The opening teaching of chapter 20 is best understood as a continuation of the text in chapter 19. Jesus has been speaking to his disciples about who will be first in his kingdom. In chapter 19 Jesus says the last will be first and the first will be last, and he tells this parable to explain that thought.
The parable of the workers in the vineyard is usually hardest for those of us with a strong work ethic. in the parable Jesus says that God's grace is given equally to those who labor long and those who come late to the party! This injustice in the worlds eyes is part of the upside down kingdom that we are part of. It is easily settled in my heart by reminding myself that God is God, and I am not!
As Jesus travels on towards Jerusalem with his disciples he tells them that he is going there to suffer and die and on the third day rise from the grave! The mother of James and John, upon hearing this, comes and asks Jesus to promise that her sons will sit at his right hand and at his left in the Kingdom. This is a sign that even though Jesus is speaking plainly about his death, they can not believe it or contain it. Jesus turns this confusion into an opportunity for teaching when he tels them that in his Kingdom leaders are servants and servants are leaders. We must never forget this truth about Kingdom living and loving!
As they leave Jericho there is a commotion and two blind men call out to Jesus begging for healing! Even though the crowd rebukes them and orders them to be silent, they cry out for mercy and healing all the more. Jesus, moved by compassion, reaches and touches their blind eyes and their sight is restored!
Lord, touch us today and restore our Kingdom vision. We are blind to your ways and cry out to you!
About Me
- Pastor Bill
- I am a committed follower of Jesus Christ, a happy husband, father and grandfather!
2 comments:
I think the Parable of the Laborers is the hardest one - not to understand, but to accept. It goes so against our American ethic of hard work and fairness and equality. But it reminds us so clearly that we're not meant to be worrying about how God relates to other people in the sense of making sure everyone gets the same deal we do....
I wonder if the brothers were embarrassed to have their mom asking for good seats for them this way? Or maybe they put her up to it!
Agreed with the parable of the workers in the vineyard. With unions, contracts, time clocks, etc., it's hard to think of getting paid the same for the whole day that others got for merely an hour. That isn't how our society works, and it certainly doesn't seem "fair." For me, accepting the kingdom earlier may look difficult and "unfair" on the surface, but the truth is that my life has been much easier because I have had the Lord in my life. I wouldn't trade that for anything - not some wild living that I could later be forgiven for or anything like that. I'm cool with having the consistency that Jesus has given me.
Even Jesus was a servant, and he was God in the flesh. I guess keeping this idea in mind should make us reconsider how we feel about the world...and our place in it. Let us serve the Lord!
This whole healing people on the way down the road seems so interesting to me. He must have had a lot of people beg him for things everywhere he went - his legacy was spreading fast! Sara and I saw Shaquielle O'Neil the other day in the Carousel Mall, and a huge crowd was following him - I would assume Jesus had an even bigger crowd. What a site to see! Not only that, but he offered a lot more than an autograph if you asked him for help - he made these dudes see! I guess it's a good thing they talked back then because he sure would have caused a traffic jam these days! ha.
Marshall
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