Shining Light Tells the Good Story 16

POSSESSIONS AND THE GOOD ROAD

1He then told the ones who walked the road with him another story:

“There was a man with so many possessions, he had to have someone to oversee them all. The rich man was told that his overseer was mishandling his possessions. 2He sent for the man and said to him, ‘Why am I hearing these things about you? Give me an account of all I possess, for I can no longer trust you to oversee my belongings.’

3“The man said to himself, ‘What will I do? I am too old to dig ditches and too proud to beg from others.’

“Then an idea came to his mind. 4‘I know what to do so that others will help me and give me a place to live.’ 5He went to each person who was in debt to the rich man.

“He said to the first one, ‘How much do you owe?’ 6‘One hundred containers of oil,’ the man answered. ‘Make it to be fifty,’ the overseer told him.

7“He then said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ ‘One hundred baskets of wheat,’ he answered. ‘Make it to be eighty,’ the overseer said back to him.

8“When the rich man found out what the dishonest overseer had done, he shook his head but admired the man’s craftiness.

“Do you see what this means?” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) asked. “The children of darkness are sometimes wiser in the ways of this world than the children of light are in the ways of the spirit-world above.

9“So then, use the possessions of this world to help others in need, who will become your friends. Then when possessions run out, these new friends of Creator’s good road will always welcome you into their homes.

10-12“If Creator cannot trust you with the possessions of this world, then how will he trust you with the treasures of the spirit-world above? But if you do well with the small things of this world, you will do well with the great things of the spirit-world above.

13“No one can be loyal to two rival chiefs. He will have to choose between them, for either he will hate one chief and love the other, or he will honor one and resent the other. You cannot be loyal to the Great Provider and to possessions at the same time.”

14When the Separated Ones (Pharisees) heard him, they shrugged their shoulders and rolled their eyes, for they loved their many possessions.

15Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said to them, “You always make yourselves look good to others, but the Great Spirit sees your heart. What many see as valuable he sees as worthless.

NOTHING IN TRIBAL LAW WILL FAIL

16“Tribal Law and the Prophets spoke until Gift of Goodwill (John) came. From his time until now, the good story about Creator’s good road has been told, but people are trying to force their way upon it. 17Not one thing the Law or the Prophets have said will fail to come to pass. Their words are as sure as the sky above and the earth below.”

ABOUT DIVORCE

In those days men would sometimes send their wives away for no good reason without giving them divorce papers, leaving them destitute and unable to properly remarry. Drawn from the Water (Moses), in the Law, said they must give a woman divorce papers before sending her away. # 16:18 Deuteronomy 24:1; Matthew 5:31 To protect the honor and dignity of women, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) set them straight about how to apply this law.

18“Whoever sends his wife away, without properly divorcing her, and marries another is guilty of being unfaithful to his first wife. Anyone who then marries her is guilty of marrying another man’s wife.

THE RICH MAN AND THE BEGGAR

19“There was once a man with many possessions who always dressed in the best clothes, had more than enough to eat, and lived a life of ease. 20Every day a beggar named Creator Helps Him (Lazarus) was laid at the gate of his lodge. 21Dogs would come and lick the sores that covered his body as he begged for crumbs from the rich man’s table.

22“When the time came for the beggar to cross over to the world of the dead, spirit-messengers carried him into the welcoming arms of his ancestor, Father of Many Nations (Abraham).

“At the same time the rich man also crossed over to death, and his body was buried. 23In the Dark Underworld of Death (Hades) he was suffering and in pain. He looked up and saw his ancestor, Father of Many Nations (Abraham), far off in the distance. He could see Creator Helps Him (Lazarus) being comforted in his arms.

24“He cried out in his pain, ‘Father of Many Nations (Abraham), my ancestor, have pity on me. Send Creator Helps Him (Lazarus) to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my thirsty tongue. Help me, for I am suffering in this flame.’

25“Father of Many Nations (Abraham) said to him, ‘My son, do you not remember? All your days were filled with good things, but the days of Creator Helps Him (Lazarus) were filled with sorrow and pain. It is now his time for comfort, but it is your time for sorrow and pain. 26Look! There is a great canyon between us, so wide that none can make the journey from here to there.’

27“The rich man hung his head and said, ‘Please, my ancestor, send him back to the lodge 28of my father and my five brothers. He can warn them of this place of suffering and pain, so they will not have to come here also.’

29“Father of Many Nations (Abraham) said to him, ‘They have the words of Drawn from the Water (Moses) and the words of the prophets. Let your family listen to them.’

30“‘No!’ the rich man cried out. ‘If someone goes back to them from the world of the dead, they will turn their hearts back to Creator.’

31“Father of Many Nations (Abraham) shook his head and said, ‘If your family will not listen to Drawn from the Water (Moses) and the prophets, then they will not listen even to one who comes back to life from the dead.’”

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