Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He spoke this parable to them, saying. (Luke 15:1-3)

Cherry-Picking The Teachings Of Jesus

The final canon of the Bible became a book of sixty-six books arranged in the Old Testament with the writings of Moses, the Psalms, and the prophets; and the New Testament telling the story of the life of Jesus, the establishment of the church, and the early writers of the Law of Christ. God gave the world His final revelation to understand the nature of humanity, the blight of sin, and the redemption of man through the blood of Jesus. No book has changed the world more than the Bible. Reading its pages unveils the glory of God, the promise of forgiveness of sins, and the hope of eternal life.

Originally, the Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek. Through the centuries, it has been translated into every language known to man. Various translations were made as the printing press spread God’s word throughout the world. John Wycliffe began the first translation of the Bible into English, and John Purvey completed it in 1388. In 1228, Stephen Langton divided the Bible into chapters. R. Nathan divided the Old Testament into verses in 1448, and Robert Stephanus divided the New Testament in 1551. It was not until 1560 that the Geneva Bible first published the entire Bible in chapters and verses.

For most students of Scripture, reading the Bible without chapters and verses would be unimaginable. Dividing the Bible has advantages, but it also comes with serious disadvantages. It is easy to find passages and remember teachings by chapter and verse. Bible study has become easier when examining Scripture. While there are many advantages, dividing the Bible into sections has created a “cherry-picking theology” that often overlooks and misapplies scriptures from their context. An old saying says, “A text without a context is a pretext.” This suggests the danger of taking passages out of their context to teach something not found in the text.

Everyone is familiar with the three parables of Luke 15: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Few realize Jesus told one parable with three stories, and the teaching of Jesus does not end at Luke 15:32. Scripture should be read using a camera. The scene opens up in Luke 15:1-2 when tax collectors and sinners draw near to Jesus to eat with Him. The Pharisees and scribes complain of Jesus associating with these despised people. Jesus begins at Luke 15:3, rebuking the Jewish leaders, and does not stop talking until Luke 17:10. Everything between those two verses is what Jesus has to say about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the Scribes.

First, Jesus turns the camera to the Jewish leaders (15:32 – “them”). In Luke 16:1, he turns the camera to His disciples (the Pharisees and Scribes are listening). The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard what Jesus said and began to deride the Lord. Jesus turns the camera back to “them” (16:15). Finally, in Luke 17:1, the Lord turns the camera back to the disciples and finishes His teaching. In this series of teachings, Jesus is focused on one thing: exposing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Scribes. The stories of the lost sheep, lost coin, and the prodigal son show how much God cares for everyone. This is one parable with three stories. But the real message comes in the third story, where the elder son’s heart is exposed. The elder son is the heart of the Pharisees and Scribes. They refuse to eat with the “prodigals” of Israel. Their hypocrisy and hatred for others are clearly exposed, and the Pharisees know Jesus is talking about them (16:14)

Jesus warns the disciples (16:1) to be shrewd in dealing with their leaders (16:1-13) because they loved money so much (16:14). This love of money filled their hearts with hatred and prejudice against the unfortunates of the world. The Lord reminds the disciples that no man can serve two masters because no one can serve God and mammon. When the Pharisees deride Jesus, He shows how they abuse the law (16:15-18) and uses (as an example) how they abused the law of marriage (16:18). Jesus then tells them the story of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. The Pharisees and Scribes are the rich man in the story, and Lazarus represents the tax collectors and sinners.

Finally, Jesus turns the camera back to His disciples (17:1), warning them not to offend those God cares for. In response, the disciples ask Jesus to give them more faith (17:5), which Jesus does by showing them the heart of humility (17:6-10). Then the story ends.

Luke 15-17 contains many great stories, and we should apply them. Never lose sight of the larger picture and the context of what Jesus is teaching. Connect the dots as the Holy Spirit gives them. These same lessons are needed today in their full context, as the spirit of the Pharisees and Scribes remains in the Lord’s body. And there are plenty of ‘tax collectors and sinners’ struggling in their faith. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.”