Matthew Chapter 20

Life’s not fair, but God’s grace isn’t either.

Having read the parable of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20:1-16) many times in my lifetime, I can already anticipate my reaction before I get to the end of the passage.  It seems absurd that workers would get paid the same wage for a working a fraction of the time in the field.  How on earth could this be fair?  

Especially today, living in a culture that puts its ultimate fulfillment in achieving the “American Dream” by working hard and being rewarded with more wealth makes this concept even more counter intuitive to us. In corporate America, there are complete systems, methodologies, databases to figure out what is an equitable amount of pay in a certain region for a specific job role.  We even have websites that try to help you figure that out before you apply for a job so you know how to negotiate for a fair wage. We have companies and unions with positions dedicated to negotiating terms to find a fair compensation package. 

Pursuit of fairness is engrained in us at a very young age. Any family with kids is familiar with the phrase “that’s not fair”, because kids use it on a regular basis.  Although many of us think it, kids can’t help but let it out verbally when that is what they are thinking.  They use it when they believe a brother or sister got a better Christmas gift, feel they were assigned less difficult chores, got away with something they didn’t.

What if we asked God to be fair?  God has made it clear that “all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God” Romans 3:23, and that the “wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23.  Asking God to be fair is asking for death and complete separation from him.  However God extends his grace to us by the sacrifice his son Jesus on the cross, so we don’t receive what we deserve. Isn’t that even more absurd?

In the parable if I put myself in the position of the worker who worked the least, yet still received a full day’s wage, I imagine how grateful I would be for the unfairly generous wage that I had received.  When we look to our lives, should we not stop focusing on our earthly pursuit of fairness, and instead focus on the unfairly generous portion of grace that God has extended to us?

Matthew Chapter 19

Divorce. I get the chapter on divorce. Oi vey.

Seriously, this is an acutely painful subject for many of us. And Jesus’s words are so powerfully absolute here. What are we to do with them?

I’m not going to dig into the topic of divorce: there are better forums and better spiritual leaders out there. I will say this—Jesus didn’t come and do what he did; he didn’t plan from before the Word moved over the deep, didn’t step away from his throne and become man and endure a torturous death for us to have us continue to live in bondage. I remain unshakably certain of this. However, what the Spirit has for each of us, and what he calls us to remain faithful in and what he died to free us from is an acutely personal issue between each of us and Him.

What I do want to get into is those pesky Pharisees. Once again, we see them trying to trip up Jesus. They ask him a question, and sure enough, they immediately have a counterpoint—a bit of law from the mouth of Moses himself, to challenge Jesus with. Clearly, they’ve come prepared. And not prepared to hear, not prepared to be vulnerable, but prepared to argue, to debate, to score points and win.

What I see in my reading of this chapter this time around is myself.

How often am I more interested in debate? In “yeah, but” and not in hushing my mouth and listening? I can’t see his lamp unto my feet for the shadow cast by my own agenda.

My hope lays in that same savior. The one who knew me before I was and who loves and provides for me anyway. He wants me to come to him as a child: eager, unfettered by cares beyond the moment, unabashed by my strong feelings. I can focus on that—approaching him with frankness and honesty. 

Matthew Chapter 18

Forgiveness is so central to being a Christian yet it continues to be our challenge. Whether it is someone who cuts me off in traffic, cuts in line in front of me, or verbally says something offensive, forgiveness is far from the first emotion that I feel.  When wronged by those who I am close to, I find it is somewhat easier to forgive them, perhaps justifying that they are blind to their actions.  I tend to be a peacemaker so I try to keep things non confrontational. 

When Jesus was asked by Peter how many times should he forgive someone who sins against him he replied by telling him 490 times -- in other words an infinite amount. Then Jesus told him about the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor.  The servant who was forgiven by his king of a very large debt was unwilling to forgive his fellow servant who owed him a very small debt. Ultimately the evil servant was sent to prison to be tortured for his failure to show mercy on his fellow servant.

Is forgiveness something that comes easy and naturally to humans?  Certainly not, to which history can readily attest.  Revenge is alive and well in this world. 

What is forgiveness?  It can be defined as a pardon, renouncing anger and not expecting repayment.  Why is forgiveness so difficult to give?  Perhaps it goes against our human tendency to be prideful.  Why is it so important to give to others?  Not only does it set Christians apart from others, it can set us free from those who have wronged us.

Forgiveness is not something I can freely give especially to unrepentant offenders. Yet Jesus, while on the cross, asked his Father to forgive humanity for the very ones who put him there -- “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”.  At the unimaginable cost of his Son’s life, God gave us the forgiveness we never deserved with no requirements of repayment. What an ultimate example God gave us!

Matthew Chapter 17

Matthew covers a lot of ground in his chapters of the Bible.  It seems sometimes like he is trying to hit all points or salient teaching moments in one sitting.  On the first pass through, nothing clearly spoke to me.  But then, on further perusal (and it takes me 3 or 4 times through (I’m a slow learner), I found my self being drawn to a particular section of the chapter.

Jesus seems to rebuke the disciples and call them out for their lack of faith.  I think, wow these were men who left their livelihoods and families, dropped everything and followed Christ completely.  Sure seemed like a pretty good leap of faith to me.  If these guys don’t measure up, I don’t see how I have a chance.

Then Jesus goes on and talks about having faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.  I realized that He wasn’t trying to chastise or put the disciples down, He was just trying to re-direct them.  He was saying if your faith is truly in Him, you can accomplish anything.

That’s the tough part for me.  When things are going well, it’s easy to put everything in God’s hands.  But when I hit a rough spot in the road, I often revert back to trying to work it out myself instead of going to the One who can truly make it work.  I know that Jesus loves us and wants what is best for us and I am safe in His hands.   I’ve just got to remember who is the pilot and who is the co-pilot during the rough times, or at least who should be.

That’s easy to say, but not always easy to do.  More proof that I am a work in progress.  Maybe I will get it right when I grow up.

Matthew Chapter 16

After reading Matthew 16 and praying that the Holy Spirit would speak to me telling me what he wanted me to hear, the voice of the spirit was clear. I was once again reminded of how the Father takes care of us and makes sure we have what we need, but maybe not what we want.

Jesus tried to caution the disciples to beware of some of the false teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He compared the use of yeast and how it has such a huge effect, even with so little to the false teachings. Instead they misunderstood his analogy, and believed he was talking to them about forgetting the bread. The disciples believed they would not be able to eat and feed the others. Jesus reminded them of the times before when there was not enough to eat and he came through with an abundance of bread. 

How many times have I been fretting about a situation and in doubt that things will work out, when in fact I had forgotten to pray, trust, and submit? After all I cannot forget to recall at times like these how many times the Lord has taken over and pulled me through. May we never forget in the darkness what the Lord has told us in the light. Pray, trust, and submit. 

Matthew Chapter 15

Matthew 15:21-28 - The Faith of the Canaanite Woman

Upon reading this chapter, I had many immediate thoughts, but the one passage that stood out for me on this day  was the story of the woman who came to see Jesus because she hears he is the Messiah and she believes he can heal her daughter.  However, the exchange between the Mother and Jesus seemed so confusing to me because we all have this vision of Jesus listening and then our hope is for him to answer our prayers.  Here, she cries out to him and he does not answer and he seems cold and distant, and in fact, his disciples urge him to send her away.

"A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession."  Jesus did not answer a word.  So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." Matthew 15:22 - 23 

As a Mother myself, raising two very different children with great challenges, I was moved by her desperate desire to have her daughter healed as I recalled the many, many times I cried out in angst and desperation to try to find the help for my children that was needed.   I often times felt as if I kept hitting stumbling blocks or dead ends and no matter how much I prayed for direction or solutions, I found myself persisting and crying out to God because I just could not believe he wasn't listening even though it appeared as nothing was working.  This woman's tenacity was unrelenting as she continued to beg him as I felt I had done.

"The woman came and knelt before him, "Lord, help me!" she said." Matthew 15:25

I could relate to this woman. She was not going to give up.  I felt her pain as she was imploring Jesus to help her as I too felt this many times over the years. I wonder if his apparent attempt to put her off was a test of her faith.  We are taught to believe God's mercy is a stronger force than even the worst suffering, and when you look for that mercy, you usually can find it because God promises to be close to us during our worst bouts of suffering.

My experience of wanting to save my children from any life altering challenges did cause me great suffering and heartbreak and no matter how heartbroken we feel, I am reminded that he himself experienced what a broken heart felt like as he endured deep suffering first hand.  He wants nothing more than to be close to us and provide deep unconditional love, so when I struggle in my deepest fears and don't feel his presence, I pray for God to make his Spirit known to me.

Asking for mercy over and over takes courage and faith, and faith requires endurance and endurance requires confidence.  Having confidence in Jesus is easier some days over others and despite being told that great faith brings great rewards, it's during difficult times when we are tested the most.  The woman continues to press Jesus and he then answers  "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted". Matthew 15:28

Matthew Chapter 14

Matthew 14 took place in approximately a day's time as Jesus continued his ministry with his disciples.  To me, it was a day of Jesus teaching all of us to trust him in faith and continue on no matter what the circumstances are and how hopeless they may appear. 

The day started with the news reaching Jesus and his disciples that John the Baptist had been brutally murdered by Herod as a gift for a frivolous dance that pleased Herod.  John the Baptist had baptized Jesus and had said that Jesus' ministry would increase as John's decreased, but surely Jesus could have spared John from imprisonment, suffering, and death, but strangely did not.  No doubt the disciples wondered about Jesus's ministry and why Jesus did not intervene to save his friend who had prepared the way for Jesus's ministry.   

I try to imagine how the disciples may have felt about John's death. They had witnessed so many miracles performed by Jesus – and yet in this instance, he chose to let it happen.  I wonder if they thought to their future and what might await them.  Perhaps they even recalled the event of John’s death at the time Jesus died on the cross as they huddled together in fear until the third day when Jesus was resurrected and delivered the good news of his defeat over death. 

While John’s death was devastating news and clearly affected Jesus deeply because he “withdrew to a lonely place apart,” he did not stay in that place for long.  Rather, he saw the needs of the people around him and had compassion on them and in turn, returned to his ministry of healing the sick.

We hear on the news of so much suffering in the world today and wonder, as the disciples did, how brutality can be worked out in God’s overall plan.  In the U.S., we don’t experience the brutal ways of Herod but we hear about the senseless acts of violence, greed, and hate perpetrated by those in power.  

Jesus shows us he is a very different kind of ruler—one who is the ultimate ruler and who serves others and is compassionate and kind and can be trusted for all eternity.  We may encounter the death of a loved one, the abrupt end of a relationship, good health, or of home or job security.  But regardless of the changes and their effects on our lives, we have the example set by Christ to pick up the ministry God has given us, and for us, and to the extent God enables us, to continue in faith.  In my case with the abrupt end of a job and a career, I come face to face with the question of what is next.  I pray that with God’s grace I will have the faith and understanding to follow God’s direction and go forward in that way rather than follow demands on my life leading in other directions.

Matthew Chapter 13

In Matthew 13, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.  When such a large crowd gathered around him he got into a boat and sat in it in the water while the people stood on the shore so he could be better seen and heard.   Picture a large crowd looking from the shore as Jesus uses something so simple and everyday as a parable about seeds to help us understand.

Jesus used parables as teaching tools.  A parable is a story or illustration used alongside the subject matter being taught but in a simple and familiar language.

His message in Matthew 13 is about the kingdom of God and how the truths of the kingdom of God are received.  They reveal how “fake” seeds are sown, how the kingdom grows and spreads and the values and surprises of the kingdom.

One of these surprises is verse 44 & 45.  Here it says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

What is the point of all this?  Simply that the people who receive the kingdom treasure it more than everything else. You don’t buy it. You get it freely because you want it more than you want anything else.

It’s like a poor child who enters a toy store and the owner tells him, “you can have the best and most expensive toy in this store if you want it more than anything else”. In other words, there is a condition for having the kingdom—for having the King on your side and as your friend—but the condition is not wealth or power or intelligence or eminence. The condition is that you prize the kingdom more than you prize anything else. The point of selling everything in this parable is simply to show where your heart is. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21)

The point of these verses in Matthew is that the kingdom of God is so valuable that losing everything on earth, but getting the kingdom, is worth it.   Or to be more personal and specific, we can lose everything with joy if we gain Christ. Interesting that the word “joy” is in this verse. The loss of all things is not sad if we gain Christ.

I pray that God would help us to joyfully put Christ and his saving work above all things. 

Matthew Chapter 12

Get real.

Matthew 12 contrasts the clear demonstrations of Jesus as the promised Messiah against the unrighteous rejection of Messiah by the Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders). This contrast is intensified through the strong and direct teaching of Jesus, which provides insight into God’s character in a very personal way.

To me, the passage that brings this together is Matthew 12:6-8. This is Jesus speaking to the Pharisees, who persistently (and desperately) are looking to catch Jesus in a violation of the law:

6 "I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! 7 But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ 8 For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

In this brief exchange, Jesus succinctly defeated the perceived “violation of law” with Scripture, which the Pharisees knew. Jesus also affirmed His own authority, even over the Sabbath. I can only imagine the looks on the Pharisees’ faces – probably an ugly mix of contempt, shock, disgust, and conviction, all dominated by anger.

The Pharisees were trained professionals at the law, and Matthew details numerous other occasions where they continued their efforts to trap Jesus in a legal technicality – unsuccessfully. He consistently dismantled the Pharisees’ traps with a practical, relevant, and divine viewpoint. As much as the Pharisees knew about Scripture and religion, somehow they knew little of what was important to God. God doesn’t want rigid, legalistic formality. He doesn’t want show. There are no style points!

God wants – he expects – he demands – authenticity! Time, after time, God is about mercy (v.7), compassion (v.12) and justice (v.20), desiring real relationship (v.50).

As I read Matthew 12, I found myself in the margins of Scripture cheering on Jesus – celebrating, nearly dancing to the authoritative, convicting, condemning words He unleashed on the Pharisees. I felt like I was ring-side, shadow-boxing, as if helping finish off the riffraff myself!

Then, suddenly, I was silenced, listening. Uncomfortably, I found myself convicted. What meaningless sacrifices have I offered to God? What idle words (v.36) have I spoken? Do I consistently reflect the mercy, compassion and justice of God?

How about you? In what parts of your life do you hear God calling you into deeper relationship with Him…calling you to drop the pretense, and get real with Him?

Matthew Chapter 11

Verses 20 – 28 stood out particularly this time.  In light of our society today, especially in the United States, I was reminded again that we are a nation that has almost everything – wealth, knowledge, technology, freedom from persecution, freedom to worship, etc.  yet it seems like we are  destitute in embracing Jesus.  As in Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, we claim to be a Christian nation yet do we really know Jesus?  Jesus mentioned two kinds of people in His prayer –“the wise” and the “little children.”  The “wise” arrogant in their own knowledge and the “little children humbly open to receive the truth of God’s word.  Are we so arrogant and stubborn that we really don’t see the wickedness and repent of it?  Like those cities, who SAW Jesus and didn’t believe, are we so blinded by the luxuries and comfort we have in America that we may be judged more harshly than the “less advanced” countries?  Can we be so moved by the Holy Spirit that we can receive the praises like children instead of condemnation the “wise” who have the truth hidden from them in their arrogance and disbelief?  Verse 27  “…no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son…”  Knowledge can be understood in two different ways.  First, knowledge as a set of facts and second, as intimate knowledge as revealed by a person.  We have the privilege of knowing Jesus as He has revealed Himself to us.