Luke 16 – The Unrighteous Steward & The Creation of the World II

Finger Pointing UpI just received a fascinating article from a friend.  It has nothing to do with Jesus or the Bible, but it does relate back to Rome and I think everyone will find this interesting.  God, you already know the story.

1 Ouranos Sky
Ouranos-Sky God and First Ruler
He is the son of Gaea-the Earth goddess, who created him without help. He then became the husband of Gaea, and together they had many offspring, including the twelve of the Titans.

His rule ended when Cronus, overthrew and castrated him, encouraged by Gaea. He either died from the wound or withdrew from the earth.

So tomorrow we’ll look at…

Luke 16
The Unrighteous Steward

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.

“Steward” – a steward handled all the business affairs of the owner.

2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

“What shall I do?” – this unjust steward had no scruples against using his position for his own benefit (like so many politicians and wealthy people), even if it meant cheating his master. 

Knowing he would lose his job, the steward planned for his future by discounting the debts owed to his master in order to obligate the debtors to himself.  That’s what Satan does.

Interpreters disagree as to whether his procedure of discounting was in itself dishonest.  Was he giving away what really belonged to his master, or was he forgoing interest payments his master did not have a right to charge?

Originally the steward may have overcharged the debtors, a common way of circumventing the Mosaic law that prohibited taking interest from fellow Jews (and that is what the Jews have always done to everyone that isn’t a Jews, and to some that are Jews).

So, to reduce the debts, he may have returned the figures to their initial amounts, which would both satisfy the steward and gain the good favor of the debtors.

2 Rhea 1
Rhea 1 became queen of the universe when her brother and husband Cronos castrated and dethroned their father and ruler Uranus.

The cause of that revolt and Castration of Uranus is to be found in Uranus’ wicked nature; for he, acting as an stern tyrant and hating his own offspring, hid some or many of his children (the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires) away in a secret place on earth, or as some say, cast them into Tartarus, which is a gloomy place in the Underworld as far from Earth as Earth is from Heaven.

In any event, the point remains the same: He was shrewd enough to use the means at his disposal to plan for his future well-being.  A sinner must take extraordinary measures also if he would plan for the future time when God will cast him out .  He must obtain salvation.

God doesn’t have a problem with shrewdness, as long as you are shrewd honestly.  Like Jacob had been with Laban after Laban ripped broke a contract/ripped him off (Gen 30).

4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

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.

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.

9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

“Make to yourselves friends” – by helping those in need, who in the future will show their gratitude when they welcome their benefactors into heaven (“everlasting habitation”).  In this way worldly wealth may be wisely used to gain eternal benefit.

“The mammon of unrighteousness” – or “worldly wealth.”  God’s people should be alert to make use of what God has given them.

10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

“Faithful also in much” – faithfulness is not determined by the amount entrusted but by the character of the person who uses it.

11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

“True riches” – these don’t exist in this world.

3 Tartarus
Tartarus , or Tartaros, in ancient Greek mythology, is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans.

As far below Hades as the earth is below the heavens, Tartarus is the place where, according to Plato in Gorgias (c. 400 BC), souls were judged after death and where the wicked received punishment. Like other primal entities (such as the earth and time), Tartarus was also considered to be a primordial force or deity.

12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?

13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

The ministry of Jesus (introducing the new covenant era) was a fulfillment of the law (defining the old covenant era) in the most minute detail.

18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

“Putteth away his wife” – Jesus affirms the continuing authority of the law: For example, adultery was still adultery, still unlawful and still sinful.  Matthew’s treatment is fuller in that:

1. It shows that the law was given because of man’s hardened heart in regard to divorce, and

2. it includes one exception as permissible ground for divorce – marital unfaithfulness.

4 Zeus
Zeus is the King of Gods, ruler of Mount Olympus in Greek mythology, and one of the Twelve Olympians. He is the sixth child of his parents, Cronus, ruler of the Titans and Rhea.

His father, Cronus swallowed every child he had with Rhea because he feared the prophecy that his children will overthrow him as ruler of Mount Olympus. When Zeus was born, Rhea gave a stone instead of Zeus for Cronus to swallow.

Rhea then hid Zeus in safety. When Zeus grew up, he overthrew Cronus with his allies, the Cyclopes. The battle was known as Titanomachy. Because they could not die, Zeus imprisoned Cronus in the Underworld, and became the King of the gods as predicted.

That’s what Jesus said, but the word used in the KJV is “fornication.”  I wonder if Jesus means just sexual unfaithfulness.  What if a man doesn’t cheat on his wife, but he physically beats her or forces her to have sex with him?  

I think that would be an act of fornication against the marriage.  I don’t know though, those are just my thoughts because God does not want us to be unhappy. 

If you are thinking about having a divorce, don’t quote me on the above because I don’t want God coming down on me.  If you are thinking of having a divorce, Jesus is the man you need to discuss this with.

19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

“Lazarus” – not the Lazarus Jesus had raised from the dead.

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

“Abraham’s bosom” – The Talmud (the Jewish Bible) mentions both paradise and Abraham’s bosom as the home of the righteous.  Abraham’s bosom refers to the place of blessedness to which the righteous dead go to await future vindication.

Its bliss is the quality of blessedness reserved for people like Abraham.  Simply put, it is being with Abraham.

The Talmud, like the Catholic Bible, twists things around to benefit them.  The Talmud is more evil than the Satanic Bible because the Satanic Bible is at least honest with its evil ways.  The Talmud alters God’s meanings, like the devil did with Even.

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

“Hell” – the place to which the wicked dead go to await the final judgment.  That torment begins in Hades is evident from the plight of the rich man.  The location of Abraham’s bosom is not specified, but it is separated from Hades by an impassible chasm.

It could be the distance that separates heaven from hell.  Hades includes the torment that characterizes hell (fire, Rev 20:10; agony, Rev 14:11; separation, Matt 8:12).  Some understand Jesus’ description of Abraham’s side and Hades in a less literal way.

24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

5 The Nymphai
The Nymphai (or Nymphs) were female spirits of the natural world, minor goddesses of the forests, rivers, springs, meadows, mountains and seas.

They were responsible for the crafting of nature’s wild beauty, from the arrangement and growth of the plants, flowers and trees, to the nurture of wild birds and animals, and the formation of rocky caverns, springs, wetlands and brooks

26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us that would come from thence.

27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:

28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

“Moses and the prophets’ – a way of designating the whole Old Testament.  The rich man had failed to pay attention to Scripture and its teaching, and feared his brothers would do the same.

30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

“One went unto them from the dead” – the story may suggest that Lazarus was intended, but Luke’s account seems to imply that Jesus was speaking also of His own resurrection. 

If a person’s mind is closed and Scripture is rejected, no evidence – not even a resurrection – will save him.

31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

The Creation of the World II

6 In Greek mythology
In Greek mythology, Chaos or Khaos is the primeval state of existence from which the first gods appeared. In other words, the dark void of space. It is made from a mixture of what the Ancient Greeks considered the four elements: earth, air, water and fire.

For example, when a log is burned, the flames were attributed to the fire in it, the smoke the air in it, the water and grease that come from it were supposed to be the water, and the ashes left over were the earth.

It all started when Chaos, Gaea (Earth) and Eros started to mix with each other leading to the gods. So in Greek mythology, the creation of the world starts with the creation of the different classes of gods.

In this case, gods refers to the characters that ruled the Earth (without necessarily possessing any divine attributes) until the “real” gods, the Olympians came.

So after this brief introduction, the next step to examine in the creation of the world is the creation of the gods (which really is the same thing, it’s just that when you are interested in the creation of the world, you look at the very beginning of the creation of the Gods, while, to examine the creation of the gods, you have to look a little deeper).

Hesiod’s Theogony is one of the best introductions we have on the mythical creation of the world. According to Hesiod, three major elements took part in the beginning of creation: Chaos, Gaea, and Eros.

It is said that Chaos gave birth to Erebos and Night while Ouranos and Okeanos sprang from Gaea. Each child had a specific role, and Ouranos duty was to protect Gaea. Later on, the two became a couple and were the first gods to rule the world.

They had twelve children who were known as the Titans. Three others known as the Cyclopes, and the three hundred handed Giants.

The situation from here on however wasn’t too good. Ouranos wasn’t too pleased with his off-springs because he saw them as a threat to his throne. After all, there would come a time when they would grow up, and perhaps challenge his command.

Ouranos eventually decided that his children belonged deep inside Gaea, hidden from himself and his kingdom. Gaea who wasn’t too pleased with this arrangement agreed at first, but, later on chose to give her solidarity to her children.

She devised a plan to rid her children from their tyrant father, and supplied her youngest child Cronus with a sickle. She then arranged a meeting for the two in which Cronus cut off his father’s genitals.

7 Gaea
Gaea (or Gaia, or Gea) is the greek Goddess of the Earth, or Mother-Goddess. The name is composed of “Ge” or earth and “Aia” or grandmother. She brought forth an incredible number of gods and mortals. She “married” her son Uranus and is the grandmother of Zeus.

The seed of Ouranos which fell into the sea gave birth to Aphrodite, while from his blood were created the Fates, the Giants, and the Meliai nymphs.

Cronus succeeded his father in taking over the throne and married his sister Rhea. He also freed his siblings and shared his kingdom with them. Okeanos was given the responsibility to rule over the sea and rivers, while Hyperion guided the Sun and the stars.

As time went by, sooner than later, Kronos had his own children, and the very same fears that haunted his father came back to torment him as well.  Kronos eventually decided that the best way to deal with this problem was to swallow all his children.

However, what goes around comes around, and once again the mother decided it was time to free her children. Rhea, Kronos’s wife, managed to save her youngest child, Zeus by tricking Kronos into swallowing a stone wrapped in clothes instead of Zeus himself.

The great Zeus was then brought up by the Nymphs in Mount Dikte in the island of Crete. In order to cover the sound of his crying, the Kouretes danced and clashed their shields.

As Zeus entered manhood, he had the strength few dare dream of. He dethroned his father, and freed his siblings from his father’s entrails. It was now Zeus’s turn to rule the world.

The Human Race

According to the myths, the immortal gods thought that it would be interesting to create beings like them, but that were mortal. They would allow these beings to inhabit the earth.

8 In Greek religion
In Greek religion, god of love.
In the Theogony of Hesiod (fl. 700 BCE), Eros was a primeval god, son of Chaos, the original primeval emptiness of the universe, but later tradition made him the son of Aphrodite, goddess of sexual love and beauty, by either Zeus (the king of the gods), Ares (god of war and of battle), or Hermes (divine messenger of the gods). Eros was a god not simply of passion but also of fertility.

As soon as the mortals were created, Zeus, the leader of the gods, ordered the two sons of the Titan Iapetus, Prometheus and Epimetheus, to give these beings various gifts in the hope that the mortals would evolve into interesting beings, able to amuse the gods.

So the two brothers started to divide the gifts among themselves in order to give them to the earth’s inhabitants. Epimetheus asked his brother to give out the gifts first, and was granted his wish.

He gave the gift of beauty to some animals, agility on other animals, strength in others, and agility and speed to some. However, he left the human race defenseless, with no natural weapons in this new kingdom.

Prometheus, who liked the human race, upon realizing what had happened, promptly distributed his own gifts to mankind. He stole reason from Athena, and thus gave reason to man.

He then stole fire from the gates of Hephaestus, and gave mankind this new gift, which would keep them warm. Prometheus then became the protector of the human race, and shared with it all the knowledge he had.

This new situation angered Zeus, for fire until now had been a gift only reserved for the gods. Zeus did not want the human race to resemble the gods.

Zeus’s next step was to punish Prometheus. And a heavy punishment it was. Zeus chained Prometheus to a peak in the Caucasus which was believed to be at the end of the world.

He had an eagle eat his liver every single day for thirty years. At the end of each day, Prometheus’ liver would grow back again, so he would have to suffer all over again. After thirty years, Heracles (Hercules) released Prometheus from his nightmare.

The Olympians

The Olympians refers to the twelve gods of mount Olympus which is located in the northern central part of Greece. This mountain was believed to be sacred throughout ancient times, and, it was believed to be the highest point on earth.

9 The Titans
The Titans were six elder gods named Kronos, Koios, Krios, Iapetos, Hyperion and Okeanos, ons of Ouranos (Sky) and Gaia (Earth), who ruled the cosmos before the Olympians came to power.

When their father was king he imprisoned six giant brothers of the Titanes–the Kyklopes and Hekatonkheires–in the belly of Earth.

These gods that ruled mount Olympus, also ruled the lives of all mankind. Each and every single god (or goddess) had their own character and domain.

Gods in mythology were very human like. They had the strengths and weaknesses of mortals (as we know them today). they were truly made to represent each and every side of human nature. They supported justice, as seen by their own point of view.

Gods even had children with mortals, which resulted in semi-gods like Hercules. The most amazing observation is how the gods expresses human nature in its complete form.

Strength, fear, unfaithfulness, love, admiration, beauty, hunting, farming, education, there was a god for every human activity and expression. These gods weren’t just ideal figures, they were beings with their own limitations.

They expressed anger, jealousy and joy, just like us. Each god rules his own realm. The only true omnipotent god was Zeus, who ruled all.

The two stories are much alike, but not quite.  The main thing they have in common is that they are both WRONG!

…four feet, eight inches wide.

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