The Prisoners Don't Even Know They Are Prisoners (Introduction) - Part 756

The Prisoners Don't Even Know They Are Prisoners - Introduction

What a concept — the prisoners don’t even know they are prisoners!

The Parable of the "Unjust Steward"

Luke chapter 16 elaborates on a theme that should give us hope. Instead, we as believers in Jesus -- the King of kings and Lord of lords -- Almighty God in the flesh -- have subscribed to the "worldly view" of the parable about the rich man and the unjust steward. The worldly view -- the message promoted by many religious clergy today. That is,  the parable that Jesus shares with His disciples in Luke 16 is a monetary message. An illustration about money. Worldly wealth. Material wealth. Status within the societal evaluations and performance reviews that exist within this world.

These same religious point to the symbolism in the parable and like the scribes and Pharisees who derided Jesus at the time, they miss the point. Thankfully, others are more humble, admitting that they do not understand the context. Admittedly, there is difficulty in determining its meaning. Part of the problem is that there is a division between chapters Luke 15 and 16, inserted by men, that should not be there.  In so doing, they (and theologians later) have separated Jesus' teachings in these chapters into messages with seemingly different lessons even though the majority of text in chapters 15 and 16 (and part of 17) are one sermon -- one oratory address -- presented by Jesus.

In Luke 15, Jesus is speaking to the multitudes. The scribes and the Pharisees are listening as well. Jesus begins by using the analogy of a hundred sheep -- and how a good shepherd will leave the ninety-nine sheep together and go searching for the one that is lost. "And when he hath found it, he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing." (Luke 15:5) As if this lesson was not enough in and of itself, Jesus shares another example -- the woman with ten pennies. In the illustration, the woman loses one of her precious coins and ends up searching the house up and down to find the one penny that is lost. When she finds it, she invites her friends to rejoice with her.

But the message is still not resonating with the hearers so Jesus continues -- elaborating on the illustration of the prodigal son. The youngest son had asked his father for his inheritance -- the portion of goods that falls to him -- so that he could journey to a far country. But when he did, the world was not kind. They stripped him of all his wealth, his money, his worldly status and in the end they took his self-esteem too. When he finally realized that even his father's servants were treated better than him, he returns to his father's house -- asking for forgiveness. "I have sinned against heaven and before thee ... and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants." (Luke 15:18-19)

What did the father do? When he saw his son "yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." (Luke 15:20-21) But the father did not stop there. He told his servants to "bring forth the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and be merry." (Luke 15:22-24)

Why? Because "my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found."

What we will never hear from the world is this.  Jesus is asking us to play in His sandbox -- encouraging us to take hold of His promises by faith. He wants to set us free.  "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" and a few verses later, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." He wants each and every one of us to receive the crown of life, and recognize that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17) He wants us to take back the original ownership of the world that He gave to us in the Garden. "

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (|Matthew 6:10)

Unfortunately, up until now,  we have been deceived by the prince of this world. We are being led down the garden path -- believing that we need to labour in this world, according to this world's standards. That we need to participate in the status quo systems that this world has arranged. That somehow, we must struggle on the treadmill of life that never allows us to rest.

But Jesus said we don't have to continue subscribing to this world.  He took our place on the cross. He shed His precious blood so that we would have life -- and experience life more abundantly. Jesus is saying "Come my child." He is inviting us to see the world through His eyes. "For we which have believed do enter into rest ... there remains therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he has also ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest ..." (Hebrews 4:1-11)

There is more to come ... much more!