Below are two versions of verse 9 from Luke 16, from Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition [2] and from New International Version [3]:
Douay-Rheims ("DRA"):
And I say to you: Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity; that when you shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings.
New International Version ("NIV"):
I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The operative words here are "everlasting" and "eternal" in DRA and NIV, respectively, in describing the dwellings. From a quick read, Jesus seemed to refer to the dwellings of those who could be bought with money.
When Jesus said, "they may receive you into everlasting dwellings[,]" [Emphasis added], did Jesus have both groups in mind for these "everlasting" dwellings, those who try to buy favors with money, or reduction of debt as in the parable, derived from fraud, and those who accept them? In this greedy and selfish world, it would appear unlikely that those who were bought with money would remember to return the favor, regardless of how the source of funds were derived. To them money is money, honestly-earned, fraudulently-obtained or laundered. To them people are only useful when they have money and are self-sufficient, but are conveniently forgotten about when they are desperate and in need.
It is necessary to decide which group is the more virtuous? Or are they both wicked?
When Jesus mentioned "eternal" or "everlasting" dwelling, what did He have in mind? Where are these places?
Only Heaven and Hell are eternal.
Is it possible that Jesus was a tiny bit sarcastic in this parable? Or was there no sarcasm at all? In the absence of sarcasm, it could mean that those who had been bought with money were already destined to move into their eternal dwelling. That would be Hell. And it would from Hell that they might "receive" or would "welcome" those who tried to buy favors with ill-gotten gains. So both groups could end up in Hell.
Why not Heaven? Perhaps these two verses, Luke 16:12-13, can shed some light [4]:
12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's; who will 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 he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Verse 12 ends with "who will give you that is your own?" What one already owns is Heaven. Christ taught and showed everyone the path to Heaven. He suffered and died to get everyone there but many are deaf to what Christ said and blind to what He did, and end up going the wrong way.
Verse 13 seems to say that one can choose either the path to Heaven or to Hell. There is no gray area, no middle road, no compromise.
[1] http://www.windsorlatinmass.org/pulpit/p08pul.pdf
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+16%3A9&version=DRA
[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+16%3A9&version=NIV
[4] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+16%3A12-13&version=DRA
No comments:
Post a Comment