60 They saw a Samaritan carrying a lamb on his way to Judea. He said to his disciples, "Why does that man carry around the lamb?" They said, "So he can kill it and eat it." He said to them, "He won't eat it while it is alive, but only after he has killed it and it has become a corpse." They said, "Otherwise he cannot do it." He said to them, "You too, look for a place for yourself to rest, or you will become a corpse and be eaten."
Something similar about corpses was in saying 56 earlier.
61 Jesus said, "Two people will lie on one bed: the one will die, and other will live." Salome said to him, "Who are you, sir? You have climbed into my bed and eaten from my table as if you are from the One." Jesus said to her, "I am he who exists from the Indivisible. I was given the things of my Father." She said, "I am Your disciple." He said, "That is why I say, if a man is indivisible, he will be filled with light, but if he is divided, he will be filled with darkness." [61a: Luke 17:34-35]
This is probably meant to be the Salome of Mark 15:40 and 16:1 (certainly not the Salome said to be the dancer of Mark 6:22-29). The "bed" may not be blasphemous -- the dining couches (see the footnote in your NIV for Mark 7:4) used around tables were like low beds, and this might simply imply the fellowship of eating a meal. However, a blasphemous sexual relationship might be meant here -- some late traditions accuse Jesus of an intimate relationship with Mary Magdalene, but of course there is no evidence for this, and there is unbounded evidence against it inside and out of the Bible.
62 Jesus said, "I reveal my mysteries to those who are worthy of my mysteries. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." [62a: Matthew 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10. 62b: Matthew 6:3]
Again, the gnostic passion for "mysteries" is elevated above any useful information.
63 Jesus said, "There was a rich man who had a lot of money. He said, 'I'll invest my money so that I can sow, reap, plant, and fill my barn with crops, and I will lack nothing.' That was his plan, but that same night he died. Whoever has ears let him hear." [Luke 12:16-21]
The introduction to this parable occurs later: see saying 72.
64 Jesus said, "A man was expecting guests. After he had prepared the dinner, he sent his servant to invite the guests. The servant went to the first one and said to him, "My master invites you.' The person replied, 'Some merchants owe me money. They are coming to me tonight, and I must go and make arrangements. Please excuse me from the dinner.' The servant went to another one and said, 'My master has invited you.' That person replied, 'I have just bought a house and I'm busy today. I won't have time.' He went to another and said to him, 'My master invites you.' That one said to the servant, 'My friend is getting married, and I have to prepare the banquet. I won't be able to come. Please excuse me from the dinner.' He went to another and said to him, 'My master invites you.' That one said to the servant, 'I have just bought some land, and I'm going to collect the rent. I won't be able to come. Please excuse me.' The servant returned and said to his master, 'The people you invited to the dinner have asked to be excused.' The master said to his servant, 'Go outside into the streets and bring back whoever you happen to meet, so they may dine.' Businessmen and merchants will not enter the places of my Father." [Matthew 22:3-9, Luke 14:16-24]
It is an easy misunderstadning of Jesus driving out the moneychangers (Matthew 21:12-16; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-47 and John 2:13-16) to think that he held something against the occupation of a businessman or a merchant. I've heard people misapply the same passages as Jesus preaching against having any noise or sound other than a pipe organ playing before a church service. But in the Gospels, the sin was the attitude of the heart of the priests and Levites who were fleecing the flock.
Also, in the apocryphal saying above, only the last person is a merchant or has a businessman's excuse. The first man owes a merchant money. The second is a new homeowner. The third has been selected as the "Friend" of a bridegroom (cp. Judges 14:11). And of course Matthew 9:11, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors?" speaks against this as a genuine saying of Jesus as well.
65 He said, "There was a good man who owned a vineyard. He rented it to farmers to work it so he could collect the harvest from them. He sent a servant so that the farmers would give him the fruit of the vineyard. They seized his servant and beat him, almost killing him. When the servant went back and told his master, the master said, 'Maybe they did not recognize him.' So he sent another servant. The tenants beat this one as well. Then the owner sent his son and said, 'Maybe they will show respect to my son.' But since the farmers knew that he was the heir to the vineyard, they seized him and killed him. Whoever has ears let him hear." [Matthew 21:33-39; Mark 12:1-8; Luke 20:9-15]
The complete message of the Gospel is the forgiveness of our sins through Jesus Christ. Without that message, parables like these can easily be twisted to mean anything a person or devil wants them to mean. That's why John made Jesus' sacrifice for us so obvious:
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (1 John 1:5-10, NIV)
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