PUZZLING SAYINGS OF JESUS

1. The Shrewd Steward (Luke 16:1-9) 

2. Turning the Other Cheek (Matthew 5:39; John 18:19-23; Acts 23:1-5; Romans 13:1-4; 1 Peter 2:13-14) 

3. This Generation Shall Not Pass (Matthew 24:29-35; Mark 13:24-31; Luke 21:31-33) 

Central Truth: Christ desires us to discern, understand, and apply His teachings. 

Focus: Acknowledge that all of Jesus’ teachings are relevant for us, and live according to His teachings and example. 

Evangelism Emphasis: Salvation is found in responding to Christ’s teachings with trust and obedience. 

Text: “And he [Jesus] said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:10). 

INTRODUCTION 

The apostle Paul declared, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16 NKJV). Therefore, we believe all Scripture (1) is inspired, (2) informs doctrine, and (3) should be part of our instruction. However, not all Scripture is easy to understand. As we stated in the first lesson of this unit, we face barriers to understanding: the barriers of time, language, worldview, and culture. The Bible is written from the perspective of the ancient world, but we no longer live in that era. To understand the Bible, we must imagine ourselves in the ancient world, not in the modern world. 

This week’s lesson studies three passages that can be difficult to understand: the parable of the shrewd steward, the command to turn the other cheek, and Jesus’ statement that “this generation shall not pass” until His signs of the end are fulfilled. 

Our goal this week is twofold. First, we want to increase our Biblical understanding and knowledge. We will illuminate these puzzling sayings of Jesus by examining the original first-century context in which they were spoken. 

Second, we want to apply these teachings to our lives, helping us to become more like Jesus. God gave us the Bible not only to increase our knowledge of Him, but also to strengthen our relationship with Him. As we hear and receive the Word of God, we will grow in grace and in Christian character (2 Peter 3:18). Peter wrote, “Desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2 NKJV). As we see ourselves in the Scriptures, we are transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Paul states it this way: “progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18 Amp.). As we receive the Word of God, it will sanctify us. Jesus prayed for us to the Father: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17; see also Eph. 5:26). Let us pray that we will not only be hearers of the Word, but also doers of the Word (James 1:22). 

1.   THE SHREWD STEWARD 

A.  A Dishonest Manager (Luke 16:1-7) 

 1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 

 5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. 

Jesus often spoke in parables. A parable is a realistic story that illustrates a spiritual point, and it involves people and events that might be encountered in daily life. This parable was spoken to His disciples (v. 1); therefore, Jesus intended that the message of the parable be understood and appropriated by His followers as a part of their discipleship process. Inasmuch as it is spoken to His disciples, it is directly relevant to modern Christian followers also. One Bible commentator declared that this parable is the most difficult in the Gospel of Luke (Darrell Bock, The NIV Application Commentary: Luke). Hopefully, we can unravel the story in a way that makes sense. 

The main character in the story is a steward who served as the administrator for a certain rich man. In the Bible, steward refers to a person who was responsible for managing the estate of another person. In this case, it appears that one of the duties of this manager was to collect the debts that were owed to his employer. 

The story begins when the manager is accused of mishandling his employer’s assets. The accuser is not named, and details of the accusation are not given. The word wasted can mean “to scatter or to squander”; therefore, the manager may have misappropriated funds, or he may simply have been incompetent. 

 In any case, the rich man was not happy with the loss of his possessions, so he fired the manager and demanded that the manager provide an accounting that would explain all of his actions (v. 2). 

This sudden loss of employment produced a crisis for the manager. As far as he could tell, his only options were manual labor or begging, and he was not inclined to do either (v. 3). As a last resort, he decided to use his position as manager as a means to make friends with some of the people who owed money to his employer. One by one, he instructed them to reduce the amounts that were found on their bills—an action he thought might create some goodwill. He was hoping one of these people might remember his generosity and hire him to serve as the manager of their estate. 

Money Speaks 

How we use our money demonstrates the reality of our love for God. In some ways it proves our love more conclusively than depth or knowledge, length of prayers, or prominence of service. These things can be feigned, but the use of our possessions shows us up for what we actually are.—Charles Ryrie, Balancing the Christian Life 

B.  A Discerning Master (Luke 16:8-9) 

 8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 

The percentages with which the manager reduced the amounts owed to his employer probably represented the manager's personal commission as the debt collector. That is, he willingly surrendered his own temporary profit in order to gain long-term goodwill from these debtors. In light of the fact that the employer had not actually lost any of his own money in the process, he did not respond to the manager’s scheme with anger. Instead, the employer admired the wisdom with which the manager carried out his plan. The word commended means “to compliment or to praise”; wisely means “shrewdly, sensibly, or thoughtfully.” The manager acted with intelligence and foresight, with an eye to the future. 

Jesus does not approve of the manager’s character, describing him as “unjust” and as one of the “children of this world” (v. 8). However, Jesus acknowledges the manager’s shrewdness and says the children of this world are “wiser” than the children of light in the way they deal with their generation of people. The people in the world devote more time and attention to caring for their physical needs than the righteous do their spiritual needs. 

 Jesus summarizes the meaning of this parable by advising His disciples to create friends through the “mammon of unrighteousness,” which means they should be generous in sharing their “worldly wealth” (v. 9 NIV). The wealth of this world will eventually “fail”—it will be used up or come to an end. Even if we have money when we die, at that point it will fail because we cannot take it with us. But we as Christ’s disciples will share our worldly wealth with others, so the people we bless will welcome us when we reach heaven. 

Just as the unrighteous manager was wise in his planning for the future, we should use wisdom in the way we manage all of our resources. This parable has a message similar to Jesus’ statement in Matthew 6:19-20: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (NKJV). 

• When do “worldly riches” (v. 9 NCV) have an everlasting impact? 

2.  TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK  

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus listed six Old Testament commandments that were being misinterpreted in His day, and He provided corrections to those misinterpretations (Matt. 5:21-48). Each of these six subjects is introduced with the phrase, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time . . .”; then Jesus states the correct interpretation, beginning with the phrase, “But I say unto you. . . .” In offering corrections to the contemporary Jewish interpretation, Jesus declared He had not come “to destroy the Law or the Prophets . . . but to fulfill” them (v. 17 NKJV). He also pointed out that true righteousness requires more than fulfilling the letter of the Law; it is concerned with the spirit of the Law. 

In this light, Jesus makes corrections regarding retribution, hatred, and love. As a conclusion to this entire section, Jesus teaches that the fulfillment of the Old Testament moral law can be accomplished in us only when we model ourselves after the perfections of our Father in heaven (v. 48). 

A.   Jesus’ Teaching on Retribution (Matthew 5:38-39) 

 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 

Here we focus on the fifth subject Jesus addressed in this passage. The Old Testament law concerning a person who had harmed another person was that the punishment should be equal to the crime—“an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” Jesus, however, corrected the misapplication of that Old Testament law. 

 Our first step in understanding this teaching of Jesus is to examine the meaning of the original law (see Ex. 21:23-25; Lev. 24:18-20; Deut. 19:20-21). The Old Testament law required that punishment be equivalent to the crime. In the ancient world, punishments were often cruel and unreasonable; therefore, the law of Moses established a just and equitable society in which punishments would not be excessive or haphazard. The law was executed by the civil authorities and judges who would protect the citizens and punish criminals. Therefore, the law was intended to prevent private revenge by placing the rule of law in the hands of governing authorities. Other Old Testament Scriptures support this interpretation, stating that personal retribution was forbidden: “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18 NKJV). 

 However, in Jesus’ day, the Jews were suffering under the rule of the Roman Empire, and they were unable to trust the government authorities. Thus, they began to use the Old Testament law of retaliation to justify their own personal revenge against people who had harmed them. The teaching of Jesus points us back to the original meaning of this law. When Jesus tells us not to “resist” evil, He means we should not retaliate or take revenge on people who have offended us. 

 Furthermore, His instruction for us to “turn the other cheek” is not meant to be taken literally. Jesus is not saying Christians should willingly submit to physical attack. Nor is He saying Christians should never defend themselves. “Turning the other cheek” is a figure of speech that represents our response to any kind of personal offense. In the ancient world, to be slapped on the right cheek was not so much a physical attack as it was a hateful insult. Whenever we are insulted or abused, we should not seek revenge; but if the crime is of a serious nature, the authorities should be informed, and they can administer punishment to the evildoer. 

In summary, Jesus teaches us that the Old Testament law regarding appropriate punishments should be relegated to the realm of civil authorities, who are obligated to punish offenders. Rather than retaliating against personal insults, we as Christians should pray for our enemies and leave them in the hands of God. 

Do Not Pick and Choose 

When my cousin Brad and I were kids, he would come to visit at our house for a week in the summer. He lived in the city, so his time with us in the country was always a great adventure. Dinnertime was always an interesting occasion with Brad, because he would never eat his vegetables. In fact, the only foods he enjoyed were blackberry cobbler and the skin from fried chicken (not the chicken, just the skin). His refusal to eat healthy food worried his mother, who fussed at him and forced him to eat vitamins to supplement his meager diet. If we aren't careful, we can be like Brad, consuming only Scripture verses that we find most appetizing, and refusing others that contain much spiritual nutrition.—Lee Roy Martin 

B.  The Example of Jesus (John 18:19-23) 

 22 And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? 23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? 

 Jesus practiced what He preached. Just before His crucifixion, He was arrested and put on trial by the Jewish high priest, who accused Him of various crimes. Jesus answered the questions that were put before Him, and He was not afraid to defend His actions. Yet, He did not attack those who accused Him. 

All of the power of heaven was at Jesus’ disposal, but when He was slapped by one of the officers, He did not retaliate. He did, however, challenge the officer, saying, “Why did you strike me?” (v. 23 NIV). Jesus could have stopped the trial, but He knew His suffering had a purpose. He willingly gave Himself to suffer and die for the sins of humanity. 

• What did Jesus say about the content and sites of His teaching ministry, and why? 

C.  The Example of Paul (Acts 23:1-5) 

 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. 3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? 4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest? 5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.  

In a setting similar to the trial of Jesus, the apostle Paul is put on trial in front of the Jewish Council, called the Sanhedrin. When Paul affirms his innocence, the high priest Ananias commands an officer standing by Paul to strike him on the mouth. Although not retaliating physically, Paul verbally assaults the high priest. Paul is in a difficult situation, because the very authorities who have the responsibility to protect Paul are now abusing him. His judges are violating the law. 

Paul acknowledges the tension when he states, “I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest” (v. 5). Paul knows a righteous high priest would not be acting in the manner of Ananias. It is important to note that when Paul says to Ananias, “God will strike you” (v. 3 NKJV), he places upon God the responsibility for punishing the high priest. 

• Contrast Paul’s respect for Old Testament teaching (v. 5) with the high priest’s disrespect for the Law (v. 3). 

D.  The Authority of Rulers (Romans 13:1-4; 1 Peter 2:13-14) 

 Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. 

Both Paul and Peter affirm the teachings of Jesus that civil authorities have the responsibility to punish evil in society. The apostle Paul begins his comments in Romans 13 by declaring that civil authorities are “ordained of God” (v. 1). Of course, as Paul experienced in Acts 23, civil authorities are not perfect; and they do not always promote law and order. There are times when the authorities are more interested in their own agendas. Yet, as a general rule, human government is in place for the purpose of maintaining justice and order. Paul declares that if Christians will “do that which is good” (Rom. 13:3), they will be praised by the civil authorities. The only people who should be afraid of the government are those who are doing evil. The civil authorities are “the minister[s] of God” (v. 4); that is, they serve God’s purposes to execute punishment upon wrongdoers. 

It is important that Christians respect the civil authorities God has put in place. As a matter of respect for the order of society, Christians should “be subject” to the authorities (v. 1) and should obey “every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake” (1 Peter 2:13). In addition to the responsibility to obey the law, Christians should also pray for those who are in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-2). 

• What is the purpose of civil government, and how should Christians respond to it? 

3.  THIS GENERATION SHALL NOT PASS 

A.  The Return of Jesus (Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27) 

 Matt. 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.  

Misinterpretations of Matthew 24 have caused much confusion in the church. If we pay close attention to the words of Jesus, we are able to see that two different subjects are in view in this chapter: the destruction of Jerusalem and the return of Jesus. As Jesus was leaving the Temple, He remarked to His disciples that not one stone of the Temple would be left upon another—it was destined for destruction (vv. 1-2). Then, when He was alone with His disciples, they asked Him two questions. First, they asked, “When will this happen?” (v. 3 NIV). This question refers back to Jesus’ statement that the Temple would be destroyed. Their second question was, “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (v. 3 NIV). In the teaching that follows, Jesus addresses both of these questions. 

The misinterpretations of this chapter are due to the fact that Jesus connects the two events, and He describes the entire church age in just a few verses. This compressed view of history is difficult for us to follow. Although Jesus provides a number of signs that will precede His coming, it is not God’s will that we be able to precisely determine the date of His return. Therefore, the signs are given to us in somewhat open or ambiguous fashion so the date of the Second Coming cannot be pinned down exactly. 

We do know that Christ’s return will cause the nations to “mourn” (v. 30), which means “deep grief caused by remorse.” At the same time, Christ’s angels will gather His “chosen ones” (v. 31 TLB) from every direction of the earth. No follower of Christ will be left behind. 

The Crouching Lion 

It is ironic that today’s characterization of Jesus is reversed from what the religionists of the first century expected of Him. Two thousand years ago, the religionists called for a lion when God had sent a Lamb. Today, the politically correct teacher calls for Christ the Lamb, though God has ordained a Lion to crouch in the clouds.—Robert D. Pace, Apocalert 

B.  The Parable of the Fig Tree (Matthew 24:32-35; Mark 13:28-31; Luke 21:31-33) 

 Matt. 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.  

Although the timing of these events is uncertain, the signs Jesus provided will help us to see the events are “near, even at the doors” (Matt. 24:33). When a fig tree begins to sprout new leaves, we know summer is near. Similarly, when we see the signs given in Matthew 24, we know the coming of Jesus is near (v. 33). 

 When Jesus speaks about “this generation” in verse 34, He can be referring to the people who are alive during His day (see also Matt 10:23; 16:28; 23:36). The generation that was alive during the ministry of Jesus would see “all these things be fulfilled” (24:34). That does not mean they would necessarily see the return of Jesus; it means they would see all of these signs, all of the signs pointing to His coming. And so it was that His generation saw the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, when the Romans decided to burn down Jerusalem, including the Temple. Furthermore, His generation saw wars, false christs, earthquakes, famines, and the other signs. These signs were so evident that the apostles expected Jesus to return at any moment. Paul stated the return of Jesus was near (Rom. 13:12; Phil. 4:5), and James and Peter made corresponding statements (James 5:8; 1 Peter 4:7). 

Another interpretation of “this generation” comes from the early church fathers. They understood this term as a reference to the Church, which will prevail against the gates of Hades and endure to the end. This viewpoint connects the “chosen ones” (v. 31 TLB) with “this generation” (v. 34). Jesus Christ then made this powerful statement: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (v. 35). 

• What evidences do we have that Christ’s return is “at the door”? 

DISCERN, UNDERSTAND, AND APPLY 

We are disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are committed to learning from Him and following His example. Many of His teachings are easy to understand, but others are difficult to obey. In order to be ready when the Lord returns, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. 

Daily Devotions  

M.  The Parable of Balaam (Numbers 24:1-10) 

T.  The Parable of Job (Job 27:1-6) 

W.  The Parable of Asaph (Psalm 78:1-8) 

T.  Mystery of the Kingdom (Mark 4:1-13) 

F.  Speaking the Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 2:6-14) 

S.  Understand the Mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3:1-12) 

*Adopted from the Evangelical Sunday School Lesson Commentary 2020-2021.

**Image by James Chan from Pixabay.