Matthew 20:1-16 - This has always been a great reminder for me to quit whining about what other people are doing and live the life that I was called to live. As a Christian, I have access to the kingdom of heaven lived out here on earth...I am connected to true living. Everyone else is living out a form of hell on earth, and if they discover Christ and give their lives to Him after "living it up" for a few years - I should be excited for them. I shouldn't be jealous that they got to waste more of their life before coming to Christ. The workers in the fields that had been there all day knew the wage they were going to get...they worked hard and accomplished the task they had been hired to do and they got paid for it. Why are they whining! All day long they had known that they would be able to feed their families that week. The workers who were doing nothing all day, had no idea where their money was going to come from...they were probably worried throughout the day because no solution to their problems was in sight. That is not fun...that is not good. It is better to be the worker who was working hard and worry free because he had been hired early. It is better to go through this life connected to the way of Christ - than to live separated from Christ until the very end.
Matthew 20:20-28 - Even at this point the disciples were very focused on their place of honor and power in the kingdom. Jesus asks if they really think they can drink from his cup. The sons of Zebedee immediately say that they can drink from his cup, but they don't understand the kind of cup that Jesus drinks from. A cup of sacrifice. A cup of God first no matter how hard the task. A cup of service. A cup of humility. A cup of forgiveness. A very heavy cup...God, please grant me the strength to pick it up.
Matthew 21:1-17 - The people wanted a revolutionary leader...they praised him...the cheered him...they honored him as he came into Jerusalem - and they got what they wanted...they got the revolutionary, he just didn't lead the kind of revolution they wanted him to lead. They wanted a warrior to fight against the Roman oppression, but what they got was a warrior fighting against religious oppression. Jesus stormed into the temple and drove the oppressors out. Sometimes I think we say we want Jesus to be exactly what we want him to be and do exactly what we want him to do, when we need to be asking what do I need to change to get in line with the revolutionary message of Jesus Christ?
Matthew 21:19, 21:33-44 - It is pretty clear that God is going to deal harshly with those who do not produce good fruit. This has nothing to do with our good deeds saving us...it has to do with living out your faith. If you believe in the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ, then you should believe in the message that came with Jesus Christ and live it out.
3 comments:
20
It is always interesting how Jesus talks about the Kingdom of Heaven – usually in parables. In this one, He shows that eternal life is waiting for all – life long Christians as well as those who come to Him right before they die. No bonus for longer service – no take away for shorter – just life forever with the Creator.
Be careful what you ask for from God (James & John’s moma) – you just might get it. I seem to ask for more patience. I never get the miraculous patience pill – just more life situations that require the application of prayer so that I may be patient and endure whatever it is that happens to me.
21
I have always loved this story - Jesus had enough an opened up a whoppin on the temple merchants. What is the take away from this? If you are angry about something that is against what God would stand for, let it out and then let it go. Jesus cleaned house and was fine – justified anger.
It never says in the Bible, but maybe because of that, one of those merchants became a follower later. You never know...
j
i think about the pharisees and how they lived the parable of the shrewd workers. my prayer today is that i not become the worker who is disgruntled about hisb pay and then turns around and livges out an improper attitude about it.
Post a Comment