Reading the Gospel

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is a logical continuation of the previous parable in the same chapter, as an example of the mismanagement of resources entrusted to us to help others. Also, this parable follows the pattern of the first one, as a real story with a fictional twist. The second part of the story has many conflicting details that don’t align with God’s character in Scripture and...

The parable of the dishonest manager is one of the most difficult to understand. The first part is a real story. The rich man reacts appropriately, firing the dishonest manager. In the second part, Jesus becomes more creative. The rich owner commends the dishonest manager for his dishonesty. In both sections of the parable, the manager represents the Jewish people, who received many spiritual trea...

The third parable in the trilogy of Luke 15 continues the crescendo of the lost value and takes it to the highest point: both sons are lost. This story does not have a happy ending like the previous two parables. Jesus leaves the door open for the Jewish leaders, who are represented by the older son. God’s love for all people is very well portrayed by the father, who is happy for the return of the...

The parable of the lost coin is about those who don’t realize they are lost, even if they are in God’s house. A coin is lost when it is not in the place intended by the owner. In the same way, when we profess to follow Christ, He assigns a place for each of us. Do we know that place, role, or responsibility? If yes, are we happy with that assignment? Are we diligently fulfilling the purpose for wh...

In the parable of the lost sheep, the first in the trilogy of Luke 15, Jesus invites us to look at each other - across the table or the aisle - and see how much God loves everyone. God sees such a great value in each one of us that He gave His only Son to die for us. Sometimes, Christians who consider themselves in the fold think that God wastes too much love for those sinners out there. But there...

Jesus’ teaching about the cost of discipleship includes one of the most outrageous requirements of the Gospel: to love and hate simultaneously. Jesus intended it to be this way because His disciples should have their priorities straight when they pick up the cross to follow Him. If we start a project without investing our whole hearts, we may not finish it and be ashamed. By connecting the first t...

In this episode, Jesus addresses Judaism's claim that citizenship in the Kingdom of God was built into their birth certificate. No, they need an invitation, too, and more importantly, they must accept it on an individual basis. This teaching is meaningful for us, too, because becoming Christians does not automatically entitle us to be citizens in the Kingdom of Heaven. We must clean up our lives a...

This episode covers one miracle and two short parables, all three dealing with what is more important in God's view. The miracle is a teaching moment in which Jesus explains that manifesting love for those in need around you, including animals, is more important than keeping the cold letter of the law. Likewise, when you are invited to a dinner, you should not look for places of honor but instead...

Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem is triggered by a plot of the Jews to drive Him to Jerusalem, where they could execute their plans to kill Him. Jesus’ response is a powerful example for those of us tempted from the inside by our fears and from the outside by multiple limiting factors. Nothing and nobody can deter Jesus from accomplishing His mission! Knowing God’s purpose for your life, understanding...

This episode covers the teaching of Jesus about the nature and scope of His Kingdom. Some in the audience were worried if the Kindom was big enough for everyone or was smaller than the world. Interestingly, Jesus' answer is not about its capacity (in other words, don’t worry about that) but about the size of the entrance door. Jesus tries to switch the focus from the quantitative growth of the Kin...

This story is fascinating not only as a healing event but also as a case study for the journey from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Jesus calls this woman “a daughter of Abraham,” but she is still under the control of the evil one. How can one be in two opposite places at the same time? Only God knows one’s battles during the dark night of the soul, and we have no business in poin...

These short stories put to rest our speculations that everything happens for a purpose: either the good of the righteous or the punishment of the wicked. Jesus doesn’t pronounce any judgment on the Galileens massacred by Pilat or those killed by the tower of Siloam. In this world, which is the battlefield of the Cosmic Conflict, events may happen for various reasons. Jesus uses some of these event...

In this episode, Jesus tells us to “stay dressed for action and keep our lamps burning.” He explains this truth with two stories and three additional teachings. Jesus does not overlook or disregard reckless behavior but rewards those actively waiting for His second coming. The greatest reward is when the Master becomes a Servant, to serve His faithful reclining at the table when the Kingdom comes!

Over centuries, we have worked hard to build the Western Society and evaluate our success through the abundance of products and services available at any corner. But this materialistic abundance has a built-in trap. In this gospel reading episode, Jesus uses a story to illustrate that trap and to point to the principles of the simplicity of life, helping the needy, and contentment with what the Lo...

This teaching of Christ warns us about the danger of compartmentalizing life into work, family, church, sports, social life, etc. and having different moral values for each area. Moreover, when these moral values conflict with each other, we are tempted to wear masks to suggest consistency. The profound transformation of the character that brings genuine integrity happens only through the indwelli...

In this episode, Jesus is dining with Pharisees and Lawyers, discussing the inconsistency between their outward behavior and inward thoughts and desires. In their hearts, they decided to kill Jesus. On the outside, they displayed a life of high moral standards and holiness. By doing this, they were replicating the history of the Jewish nation, which rejected and killed prophets and, at the same ti...

This teaching of Christ in Luke 11:33-36 focuses on the inner battle between darkness and light. It’s that perpetual, cosmic battle between evil and good, each side trying to move the front line and overcome the other. This inner light comes from above when Christ is born in us. It grows, as we spend more time in the presence of God and submit our will to His will, until there is no more darkness...

The teaching on prayer is a summary of the Lord’s Prayer from the Sermon on the Mountain, plus a significant addition. The sequence is logical, starting with God’s name, which was tarnished by Lucifer when he rebelled in heaven. Then is the Kingdom that Jesus came to establish on earth as a step toward restoring His universal authority. After this, the prayer comes closer to us, touching our funda...

The answer to the direct question, Are You the Christ?, was not easy even for Jesus, the Greatest Teacher ever. Because the Jews had developed a nationalist portrait of their expected Messiah, answering either Yes or No would not have helped. Therefore, Jesus decided to explain the nature of His messiahship by emphasizing His relationship with the Heavenly Father, whose character He came to reveal...

The story of the Good Samaritan (from the previous episode) and the event with Martha and Mary are not just two consecutive events in the Gospel, but two sister stories that complement each other. If we read only the first story, it seems that what really matters to Jesus is not what you believe, what sacred book you read, and where you worship, but only what you do to help others. In the event wi...

The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most revolutionary stories taught by Jesus. The hero in this story is from the “other side,” from the enemy’s side. In the current Middle Eastern context, it is like telling the Israelis a story about the “Good Hamas” or the “Good Hezbollah.” Or, in the American context, it is like telling a story about the “Good KKK” to a black audience in the South...

In addition to the 12 apostles, Jesus trained and sent another six groups of 12, another 72. Jesus didn’t want them to depend on money, donors, or other resources. Jesus asked them to go straight to the villages where Jesus was headed without delay. On the way, they were required to contemplate the magnitude of the harvest and pray for even more workers. Do you want to have your name written in th...

Without a test , there is no test imony! In this event, Jesus offers a three-part discipleship test, three questions to assess whether I follow Jesus Christ with my whole heart. Am I seeking personal benefits, and do I have ulterior motives, or is it just my natural desire to respond to His love? Am I trying to place people or things above Jesus? Am I looking for pretexts to delay what Jesus asks...

When a Samaritan village rejected Christ, two of the leading disciples asked Jesus' permission to bring fire from heaven and destroy those people. By rebuking them in a similar way He rebuked Satan, Jesus teaches a very relevant lesson for our times. As a divine prerogative, all judgment was given to Jesus, and He does not invite us to "substitute" for Him. Never! Not even in our minds! We should...

As a fulfillment of the beautiful Psalm 23 and many more promises in the Old Testament, Jesus presents Himself as the Good Shepherd. He knows us, and we learn to hear His voice and follow Him wherever He goes. This close bond between Jesus and us is the essence of genuine Christianity. Verse 17 raises a legitimate question. How come God the Father loved Jesus (even more) when He gave His life for...