, He distributed His "talents" or finances and the oversight of His goods to His servants. The Church that Jesus promised to build (Mt. 16:18) was established at His death and resurrection. Our Lord left a legacy of instruction and example behind, including the promise of his return (Jn 14:3). Then, the Holy Spirit gave "gifts" to equip believers.

The parable of the talents applies to the Church Age from Pentecost to the Lord's return for His own (1Thess. 4:14-18). At his return, there will be an examination, with awards granted to all those who have invested the proper use of their "talents" for the glory of the Lord. (1Cor. 3:9-15)

A Parable of Sheep and Goats Mt. 25:31-46

This parable concerns Messiah's promised return to earth just after the horrible tribulation time. In Daniel 7, all the nations are portrayed as ferocious beasts. Just preceding our Lord's return to earth, Satan will gather all nations against the Jews in Jerusalem (Rev 16:14). At that time, King Messiah will return with His own to battle and conquer these nations (Jude 14-17). In this context, Jesus will separate "the sheep from the goats" according to their treatment of the Jewish people (Mat 25:41,46).

Conclusion

All three parables concern judgment and the separation of believers and unbelievers. May I ask you, do you have a personal relationship with the Lord? Does He recognize you as a sheep of His? What is your attitude toward the Jewish people, His "brethren according to the flesh"? Are you prepared for His imminent return?

by Dr. D. Goldberg, TH.D., D.D. for The Chosen People

Major problem with this: Not all of these "parables" are parables! First, unless Yeshua` said that an account was a parable or introduced it as a parable with the words "like" or "as," one should NOT take it for granted that the account is a parable. One should not make rash assumptions about Yeshua`s discourses.

While the first two use the words "shall be likened unto" and "as" (Greek: "homoiootheesetai" and "hoosper," respectively), the "parable" of the sheep and goats is NOT a parable per se! The whole account is not what is likened to something real; just the nations are likened to "sheep" and "goats." The account is talking about the LITERAL RETURN OF THE MESSIAH and the impending judgment of the nations after the battle is over! It will be a LITERAL WAR TRIBUNAL! That's all.

The only time Jesus did not speak in parables is when He used real names as in the rich man and Lazarus who was in the bosom of Abraham. All the rest were parables.

[Retrobyter]

Shabbat shalom, Littlelambseativy.

...

The only time Jesus did not speak in parables is when He used real names as in the rich man and Lazarus who was in the bosom of Abraham. All the rest were parables.

Well, THAT'S not true! What gave you that idea?! If that's how narrowly you look at the Gospels, it's no wonder that you're view of Yeshua` is slanted! Look, for the sake of other people around, Yeshua` DID often speak in parables, but when Yeshua` was alone with His students, what did He say?

Matthew 13:10-17

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

KJV

Mark 4:10-23

10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

14 The sower soweth the word.

15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

KJV

Luke 8:9-18

9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.

17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

KJV

There wasn't any need for Him to hide His meaning from His own students, and He would speak openly to them! He even checked with them after the parables in Matthew 13:

Matthew 13:51

51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

KJV

Even when He did speak in parables, He would check with His student to make sure they understood; if they didn't, He would explain the parable to them! There was a REASON why He didn't want the general population of Isra'el to know what He was talking about. He needed to make sure that the ones who would be His students were serious about doing all that could be done in order for Him to offer Himself as Isra'el's King. He had no intention of healing those whose hearts were fat and their ears stopped up and their eyes closed to the truth. However, that wasn't true about the ones who were the good people of the Land, the ones He DID come to heal!

Matthew 9:10-13

10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

KJV

Therefore, He spoke to them all in parables.

[Littlelambseativy]

So, if I understand you correctly you are saying that the following is a parable?

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell[d] from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

And, you are saying that the following is not a parable?

Luke 16

The Parable of the Unjust Steward

1 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’

3 “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’

5 “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred measures[a] of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures[b] of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.

9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail,[c] they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what 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 be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Because if not then I do not understand what you are attempting to tell me.

[Retrobyter]

Shalom, Littlelambseativy.

So, if I understand you correctly you are saying that the following is a parable?

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell[d] from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”

And, you are saying that the following is not a parable?

Luke 16

The Parable of the Unjust Steward

1 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’

3 “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’

5 “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred measures[a] of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures[b] of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.

9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail,[c] they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what 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 be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Because if not then I do not understand what you are attempting to tell me.

No, I'm saying that NEITHER ONE is a parable! A parable is defined as,

1. A short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.

2. A statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like.

The word comes from the Greek word "parabolee," meaning "comparison," which in turn comes from "paraballoo," meaning "to throw along side of." We have similar things that we compare today, anything phrased in terms of "this is to that as this is to that." We can even represent such comparisons in mathematical formulas, like...

a : b :: c : d.

If the comparisons involve numbers, we might even set them up as ratios:

a / b = c / d.

There's no evidence that the rich man and Elezar (Lazarus) were not real people, but there is also no comparison employed as a teaching tool in Yeshua`s account! Yeshua` never used the words "like" or "as" within His account. For all we know, He could be giving a LITERAL HISTORY in the lives of two individuals with information only He, as the Son of God, would know!

In the second case (which is actually the first of the two), the account of the wiley steward, the only comparison that might be made is that Yeshua` encouraged His listeners to be like the crafty steward who was creative in his final days as steward to set himself up as a hero to others so that when he lost his job, they would reward him and welcome him into their homes with a choice of positions as a fall-back plan. This account has made many Christians uncomfortable because it appears that Yeshua` was suggesting that people be likewise "unjust." In fact, look at the following ways the story has been "explained" by other versions and paraphrases:

Luke 16:1-13

1 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "A rich man had a business manager. The manager was accused of wasting the rich man's property. 2 So the rich man called for his manager and said to him, 'What's this I hear about you? Let me examine your books. It's obvious that you can't manage my property any longer.'

3 "The manager thought, 'What should I do? My master is taking my job away from me. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I'll do so that people will welcome me into their homes when I've lost my job.'

5 "So the manager called for each one of his master's debtors. He said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'

6 "The debtor replied, 'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil.'

"The manager told him, 'Take my master's ledger. Quick! Sit down, and write "four hundred!" '

7 "Then he asked another debtor, 'How much do you owe?'

"The debtor replied, 'A thousand bushels of wheat.'

"The manager told him, 'Take the ledger, and write "eight hundred!" '

8 "The master praised the dishonest manager for being so clever. Worldly people are more clever than spiritually-minded people when it comes to dealing with others."

9 Jesus continued, "I'm telling you that although wealth is often used in dishonest ways, you should use it to make friends for yourselves. When life is over, you will be welcomed into an eternal home. 10 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with a lot. Whoever is dishonest with very little is dishonest with a lot. 11 Therefore, if you can't be trusted with wealth that is often used dishonestly, who will trust you with wealth that is real? 12 If you can't be trusted with someone else's wealth, who will give you your own?

13 "A servant cannot serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve God and wealth."

(from GOD'S WORD Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)

Luke 16:1-13

1 Jesus now told this story to his disciples: "A rich man hired an accountant to handle his affairs, but soon a rumor went around that the accountant was thoroughly dishonest.

2 "So his employer called him in and said, 'What's this I hear about your stealing from me? Get your report in order, for you are to be dismissed.'

3 "The accountant thought to himself, 'Now what? I'm through here, and I haven't the strength to go out and dig ditches, and I'm too proud to beg. 4 I know just the thing! And then I'll have plenty of friends to take care of me when I leave!'

5-6 "So he invited each one who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe him?' 'My debt is 850 gallons of olive oil,' the man replied. 'Yes, here is the contract you signed,' the accountant told him. 'Tear it up and write another one for half that much!'

7 "'And how much do you owe him?' he asked the next man. 'A thousand bushels of wheat,' was the reply. 'Here,' the accountant said, 'take your note and replace it with one for only 800 bushels!'

8 "The rich man had to admire the rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the citizens of this world are more clever [in dishonesty!] than the godly are. 9 But shall I tell you to act that way, to buy friendship through cheating? Will this ensure your entry into an everlasting home in heaven?

10 No! For unless you are honest in small matters, you won't be in large ones. If you cheat even a little, 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 money, why should you be entrusted with money of your own?

13 "For neither you nor anyone else can serve two masters. You will hate one and show loyalty to the other, or else the other way around-you will be enthusiastic about one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

TLB

Luke 16:1-13

1 Jesus said to his disciples, "There was once a rich man who had a manager. He got reports that the manager had been taking advantage of his position by running up huge personal expenses. 2 So he called him in and said, 'What's this I hear about you? You're fired. And I want a complete audit of your books.'

3 "The manager said to himself, 'What am I going to do? I've lost my job as manager. I'm not strong enough for a laboring job, and I'm too proud to beg. . . . 4 Ah, I've got a plan. Here's what I'll do . . . then when I'm turned out into the street, people will take me into their houses.'

5 "Then he went at it. One after another, he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'

6 "He replied, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.'

"The manager said, 'Here, take your bill, sit down here — quick now — write fifty.'

7 "To the next he said, 'And you, what do you owe?'

"He answered, 'A hundred sacks of wheat.'

"He said, 'Take your bill, write in eighty.'

8 "Now here's a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. 9 I want you to be smart in the same way — but for what is right — using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior."

God Sees Behind Appearances

10 Jesus went on to make these comments:

If you're honest in small things,you'll be honest in big things; 11 If you're a crook in small things,you'll be a crook in big things. 12 If you're not honest in small jobs,who will put you in charge of the store? 13 No worker can serve two bosses:He'll either hate the first and love the secondOr adore the first and despise the second.You can't serve both God and the Bank.

(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

See how differently the story is interpreted?

Yeshua` was a Jew through and through and this account proves it! LOL!