The Flip Side - Matthew 22:15-22 - Twenty-first Week after Pentecost

 

Matthew 22:15-22 NIV

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. ¹⁶ They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. ¹⁷ Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”

¹⁸ But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? ¹⁹ Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, ²⁰ and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

²¹ “Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

²² When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

The Flip Side

The Pharisees were, just this past week, caught in their thinking, on the invitation from the wedding feast parable. Caught how? They would be the ones to reject the invitation from God to attend. So, they left the crowds of that place, to talk among themselves, and to conspire a plan, against the teachings and parables of Jesus. They wanted to trap Jesus in His own words.

As disciples, we can expect for people to desire to trap us in our words. But it’s not about our words that matter, it’s about the Word of God that we deliver that matters. When we speak our testimonies, and when we pray, and when we read the Bible, we are to lead the people in our lives to discern the Word, the will, the forgiveness, and the grace of God, SO THAT, those we speak to, can hear and believe. We are not sent to MAKE anyone change. We are sent to lead our neighbor to see God’s love, here and now, and for eternity.

So, what do the Pharisees do? They send Herodians to speak for them. Herodians are supporters of Herod Antipas and the Romans. Usually they are not, friends of the Pharisees; but here the Pharisees see an opportunity to use this political group, to trap Jesus in some detail of the Roman law.

Next the Herodians give an account of how they view Jesus. They sort of “butter the bread” so to speak. They compliment Jesus’ character as truthful and honest and a “straight shooter” kind of guy.

And as is usual, next comes the question, they hopefully set the trap. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Ceasar or not? In this trap, Jesus looks at our life as dual citizens. How’s that? Just like today, we have our Heavenly Citizenship with God in eternity, AND, our earthly citizenship with our government and one another.

Jesus can see right past this “buttering up” stuff. So, He poses a question back… “…why are you testing Me?” Don’t you admire how open and honest Jesus is with His talk to others? So, He next wants to take a look at a denarius. One serve of the ball is going to get a return volley. A return volley with wisdom and authority, at that.

And followed up with another question from Jesus, “… whose inscription?”

And now this will lead us to the idea of the image of God and the image of a man.

And in this question of the inscription, Jesus introduces the great divide. What we pay to our government is for our benefit in the here and now. What we pay to our government should bring about order, civil law, and protection. Even if what we pay the government does not bring about the benefits of an ordered society, due to corruption or some other reason, the money that the government receives is in NO WAY, like what we return to God.

The government can only give us back what we pay into it. But God gives us everything through His grace. What we pay back to God IS NOT what God deserves. We could NEVER pay back God what He deserves.

So, there is a great divide here. The government can only provide what it can, but God provides beyond the here and now, freely, what we could never return in some monetary coin of this world. The money of the government, IS NOT, the same as the money of God.

So, Jesus’ answer, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”, IS the only answer that makes any kind of sense. These two things are NOT the same!

So, in the end, Jesus’ answer gave those attempting to trap Him, no joy. Jesus’ answer met the requirements of both the government, and of course, God too.

Father, You have created all things. You give me all that I need. You not only create the light, You have created darkness. May Your will work in me the discernment, that I need, to see Your Light beyond the darkness of my sinfulness, that I may follow You in Your will and Your way.

Yes, Lord, Your Image is THE image for all time!

Lord, as I turn from the money of this world, to You; may I respond with joy and thanksgiving for Your eternal forgiveness and grace through love to, and for, Your love, to and for, my neighbor. That’s the real money… Your love.

Why do people feel some need to trap Jesus, or God, or Christianity? Why does this happen? Is it to prove some point? Is it to bring respect to self and away from God? Why? What’s the purpose of it all? Is it ego? Is it a desire for some form of power over and above a way of thinking that does not match your own way of thinking? Is it a turn inward?

I think we try to blur our will into the will of God. We attempt to make what we wish to happen in this world of ours, into what we believe God wants to happen in this world in which we live. We attempt to make ourselves God, in a sort of way.

Here Jesus shows a divide of sorts. There is this world, the needs of this world. There is the need for governing the needs of the countries in which we live. And as disciples of Christ, we are called to be a part of this government, serving fellow-country citizens, with good laws, that bring order to society. And even beyond our own country, we are to live in fellowship with all the countries of this world… even the countries that have vastly different cultures and beliefs of our own. This is called for by God and we pray for all leaders throughout the world that peace and prosperity will rule our countries, one and all together.

Yet there is another Kingdom to give to. And that is, as disciples and believers in Christ, we look to a Heavenly Kingdom. This Kingdom has been given to us, in some way similar as our earthly citizenship has been given to us, however, the Heavenly Kingdom extends beyond the current place on earth and the current time in which we live.

And to this gifted Heavenly Kingdom, we give back. Maybe the word “respond” would be better. Our life is a gift from God. God gives us all we need to live here and now, and with Him in eternity. This was covered several times in previous reflections, concerning, “Our Daily Bread,” for which we pray in the Lord’s Prayer.

So, our response is really not a tax, as we would consider a tax from our earthly government. No, it’s truly a grateful response to what God has done for us. It’s a response for the love of God in and through Christ Jesus. A response to God giving His Son to die for us and forgive us and unite us with Him in eternity.

The two sides of the coin are vastly different. Both sides of this coin are needed, for here and now, and for eternity. Yet, we MUST NOT mix them together. In our government we serve the needs of fellow citizens of our country and our world. In our government we are servants. As disciples of Christ we CAN work within our government, however, this work is vastly different from the response to the flip side of the coin that has God’s image stamped upon it.

God’s image is the ultimate “selfie” that He gives to us to see, to behold, to follow, and to speak of an eternal relationship, as forgiven, redeemed, sanctified, Children of God. Yes, there’s a huge difference between both sides of this coin.

May we not mix the two, in our selfishness to think that we can make our way, God’s way. It’s NOT the same! We serve our fellow citizens in response to the love of God that He freely gave us. Yet we serve God in all thanks and praise to what He has done for us, here and now, and into eternity, in relationship with Him.

See the difference? Use us dear Lord in our world to serve and love one another. Use us dear Lord to respond to the forgiveness and love that You alone provide… today… tomorrow… and forever! Amen!

Think about the words of this song sung on one of those Music Shows… “All To Jesus”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOdPi7yLJnY&list=RDTOdPi7yLJnY&start_radio=1

Here's An Invitation - Matthew 22:1-14 - Twentieth Week after Pentecost

 

Matthew 22:1-14 NIV

22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

⁴ “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

⁵ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. ⁶ The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

⁸ “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. ⁹ So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ ¹⁰ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ¹² He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

¹³ “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

¹⁴ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Here’s An Invitation

Here, Jesus is teaching in the temple courts. So, what are the temple courts? There were several, a court of the Gentiles, the Women, a court for Jewish men, and an inner court for priests to perform sacrifices. In general, these courts were open areas around the Temple in Jerusalem. So, Jesus’ teaching here would, or could be, to many different people.

Jesus is about to present another parable. It seems to be, from what is implied in the text, that Jesus is speaking to the Chief Priests and Pharisees and perhaps some other people gathered close by.

Next, we hear words about the Kingdom of Heaven, the King eluding to God the Father, a Wedding Banquet which may be like what I spoke of last week in a joyous fellowship in the vineyards in the presence of God, of course, the Son, again like last week, Jesus, along with an invitation to the wedding banquet.

There are similarities with last week’s Scripture passage about workers in the vineyard, a gracious owner, and people like prophets sent to gather a shared harvest with the owner, and the sinful attempts to harm the owner’s sent workers and the ultimate sinful killing of the son of the vineyard owner.

The sent servants to the people to invite others to the wedding banquet, are similar to the prophets sent throughout the Old Testament, heralding the coming of the Messiah. Yes, God calls again. But here they are calls to the people.

Think about yourself for a moment. How has God called you? Even deeper, how has God called you to that “Great” Banquet? How have you responded? How will you respond? This call is a true gift from God? Will you respond or walk away? And guess what, God is patient, but there comes a limit. Yes, God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love… yet…

Psalm 103:8 NIV

⁸ The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.

This characteristic of God is mentioned several times in the Bible. Yet…

God has made forgiveness and salvation ready and open to the people. Yet the people continue to turn inward, to themselves, to their own wants and needs, and to their own, false beliefs that they can have everything they want or need. Yet, that is just for the here and now, it does not supply ALL needs for eternity. Only God can, and is willing, to do this, yes, for You and Me as well as those of this parable, called out as God’s Chosen Race.

God has issued His invitation to The Banquet, and some will turn away. That’s fine, it’s a choice, but why harm those servants sent to give out the invitations. That’s like the prophets of God being harmed for giving an invitation to The Wedding Feast. This doesn’t make sense to me, yet sometimes, in radical denial of God, people act out in this way, just as the prophets have been treated throughout history. John the Baptist comes to mind, in his beheading. Sometimes, the news of the truth and awareness of sin, brings harsh reactions from people. And that’s to be expected. But this present life in the flesh is not ALL life.

In the finality of it all, judgment belongs to God. God will judge those who kill in selfish displays of power and might over the people of God. Leave all of that stuff to God. I fear to step in with my weak ways to carry out any judgment on my own.

Through this rejection of the Chosen People of God, an open invitation is issued to ALL the people. Does this mean that only through the rejection of some, ALL will be invited? I don’t think so. I think God all along was wrapping the world in His Grace with forgiveness and love, but He began with those from whom His Seed… that Is Jesus Christ, would come. You have to start somewhere. But, that’s just my opinion, maybe I’m on the right track, or maybe not.

So, through the servants open invitations, all may come. But NOT all come. God only invites. He doesn’t force His will on anyone. But He certainly wants to fill The Kingdom with believers. Believers ready and excited to receive this free gift to the privilege of God’s Kingdom.

And when you get that invitation, what do you do? You respond, you are made new, you put on the clothes of Christ and are honored to be invited to work in those wonderful fields of God along side Your Savior and fellow believers. This gift, this invitation, is an honor and all glory belongs to the One who has called you into this feast of life, life eternal, in the presence of God! This invitation makes you new again. So, wear those wonderful clothes in which God gives you. Respond with joy and thanksgiving!

This invitation is for ALL, some will come, yet not really respond to the grace of God and believe. These are like “posers.” Those who come yet really do not believe in this free gift, this invitation, this life with God.

Trust in God, for His promise of that “Great Banquet” that He has prepared. Hear His call and respond with joy and thanksgiving, glad for His salvation which He has prepared for ALL people.

Thank You, God for the invitation to follow You. Thank You for Your care and love. Thank You!

Your invitation, Your call has given me all the joy I will ever need. Thank You! Thank You for this invitation to Your love and grace and forgiveness. Thank You!

So, what’s the deal here? The deal is that You and I also have been invited to the Great Feast, the Great Banquet, the Great Wedding Party of all time. Respond! Respond to the grace and love of God. This is a joyful occasion, that we could NOT have expected to be given to us. Send you RSVP at once and as God has sent His servants to you, thank them, send back your immediate YES, and go to this great feast, clothed in the robes of forgiveness that Jesus alone places upon you.

Yes, to ALL… respond to the love of God and work with Him and ALL believers in that wonderful field of love, forgiveness and eternal life, here in this place and in this time, and forever in the Kingdom of God.

You can believe it! Thanks be to God!

I listened to this YouTube Music Video and thought of ALL those prophets that God sent into my life with God’s invitation to the Great Banquet. Thank God for sending these. May I too be sent into the lives of someone, while I walk this earth in my life here and now.

“Here I Am Lord”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcxOkht8w7c&list=RDEcxOkht8w7c&start_radio=1

Be Joyous In The Vineyard - Matthew 21:33-46 - Nineteenth Week after Pentecost

 Matthew 21:33-46 NIV

³³ “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. ³⁴ When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

³⁵ “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. ³⁶ Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. ³⁷ Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

³⁸ “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ ³⁹ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰ “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

⁴¹ “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

⁴³ “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. ⁴⁴ Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. ⁴⁶ They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

 

Be Joyous In The Vineyard

I may just need to break away from my usual study of the passage of Scripture of a couple of verses each day. Usually, I read the entire passage each day, and then reflect on a few verses at a time, day by day, building my reflection as I proceed throughout the week.

But, on my first reading of this passage of Scripture, I was struck with a different passion. What do I mean by passion?

As I read this Scripture, perhaps I was a bit self-righteous in my opinions. Why? I detested how these tenants had treated not only the owners’ servants, but the owner also. Why?

The owner set these tenants up for success. He gave them everything they needed to survive, and survive in wealth. He or She, I don’t know, gave them the land, the resources, even the crops to grow. All they needed to do was go to work. Yet, in their work, it seemed to me that they made an assumption that the work of their hands deserved all the spoils of any abundance that the crops would bring them.

It’s different from working for a corporation, in my opinion, where the profits either go to those already wealthy, or to a group of investors. This owner gave to the employees a life and a way to survive with a little work on their own.

So, yea, I was miffed at these tenants for trying to take advantage of the servants of the owner and the owner as well, by using violence to attempt to take what all didn’t fully belong to them. There was an arrogant lack of appreciation for what the owner had freely given these vineyard workers.

The workers rejected a gracious owner. Why? It seemed as greed to my way of thinking.

They rejected the gracious owner to the extent of beating his servants, but killing his very own son. That’s some extreme selfish actions!

But then, I began to look inward. Inward how? Inward to my own life, my own selfishness, my own greed for self in the face of the “owners” of my life.

God gives me all I need to live. God gives me work, income, family, good government, clothing, home, friends, favorable weather, and a good name. Yep! Remember that “daily bread” stuff I mentioned in recent reflections? God gives me “daily bread.”

Yet, do I even stop to consider the gifts that I’ve received from a loving God?

Do I stop and see what God has done through the ministry, life, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus?

Do I stop to recall the gift of the Holy Spirit in my baptism and that awesome eternal gift of everlasting life?

Perhaps I don’t as much as I should, or even actually do. Perhaps I need to stop and think like these tenants should have stopped and considered all that God gives to me, to me and to all people.

Especially when, as disciples, we are called to work in His vineyard, each and every day.

There is a responsibility on my part, as the recipient of God’s grace to respond.

God gives me and you, the fruit of our labor as we work in His vineyard of this world. Is it such a stretch to think that God is so loving that He is willing to share in the abundance of His very own crops?

I don’t deserve any of this anyway. So, who do I think I am to reject God’s very own messengers in His own Vineyard? Remember last week? “Who do you (here I) think you (that’s me and you) are? Mr. Bigstuff?”

When I reject those God sends to me, as I enjoy the bounty of God’s very own vineyard, I need to ponder what I have freely received… that’s the Grace of God’s eternal Love.

And in this eternal Love that has come from God, before the very beginning of the time I know about, God is seeking a relationship with me, AS HIS own child. Which IS what I am!

1 John 3:1a

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

God has sent precious people into my life, teachers, pastors, bible-study disciples, parents, and even children as Ambassadors of His Love and Grace. Why? Because God is great in love and has mercy on me.

So, what is my response to God’s grace and forgiveness and love?

Do, I try to make ALL that God has, my own? Do I kill these prophets and teachers that God has given me all my life long?

Do, I even deny what God has done for me through Christ Jesus, turn my back, and yes, even put Jesus to death in my life?

If that’s not a call to repent, then I don’t know what is. Yes, I’m guilty too! I can’t be so self-righteous, that I even go to the point of killing the Chief Priests and the Elders, because I think that I’m better than they are. Who do I think I am? Mr. Bigstuff?

So, I repent, I see how God spins me around, showing my sin to me in a mirror, YET, even still forgiving me and calling me to continue to work in His Vineyard. Oh, how I rejoice in the patience of God in my life, in the presence of my sinful actions!

As God spins me to His face, I realize that He has also called me. How? God has called me, His repentant sinner, to go and work in His Vineyard, SO THAT, I can testify what He has done for me, in my life, and what He will do in the life of all for whom He comes to.

1 Corinthians 2:12

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

So, back to the Vineyard. This is where my grief struck me as I first read through this passage of Scripture. Once I got beyond my self-righteous attitude of these vineyard workers, I began to sense the joy that I have had, in my life, working in God’s vineyard in my life.

I’ve always enjoyed my life with God. I’ve always been happy to work with God. From the day that I dreamed, as a young child, of Jesus coming to my door on Washington St. in Sidney Ohio, as some silly tender age of 5 or 6. What do I mean? I dreamt that Jesus came to my door, and as I opened the door, Jesus asked, “Can Billy come out to play?”

Well, that did it for me. Especially as I recalled this silly dream later in life. This dream “stuck” in my head. Was it real? Was it just some disconnected story about the “Transfiguration?” I’m not sure and I really don’t care. But, as I thought about this simple question, every time, in my life that I did take Jesus’ invitation to “Come out to play,” each time was filled with a joy that I didn’t deserve.

So, work in the Vineyard? Come out to play? It’s all about the same to me. Why would I want to beat the prophets sent into my life? Why would I desire to eliminate Jesus from my life for some selfish ambition of my own? Nope! Not me! I just want to play in God’s Vineyard with Jesus and all of His friends.

And I think this is why this passage of Scripture got to me. Those tenants just didn’t understand what God had done for them, in the giving of the opportunity to work in the Vineyard of God.

God’s love is an opportunity. It’s the great gift of Love to be the worker, WITH Him, IN His Kingdom… today… tomorrow… and forever. What else could you ever desire in life?

Isaiah 5:1-2 NIV

5 I will sing for the one I love
    a song about his vineyard:
My loved one had a vineyard
    on a fertile hillside.
² He dug it up and cleared it of stones
    and planted it with the choicest vines.
He built a watchtower in it
    and cut out a winepress as well.
Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,
    but it yielded only bad fruit.

Psalm 80:7 NIV

⁷ Restore us, God Almighty;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.

Come on! Let’s go out to play! Follow Jesus and me and all of His friends into the Vineyard!

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Thanks be to God!

The Stone the Builders rejected has become the Cornerstone…

Enjoy this YouTube Music Video that spoke to me as I thought about this passage of Scripture for this week…

“What A Beautiful Name”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5L6QlAH3L4&list=RDr5L6QlAH3L4&start_radio=1

Who Do You Think You Are? Mr. Bigstuff? - Matthew 21:23-32 - Eighteenth Week after Pentecost

 

Matthew 21:23-32 NIV

²³ Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

²⁴ Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ²⁵ John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

²⁹ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Who Do You Think You Are? Mr. Bigstuff?

Jesus didn’t restrict His teachings, His works, His compassion, or anything else that He did, to a particular place. He didn’t avoid places. He even taught in the religious places associated with, not only ordinary folks, but with the religious authorities of His day.

These religious authorities were the people who not only governed areas, in and around the temple, they were the folks that people went to, for instruction, as well.

Now, Jesus was invading “their territory,” with teachings different from their teachings, or even the style of teachings, and mode of governing religious proceedings. So, you can see, how they would feel imposed upon by this man, Jesus, who the crowds were now listening to, learning from, and receiving healing, and witnessing miracles.

So, they wanted to know, directly from Jesus, where does His authority to do all of these things, come from.

Jesus was making decisions that rubbed them the wrong way. He took decisive action on the customs of the day, by driving out those selling sacrificial animals, and the money changers that skimmed a little “off the top”, in order for people to use “Temple” money in these purchases.

So, yea! Who gave you, Jesus, this authority? Like, who do you think you are?

And to pull this inward into your, and my life… consider for yourself… how much authority does Jesus have in your own life? How will you respond to the authority that Jesus has in your life? And how does Jesus change you, or change how you live, day after day? Pause and give all of this some thought, on your own as well.

Jesus’ response with a question to the question, was a typical practice for rabbis of the day. The idea is to make you think. I recall a Lab Instructor, when I was going to Technical School, using this same technique with me. I asked a question, and his response was, “Well, what do you think?” With this he engaged me in conversation to discuss the topic, and come to a conclusion, that he carefully led me to think about. He didn’t give me the answer, but I arrived to an answer on my own, with his guidance.

Jesus question in this passage caused the chief priests and elders to discuss the source of John the Baptists baptism. Who was the source of John’s baptism? Was it of God, or from heaven, or was it from men? The approach of the chief priests and elders, was different from the approach that I took with my Lab Instructor. The chief priests and elders, discussed amongst themselves. My discussion was with my Lab Instructor.

My thinking is that this question would be thought out, WITH Jesus, in asking other, or clarifying questions, TO Jesus, SO THAT an answer would be derived from one another, using the knowledge of Jesus as well. But that’s NOT what happened here.

My response to God would be different. My response would be in prayer, for guidance and direction. But, I’m not sure if the chief priests and elders, wanted to bring Jesus into their own fold at this moment, or perhaps ever. There is a factor of humility, when we open ourselves to the hard questions, to work with one another towards and answer. And for me, this would definitely include Jesus, in this conversation.

It seems to me, that once this conversation turned to the side, not including Jesus, it becomes a bit of a political response. It went the way of IF this, THEN that. At least recognize that the question calls for a discussion with everyone present. At best, honor Jesus’ authority, and bring Him into the answer to the question. But that doesn’t seem what these chief priests and elders are ready to recognize. That is, recognize the authority of Jesus. Here is the rub, and the doubt, present, in this entire conversation and passage of Scripture. What is the “here”? The here is the authority of Jesus.

Now the chief priests and elders have jumped into the “Feelings” of the people, to what their answer alone should mean. What will “Others” think of our answer? It just seems a bit odd to me, to answer a question, with the thinking or opinion of what “Others” may think, as your main consideration.

So, in the end, the chief priests and elders, are too afraid to take a stand. Sort of funny, to a simple man like myself. It’s a bit “chicken shit”, in my book.

So, Jesus presses on with the conversation with further questioning. Back to my Lab Instructor… “But what do you think?”

And then Jesus creates a scenario for more discussion.

This question revolves around a couple of sons, called to work in the Father’s vineyard. Go and work today? Think back on last week’s reflection, a bit, about the workers in the marketplace, called at various times of day, to work. Go, or no go? Now or later? Make a decision!

Here we, must reflect on our own call, to respond to God, when He calls us, now, later, or in the future. Go, or no go?

But God is patient for us to give a response. Another gift from God, is some time to consider. But at some point, the discernment needs to stop, and a decision needs to be made. It sort of comes down to being faithful to God’s call in life. Will you serve God or self?

You may answer one way, but be sure to pray. Pray to God for direction, for the gifts needed to carry out the call. Pray to God, why? Because we NEED God. We can’t fulfill His call, on our own, without Him involved. We need His gifts to carry out His will in His way.

And then Jesus speaks plainly, once again, as He often does. Tax Collectors and Prostitutes, known for their sinful lives, are the very ones who came to John the Baptist to be baptized. And here is the kicker… they believed. Yes, these sinners, just as I too am a sinner, came to John the Baptist, repented of their sin, AND believed.

Some of the Chief Priests and the Elders did NOT go to John the Baptist, in their own sinfulness, to repent of their sin, and believe the message of John the Baptist.

So, what’s the difference between the Tax Collectors, the Prostitutes, and the Chief Priests and Elders? Some repented and believed, and others did not see the need to repent and believe. In one way or another, these people judged John the Baptist, and his message. What message? Repent, and receive forgiveness of sin.

If you refuse to repent, or even to acknowledge your sin, in front of others… well then, just maybe you think you are better than the other. Who is the other? The “Other”, are those who acknowledge their sin before God, and one another, and turn to seek forgiveness of the sin in the face of God, and neighbor.

Sometimes leaders, like the Chief Priests and the Elders of this passage, think, wrongly by the way, that they are self-righteous. You are NOT righteous in yourself!

Titus 3:5

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

You are not saved by the things you do, that you think make your righteous. You are only saved by the mercy of God, through washing and rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This isn’t your work. It is the work of God.

Think of what John the Baptist was doing. He was calling people to him, in the presence of God, and one another, to repent of their sin, and be washed in the waters of baptism, and cleansed in the forgiveness of God. We ALL have sinned!

Listen to the words of Paul in the letter to the Romans…

Romans 3:23

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

And yep! That’s Tax Collectors, Prostitutes, Chief Priests, Elders, Me, and You too! So REPENT and face God seeking forgiveness and salvation. Why? So that we can live WITH Him and one another in the Kingdom of God, NOW and FOREVER.

Spin me around, in my arrogance, TO SEE Your face, TO SEE Your way in my life; that I may hear YOUR WORD of forgiveness. I’m a haughty man, and I NEED you to humble me in my sin, SO THAT, I can be saved from myself, TO follow Your will and Your way… NOT mine! Help me, save me, I plead!

O Lord, make me humble. In Your presence I need You. I need Your advice, I need Your direction, I need to know Your ways. I turn to You in prayer. Speak to me through Your Word, that I may discern Your call and understand.

Lord Jesus, as I come to You, as I pray, put Your mind in me. Forgive my sinfulness. Take away my pride and make me humble before You, and my neighbor. May I love, like You love, and do Your will.

This weeks’ time of reflection on this Scripture passage, along with a Bible verse assigned to me by a Ham Radio friend to memorize and learn in the mode of CW or as most would think, Morse Code, brought me to humility in the will of God through prayer.

How’s that? Well as I reflected on the “attitude” that I perceived in the Chief Priests and the Elders towards questioning Jesus’ authority, to be doing what He was doing in the presence of the people of His day; I saw a lack of humility in the presence of God. I really think that they knew, or at least heavily suspected, that Jesus, WAS the Messiah. But they weren’t ready for this. So, they attempted to show Him up in their own presence and the presence of the people. But it all backfired.

So, it made me think of looking for, or more-so hearing the call of God, or even the will of God in my life.

 

Like the son that responded that he wasn’t willing to go and work in the vineyard, he must have given his response some consideration, and changed his mind. Yet the other son only gave the answer that he presumed his father wanted, yet did not respond with any work.

The first son gave it some thought. In some way he may have thought about what his father needed, and, in the end responded to the will of the father.

This is where I come back to prayer. Maybe prayer as conversation with God. Open, honest, humble prayer in the presence of God, to determine the call of my Father, and a clarification of my Father’s will, IN that very call.

So, as I reflected on my Ham friend’s assigned memory verse, along with this very passage of Scripture for this week from Matthew; I considered the will of God.

Here is my assigned memory passage, to be sent in Morse Code next Tuesday over the airwaves…

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

In this I kept hearing in Morse Code and the language of God, that God’s will is for me, and you and all disciples, to rejoice, pray, and give thanks. And to hear God’s call, to respond to the call to work in the vineyard, I must humble myself, in the presence of God and before one another, acknowledge my sin, and seek God’s forgiveness of my sinful life, SO THAT, I will pray, and seek God’s will in my life, respond to God’s will in my life to work in that vineyard and rejoice, and give thanks for all that God has done for you, and for me, and for all the world, in Christ Jesus.

It seems to me, that this is what the Tax Collectors, the Prostitutes, and the people who went to John the Baptist, in the wilderness were doing. And then, the great thing about it all? These very same people, maybe, just maybe, witnessed Jesus being baptized for their very own sin, BY John the Baptist, SO THAT, Jesus’ ministry and mission to take on God’s call from that moment forward, to march towards the cross, die in our very own sin, defeat death and rise again, and ascend once again into heaven. Why? So, that we too would live our lives with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, SO THAT, we may rejoice, give thanks and have an everlasting prayer, or conversation, or relationship with God in His Kingdom… today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God!

I couldn’t help but to have a little fun with the music for this one… Enjoy this throw back in time… “Mr. Big Stuff”

https://youtu.be/afhMFK__ZGc?si=VflWiJ8xqn8L9FsA

 

What IS the Deal? - Matthew 20:1-16 - Seventeenth Week after Pentecost

 

Matthew 20:1-16 NIV

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ² He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

³ “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴ He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ ⁵ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. ⁶ About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

⁷ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

⁸ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

⁹ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. ¹⁰ So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ¹² ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

What IS the Deal?

I love how Jesus begins this passage! “For the kingdom of heaven is like…”

It’s so nice to learn, to listen, to pause and visualize, Jesus’ words here. To let your mind wander from this world of sin, greed, power and selfishness, TO, thinking of the Kingdom of Heaven AS Jesus describes.

In these next few verses, we get to witness the generosity of God, for ourselves, AND for neighbor. So, for now, put away all of your competitive nature, and just listen to Jesus’ parable of the generosity of God.

We encounter a landowner that is compassionate for ALL workers, workers seeking a wage, who are standing in the marketplace, looking for work. We all need to work. And this work IS a part of what we pray for in the Lord’s Prayer --- “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Here I go again, back in my time machine, to a wonderful Saturday, standing by my classroom desk, before a few friends and Pastor Bergdall… reciting Luther’s explanation from memory… I wish my memory was still as good today… but I’m thankful for these good moments of memory…

What does this mean? – God gives daily bread, even without our prayer, to all people, though sinful, but we ask in this prayer that he will help us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanks.

(Here is the part that reminds me of our current passage of Scripture)

What is meant by “daily bread”? – Daily bread includes everything needed for this life, such as food and clothing, home and property, work and income, devoted family, and orderly community, good government, favorable weather, peace and health, a good name, and true friends and neighbors.

See, that bold and underlined part – or the part I emphasized while speaking? God IS generous to provide work and income.

But the question comes to mind… Will you, or I, work?... Will you, or I, accept the gift of work, and whatever income, God provides, for the day? Can we be happy with God’s supply?

So, in this passage, may I ask… Will you respond to God’s call? Or in the case of this parable, the call of the Vineyard Owner, TO, go to work? Or will you leave the marketplace, and either go back to bed, or stay in bed to begin with?

God comes to us with the gift of work! And that work, may just be, to seek work!

For those who accept the call of God to work, YOU WILL be provided for. Provided for in an immediate sense, as to what you need for the day, AND, even better, provided for in an eternal sense, of time. God calls us in the NOW, and HERE, and God gifts us with ETERNITY, in His Kingdom.

And there it is, “in your face.” The gift from God, that He openly gives to you, even in the face of your sinful life, on this sinful world. See it folks! Look at God in the face of the Owner, as He comes to you, in the marketplace of your life, to call you to work in HIS vineyard. God comes TO YOU! And that there is a BIG deal!

Notice how the landowner is the one seeking workers. Were these workers overlooked the first time? I don’t know, but he must have realized that he needed more workers, so he called them into his service.

This makes me think of the many times that God pursues each of us, over and over again. God calls us all our life long, to work in His vineyard. Maybe for this kind of job, or another kind of job. It’s God pursuing us. What would it be like if we pursued God to work for Him? What would it be like if we were willing to work, no matter when, or no matter how God has called others to work in His Kingdom?

And now for this second group of workers, the landowner agrees to pay “whatever is right.” No promises. Would we still be willing to go? Would we trust in this open-ended agreement, without knowing what our pay would be?

I think, when we have trust and faith in the landowner, we would be willing to go. But what if we couldn’t trust the landowner? What if the landowner was known to be a greedy person? Would we go?

But, in this parable, the landowner is God. And we know that God provides for all of our needs. So, the going, is a response to what God has already done.  And God has given us the faith to trust Him.

Well, rinse and repeat, this call to work. For the sixth and the ninth hour. So now we’re up to around 3pm. As the foreman goes back to the marketplace to gather more and more workers, it seems to me, that the need to work is becoming more and more urgent. This job has critical importance to accomplish what the landowner would like to have happen for that day.

This tells me that the work IS vitally important.

Next, we are up to the eleventh hour… that’s about 5pm. Not much time is left. As workers are still available, these workers are more desperate, and the foreman is just as desperate to meet the needs of the day.

I may jump to the conclusion that these workers were less favorable. I may jump to the conclusion that the workers, were perhaps lazy, but that just doesn’t seem accurate here. I also may jump to the conclusion that the foreman just doesn’t know how to plan the day, for the amount of work needed. But, how do I know this?

Each one of these people, the workers and the foreman, are responding to a call from the landowner, to get something done. So, it makes me think that this work is very important.

So, now I must reflect on God’s call. How the response is important. A response, no matter what time of day.

You know, God, or in the case of this parable, the Landowner, was a compassionate and kind person. He paid those who only worked about an hour, what he promised those who went to work at the beginning of the day. That’s generosity. These last workers were sought out just like the first workers, and the need must have been great, since the landowner kept sending the foreman back to the marketplace to hire more workers. And even though there was only an hour left to work, these last workers went to work instead of giving up and going home. So, it’s not like those called last were bad or anything, they were just the last to be called to go to work. I think sometimes, it’s easy to tag these last workers with some unjust label as being lazy.

And as each group comes forward to be paid, in order of the ones that worked fewer hours to the ones that worked all day; each group was paid the same amount. Even to the first hired, who had agreed to work for a denarius. But remember how all of the other workers agreed to be paid “what was fair.”

I suppose the ones who worked the most, but got paid what they agreed to be paid, felt like getting the union steward involved. But, how would that work? They did get what they agreed to be paid. So, the next day, would, perhaps those who worked all day, lay back in the crowd and wait till the end of the day, thinking that they would be paid the same as those who worked all day? I guess that would be the chance they could take, but perhaps the landowner’s need for workers wouldn’t be as great the next day.

Sometimes we look around ourselves, and evaluate our own worthiness as compared to the value of a co-worker, and declare that we are more valuable. But more valuable to whom? To self, or to the boss, or to the company? That’s a slippery slope to get on.

In the eyes of God, it seems to me, that He values ALL His children. Is this fair? Well, I guess, I’m not the one to decide what is fair and what is not, in the eyes of God. Who do I think I am to make that judgment FOR God.

And then when I pause and think of what God gave up, to give me life, I must stop all the comparisons with my neighbor, and live with a thankful heart, that God did what He did for any and all of us, in the giving of Jesus to draw us into eternal life, and eternal love, WITH Him in His Kingdom.

So, if I think about first and last, I can be overjoyed that first OR last, we receive this eternal gift of life. It’s NOT about how much I do, but rather about what God HAS done.

I’m so glad that my thoughts are NOT your thoughts, O Lord! For in your generosity, is mercy, kindness, love and forgiveness. Teach me Your way, that I may treat those You give to me, each and every day, with mercy, kindness, love and forgiveness.

Lord, my life is NOT about me. You alone are my light and my salvation. You alone are the stronghold of my life. And in this I seek to live into eternity from now, till then, WITH you, and in Your house. May I hear Your call, no matter when, in my life, You decide to call me, and respond in the joy and faith, that You give to me, to work WITH You IN Your Kingdom.

I guess, in the finality of it all, for those who receive the joy of working in the Kingdom of God for their entire lives, they are blessed. Likewise, for those who Christ calls at the end of their lives, they are blessed, as well. None of us deserve this gift of work, in the first place. So, be joyful, no matter the circumstances, the pain, the suffering, or even the blessing, that God comes to you, and calls you to work side-by-side, with other disciples and Him in His Kingdom.

When I get up close to this parable, it seems to be an injustice to some people. But when I pull back through all time; I’m so glad that God has the mercy to wait patiently. For, it seems to me, at this time, that I and you are in the later times. What if God had stopped calling people to work in His Kingdom 30, 80, 100 or even 1000 years ago?

But in His grace, love and wisdom, I think, God knows the beginning from the end. I think He knows the first and the last. I think God is aware of the Alpha and Omega.

Revelation 1:8 NIV

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

 

This whole first and last thing is NOT about me, or where, or when, I think I place in the Kingdom of God. It’s not my decision, or up to me, as to where I belong. All I need to be concerned about is that God CHOOSES where I belong, and God gives me all I need to belong, or go, or work, in His Kingdom, when and where God chooses me to go, when and where. So, first or last, or somewhere in the middle, my obedience to God tells me to respond in the joy and blessing, that God gives me all the work I need, when I need it, and with His gifts that He creates in me, to DO His will, in the way He wants it.

 

It’s easy to get trapped in ourselves. It’s easy to play the comparison game with other people that surround us. It’s easy to fall in the “poor ol me” trap, thinking that MY work, or the sweat of MY brow, deserves so much more attention that the attention that is given to my brother or sister, standing in the workplace at my side.

This parable has reminded me to be thankful for work. For the work God gave me in the past, for the skills God grew in me to perform work, then and now. May my work, your work, and the work of ALL of God’s children, bring glory to God, as we live and work, in the here and now, and as we live and work, today… tomorrow… and forever… in the Kingdom of God. Thanks be to God for work!

This song was like a prayer… I love the idea that God came into time with Jesus, yet also was and is beyond all time with Jesus. So, sit back and pray this song… as you exist in your own time…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJeNUlNY7Iw&list=RDaJeNUlNY7Iw&start_radio=1