Luke 24 Testimony - Brian Joseph Wangenheim
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the
spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone
rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the
body of the Lord Jesus.
This is the first evidence that
Jesus rose from the dead. The
missing body is one proof that
Jesus resurrected from the dead.
It could be the case that
someone stole the body, but the
next evidence eliminates that
doubt.
4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that
gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women
bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them,
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has
risen!
Here we see that Jesus in fact has Risen. Evidence by two angels testimony
gives proof that Jesus has Risen. This makes sense that it is two angels as
well because Jesus went to heaven and the only witnesses of His
Resurrection would have to be spiritual entities. This all makes sense. Not
only does this shows a factual and logical account of Jesus Resurrection
but the greater fact is what this means for mankind. This means that
death can be defeated and we can live forever. This is what all mankind
has dreamed about, being able to live forever, that is why there is so many
movies about the subject and more. But now it is no longer fantasy but a
realistic possibility as we live for God. So how do we experience the
Resurrection? We have to follow Jesus example and we will be where Jesus
Luke 24 Testimony - Brian Joseph Wangenheim
is. This has changed my life because before my perspective was just small
narrowed into a human life time period of about 80 years, but now with
eternity in mind it has allowed me to ask deeper questions about myself
and how I should live. The greatest benefit from Jesus resurrection is that I
now have the power to say no to the mundane things of this life and live as
Jesus disciple. Before I could not do that because I thought that this life
was all there is, and that life is a miserable life, living for things in the
world, but living for God my whole life is broadened and I am not limited. I
see that I must remember this fact, because it is the truth. I have a choice
to live by this truth or not, and when I do live by this truth I am blessed.
Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son
of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and
on the third day be raised again.’ ”
We also know that the angles could not be making it up because they were
just saying what Jesus and the OT said about his death and resurrection.
So all of this adds up as a very
weighty testimony of Jesus
resurrection. What happened can
simply not be made up, but it has
to be true. Not only that but when
I come to Jesus Christ I feel
myself change and have life
within me, and life is a necessary
component of the resurrection,
so in that way I am even more so
sure that the resurrection is real and Jesus has Risen. This is really good
news for everyone, that Jesus has Risen, with Jesus Risen we can all
Luke 24 Testimony - Brian Joseph Wangenheim
celebrate and live different lives, no longer lives frustrated sinning against
God, but lives of loving God and living for His mission.
8 Then they remembered his words.
9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the
Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the
mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11
But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them
like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending
over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away,
wondering to himself what had happened.
The disciples were all pretty defeated, they were told the good news of
Jesus resurrection but because they went through such terrible failures
they could not respond or believe this good news. Peter still had some of
his humanity left in him, so he went to the tomb to check out what had
happened, but then still did not believe.
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus,
about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other
about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed
these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along
with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
It was now about time that Jesus would visit them. Jesus came up and
started talking with them. I do not think Jesus looked any different as to be
the reason why they did not recognize him. I think the fact that they saw
Jesus crucified was so mentally scarring that they logically could not
accept Jesus being alive. For example if I saw my dad die and then 4 weeks
see a person who looked exactly like him, I would not believe it would be
my dad just someone who looks a lot like him. I think this was the case with
Luke 24 Testimony - Brian Joseph Wangenheim
their view of Jesus. Sometimes the things that happen to us in this life can
be so crippling that we no longer have faith in those areas, but God always
wants us to have faith, and what can be more crippling than death itself,
but Jesus overcame death, so how much more can Jesus help us to have
faith in all the other areas of our lives, so we would live happy and
meaningful lives.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named
Cleopas,asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not
know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in
word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and
our rulers handed
him over to be
sentenced to death,
and they crucified
him; 21 but we had
hoped that he was
the one who was
going to redeem
Israel. And what is
more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of
our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but
didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of
angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to
the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see
Jesus.”
Luke 24 Testimony - Brian Joseph Wangenheim
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that
the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these
things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the
Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures
concerning himself.
At a surface level this seems kind of humorous because if we were in Jesus
shows we would probably say something like “Hey, Guys it is me Jesus!”
That just shows how immature we are still. But if we think about the
condition of the disciples they were really traumatized sheep. They saw
their shepherd get spit on, cursed at, tortured and killed. We are shaken
by a little bit of persecution, but how would we be if that happened. I am
sure we would all be troubled and very shaken, that is why Jesus did not
just do a light hearted, I am alive guys, kind of thing, but he asked them
questions and taught them the bible this way he warmed up their hearts
so that this good news would comfort them. Jesus was really a good
shepherd this way. I too see that I should pay such careful attention to the
sheep so that they would be comforted and continually grow up in God.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus
continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly,
“Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in
to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke
it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they
recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.
Here Jesus continually stayed with them and taught them, this way he
continually comforted his sheep and helped them to believe. Soon as they
recognized Jesus, then JEsus disappeared. This was Jesus whole goal that
they would recognize Jesus, not that Jesus would reveal Himself to them.
Luke 24 Testimony - Brian Joseph Wangenheim
This is what a good shepherd does, he lets his sheep discover God and he
does not necessarily force God upon his sheep. It is one thing for me to be
told God is this or that but it is another thing by digging out the scriptures
and seeking God in my day to day life, to discover God.
32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he
talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the
Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true!
The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told
what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them
when he broke the bread.
So here they believed in God and were starting to come to grips with the
resurrection.
36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among
them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
After the resurrection this was Jesus
first message “Peace be with you”
Peace is like calmness in heart,
where there is nothing to worry
about, this is what we all want,
peace. The message that the
resurrection brings is peace, we no
longer have to fight, compete, strain
for things in this world, but as we
live for God we will reign with Him forever if we do all things the right way,
this means peace, life does not have to be so complicated, just following
Jesus and then coming to enjoy peace.
Luke 24 Testimony - Brian Joseph Wangenheim
37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He
said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your
minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see;
a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And
while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked
them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of
broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
So here Jesus again as the good shepherd is showing His sheep how He is
alive by setting an example. We too ought to set real life examples for our
sheep, not just telling them to do this or that all the way.
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you:
Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses,
the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise
from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of
sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my
Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with
power from on high.”
Here Jesus explained that everything that was happening was just what
the bible was talking about all of the time. Then he opened their minds so
they could understand the scriptures. I do not think this is mysterious at
all, I think that Jesus just taught everything so well, basically he taught in a
perfect say, so their minds could open up and understand everything that
the bible is talking about. I think to open up our students minds we need
to have faith in the Word of God ourselves. Doubts in our hearts and
Luke 24 Testimony - Brian Joseph Wangenheim
minds do not allow us to think realistically and logically about the word of
God, but when all of those doubts are gone we can soberly interpret the
Word of God and find that it is very believable.
Also, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come at the right
time. When the disciples stayed in the place where God wanted them to be
God would send them the Holy Spirit.
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his
hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and
was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to
Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple,
praising God.
After all was said and done Jesus
blessed them and was taken up into
heaven. There lives were totally
changed through Jesus Resurrection
Bible Study and Shepherding. We too
need to have faith in God so that our
minds would be open to the
scriptures and this is the good news
of this life that Jesus has Resurrected!
One Word: Jesus Has Risen!
Luke 19:1-10 - Brian Joseph Wangenheim
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
Jericho is a city near the Jordan River. It is a modern day city in Palestinian territory. It is
thought to be one of the oldest inhabited cities according to a few resear
chers studies. But in Jesus eyes, this must have been another city that needed his help, that is why
He was passing through. To save what was lost. In the same way we enter this world, but we are not
here to stay, we are just passing through. So the question is what are we to do here on planet
earth as we are passing through? We should follow Jesus example and try to save those that are
lost. That is what life is about saving the lost, that they may know and have salvation in Jesus
Christ, knowing the true way to live life.
God saved me in the Spring of 2011. I remember it was that Spring because I was failing all
of my classes in college, only after meeting Jesus and accepting His love for me did my life start to
turn around, I got straight A’s the next semester, I threw away all of my pipes for smoking weed, I
stopped drinking, doing drugs, partying, and hanging out with my friends that brought bad
influence in my life. Instead, I spend all my time studying the bible and working hard at my studies
in college. Fast forward seven years and I have had a lot of experiences with Jesus and that love
He first showed me I still have in my heart and I still love Him. I have the same joy and reward
serving God this day as I first did seven years ago because I have seen God been faithful to my
soul. I do not remember the physical blessing all to much but what I really appreciate is God’s love
that has been with me, my shield and my very great reward. I have not become what I expected, but
I have received way more than I have ever needed. All of this was possible because someone took
the time to teach me the bible.
You see without the Word of God we are very very limited in knowing God, people are
generally too lazy to study their bibles and it shows how little they know of God even if they claim to
be believers. I too used to be ignorant of God and naive but then I learned the practical aspects of
loving and serving God which gave structure to my life and made me more mature as a person. I
am thankful that I was raised up in such a way to give my full devotion to God’s mission, the Word
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of God, and Prayer. We all ought to dedicate ourselves to God Himself by being active and present
in these things. It is not just the things, but it is about giving our heart to God in a practical way
through these things that God Himself tells us to do in the bible. Many people say they do not want
to be religious and then do not do these things, but they are fooling themselves. A religious person
does everything in a religious way not knowing God and being selfish but a spiritual person can do
all things in a spiritual way being able to love God and serve God through whatever means. But
this does not mean we should do whatever we want, instead we should use our freedom for doing
what is good, using our time, energy, strength and money for serving God and His flock. This
should be the very goal of our life to know Jesus Christ more and to make Him known by giving
ourselves fully to every aspect of serving God's mission.
2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector
and was wealthy.
So by this description of Zacchaeus we can
assume some things about him. First the Hebrew
name Zacchaeus means pure or clean. This shows
that he was supposed to be living a pure and clean
life, but he was not living up to his name because he
was a tax collector and not just any tax collector,
but a chief tax collector! Back then tax collectors
were known as public sinners because they openly
defied God, stood on the side of the Romans and
because of the love of money were willing to take
money away from God’s chosen people. A tax
collector basically betrayed God and the Jews for the sake of making money and living a more
comfortable life. This was a really bad life decision and like any sin there was consequences
involved. So he definitely made a wrong move in his life to not live for God and betray God's very
own people. He was also one of the really bad ones because he was a chief tax collector showing
that he was willing to do whatever it takes to become rich even by going against God
wholeheartedly and betraying God's people. He was also good at what he did so he became
wealthy. With tax laws nowadays the IRS has certain rules that people must follow in preparing
their taxes in the US. With any kind of law they can be bent and manueved in such ways for
maximum gain. That is why people try to deduct as much as they can from their taxes to save
money, and in the case of Zacchaeus he probably tried to implement as many of the tax laws as
possible to get money from people. Again with any law, we can question it, and in the question
leave room to either help others or hurt others, that is why we need to have a sound
understanding of what God desires, so we would use all laws in the proper way, God's laws, civilian
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laws, and tax laws. To sum everything up Zacchaeus was really bad and probably going to hell if he
continued to love money, betray God, and disown Himself from God's beloved people...
3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not
see over the crowd.
We see that also despite how bad he was, he
still wanted to see Jesus. In this way we should never
judge anyone on outward appearances alone such
as their job, what kinds of sin they are in, how they
dress, how they look, etc. Because we never really
know what is going on inside of a person's heart,
maybe they can be 99% bad in their hearts but still
have a 1% desire to know who Jesus Christ is. It is
our jobs as Shepherds to focus on the 1% good in
people and draw that out so that people would
meet with Jesus Christ. I hear all the time people say
they are atheist, wiccan, buddhist, agnostic, or just
your average sinner or moralistic person. They may
be 99% of these but I know that they are not
completely taken over by these things because God
created us all with a part in us to love Him and be a
relationship with Him. Nobody can be complete
without Jesus Christ who is God, this is my confidence and because of this, I am not jaded or
confused anytime one of these folk bring up what they believe or try to slide me off from what I
know. The main difference between them and me is that they believe in their religion or doctrine
but I know the truth through logic, understanding, experience and faith. I too was like this, I loved
art and my own life in many different ways, I was living a selfish life and who knew that I would be
ready to accept Jesus love? Only God. So God sent me someone to teach me the bible and my
heart was restored in Jesus Christ. I was born again. I never said I wanted to see who Jesus was,
but God was gracious enough to come to me and show me who He is. When Jesus came to me I
immediately responded and my life has never been the same because I responded the way I did, if I
did not take it seriously maybe I would not come to know Jesus or still be lost.
Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus despite his bad life but there was a problem, he was short
and he could not see over the crowd. In seeing Jesus in our practical lives by faith we too have
problems or obstacles we need to overcome in order to secure time with Jesus. For me I have to
set aside considerable time on the weekend so that I would know what the Word of God is talking
about, so I can walk it out, come to understand it, and help others to do the same. Because my time
is so limited, I have to prioritize everything and be very intentional with everything I do, not doing
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anything out of a casual attitude but considering God and His mission when doing all things. This
means I am not the one to decide what I want in my life, but God is and I go around God’s schedule
and timing. Many people could think that what I do is extreme centering all of my life around God,
and putting myself second all the time, but actually every human has a master. We can be our own
masters, money can be our master, sin can be our master, I choose for God to be my master in that
way I know I will be treated right and be found as the one to please God. I am not impressed by
people who confidently live their own selfish lives because their kingdom is so small. Even Bezos
who owns Facebook who is the richest man in the world now, compared to God's kingdom and the
riches, peace, and harmony that will be there, there can be no comparison, all human kingdoms
fall so short of God's Almighty kingdom.
Right now my struggle is to find enough time and spiritual resources to serve all the sheep
under my care. I am not going to serve in such a way where I burn out and fall into sin because of
my desperation, but I am going to do it the right way, all the while keeping my purity and remaining
in Jesus Christ, what good am I if I struggle to do all of God's work and end up losing my purity, I
have lost sight of God’s whole desire for me which is to come to know Him and love Him. So I have
to be very intentional with what I do and how I live. For me it never stops I work 40 hours a week
and and my days go from 6AM to Midnight, monday through Sunday for the most part, and I pour
myself out, so whenever I am too exhausted to work anymore that is when I basically stop because I
have to rest. I do not plan things out very well, I just give everything to God and when all of me is
gone, I have to rest, after I rest, I do the same thing over again, that is how I have lived my life for
God in the past 7 years, giving God everything and not holding back, I have learned what it really
means to worship God and I have not lived a religious life. I am confident of how things are going
in my life right now, I am not perfect, but I am giving everything to God, and I am doing all that I
can do.
4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since
Jesus was coming that way.
So here we see Zacchaeus making real practical efforts to come and meet Jesus. This man
was wealthy and a chief tax collector so he probably was not in good shape, but nevertheless he
got out of his comfort zone and started to run ahead and even climb a sycamore-fig tree to see
Jesus. He was an impressive case of what it means to seek Jesus and to go out of the way and
secure fellowship with him. This also reminds me of the friends who broke through the roof to bring
their friend to Jesus. I love these kinds of examples because they are real and Jesus accepts “real”
He does not need us to say a certain prayer over and over again, but whatever expression we show
to Jesus as long as we our being ourselves he will accept and then have fellowship with us. This is
good news because we can all be ourselves and we all have the capability to get outside of our
comfort zones. I grew up with some experiences in the catholic church up until I was about my
teens and there was never any real nourishment for my soul, my mom had good intentions it seems
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and it also seemed like she had some kind of faith, I don’t think she got it all about what was wrong
with catholic, but I do believe she has changed and grown up now to be more sound in the faith. I
learned a lor from being in that kind of setting and I am glad because I can compare it to how I am
really supposed to love God today and I can see there is a very big contrast, it does not mean God
does not love those people, many are just misguided and a little bit off, maybe having to repent of
a few key things in order to see the big picture. As for me I am glad that I get to seek Jesus and
make these kinds of efforts to know Him. When I pour out my whole life in everything I do, there I
get a chance to know and see my Savior just a little bit more each and every day. I think we should
all be like Zacchaeus making these kinds of efforts to secure sight of Jesus. I know I make these
efforts because I use my life to the full until I am too tired then I do everything all over again. But I
will continue to push myself and try to become stronger with Jesus so I can be capable of doing
more and changing the world God’s way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus,
come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
It seems that Jesus was pumped seeing this chief
tax-collector in a tree like a cat! When Jesus saw this, he
could see that Zacchaeus was real, maybe everyone was
just following Jesus and being state religious saying
things like “There goes Jesus, what a great man” or “I am
glad at the work Jesus is doing, He is a good guy” But
Zacchaeus in a tree was a contrast to all of that formal
religious mumbo-jumbo. What a great example to show us
how we should love God, seek God, and go after God. The
style and way in which we go after GOd is a minor
characteristic, what matters is most of all our hearts go to
God, after that performance, structure, and capabilities
follow. I never concerned myself with trying to look good in
others eyes because I know in the end that always changes because I know what is truly valuable is
really knowing God and in order to really know God you have to be willing to let yourself go and be
willing to make some mistakes, when I look back and see all the mistakes and blunders I have made
in the church and in my life before God I am really happy I did so because through those I came to
understand what really loving God and really living for God is all about, it is not about some rules,
formulas, or performance, but it is about sincerely loving God and living for God by serving His
mission, sharing God's heart for lost souls.
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Jesus told Zacchaeus to come down immediately. Jesus did not need to see anymore, he
was so impressed by Zacchaeus actions that he had earned a VIP night with Jesus. In the same
way when we impress Jesus without actions we get the VIP night with Him!
Jesus also said “I must stay at your house today” This shows that Jesus was not reluctant at
all to have fellowship with this “sinner” I can see clearly that no matter how much we messed up
that God wants to have fellowship with us if we want to have fellowship with Him! It does not matter
if we are the “wealthy, chief-tax collectors” aka the worst sinners ever, because when we seek Jesus
with out heart, it is truly God’s desire that we would have fellowship with Jesus. I see that God wants
to have fellowship with me and eat and drink at my house when I seek Jesus and go after Him. It is
really good to know that Jesus is compassionate like this and caring. The world is so cold, but
Jesus love is so real, I cannot deny that Jesus love is real to me and that I love Jesus. I love Jesus
so much and He makes me happy in this life. There is no other but Jesus that I love and that I want
to give my heart to, because only He is worthy of my heart. I love Jesus.
6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
This shows that Zacchaeus was not so wicked and rebellious but he obeyed Jesus direction
first of all and then welcomed him gladly. This shows that he was happy and thankful that Jesus
wanted to stay at his house. Maybe everyone wanted to stay as far away from Zacchaeus house as
possible because they knew he would take their money, but Jesus glady wanted to visit Zacchaeus,
also showing that Jesus had no fear of the government and kept the laws.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the
guest of a sinner.”
The people did not understand or like Jesus decision to stay at the house of a “sinner” I am
glad Jesus does not make His decisions based on what people want because if that were the case I
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probably would be pretty let down. Instead because I too am a sinner in need of help, Jesus wants
to spend time with me that I would get to know Him more.
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now
I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody
out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
This way Zacchaeus really
repented and he wanted Jesus to be
confident that he had repented.
Zacchaeus was a good sheep to his
shepherd Jesus. He wanted to make
his shepherd happy. A lot of times
sheep cause grief to their shepherd
and do not want to make them happy
but just cause a lot of burden. I have
taught many people that have only
brought pain, difficulty, sorrows and
regrets in my life, but even amongst
these people there are those that
make my life full of joy. I want to make
Jesus happy now because I am sure I
caused him a lot of pain for most of
my life, I want to tell him “Look Lord, I
have been faithful with the mission you assigned me” and “Look Lord, I gave up all I have to follow
you” I can show Jesus my love and thanks by being willing and wholehearted to live the life God
wants me to live here on earth, especially serving HIS MISSION…
Zacchaeus also proved he was not joking by giving half of his possessions to the poor, this
was a really nice thing to do and this was an expression of the new life Zacchaeus had found,
Zacchaeus was also willing to make everything right again. Jesus also did not make a big deal that
he did not give everything, so Jesus really understood what was going on in Zacchaeus life. In the
same way in my life I see that I need to make everything right before God by living in a way that
pleases Him. I cannot fool God and just live however I want, instead I must do what pleases God all
the time by obeying His commandments. I will continue to walk before the Lord and do what is right
all the time so God may be honored in my life forever and ever. Amen. Also, if I have done any
wrong I must do all that I can to make it right.
I remember after I repented that my heart was free to love God and when my heart was
given to God I was the most happiest person in the world. I see that I need to continually give away
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the things that I have in this life, in order that I would love Jesus more and come to have the
fellowship with Him. Jesus Christ is my true treasure and my real reward.
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this
man, too, is a son of Abraham.
When Jesus saw what Zacchaeus was doing he was glad and he could see that this was a
real salvation that took place in Zacchaeus life. Jesus understood Zacchaeus salvation as a result
of him being a son of Abraham. This means a couple of things, first that this man was chosen
before the world to belong to God, second, that this man was living like a descendant of Abraham,
which was by faith, when anyone lives by faith they are living, why do you think he climbed the tree
and ran ahead of all of the crowds? This man was living and he was a child of Abraham. I too am a
child of Abraham in the sense that I live for God today like Abraham did, which is by faith. When I
live by faith, my life is vibrant and God is my GOd, because as it says God is the God of the Living
not of the dead.
This was such great news that Zacchaeus was saved, all of heaven rejoices when one lost
sinner is found, because it carries so much importance, because now that person is on the right
track to being with Jesus forever and ever in heaven, who can put a price tag on that? The joy and
splendor of salvation is simply priceless.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
This is also how Jesus understood himself. He came to seek and to save the lost. That word
seeking shows that there is looking involved and the lost are hiding, you cannot really tell who is
lost or not just by looking at them, but when you examine someone's life, see how they are living,
and what they are doing, then at that time, you can come to see if they need to be saved at all. In
every case Jesus is there to save. Also the word lost shows that they were once with God, but now
they are not with God. This goes back to predestination how God knows all of His sheep and He is
working hard in eternity to make things come to pass here on earth that all sheep would be found.
Unless someone goes out and practically does the work of seeking the lost cannot be found. I see
that I need to seek and save the lost because Jesus lived that way for me and I am saved because
of Him. It is only out of respect and appreciation for Jesus that I would do the same thing.
One Word: Find Lost Sheep like
Jesus Did and bring them to the
Father.
8
Brian Joseph Wangenheim -Ten Minas Testimony
11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he
was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going
to appear at once.
So this whole parable came in
order to let the people know that the
kingdom of God would not appear all at
once like they had thought. The Jews at
that time had an idea that Jesus would
come like a mighty warrior and depose
the Romans from their Tyranny over
Jerusalem. Jesus was going to set them
free but in a different way, better way, and He had a much more comprehensive
plan. Jesus would die on the cross to set us free from sin and death, not only
that, it would be the be the birth of His Heavenly Reign and a new era of salvation
and life for all peoples under His rule. But basically, Jesus gave this parable to let
the people know that there was still work to be done. All good things come about
through hard work. Many people think God is God and He could do whatever He
wants with just the snap of His fingers, but that is not true. Even God works
Himself, Jesus said “My Father is always at His WORK” Jesus worked, God the
Father worked, Adam the first man worked, and we too are to work! I personally
like work because I get to learn and grow up in my work, also the fruits of work
should benefit mankind, and how much more so working for God is there blessing
involved! In this parable Jesus describes what our work ethic should be and who
we should be working for! Let’s take a look...
12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself
appointed king and then to return.
This is what was currently happening in Jesus life. Jesus was that man of
noble birth, he was going to a distant country which was the kingdom of God,
back to where the Father was, he would be appointed King by God the Father, the
Almighty Creator, then He would return to earth to carry out the Father’s
business continually. This is what Jesus came to do and is doing. I too
Brian Joseph Wangenheim -Ten Minas Testimony
acknowledge Jesus as the true king. It is a great privilege that as I live for Jesus, I
am basically like a “little Jesus” where here on earth I am like a pilgrim, but
eventually I will be with Jesus and the Father and receive power and glory, just
like what happened to Jesus, all because of God’s love. It is great to know that I
have not been left alone, but am just a part of God’s good plan!
13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to
work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’
In this parable we see two interactions. Jesus interacting with the people of
the world or the “subjects” and
then his interactions with his
servants. Here Jesus called 10
of his servants and gave them
ten minas. First, we see that
Jesus gave them each one
Mina, the 10 minas were split up
between them all. Next, Jesus
expected that they put the
money to work, so somehow
and some-way, they should use
the money in order to make
more money, they should not save it away or do nothing with it, but use it to work.
Then lastly Jesus says, “until I come back” So they would have a time period to put
the money to work, they would only have a certain time which was unknown in
order to make a profit for the master.
In my life too I am given one mina, that one mina is the grace God gave me
that I received through bible study. With that grace I have been enabled to work
as an evangelist, shepherd, and bible teacher to help others come to know and
love Jesus Christ. Everybody receives the same love from Jesus Christ, because
Jesus love is a fact, He died on the cross for everybody’s sins, and God can also
reveal His love in many different ways, but the point is that God’s love is always
great, God’s love is always incomparable, so that with that love, everybody is
Brian Joseph Wangenheim -Ten Minas Testimony
more than well suited to work for the master, I received that one mina in 2011 and
have been working very hard ever since, I have not lived as a civilian in this life
but as a soldier for God, I use all of my time, money, and energy wisely, all in order
to serve God’s mission in the most productive manner.
Also, there will be a time when Jesus comes back again. I do not know this
time and the bible says that no one will know this time. So for one, this makes it
fair, so nobody will slack off and then work hard all of the sudden at the end,
there is no fooling Jesus. As for me, I do not want to be one of those people who
just tries to get away with doing the least, that is a really bad choice in light of all
of the blessings God has PROMISED in the bible. If we are real believers and if we
really have faith, we ought to work hard for God because we should know that we
will really be REWARDED. It is obvious, those who do not work hard, do not really
believe in God or what He says.
14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t
want this man to be our king.’
So this is the world's response to Jesus and
to God’s servants. They do not want to listen or do
what God’s servants say which clearly comes from
the bible. People do this because they want to be
their own master. In this life we all have a master,
we can be masters of ourselves and try to be
successful, but that never works, we can have
money be our master, but that will leave us
unfulfilled, we can have religious works be our
master, but there is no life in that either, but when
Jesus is our master and when we obey Him
absolutely we come to know more and more about
God and how to live this life. It is good to have
Jesus as my King where I know I will be well taken
care of.
Brian Joseph Wangenheim -Ten Minas Testimony
It was very bad that the subjects hated him and even sent a delegation to
Jesus to tell him that they do not want him as King. He must have felt really bad, I
know when I am rejected in Jesus name I really do not like it, but I also know that
whoever does not accept me when I come in Jesus name does not accept Jesus
either and there is only wrath and judgement waiting for them, so I feel really bad
for the person that does not accept me, but I do all that I can do.
15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the
servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had
gained with it.
So despite what people say or do Jesus was made King and still is King. In
this way nobody including myself should ever go against God’s salvation plan or
any plan for that matter! The first thing he did when coming back was to find his
servants to find out what they
had done with the money and
see what their gain was. This
shows that Jesus is interested in
profit. Of course this is a
parable here, so Jesus is not
concerned with us making a lot
of money, but he does want us
to save a lot of souls and
establish many disciples. This
was his last direction before He
was taken up into heaven, that
His people would make disciples of all nations. I see that I too need to live for God
and do what is right in God’s eyes by working for His mission, this way I can make
God happy.
16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’
17 “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been
trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’
Brian Joseph Wangenheim -Ten Minas Testimony
So here we see the results of working hard for Jesus. He was trustworthy in
a small matter and thereby was able to take charge of ten cities what was equal
to what he had done on earth, or rather it was proportional. So we will be
rewarded in proportion to what we do here on earth. What we do here on earth is
a rather small matter. Like taking care of sheep, our jobs, our marriages, our
family, life itself and all the requirements thereof are small matters. In my life
when I look at all that needs to be done and what I want to do, at times it can
seem big, but when I get everything in proportion I can see that those matters are
very small. So even those my life can be stressful I should not be stressed
because if Jesus sees it as a small matter I too should see it that way.
Not only that because the servant did a good job he got to hear the words
“Well done, my good and fa
ithful servant” This is the real reward of life being found as someone who pleases
God and does what is right in Jesus eyes. When I live my life the right way
through, eventually I will hear the words “Well done my good and faithful servant”
Brian Joseph Wangenheim -Ten Minas Testimony
When Jesus says those words I will be really comforted, but I have to earn those
words through a life of hard work and dedication to God's mission here on earth.
Also, taking charge of 10 cities will be very exciting, that is such a great are
of space, when I think about it, I cannot see myself as qualified as taking charge
of 10 cities, at work taking care of the office already keeps my completely busy,
mission life takes up all of my time, basically with the little things I have in this life
I am completely taken up in all of my resources and time, so how can I possibly
take charge of 10 cities? I do not know how. But, I will be faithful and absolute with
what I am given so then at
the right time God may
reward me properly and let
me have that position
because He sees me fit for it.
The whole thing is
being found as trustworthy,
this means to do everything
exactly as God says and to
not skip corners and to do
exactly what was told, when I
become this kind of person God will be impressed with me and I can have such
positions.
So I see that the main key here is being a trustworthy person, not only to
God, but to people and in all things. There is no difference in your character
between God and how you treat people, you cannot be a divided self, but their is
only one of you, so with that one of you you treat God and people alike. I see at
work I must be trustworthy, it is hard because I am responsible for many clients
and what I do is very time sensitive and will have major impact in their lives. Also
in the mission I need to be trustworthy by being 100% of the person I should be
before the students and making sure I am available to meet them. I simply cannot
slack off in this life but must be intentional and live with a purpose for God, so
that God would be honored in my life and happy with me.
Brian Joseph Wangenheim -Ten Minas Testimony
18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’
19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’
So here we see a servant being rewarded half as much because he possibly
and most likely worked half as hard. So here you go folks, nobody can fool God
but we will all be rewarded in proportion to what we do. This is good for me
because I know I work really hard and I wonder if people work hard, but now I do
not even need to wonder because God will deal with them each on their own
basis. Sometimes I am burdened because I
think that people are enjoying their family
lives while I am alone and serving God going
through all sorts of persecutions,
sometimes I think of Christians who have it
easy, but now I do not need to worry about
that at all because Jesus knows who does
what. This is very relieving for me because I
do not need to prove to anybody how hard I
work, but God sees it all. Sometimes I also
feel bad because I feel like Christians rely
on me to work hard all alone, but again,
even if that is the case I will be receiving the
reward at the end of the day. So I hope that
all Christians work hard for God and come
to be blessed. Down here on earth people cheat, lie, steal, and make up many
things in the church in order to get high positions, in order to be favored, in
order to look others in the eyes of men, just like the bible says, but Jesus knows
all of this even what goes on in the church world wide, who is who, so I will focus
on doing what is right in Jesus eyes always. I will trust God fully in my reward and
focus on serving Him all the more. Amen.
Key takeaway: Everything is fair and God Knows.
Brian Joseph Wangenheim -Ten Minas Testimony
20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid
away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You
take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’
So here we see this servant
did not do anything with the Mina
he was given and his excuse was
that he was afraid of the master
because he accused him of being a
hard man. You take out what you
did not put in and reap what you
did not sow. This is basically the job
of the boss, so this person did not
want to obey the boss orders, in
that way the person was just
rebellious in nature. I see that I
should never view working for Jesus
this way, working for Jesus is always a reward and a delight because through it I
can come to know God and receive God’s blessing. It is always worth it to serve
Jesus. I will continually serve Jesus and grow up in God’s love more and more
each and everyday. It is definitely not a good idea to do nothing with God’s grace.
22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant!
You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and
reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so
that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’
So here Jesus gave him a reality check. First Jesus called him “wicked” So
not working for Jesus and having God’s grace in your life is a wicked thing. Then
if the man really knew that Jesus was a hard man, shouldn't he have worked really
hard because of that? But he did not, so that proves even more so how bad he
was. He did not even put the money on deposit, so he could have at least put it
on deposit and let it gain interest over time, that is the least way he could have
Brian Joseph Wangenheim -Ten Minas Testimony
done something with what He was given, but he did not even do the bare
minimum, so he was a really bad servant.
I see that I should never be like this, not doing anything with God’s grace is
a wicked thing. So what can I do with God’s grace? I can serve college students by
teaching them the bible on campus, I can work hard at my job, I can struggle to
keep God’s commands, I can fight against my sin, I can devote myself to prayer
and reading the bible, basically anything and everything that will really help
people to be saved is how I should be spending my time. When I live my life
completely sold out to God’s mission, then many people can be blessed! I must
live this life, completely dedicated to God’s mission and living for God alone.
When I live for God alone, there I am really happy and I have meaning and
fulfillment in my life. When I love God, my life is complete and I come to enjoy
freedom.
24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it
to the one who has ten minas.’
So this servant got his mina taken away from him and it was given to the
one who has 10 minas. I understand this very well, at my job we provide a service
and we get leads, and the person that can take care of the customers the best
Brian Joseph Wangenheim -Ten Minas Testimony
way will get the most leads, so I totally get that the person that makes the most
gets the most and to me this is totally understandable and fair. The good news is
when I live for God and let’s say I make a lot of mina, then I will get the bonus from
the others who did not serve God at all. I will get all of that extra mina and God
will reward me abundantly. My life will be really great when I love God and serve
God wholeheartedly. I will continue to serve God and love God all of the more to
get the most minas as possible and to please God with all of my life fully poured
out to God.
25 “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’
26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for
the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.
So here is a principle of how people will be rewarded on Jesus return.
There will be bonuses for those that worked really hard, but it will come at the
expense of those who did not work hard for Jesus. This is comforting because I
want everything to be fair and I would not want somebody to work only
half-heartedly and get a full reward, that makes me feel bad. But I can trust in
Jesus, that everyone will be rewarded fairly.
27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring
them here and kill them in front of me.’”
So here is Jesus concluding statement to his enemies or subjects who
denied his rulership and authority over them. Even though they denied Jesus,
Jesus was still made King and this was the end result of them not accepting the
great opportunity to live for God and serve God. They would be brought before
Jesus and killed. In this way vengeance belongs to Jesus. I see that I should do
everything God wants me to do so that I would be found as pleasing in His eyes.
More than that, God has a good plan for me, He wants me to prosper and do well
and reward me by serving His Kingdom work. There are a few keys that I got from
this passage:
1. Be a trustworthy and responsible person in life before Jesus
2. Work Hard in whatever way for God's kingdom work
Brian Joseph Wangenheim -Ten Minas Testimony
3. Jesus will reward everyone fairly
4. I can trust in Jesus because He has good intentions for me
One Word: Work Hard For Jesus
Brian Joseph Wangenheim - Luke 19:28-48
28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he
approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of
his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you
will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If
anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”
Here Jesus asks his disciples to do something very unexpected, which was to steal
a donkey. Sometimes in our lives God my test or ask us to do something that may not
necessarily seem “biblical” but
the disciples knew that it was
Jesus and they trusted in
Jesus and obeyed. I see that I
too need to have this kind of
obedience in my life in order
to live as Jesus disciple and in
order to please God. This was
also in fulfillment of the
scriptures, so when I obey
Jesus, I am actually fulfilling
the scriptures too, the one of
which is to make disciples of all nations, to teach them to obey everything Jesus says and
more. It is surely a great life to love God and obey Him.
Also, we may have a lot of questions as to why God is doing something in our lives,
but if God needs it, He needs it. I see that I can trust in God for whatever part of my life
that He needs because I know that He has a good purpose for it and wants to make
something great from it.
32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were
untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied,
“The Lord needs it.”
As the disciples obeyed they encountered the problem that Jesus mentioned
about, but they responded also with the words Jesus told them to say, in that way they
dodged the bullet and were able to proceed forward. From this I see that I can really trust
in God because He knows what is going to happen and He knows the right direction for
me as well. In this case Jesus knew that there would be a road bump for the disciples so
he told them the exact words to say. In my life too I can say this is true. On the mission
Brian Joseph Wangenheim - Luke 19:28-48
field students can give me a hard time and often I do not know how to respond, but when
I ask Jesus, He tells me exactly what to do. Also, at work, sometimes I do not know the best
direction, but when I ask Jesus, He tells me exactly what to do. In this way I can trust in
God’s good direction and keep on going forward with God’s good plan for my life.
35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he
went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place
where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began
joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the
king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I
tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 41 As he approached
Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it
So we see a few things here. First that donkey was for Jesus triumphal entry into
Jerusalem, He was truly King and He would come riding in on a donkey, this shows how
nice and gentle Jesus is, He is not mean and He is not proud, but Jesus is sweet, humble,
caring, and good-natured.
Because Jesus is like this I can
come to Him freely.
Next, we see a few
reactions from Jesus, the
pharisees and the disciples.
First, we hear about the
disciples reaction towards
Jesus. They were super
excited and praised God, they
could see Jesus as their King
and Messiah, and they
Worshipped Him saying
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” So obviously they were really
touched and it was a very special moment. The disciples also said “Peace in heaven and
glory in the highest!” When the disciples saw Jesus coming down they could see that there
was peace in heaven, maybe because they had peace in their hearts they also
understood by faith that their must be peace in heaven as well. Also, “Glory in the highest”
Brian Joseph Wangenheim - Luke 19:28-48
This way they could see God’s glory from all of what was happening, Jesus, a humble
human, was God and their King, what great news! This same news is luckily for me as well!
The Pharisees responded differently on the other hand saying “Teacher, rebuke
your disciples!” The pharisees did not share in the same joy as the disciples because they
were not in it for Jesus, but for their own attention, glory and fame. This way they
remained as enemies of God and could not see Jesus as their beloved King. I see that I
too must never become stiff-necked with pride so that I fail to see Jesus as my true King.
Jesus also responded to the pharisees saying, that he could not stop all of the joy and
celebration happening because it was from God.
Jesus response was very unique on the other hand and not something we expect,
he wept over Jerusalem. We can understand this, Jerusalem was like Jesus daughter
which He labored to love by teaching, casting out demons, healing the sick, but still they
did not see or know Him or the Kingdom of God, Jesus must have had such pain and
heartache serving God like this, so even when all of this was going on Jesus wept. No one
really understood Jesus except the Father and know one knew His struggle not even the
disciples, but the Father knew and soon Jesus would be back with the Father. I see that I
should not be the one or cause to make Jesus weep, instead I want to bring a smile on His
face, so I must live by faith in God.
42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you
peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your
enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every
side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will
not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming
to you.”
So Jesus finished His work and the time for Him to be crucified was near. He had
served them all the way and would lastly
die for the sins of the world. If the
people that Jesus served only
understood who He was and accepted
His message they could have lives full of
light and life, but now all of that would
be gone from them. I see too, that I must
not live in ignorance, instead, live a life
of serving and loving God, by serving
Brian Joseph Wangenheim - Luke 19:28-48
His mission of saving souls, this was Jesus desire, I too should have this desire and
cultivate it in my heart...
45 When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling.
Here we see it is clear that Jesus does not like people selling inside of the church.
People can do whatever they want outside of the church, but inside of the church, it
should be holy and the purpose should be about God. I am also very careful not to let my
work or business mix in with the church, that may be how I make a living, but church is not
about making a living, it is about having life found in Jesus Christ, so Jesus Christ should
always be the center of attention inside of the church, and of course outside of it as well.
46 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made
it ‘a den of robbers.”
Here Jesus defines the purpose of the church, calling it a “house of prayer” and
also describing the church as His house. So we need to understand that whenever we
walk into the church we walk into JESUS HOUSE. We are very careful when we enter
anyone's house, to obey all the rules, to keep order, to be polite, but what about when we
enter Jesus house? This really makes me think about what kind of attitude I should have
in the church, I see that the church is not a place where I can do whatever I want, but I
have to follow rules and instructions because it does not belong to me, but belongs to
Jesus.
Next Jesus describes the function of the church, which is to be a “house of prayer”
So basically the church is all about prayer. Prayer for ourselves, prayers for each other,
prayers for our sheep, and prayers for the whole world (all centered around God’s
purpose) I pray in the church frequently and it has supported my life of faith.
47 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law
and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48 Yet they could not find any
way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.
The prominent people hated Jesus because His message was appealing,
convincing, powerful, and truthful. Everyone was looking to Jesus and not to the
prominent scholars or powerful people in society anymore. Jesus was the next new best
thing (and rightly so, He is the Son of God) Although, many people wanted to kill Him, they
could not because many people loved Him.
Brian Joseph Wangenheim - Luke 19:28-48
One Word: Church is a house of prayer
Brian Joseph Wangenheim - LUKE 20:1-19
20 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and
proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,
together with the elders, came up to him. 2 “Tell us by what authority you are
doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”
3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: 4 John’s baptism—was it from
heaven, or of human origin?”
Here Jesus wisely deals with the Pharisees. Jesus knew that the Pharisees could
say anything against him freely because that was the kind of people they were,
not accepting Jesus. So Jesus was going to answer the question but he wanted
them to answer it from a different angle. This gave Jesus leverage and would
allow the Pharisees to acknowledge the truth. Jesus gave them an opportunity to
repent through this question. Instead of the Pharisees being sincere and
answering this question honestly they were crooked and only wanted to get
around Jesus words. What I learned from this is that I should be a sincere person
before God and when anyone asks me a question about my faith or about God I
should give them a sincere answer. I should not have a double-minded attitude
towards people and try to dodge their questions but be sincere in my life and
with my responses. If I do this I can avoid becoming a religious person and a
burden to society.
Brian Joseph Wangenheim - LUKE 20:1-19
After all John's baptism was from God. This was the truth. They should have
acknowledged this and then the next step would be to accept Jesus Christ
because that is what John preached. But they avoided this all together.
If they said no John the Baptist was not from God, then the people would think
the Pharisees are crazy. The Pharisees did not want that either, so they
conveniently gave no answer. In the same way it is easy to give no answer just as
it is easy to say what should not be done. What is difficult is telling others the
truth and the best way to do things. I believe we can be the most benefit to
humanity when we tell people the truth and from our experience let them know
the best way to live this life. I can tell somebody do not do this and do not do that
all day long, but a person will just become sad after all those “no’s” what is
needed is rather just one right...
5 They discussed it
among themselves
and said, “If we say,
‘From heaven,’ he
will ask, ‘Why didn’t
you believe him?’ 6
But if we say, ‘Of
human origin,’ all
the people will stone
us, because they are
persuaded that
John was a
prophet.”
9 He went on to tell
the people this
parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for
a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give
him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away
empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and
treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12 He sent still a third, and they
wounded him and threw him out.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom
I love; perhaps they will respect him.’
14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’
they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 So they threw him out
of the vineyard and killed him.
Brian Joseph Wangenheim - LUKE 20:1-19
There are a few things to learn from this whole parable. The key is to find out
what God expects and what God does not want. God did not want the people in
the parable to reject his servants. God wanted them to pay rent. So in my life I
have to see if I am the one not paying rent. So what is this rent in the parable?
This rent is the good fruit of a life fully dedicated to God. This could be a change
of inner character and saved souls. I cannot testify on my own behalf about my
fruits because my testimony will not be valid, but my Father testifies to what I do. I
see that I should be submissive to God's will in this life and be careful to do what
God wants me to do everyday. When I'm careful to do the father's will I can remain
in Jesus and grow up to know God more.
Another thing is what happened in this parable it's still happening today when
people reject God's servants.
People reject me all the time,
they curse at me, they make fun
of me, they spit on the ground I
walk on, they deny my God, they
threaten me, they bother me in
many ways. But this is just the
history of God's work here on
planet Earth and this is what
the parable talks about. So
when people treat me so
terribly when I do the work of
God I'm not too bothered
because I know it's just what the
Bible talks about. the still happening today when people reject God service.
People reject me all the time, they person me, they make fun of me, they spit on
the ground that walk on, they deny my god, they threatened me, they bother me
and many ways. But this is just the history of God's work your planet Earth and
this is what the parable talks about. So I'm people treat me so terribly when I do
the work of God I'm not too bother because I know it's just what the Bible talks
about.
Jesus expects me to bear fruit in this life so I cannot let him down.
They kept on treating the servants worse and worse and then finally God sent his
one and only son that they killed him thinking that they would keep the
inheritance. In the same way in Mankind's arrogance they think they will somehow
inherit the earth and they ask where is God? But there will be a day when
judgment will come to all people.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and kill
those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
Brian Joseph Wangenheim - LUKE 20:1-19
When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that
which is written:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’[a]?
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it
falls will be crushed.”
So nobody wants to be found as
the one who reject God's servants,
but many people are found as the
ones that reject God's servants.
Those who do accept God's
servants and God's message will
be broken to pieces. But those
who do not accept it will be
crushed. I've been broken in my
life and I'm continually being
broken. All of what I want has not happened but all of God's planning and God's
Will has happened instead. This is good because I'm reminded of the scripture
when I lose my life I'll find it. I can sincerely say I've lost my life but I have found it.
Everything I have God has given to me and I have not sought on my own, in this
way I understand God's good and perfect will a little bit better. I see that I'm to live
as a child of God and not be a part of this world. My life is good when I love God
and serve God. I imagine if I didn't accept God I'll be crushed by the reality of sin, I
be crushed with a guilty conscience, I'd be crushed with meaninglessness. Thank
God that I accepted his word and chose to be broken.
19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him
immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But
they were afraid of the people.
Again and bitterness the religious leaders wanted to persecute Jesus but it was
not his time yet.
Brian Joseph Wangenheim - LUKE 20:1-19
One Word: Give to God what is due to him
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