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Author Archives: John D. Willome

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About John D. Willome

I post a blog of daily devotions that are my prayer journals based on scripture.

Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32)

20 Oct

30 Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? 31 It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, 32 but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.”

Mark 4:30-32

Dear God, verse 30 is interesting. It portrays a little of Jesus’s tone of voice that we don’t often get. I can just kind of picture him puzzling over how to get his point across to this group of people who don’t get it yet. He search for a metaphor. To see the example he finally came up with, it’s almost like he’s saying to himself, “How do I get through to them that the Father’s kingdom doesn’t come in big? It comes in surprisingly small and grows out. And if it grows correctly, it will not only be big, but it will be a blessing to everything.”

Then he comes up with the seed metaphor. “Okay, how about a tree? A tree does so many things. It can provide food. It can provide shade. It can provide a resting place for birds. So if a tree is my end, how can I get across to them that the beginning is always small? Well, a mustard tree seed is really small. Yeah, that should work. A mustard tree seed.”

Then he pitches this concept to them: “It is like a mustard seed planed in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.”

So going back to the purpose of this series on learning about you through what Jesus says about you (the autobiography of God), what can I learn about you and how you work through this parable? Well, let me reverse it. You could be a god (little “g” intended) who said, “The kingdom of god is a king who commands that everything he declares be enforced on the people. He destroys anyone who disobeys him.” Now there are actually some parables like this such as the Parable of the Wedding Feast. But those still show you as someone who has been inclusive and longing for relationship. The difference for the man who was tossed out and separated from you is that he didn’t respect anything about what you expected of him. There was no reverence, but only selfishness. You are still not to be taken for granted or disrespected, but you are also not going to just push your way into things from the top down. You are going to start with contents that will fit inside a seed. And how does a seed work? The seed takes what it brings to the table and the uses things from it’s environment (water, nutrients in the soil, air, sunlight, etc.) and it multiplies itself and grows. It doesn’t do it in isolation, but it lives and grows where it’s planted.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, as I come to the end of my vacation and use these last couple of days to prepare myself to be planted, I come to you to ask that you grow in me. The truth is, Satan can work in the same way. negative seeds can grow. The weeds you described in the Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat have the same effect. They can strangle and choke out your fruit. So help me to weed my soil today as well. Oh, Holy Spirit, help me to provide you good soil in which to grow.

I pray all of this through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 20, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Mark, Parables of the Bible

 

Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)

19 Oct

26 Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. 28 The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. 29 And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.”

Mark 4:26-29

Dear God, I was watching a Christianity Today interview this afternoon with Beth Moore. Then I watched another one with Philip Yancey. This parable ties in nicely with some of my thoughts while I was watching the interviews. The biggest tie-in is Jesus’s line for the farmer, “…but he does not understand how it happens.” We can be oh so clever and try to figure out how things are working out, but the truth is that we have no idea. Whether it be in our families, our personal lives, our churches, our denominations, our governments, or the world in general. We do not know what you are doing. We do not know how the Kingdom of God works. We do not understand you. We do not understand your ways. I do not understand your ways.

So what are you like? Well, you are mysterious. You work behind the scenes. You are doing things we cannot see. But the a leaf blade pushes through. Head of wheat are formed. Grain ripens. And you give us two jobs in all of this: two plant seeds and then harvest the grain. So what kind of seed planter am I?

This morning, I was starting to feel a little down and overwhelmed about what awaits me when I get back from vacation. There is a lot of hard work to do. I don’t know how all of it is going to work out. I don’t know if I might fail at some of it. I started to get scared and overwhelmed. Then, I just happened upon these interviews. It’s still a mystery to me how they came up, but I was so blessed by them. The Beth Moore one really helped me as she talked about some of the struggles she has recently had and how you were with her through them. When it comes to Philip Yancey, I have been reading his memoir, Where the Light Fell, and his whole life and the work he has done regarding exploring different aspects of your nature were born out of his childhood experiences with your church and his family, including the loss of his father before he was old enough to know him. You were working in both of their lives. You are still working in both of their lives.

So you used these two interviews to encourage me. To buoy me. Your Holy Spirit spoke to me and inspired me for the work that lies ahead. It has also encouraged me to not let the joy and opportunity of these last few days of rest be wasted. To let them be rest. And this is where the parable comes in: even though it looks like nothing is happening in the rest, the blade is growing and preparing to be fruit.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, first, thank you for being my paraclete today. Thank you for being my comforter, advisor, and counselor. Thank you for the healing you have done in the friends I’ve prayed for. Thank you for the healing you are continuing to do. I have some friends right now who are facing a particularly scary situation in the health of the wife. Oh, Lord, be a healer for them. And use this to do something we cannot imagine. But this couple is dear. They are wonderful. Help them, oh, Lord. And continue to be with the others (I can think of five right now in my head) we are praying for as well.

I pray all of this with great joy to be able to call you; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; my God,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 19, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Mark, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)

18 Oct

14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’

21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’

23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Matthew 25:14-30

Dear God, I have to admit I’ve never liked this parable. I’ve always seen myself as the servant with the one talent who disappointed you. I’m just not a risk taker. I’m not an investor. I’m not an entrepreneur. I’m a worker. In the end, that’s who I am. I don’t mind the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard because I’m willing to work all day long and still get paid what the others who didn’t work as long got paid. I like work. But I can also see that Jesus is comparing the pearl of great price you’ve given to me that you want me to share with the world. If I just keep it to myself then what good have I done with it?

The other interesting thing about this parable is how Jesus describes you in it. He describes you as “a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate.” Is that really you?

It’s interesting because each of these parables seems to reinforce a vision of you that is not to be mocked. You are not a pushover god (little “g” intended). You are God (capital “G” intended). I cannot just wink at you and then go about my business. I am to be about opening myself up to your Holy Spirit to flow through me and enter the world through me. I am part of your kingdom coming and your will being done on earth as it is in the heavens.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, help me to be a faithful servant today. It starts with prayer. From Ukraine, to Israel, to a friend in surgery, to a friend who is meeting with an oncologist today, to a friend who lost her father and is having his funeral today. From my wife, to my children and their significant others, to my siblings, to my parents, to my wife’s family. From my coworkers, to my work, to our local church community, to our nationwide/worldwide church, to our government, to the governments of the world. Oh God, please be in these lives and situations. Heal. Comfort. Guide. Lead. Direct. Do it all for your glory. I give you my talents. Show me how to use them today in any given moment.

I pray all of this in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 18, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

“…One holy, catholic, and apostolic church.”

15 Oct

Dear God, I’m in New Mexico right now, and I have experienced so much love for you since I have been here. Now, to be clear, I’ve been in places (churches and missions) where I would find people who love you, but I’ve also been overwhelmed by the devotion and earnestness with which people are worshiping you here, back home, and, I know, all over the world. I know there are people in South American, Africa, Asia, and Europe who worship you fervently as well. You are their God. They love you. They need you. It has been so uplifting and beautiful.

We went to a mission near Santa Fe yesterday called Chimayo. Some of the art was great, including this one statue of a man taking Jesus’s body off of the cross (it is likely Joseph of Arimathea, but I like to think it’s Nicodemus [John 19:38-41]). I took a picture of it five years ago when we were here, but it was the first thing I looked for yesterday.

But it was more than the art. It was the people there for daily mass. It was the special rosary some women had decided to offer in light of what is happening in Israel right now.

Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned the friends we are with this weekend while we are here. What wonderful, faithful people. Oh, how they love you. And, oh, how they have sorrow in their lives that is similar to our own sorrow. There is a constant sorrow in my wife’s and my lives that is nothing can assuage. And that’s okay. It’s okay because I think there is probably a constant sorrow for you when it comes to us as your creation. I know there are times when I cause you sorrow and yet I know I’m really trying to love you. Then there is the sorrow you feel for those who have flat out rejected you.

But back to what I’ve experienced the last few days. So much love for you! So much faith! Yes, they are mostly Catholic and I am not Catholic so their worship looks different than how I do it, but I see nothing that probably doesn’t delight you. And there is some beauty in the rituals that help future generations find you through them. It’s been quite something.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I thank you for this trip. I thank you for your one holy, catholic, and apostolic church. I thank you for one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I thank you for the life you lived Jesus, here on earth. I thank you for who you taught us to be before your death and resurrection for me. You made the most of the time you spent on earth. Thank you. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your love for me. Thank you for dwelling in me. Thank you for your comfort. Thank you for your counsel. Thank you for praying for me, for my family, for the friends we are with, for the people I’ve met/seen on this trip. For Israel and the innocent Palestinians who are caught as human shields. Thank you that we are not forsaken, but loved. Thank you that we are wanted by you.

I pray all of this in the name of my Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 15, 2023 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)

13 Oct

25 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’

7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’

12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’

13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

Matthew 25:1-13

Dear God, it struck me just now after reading this passage and then getting some news about challenges friends are facing, we need to be ready for more than just your second coming. We need to be ready for anything that might come our way. I have some friends (different than the ones I just mentioned) who have experienced health scares for two of their three children just this week and their third child has been facing a health challenge for the last year. I don’t know the details of the friend who just texted me, but I’m assuming that the road before them is something I cannot even imagine.

So like any good parent, you want me to be prepared. If I’m looking at these parables to see what I can learn about you through them, it feels like this one is you doing your best to show you love us (me) by saying we need to be ready. We have three parables here in a row from Matthew about being ready (Faithful and Wicked Servants, Ten Virgins, and Ten Talents). You are giving us these parables and trying to teach us these lessons because you care. You really do care about each of us as individuals.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, help me to be ready and to be about helping others to be ready as well. Help me to be wise and to be about helping others to be wise as well. Help me to worship you and to be about helping others to worship you. Help me to be about loving others and to be about encouraging love from others. And, oh Lord, thank you for what you’re doing that we can see and what we cannot see. I trust you.

I pray this through Jesus and in his name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 13, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Faithful and Wicked Servant (Matthew 24:45-51)

12 Oct

45 “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 48 But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ 49 and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 50 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, 51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 24:45-51

Dear God, there isn’t much way around the idea that Jesus was clear about there being a separation from you for wicked people. I don’t know the exact definition of wicked. I don’t know where the line is. Somewhere between John the Baptist and Hitler (the two most extreme ends of the spectrum my mind can currently conjure up right now), I suppose. But it’s definitely there.

I heard an interesting discussion yesterday about heaven on The Holy Post. One of the things they made pretty clear is that it won’t be all just singing, but you will have work for us to do. Just as you didn’t create Adam and Eve to just worship you, but to work, you will have the same for us to do. And this parable of Jesus supports that when it says of the good and faithful servant after the master returns, “the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.” So there will be work to do, and I like that. I like that I won’t only just be worshipping you in voice, but I will also get to worship you in my work for you. It will be more than lip service, but serving you with my full existence.

But looking at this from you angle and seeing what I can learn about you and who you are through what Jesus is telling me about you here, it seems that if you are going to use me in the after life you need me to be somewhat useful now. I need to be the kind of person who can die to myself and be your servant in the realm to come. If I am not that person now–or even trying to be that person now–how could I possibly be that person in the next life.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I know you understand my limitations now. I know you know what I’m capable of doing, even on my best day, and what I can’t do. I know you know my heart. Right now, I have some pains in my life. I have some sorrows. I have some people about whom I am very concerned. Some are relatives. Some are friends. Some are hurting emotionally. Some are hurting physically. Some are hurting spiritually. Please move and help them. Please love them. Please help them to be found good and faithful servants when you return. And help me to be your good and faithful servant too. And the interesting thing is that I would be here and doing this without the promise of a life to come. I’m just happy living this life serving the God of the universe. You are where true peace and happiness are found.

I pray all of this with the knowledge that I only have the right to be here through the life, death, and resurrection mercy of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 12, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Marriage Feast (Matthew 22:1-14)

10 Oct

22 Jesus also told them other parables. He said, 2 “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. 3 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!

4 “So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ 5 But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.

7 “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. 8 And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. 9 Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ 10 So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. 13 Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 22:1-14

Dear God, there isn’t much way around the idea that Jesus makes pretty clear in this passage: there will be a sorting of good and evil people at some point. I would rather think of you as having one big tent and that Jesus’s sacrifice is for everyone, but it’s hard to make that case in each of the stories Jesus tells that begin with, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…” I mean, I would think that this story would end with the King bringing everyone in and there being wonderful feast. The point of the story being that the Gentiles are here when the Israelites chose not to be. Nice story. The end. But no, that ‘s not where Jesus stopped it. He included the part about the commoner who was invited, but did not respect the invitation.

So what’s my role? It’s a big world. There are a lot of people in it. What’s my role in it as your ambassador? Is it to evangelize more. Is it to help disciple more people? Is it to spend more time with you myself? Should I use these things you are revealing to me and allow the fear of it to motivate me to call more people into relationship with you?

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I’m working all of this out very slowly. I hope that doing this slowly is making it more thorough and better. More impactful for me. Help me to be your ambassador today. Love through me today. I have some friends who need healing. Please heal them. Please comfort them. My wife is about to go to a funeral. Please comfort the widow and her family. I’m about to have lunch with a family member. Please love through me. “Oh Lord, Oh Lord, I know you hear my cry. Your love is lifting me above all the lies. No matter what I face, this I know in time. You’ll take all that is wrong and make it right.” (Lauren Daigle – “O’ Lord”) Make it right, Lord, and use me however you want to accomplish your will.

I pray all of this through the mercy and reality of who Jesus is, your son,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 10, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Tenant Farmers (Matthew 21:33-46)

09 Oct

33 “Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. 34 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop. 35 But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same.

37 “Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’

38 “But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ 39 So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him.

40 “When the owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think he will do to those farmers?”

41 The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.”

42 Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?

‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
    and it is wonderful to see.’

43 I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. 44 Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”

45 When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.

Matthew 21:33-46

Dear God, once again, it is important to read this parable in context. It all starts with the “triumphant entry” at the beginning of the chapter (and the Pharisees being jealous and also fearful that this could cause problems with Rome), the clearing of the Temple (which made them indignant and defensive), Jesus spending the night in Bethany, and then coming back in the morning to experience the Pharisees’ indignation and “by what authority do you do this?!?” questions. Then he tells the “Parable of the Two Sons,” followed immediately with, “Now listen to another story.”

As I think about you and who you are in this story and try to do my best to see what I can learn about you and your nature, it makes me think about an interview I listened to this morning The Holy Post did with Jemar Tisby. Here’s a link:

I thought about the Christian leaders, university administrators, etc. who were afraid of his message about race in America and the Christian church, and they started to definitely look like Pharisees to me. The thing about you in the person of Jesus and also the person of the Holy Spirit is that you have incredible empathy for us. You have empathy because you came down here and you lived it. You lived in poverty. You lived as a minority immigrant as a small child. You lived an oppressed life without political freedom. You lived with people you might have grown up admiring letting you down and turning on you. You lived with rejection. You lived with betrayal. You have empathy for the human experience that, frankly, I don’t have because I have lived a pretty privileged life.

Father, I have a song going in my head right now by Brandon Heath called “Give Me Your Eyes.” The words I’m thinking about are, “Give me your eyes for just one second. Give me your eyes so I can see everything I’ve been missing. Give me your eyes for humanity. Give me your arms for the broken-hearted, the ones that are far beyond my reach. Give me your heart for the ones forgotten. Give me your eyes so I can see.” That is my prayer this morning. I’m as majority in America as it gets. I’m a big, tall, white male. There is so much about the American experience I don’t understand. Give me your eyes, and give me the humility to see what you need me to see.

I pray all of this under the power of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 9, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:23-32)

08 Oct

23 When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”

24 “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. 25 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn’t believe John. 26 But if we say it was merely human, we’ll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet.” 27 So they finally replied, “We don’t know.”

And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.

28 “But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.

31 “Which of the two obeyed his father?”

They replied, “The first.”

Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.

Dear God, I want to take this really slowly because there’s some stuff here I’ve never noticed before. I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again. We really do lose something in our reading of scripture when we allow chapter breaks and section headings get in the way. This story of Jesus telling the parable of the two sons in a continuation of what happened the day before when he came into Jerusalem for Passover and cleared the Temple in Matthew 21:12-17. But we get the fig tree story after that and so it gets separated from the rest a section heading that says, “The Curses of the Fig Tree,” “The Authority of Jesus Challenged,” and “Parable of the Two Sons.” So my temptation this morning was to start with verse 28 where the parable starts because that’s where the publishers of this particular Bible suggested I start for this parable. But as I read for context I realized I needed to go back to what the Pharisees asked Jesus that brought out this parable. Then I saw verse 23, which started this whole confrontation: 23 When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?” So it starts with them demanding to know by what authority Jesus did these things.

These guys were probably stewing all night after their confrontation with Jesus at the clearing of the Temple the previous day. I’m sure they met and talked about it. I’ll bet they got into their echo chamber and were saying things like, “What gives him the right to come in here, do that, and talk to us like that?” and, “Who does he think he is? God?!?” So when Jesus tells this story, of the two sons, what he’s addressing is their hypocrisy. It’s also what I believe to be part of his plan to make sure he enflamed them enough to crucify him later in the week.

Of course, like most arguments that I go over in my head and play out before I actually get into it, this one didn’t go like they thought it would. They were ready, but then he threw them a curve ball with his question about John’s baptism and the authority he had.

Now, on to the parable. It’s interesting that it pretty much has the same lesson as the “Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard: It’s not when you show up, it’s that you show up. And then he adds to it with the idea that you can lose your place in line by what you do after you get there.

So in the spirit of who are you telling me you are through these parables Jesus told, I think the main message again is that you are not to be mocked. You just want us to love. You don’t want us to be the purity police of the world. You don’t want us to be the legalistic police of the church. You want us to repent of the corruption in our own hearts. Well, let me start over. You want me to recognize and consider the corruption in my heart, repent, and then love others.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, help me. Help me to avoid hypocrisy. Reveal the hypocrisy I have in my heart to me. Show me how I don’t love the way you want me to love–both you and others. I want to live a life that delights you regardless of what it costs me. I don’t know that I really mean those words, but I know I want to mean those words.

I pray all of this as your grateful child.

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 8, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 19:16-30, 20:1-16)

07 Oct

20 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.

3 “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5 So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.

6 “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’

7 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’

“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’

8 “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, 12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’

13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’

16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

Matthew 20:1-16

Dear God, as I look to parables and try to determine what you are revealing to us (me) about who you are and your character through what you told us about you, this one is one that definitely fits that mold. Anything that starts with, “The Kingdom Heaven is like…,” is teeing that concept up.

I think I just saw something new here that I’ve never seen before. I don’t know that I’ve ever really sat in your place and read this story. I’ve always read it from the laborers’ perspective. But I’m trying to learn something about you here.

What I just saw is that your original plan was for us to work all day: “Adam and Eve. Here you go. You’re hired. Go work. Live. Live with me. Commune with me.” And some did. Some work. But for the rest who rebel, you are having to make accommodations. Sacrifices (literally).

I heard someone recently talk about the pain in the Old Testament and the sometimes questionable calls you made with the Israelites pre-Jesus earthly birth. They said that none of this was your ideal and that you are spending much of the Old Testament triaging the situation and finding a path forward for them.

That’s what you do. You have spent human history pivoting to try to accommodate our foolishness and mercifully “hire” us into your family. You would just as soon have hired us at the beginning of the day. But some of us weren’t there. Some of us weren’t ready. We didn’t set our alarm to get there on time. We decided to run a few selfish errands first.

Interestingly, this parable is actually a continuation of a story from chapter 19. It’s unfortunate there is a chapter break here because Matthew tells us this parable in conjunction with Matthew 19:16-30:

16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher,[f] what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep[g] the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” the man asked.

And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’[h]”

20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”

21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.

26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

27 Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”

28 Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new[i] and the Son of Man[j] sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.[

So the context of this parable isn’t that it’s easy to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. The context is the statement by Jesus that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.” That seems to be the opposite except for how Jesus answers their question, “Then who in the world can be saved?” He says, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Then he goes into all of the throne stuff and judging the twelve tribes of Israel. He mentions the honoring of those who sacrifice even family for you, and then concludes with the “least important now will be the greatest then.” And then he starts the parable with, “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner…”

This describes you as being…well, incomprehensible. I almost said, “nuanced,” but that word seemed to simple. All I can really tell from this is that you are absolutely evaluating each person differently than I evaluate them. You are always waiting for that person who is ready to come to you and establish relationship with you. Even if I leave the field in the middle of the day, there is a pretty good chance you’ll hire me with the last shift.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I am so grateful for the mystery that is you. I’m so glad you don’t play by my rules. I’m glad you don’t have history unfold the way I would have it unfold. I’m sorry you are still having to triage our world. I’m sorry I didn’t hire on at the beginning of the day to serve you longer. I’m sorry that sometimes I wander off the job. Thank you for the grace you show me.

I pray all of this in the name of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 7, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 
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