“God’s Eternal Word”
Luke 16:1-31
“And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.” – Luke 16:17
There is a companion verse in the Gospel of Matthew: “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” [Matt 5:18]
God’s word is eternal as opposed to everything around us. Our cars, our homes, our jobs, our degrees, even our physical bodies; it is all going to pass away in heaven [and in hell]. The only things that are eternal are God’s word and our souls; an interesting truth to ponder!
Notice in the Matthew reference the word “assuredly.” It means, we can be sure of it. What is going to last into eternity is “every jot and tittle” of God’s word. It therefore would be wise to read it, know it, and understand it in this life. Because when God’s word is knitted into the fabric of our being, we live with an eternal hope that will never cease even in the greatest trials. Through God’s word we can know that we have true life, eternal life; we have an eternal wealth.
However, eternal wealth is a value that the world knows not. The world seeks value through money, sex, and power, but true value comes by way of a relationship with God. And until we come to know this, we run around in circles like a dog chasing his tail.
But these are the natural desires of the natural man. Solomon called it “Vanity of vanities,” “a chasing after the wind.” And he ought to know. He had “everything under the sun.” Everything that a man can desire; wealth, power, relationships; and yet at the end of his days he concluded: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” [Eccl 1:2]. Even Solomon, the wisest of men, would learn that true value only comes by a relationship with God [ref. Eccl 12:13].
In Luke 16 we see a comparison of the eternal and temporal. The former is through Jesus and His Word, and lives with a future hope; the latter is by the lies of devil, and lives in the here and now.
Chapter 16 begins with The Parable of the Unjust Steward [vv.1-13], which warns us to look [and plan] toward our future hope. Chapter 16 ends with the account of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar, which warns of the consequences of setting our eyes on the here and now [vv.19-31].
In the middle is the anchor, God’s Word that tows the line from one to the other. Jesus is God’s Word [ref. John 1:1-2; 14]. He is unchanging, and His word will last forever.
