Good morning! How are you today? What will your day be like today? Mine will be fairly busy but good, I hope. I'll be spending time with my husband and son, and also my mother, running errands all day, then bible study tonight. I so enjoy that time.
Today we are looking at chapter 20 of the book of Luke. Jesus is now in Jerusalem, and is daily teaching in the temple. The chief priests and the elders and the scribes are not happy with him. They want him gone, and they want to be rid of him permanently. They know, however, they can't just do something without a reason because the people love Jesus. At first they come to him and ask, By what authority do you do these things (v 2)? Jesus answered by asking them a question. Was John's baptism of God or or man? They couldn't answer that, because if they said that John's baptism was from God then Jesus would ask why they didn't believe him; if they said it was from man, the people would stone the elders and chief priests and scribes. The people knew John the baptizer to be a prophet. Once they said they couldn't answer, Jesus told them he wouldn't answer their question.
Jesus then told the parable of the man who had a vineyard, and set men to watch over it and care for it while he was in a far off country. At the proper time, the man sent a servant to the vineyard to receive the fruit of the land. The husbandmen beat the servant and sent him on his way. The owner sent another servant, and he too was beaten. Finally the owner sent his own son, thinking surely the husbandmen would treat him well. The husbandmen, thinking all would go to them once the son was out of the way, beat and killed the son. Jesus said in the parable that the owner would destroy those who sought to kill his son, and give the vineyard over to others.
The chief priests and scribes knew that Jesus was talking about them in the parable, and they wanted to kill him right away. But they couldn't yet. They sent in others to listen to Jesus and see if they could trap him by his words. One asked him if it was lawful to give unto Caesar. Jesus answered that we are to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's. A Sadducee asked him, who would a woman be married to at the resurrection if, having married once, her husband died, leaving her childless, and she marry his brother (as was the custom then, so that the child born would be considered from the first husband), and he too died leaving her childless, up to all seven brothers dying and no children being born.
Jesus explained that we only marry and are given in marriage here on earth. In the resurrection we are like angels and have no need of marriage.
At the end of the chapter he tells the people to beware of the scribes.
46. Bewared of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;
47. Which devour widows' houses, and for a show make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.
The scribes loved all the attention. They did everything so they could be seen as pious, and the very ones they should have been helping, they had been cheating.
Until next time, have a great day.
Showing posts with label chapter 20. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chapter 20. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Sunday, September 4, 2011
A Morning Cup of Tea: Matthew 20: 17-34
Good morning. I trust you slept well. Today we are reading Matthew 20:17-34.
Jesus was going to Jerusalem, and he was taking the disciples with him. As they were traveling, he told them again that he would be betrayed, and beaten severely, and crucified, and would rise again on the third day.
When he met up with the mother of the son's of Zebedee, James and John, the mother had a request of Jesus. Like all mothers, she was proud of her sons and thought they were special. She asked Jesus to have her sons sit on either side of his throne in his kingdom.
She wanted great honor for her sons, but she did not understand that Jesus was going to become the ultimate sacrifice, and to sit on either side of his throne meant they too would end up putting their lives on the line. He asked the two brothers, Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and be baptized with the same baptism? Are you able to put yourself in my shoes? They answered that they were. Jesus answered them that they surely would face the same fate, but as for who sits on his right hand or his left, only his Father would decide.
When the other ten disciples heard what the brothers and their mother wanted, they became angry. But Jesus gave all of them advice:
25. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27. And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28. Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Jesus wasn't there to be treated like an earthly king. He was there to help others. He knew that he was going to pay the price for all of us, so that we might have eternal life. Not all accept that gift. But that is a lesson for another day.
As Jesus and the twelve left Jericho, the crowds followed him. Two blind men were on the side of the road and as they came near, they cried out for Jesus to help them. The crowds tried to get them quiet, but they got even louder. They knew Jesus could heal them. He had compassion on them, and when they asked to have their sight restored, he touched their eyes and it was so. They received their sight and followed him.
Jesus was going to Jerusalem, and he was taking the disciples with him. As they were traveling, he told them again that he would be betrayed, and beaten severely, and crucified, and would rise again on the third day.
When he met up with the mother of the son's of Zebedee, James and John, the mother had a request of Jesus. Like all mothers, she was proud of her sons and thought they were special. She asked Jesus to have her sons sit on either side of his throne in his kingdom.
She wanted great honor for her sons, but she did not understand that Jesus was going to become the ultimate sacrifice, and to sit on either side of his throne meant they too would end up putting their lives on the line. He asked the two brothers, Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and be baptized with the same baptism? Are you able to put yourself in my shoes? They answered that they were. Jesus answered them that they surely would face the same fate, but as for who sits on his right hand or his left, only his Father would decide.
When the other ten disciples heard what the brothers and their mother wanted, they became angry. But Jesus gave all of them advice:
25. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27. And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28. Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Jesus wasn't there to be treated like an earthly king. He was there to help others. He knew that he was going to pay the price for all of us, so that we might have eternal life. Not all accept that gift. But that is a lesson for another day.
As Jesus and the twelve left Jericho, the crowds followed him. Two blind men were on the side of the road and as they came near, they cried out for Jesus to help them. The crowds tried to get them quiet, but they got even louder. They knew Jesus could heal them. He had compassion on them, and when they asked to have their sight restored, he touched their eyes and it was so. They received their sight and followed him.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
A Morning Cup of Tea : The Parable of the Vineyard Workers
Today's text is Matthew 20: 1- 16. It follows right along with yesterday's lesson where Jesus was talking abut the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
Before we begin though, I found this explanation of time. These are markings of the day:
Third hour: 6 to 9 am
Sixth hour: 9 to 12 midday
Ninth hour: 12 to 3 pm
Twelfth hour: 3 to 6 pm
A man who owned a vineyard went out early in the morning to find laborers for his vineyard. They agreed to work for a penny a day. He went out again about the third hour of the day and found more people standing idle at the market place so he hired them also, promising a fair wage. Again he went out at the sixth and ninth hours, and hired more people for the vineyard, promising them a fair wage. At the eleventh hour he found men standing idle and he asked them, why are you just standing here? They said, because no one hired us. He hired those also. At evening time he called his overseer and told him to pay the men for their work, starting with the ones who had come in last. Each man received a penny.
The ones who had started working earlier in the day thought surely they would get paid more, as they had been working longer, but they too received a penny when it was their turn. They grumbled and griped but the owner came and talked to them. He said When I hired you, you agreed to work for a penny. I've done nothing wrong here.
16. So the last shall be first and the first shall be last: for many be called but few chosen.
Again he talks of the first being last and the last being first. God is going to reward the faithful with eternal life, whether we start out in the vineyards early in the day (as a younger person) or towards the end of time.
What does he mean by many are called but few are chosen? God sent his Son to die for all of us. But not all will accept that gift. That's where the few are chosen come in. He does have a path he wants us to follow. It's our choice if we follow or not, but those are his terms.
Have a wonderful day.
Before we begin though, I found this explanation of time. These are markings of the day:
Third hour: 6 to 9 am
Sixth hour: 9 to 12 midday
Ninth hour: 12 to 3 pm
Twelfth hour: 3 to 6 pm
A man who owned a vineyard went out early in the morning to find laborers for his vineyard. They agreed to work for a penny a day. He went out again about the third hour of the day and found more people standing idle at the market place so he hired them also, promising a fair wage. Again he went out at the sixth and ninth hours, and hired more people for the vineyard, promising them a fair wage. At the eleventh hour he found men standing idle and he asked them, why are you just standing here? They said, because no one hired us. He hired those also. At evening time he called his overseer and told him to pay the men for their work, starting with the ones who had come in last. Each man received a penny.
The ones who had started working earlier in the day thought surely they would get paid more, as they had been working longer, but they too received a penny when it was their turn. They grumbled and griped but the owner came and talked to them. He said When I hired you, you agreed to work for a penny. I've done nothing wrong here.
16. So the last shall be first and the first shall be last: for many be called but few chosen.
Again he talks of the first being last and the last being first. God is going to reward the faithful with eternal life, whether we start out in the vineyards early in the day (as a younger person) or towards the end of time.
What does he mean by many are called but few are chosen? God sent his Son to die for all of us. But not all will accept that gift. That's where the few are chosen come in. He does have a path he wants us to follow. It's our choice if we follow or not, but those are his terms.
Have a wonderful day.
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