Todays reading begins with Jesus clarifying what we might call the membership rules of the Kingdom of Heaven. In the parable of the Vineyard Workers, God is the landowner and believers are the workers. This parable was especially directed at the people that somehow felt superior because of their heritage or position; to those who felt superior because they had spent so much time with Jesus, and to new believers as a reassurance of Gods grace. The parable of the Vineyard Workers is not about rewards but salvation. It is a strong teaching about grace, (Gods generosity). Jesus is telling us that we shouldnt begrudge those who turn to God in the last moments of life, because, in reality, NO ONE deserves eternal life. Many people we dont expect to see in the Kingdom will be there. The criminal who repented as he was dying (also known as the Thief on the Cross), will be there along with people who have believed and served God for many years. Continuing on in the reading, Jesus gives His apostles a prophecy about His death. This was the third time He did this, The first time was in chapter 16 of the Matthews Gospel.... From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. Matthew 16:21 The second time was in the 17th chapter of Matthews Gospel account.... After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” And the disciples were filled with grief. Matthew 17:22-23 And in todays reading.... As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” Matthew 20:17-19 Lukes Gospel account lets us know that the Apostles didnt understand what He was talking about. It tells us that His words were hidden from them. We dont know for sure, but Im guessing that the reason the understanding was hidden from them, was to protect them. If they really understood what was going to happen, they probably would have panicked. The truths about God are so immense and awe filled, that we would not be able to comprehend them all. We see an example of this in the Book of Exodus, when the Lord is speaking to Moses... But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live. Exodus 33:20 In other words, the very nature of God is so awe filled that early bible translators used the term fear the Lord. That term didnt mean that we needed to be afraid, it meant that He is so awesome, and we are so not awesome that His very Being is incomprehensible. The next couple of accounts are repeated in a few of the different Gospels. Jesus teaching on serving others is mentioned in the Gospels of Mark, and Matthew, while Jesus healing the blind man is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Each telling of the story has some minor differences. To explain these differences, lets remember that no two people tell the story exactly the same. Also keep in mind that the only two Gospel accounts that were written by people who actually traveled with Jesus were the Gospels of Matthew and John. Luke can be thought of as an investigative reporter who collected the information about Jesus life from the Lords close followers and family. Mark is also not mentioned directly in the context of one of Jesus Apostles, so he too, was writing on things that he heard about through eyewitnesses. It is important however, to remember that ALL Scriptural writings are inspired by the Holy Spirit. In other words, if it is found in the Bible, it means that the Lord inspired the authors to write it. Finally Jesus tells another parable to correct the impression that many of them had, that the Kingdom of God was going to begin right away. This story showed Jesus followers what they were to do during the times between Jesus departure and His second coming. Because we are living in this time period, it applies directly to us. We have been given excellent resources to build and expand Gods Kingdom. Our question about the story might be, Why was the king so hard on this man who had not increased the money? He punished the man because... 1. he didnt share his masters interest in the Kingdom, 2. he didnt trust his masters intentions 3. his concern was for himself, and 4. he did nothing to use the money. Like the king in this story, God has given each one of us gifts to use for the benefit of His Kingdom, and we will be held accountable as to how we have used those gifts. youtube/watch?v=3Ya12I036lg
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 03:02:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015