St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 21; The Oneness of Him and the Temple.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their distorted religion) Part 12.

You see they had no idea what they were doing.  They were led by their intuitions, by their instincts, by the influences of the world around them which would have them maintain their positions of power and influence.  They were the rulers of the time.  They had positions of power and prestige that they did not want to lose.  And Christ came along and questioned their positions by calling them blind guides in the public eye which challenged their authority and prestige.  Any other person they would have had the temple guards arrest and thrown into jail or beaten.

This was Christ, however, the miracle worker.  He had cured many of the sick and the lame and the blind and the cripple.  There were many followers who believed in him and his teachings.  So the Pharisees and the Scribes and the Elders had to think of another way to capture him so that they could silence him for good.  But they did not realize who they were dealing with.  They did not know the storm that was brewing behind the scenes and the parts they were playing.  Christ had to stir the hornet's nest.  He had to take them to task.  He had to show them up to the people so that everyone would know who they were.  This is why he told them:  "And he who swears by the temple swears by it, and by him who dwells in it."

You see they didn't know.  They were being influenced by the evil in the world, like pawns on a chess board.  To swear by the one who dwells in the temple is to swear by Almighty God.  And to swear by Almighty God is a bond that must be kept, a bond that must not be broken.  Yet here the Scribes and the Pharisees were telling the people that to swear by the temple it is nothing.  How foolish they had become.  How distorted they had rationalized the truth of their religion.  How broken were they making the people against the God of their fathers.

Two thousand years ago Christ came down from heaven to walk among mankind.  He gave up his majestic robe, his kingly spirit and became human that he might experience the truth of humankind.  He walked with us.  He talked with us.  He danced and drank, and eat with us.  He laughed, cried, smiled, sighed, felt human emotions as we do.  He lived a full life with us and he left his legacy for us to know that he was here with us.  And lastly he fulfilled his promise for which he came; he gave his life to pay for the original sin committed in the garden.  

For his life and for his passion we have life again.  We have a new soul.  We have but to believe in him who came, him who is, him who guides and saves our life is anew.  The choice requires daily renewal and confidence for there is one who will test that belief, that faith, that trust of the soul within.  But there is one also that will renew and guide and support and walk with you every minute, every hour of the day to be the light in the darkness that comes.  Keep the faith.  Know the love.  Trust in the truth of the light of life that is within you.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 18b; Swearing by the gifts.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their distorted religion) Part 7.  

He called them blind guides, fools, they did not know what they were doing.  They believed in themselves.  They believed that they had the authority to know, the authority to declare, the authority to be right in their decisions.  But Christ called them fools, blind guides that did not know where they were going.  

They called themselves leading the people.  They called themselves religious leaders, yet Christ said that their religion was distorted, made up, not true, contrived.  They were blind and could not see the truth in their own beliefs that they taught the people.  They told the people that if they swear by the alter it is nothing: "But whoever swears by the gift that is upon it, he is bound."

Christ called them hypocrites, fools, blind guides, because they walked in the dark not knowing where they were going and they led the people in that same darkness.  But these were the Pharisees and the Scribes, the rulers of the day.  They were the ones that walked the streets who enforced the rules of the Law to the people.  They saw to it that the people kept the Law or they paid the fines for breaking it.

And then out of the blue came this stranger that no one knew called Christ who taught the people a different way to live, a different way to love, a different way to know their God in heaven.  He walked with them, talked with them, eat with them, drank with them, danced with them, did all the things that a normal person would do even though he was the Son of God.  He heard their cries and their sorrows, and the moans, and the groans of those who were suffering from affliction and he cured them all.  He opened the eyes, and the mouths, and the ears, and healed the wounds of the lepers and raised the dead that all would know that he was sent from the Father from above.

And they still would not believe.  They still hated him.  They still could not see the truth of who he was.  What do you do with a person who faced with all the evidence but still will not accept the truth?  You can not force them to change.  You can not beat the change into them.  What do you do?  You can only love them for who they are and accept that they are not able to change.  God is a god of love.  He loves the good and the bad.  He makes the sun shine and the rain fall on both until that day comes when his judgment takes place.  Where will you be?

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 8; One Master.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 6.  
These were the times in which the people lived.  The Scribes and the Pharisees were the caretakers of the people of Israel and the Jews.  It was their job to see that the law was taught and understood by the people.  They were the teachers.  They were the learned.  They were the authority for the people.  And the Romans were the authority over them.  

The Scribes and the Pharisees considered their job description to include binding heavy and oppressive burdens for the people.  They had to make sure that the people suffered so that they would follow the Law and not rise up against the ruling class.  They loved the front seats in the synagogues, the first places at suppers, and to be called Rabbi.  But Christ told the people:  "But do not you be called 'Rabbi'; for one is your Master, and all you are brothers."

It was important that the people understood the significance of Master.  God created all men equal in his image and likeness.  We are all children of light, one not more or less than another.  We live in a world that makes distinctions of who we are.  We are subconsciously given to categorize each other.  One has more money than another.  One is prettier than another, one is more athletic than another, more intelligent, more witty, more loving, more etc...  This is how and where we live.  But we all are the same, children of our Father in heaven, who sees us all as the same.

Christ came to teach us how to live, how to love, and how to see who we are.  He is our example in life.  He brings peace to those who understand who they are in him.  We have life.  We have love.  We have protection and guidance and provision for everything that we need in life.  And we have joy and fulfillment in the transformation of this life to that which we are in heaven.

Our life is simple.  Carry the message.  Live the life of peace.  Show the love that is freely given you to your brothers and sisters.  And for those who are of darkness, fear not what they may do.  For you are a child of the most high and life is yours.  They are lost souls who are blinded and deceived by evil.  However, they were once also created in his image and need love to awaken from the darkness.

Love is the key to open the doors of heaven.  Love is the life that is given us from our Father.  For his love fills completely and satisfies all desires.  He is our be all and end all.    

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St. Matthew, Chapter 22, verses: 34; The Pharisees gather.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The great commandment) Part 1.  

They, the Sadducees, could not silence him.  They tried several times and did not succeed.  They were silenced in front of the crowds and the crowds marveled at the wisdom of Christ.  The people were not educated.  They received their wisdom from those who came from the temple and the synagogue.  They were not learned.  They were not learned in the Law or the Torah.  They were simple farmers who worked the land for a living.  So they received all their knowledge from those who were trained and educated from the temple.

Christ was not trained in the temple.  He was not taught by the those educated by the masters of the Law and the Torah.  Yet he came and taught the people about the love of God and the ways of God.  He brought miracles and healed many.  The people had not seen such or heard such before.  Such a man of God or prophet had not existed.  Yet here was Christ in their mist and they listened, and they heard, and they saw, and they believed.  The Sadducees were silenced.  But the Pharisees, hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered together. 

Now they knew that he was a threat to them.  They knew that he had to be silenced once and for all.  Christ had come and tore through the half of legal body of the law and made a mockery of it, so now it was time for the other half to come together and create a serious plan to stop him.  They did not consider that he was the Messiah.  They did not stop to think that he was the Son of Man come down from heaven to walk among the people to teach and preach.  They only knew that their authority was challenged.  I wonder if it will be the same in our time.

There are those who know and those who do not.  There are those who want to know and those who do not want to know.  And then there are those who walk the line not knowing and those who question the line asking themselves if this is all there is to life.  These are the ones who seek to find more, the ones who want to know more, the ones who are ready to have their eyes opened or who are opened to the suggestion of deception, and death.

Those who know walk in two worlds.  They straddle the worlds of life and death.  The church gives life and the world gives death.  Yet we must find a way to live in both.  Christ dealt with the death of the world he lived in, we struggle with the same.  We are given his commandments to live by the best we can yet, we live in a world that disregards those commandments.  The Holy Spirit is our guide to lead us along the path of life helping us to avoid the pitfalls that may lead to our downfall.  And the church is our sanctuary in times of struggle and need.  Ultimately prayer to God our Father is our call in times of need and patience and belief in his answer is our assurance in his love for us.  We are his children and he is our beloved father.  Call on him.   

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.  

St. Matthew, Chapter 22, verses: 33; The Crowds marveled at his teaching.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Christ's answer) Part 6.

Here was a man that was different from other men.  The crowds knew it.  They felt it within themselves.  They were not learned.  They could not read, most of them.  They had no books, no schools to go to and learn the rudiments of education.  They were common folks who earned their livelihood in the fields.  Most of the learned men came from the synagogues and they were taught the Law handed down to their fathers.

Christ came onto the scene with no training from the masters of the synagogues.  He was unknown to them.  The teachers and the masters had not taught him, had not seen him, nor had they heard of him before he came on the scene and started his ministry, teaching the people.  The teachers sent their best to question him.  They tried to trap him.  They even sent their scholars to study him, but none could grasp his deep knowledge and wisdom of the ways of God and the kingdom of heaven.  And when the crowds heard this, they marveled at his teaching. 

There is much to learn as we go through life.  Our early years are marked, for most, by the joy of youth, not having responsibility but just growing up and living life.  We reach an age where we go out on our own and we must make decisions that affect our lives, good or bad.  Rules are laid down by authority for us to follow that guide our lives.  We live within the boundaries of this authority or suffer the consequences of the laws.  We grow older and become settled in our lives at which time we take on a partner and began to repeat the process of our parents of having children. 

There is another part of our lives that is taking place also as we continue on the journey of life, the spiritual process.  As we get much older, especially much later in life, 50's, 60's, and 70's, we may find ourselves thinking more of the end of this physical life and what lies ahead.  We never know when that day will come.  It may happen all of a sudden or it may come with our knowledge.  Yet the countdown is there and the clock continues to unwind, the sands of time move ever against us.  What do we do?

Christ's teachings give us a path to follow.  The time of transition comes upon us whether we are ready or not.  We can prepare ourselves or not.  We can participate in the transition, become a part of the process, watch it happen, enjoy the transformation.  By doing so we throw off the world and take on the new, for we can move in the direction of life everlasting.  Christ awaits us as we are preparing to go home to see him and all those who have gone before us.  Let us marvel.  Let us rejoice at the living words that he has given us.  Let us transform.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.  

St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verses: 33-34; The Householder.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the vine-dressers) Part 1. 

Christ is still speaking to the chief priest, the elders and the scribes.  They came to him seeking to know of his authority to teach the people.  They were indignant.  They were angry.  They were unbelieving.  He wanted to heal them.  He wanted to open their eyes.  He wanted to bring them from the darkness into the light.  He spoke to them directly but they could not and would not open themselves up to understanding.  So now he tells them of a parable. 

"Hear another parable. There was a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and put a hedge about it, and dug a wine vat in it, and built a tower; then he let it out to vine-dressers,
and went abroad.  But when the fruit season drew near, he sent his servants to the vine-dressers to receive his fruits."

Now this is a simple parable that tells of a home owner, a land owner who built a vineyard on his property.  He traveled abroad and while away he leased his property to workers who were supposed to take care of it while he was away.  Think of it this way, you own a house and decide to fix it up to rent out to a tenant.  You do a great job of repairs on your property so that the new tenant will enjoy it.  You spend a good sum of money to complete the repairs so that the house will have a good market value when finished.  You have taken every precaution to select a good tenant who will pay on time and will take care of that which you value so much.

This is how the parable begins.  It wants to tell itself so that the chief priest, the elders, and the scribes can completely understand its meaning.  They have heretofore declined to be opened, to hear the words, to let the light come in.  But Christ continues to provide opportunities for them to see, to understand, to be healed.

The same is true today.  We are given opportunity after opportunity to be open, to understand, to have the truth come to us that we may be healed.  It took some time for me to understand, to be open.  I had to be beaten down to the point of depression, to the point of despair.  In my state of submission, evil came to me and whispered to me to end it all.  It wanted me to give up, to believe that there was no redemption for me, no forgiveness for the sin that I had continually committed. 

Through all this Christ held my hand.  He did not let go of me.  He continued to walk with me no matter where I went.  And it came the time for me to listen to his voice, to be open, to follow his words that I might be healed.  And so it was.  I came to understand.  I came to know.  I asked for forgiveness.  I begged to repent.  I wept for all the sins in my life that I had committed.  And I turned away from the abyss and turned back to him. 

You can too.  This is my gift to all who will listen, to all who will hear, to all who will be open to understand who they are in the eyes of Christ who died that we may have life again.  We are precious in his eyes and he will not let go of his precious children.  Come!  Speak to your heavenly Father.  Tell him your pain.  Open up to him with your sorrows and he will fill you with the joy of heaven.  You are his creation, his love.  He will hear you.  Patience is the key.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verses:31a; The Father's Will.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the two sons) Part 3. 

Christ continues his parable to help open the minds and the hearts of the chief priest and the elders.  He gave them the opportunity to understand but they were filled with deceit.  So he now tells them this parable to give them a second chance to see, to understand, to open their eyes that they might be saved.

The two sons each were told by their father to go to work in the vineyard.  One said that he would not and later regretted his answer and went to work.  The other lied to his father and told him that he would go to work but later did not.  Christ asked them:  "Which of the two did the father's will?" They said "The first." 

The first did the father's will being obedient to his request.  Most of us come of age knowing the authority of a father or a father figure.  It is in his will that we find our own.  It is in his will that we come to know who we are.  It is in his will that we have our example to follow through life.  And it is in his will that we have a model to reshape our own authority in life.

Where does this authority come from?  Who gave it to our fathers and their fathers and their fathers before them throughout history?  Did it just come of its own?  Did it just evolve into itself without the help of anyone or anything?  Or were we given the authority from our Father on high and passed it down from generation to generation?

Fathers are protectors.  Fathers are providers.  They are the rule makers to the young and the givers of love and comfort to the children who do not know for themselves.  Fathers come with mothers and together they make the home in which we grow and develop.  They form us from the womb, give us our character and guidance through life.  They are our patterns, our examples in life.  We carry the genes of generations of learning passed down to us from our mothers and fathers.  They have gone before us, experienced life that we have not, and survived with a knowledge that we can inherit.

Do the Father's will for he was here before us.  He knows that which we do not.  He teaches that which we have yet to learn.  His is the love that filled his heart from the day we came into this world.  He knew us in the womb.  He rejoiced with our every kick, our every turn, our every move.  He is the ultimate love and protection that comes to us, if we accept him.  He comes to those who had an earthly father and for those who did not.  God is our Father and the authority is with him.  Do the Father's will and all will be well. 

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verses:30; Not Work in the Vineyard.

Our paragraph topic is (Parable of the two sons) Part 2. 

Some people have regrets.  Some don't.  What makes the difference?  Is it conscience?  Is it guilt?  Is it awareness?  What exactly is it that makes one regret?  We talked about the one son who told his father that he would not go into the vineyard and work but later regretted his disobedience.  This story comes after Christ spoke to the chief priest and the elders about his authority to preach and teach the people about the kingdom of heaven.

He wanted them to know from which he obtained his authority but they were not open to him.  They had no regrets.  They were blinded by their need to control, by their need to be in charge, by their arrogance with their own authority.  So to give them another chance to understand, another chance to be open, he told them this parable of the two sons.  And he came to the other and spoke in the same manner.  And this one answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go." 

The first son regretted his actions and went into the vineyard.  The second son lied and did not regret his disobedience.  The second son had no regrets.  Why did he not have guilt?  Why did he not have a conscience?  Why was he not aware of the wrong that he did against his father when he disobeyed and then lied about his disobedience? 

We all have fathers.  Most of us will become fathers at some point in our lives.  So we understand the authority of the father.  We understand the consequences of disobedience to the will of our father.  In most cases there is punishment.  In most cases there is judgment as to disobedience.  In most cases we may regret our actions and vow to not repeat our actions.  But for some there is no regret.  For some there is a turning point where the conscience is turned against the authority of the father and becomes a stubborn will to disregard that authority. 

We do not talk about those situations where the father is abusive, where the father completely dominates and exacts outrageous punishment that does not fit.  The father of these two sons loves them.  He raises his sons with the teachings and understandings that he has of the world that they too may become knowledgeable of the ways of the world.  Yet some stray.  Some become strong willed and believe that they know more than the father.  Some are influenced by others who tempt them to turn from the authority of the father.  This is the way of the world.  And the world does not care for the consequences of the actions of those sons that turn away.

Christ came into the world that the world may know of the Father.  He came to renew, to save, to give life, and to be a sacrifice for all.  Yet all do not accept.  All do not know.  All do not believe that he is the savior of the world.  We have life eternal if only we accept.  We have love from the Father if only we open ourselves to it.  We have protection from the pitfalls of life if 
only we walk in the way of the spirit.  We have already won.  We have already our reward.  We have already new life if we only see it within us.  Be open to that which is already yours and receive! 

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verses:28-29; Work in the Vineyard.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the two sons) Part 1. 

Since they did not want to incriminate themselves, Christ told them that he could not answer their question as to his authority.  He gave them the opportunity to become open to the truth.  He gave them the chance to receive that which he was about to give, but they were blind.  They could not see or hear the opportunity that was available to them.  So he gave them another opportunity to understand.

He told them a parable that maybe would help them to see and be open to the truth.  He told them the parable of the two sons.  He asked:  “But what do you think? A man had two sons; and he came to the first and said, ‘Son go and work today in my vineyard.'  But he answered and said, 'I will not'; but afterwards he regretted it and went.

Christ told the chief priest and the elders this parable so that they would understand authority.  You see, they understood the parable of the father and the sons because they could understand the authority of the father and the need for obedience of the sons.  So what did they think of the son who was disobedient to the wishes of the father but later thought about his disobedience and repented?

Was that the right thing to do?  Did the son regret his mistake in telling the father that he would not do his will but later repented?  Would they, could they understand the meaning of this parable and come to repent to the will of God their father?  Or were they so far gone that nothing could open their minds and their hearts to repent?

We live in a world that hides the truth of the father.  It may be that only through adversity that we come to realize the truth of who we are and to understand the majesty and glory of God our Father.  There are many things that we do not understand or try to reason to our own understanding as to the why and wherefore.  Why are there accidents that take the lives of innocent children?  Why do some die so young?  Why do the children suffer with crippling diseases?  Why must we live with debilitating pain in our lives that make us despair and want to end it?  Why is there war and not peace in the world?  Why are there natural disasters that take the lives of so many people?

All these whys and yet no answers.  Who knows the mind of God and who are we to question it?  I thank him, myself, that I was not so far gone that I did not open myself and my heart to his calling to repent.  I thank him that I am able to repent and to know that he is a merciful God.  I was lost and headed down the road to destruction.  Even considered the whisperings of depression and despair.  My life was lost and I had no where to turn.  I asked for forgiveness.  I asked for direction.  I asked to know the truth.  I asked to know him, to know his love for me.  And he touched me and filled me with a knowledge and understanding that lets me know that he is with me all my days.  He is inside of me, he is the life within.

If you are tired and do not know where to turn, turn to him.  Ask for his forgiveness.  Ask to know him.  Ask to feel him in your life.  Ask him to walk with you everyday that you may not know the despair and depression that you have lived with for so long.  Believe that he will be with you and seek to see the little miracles that happen in your life each and every day that are signs of his presence.  He is love.  He is faithful.  He is with you, always.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verse:27b; The Deceit of their answer.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The Authority of Jesus) Part 8. 

They refused to answer the question.  They knew the answer.  They knew the outcome if they were to speak the answer.  Having weighed all the possibilities among themselves they decided that it was best to not answer.  But that was the dilemma of their initial issue.  They came to Christ seeking an answer to a question.  They wanted to know the origin of his authority.  They wanted to know who gave him the power to preach, the authority to teach, the wisdom to know, and the knowledge to perform miracles.  So they came to him with the question.

He saw them coming.  He knew of their question.  And he wanted to answer their burning desire that they too would know from whence he came.  But first they had to open their hearts to receive the truth.  Did they believe?  Did they seek the truth?  Could they open themselves so that they could hear the word and be converted?  Jesus asked them a question to open the door that they may walk through.  But they could not.  They did not.  They decided to close the door and answered that they did not know the answer to his question.  Then he in turn said to them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things." 

They wanted to know, but they could not understand.  They wanted to see but were blinded.  They wanted to understand but had not understanding except their own.  So in their wisdom they decided to be deceitful.  In their knowledge they could not respond.  In how they saw the outcome there's was no answer.  And that is what they received, missing out on the opportunity to become open to the joy of the word, the peace of the truth, and the love of the Father.

How often are we the same?  How often do we deny that which is within us only to appear real to ourselves and to others?  We can not see.  We can not believe.  We do not allow the opportunity for something far greater than ourselves to become a part of our lives simply because our own thoughts and beliefs have determined that it is not the truth.  Our thoughts are not our own, but those of the world.  Our beliefs are not our beliefs but those given to us buy the influence of that which surrounds us.

It is only by examination of that which surrounds us and that which is within us that we may come to understand who we are, why we are here, and what is our purpose.  Death is not the answer, life is.  Life is what we have here and now and for eternity, if we choose to accept it.  When the world has beaten you down and you know not what to do, the world may suggest giving up.  The world may suggest despair and depression.  The world may even suggest destruction in one form or another. 

Yet there is life.  There is hope.  There is peace and joy that awaits us in the here and now.  There is an unbelievable guide that will walk with us each and everyday to help us along the way.  And then there is our savior who brought us back from death that we may live eternally with him in his kingdom.  We are blessed.  We are loved and cared for.  We are the children of the creator of the universe and he loves each and every one of us dearly.  Our Father who art in heaven, provide for us.  Our Father who art in heaven, protect us.  Our Father who art in heaven show us your love.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verse:24; The Question.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The authority of Jesus) Part 3. 

The chief priest and the elders came to Jesus with the question.  They wanted to know from where he obtained his authority to preach.  They wanted to know where he trained, who taught him, and how he came to do such miracles, since they did not know of him or from whence he came.  So they came with the question of his authority.

They were incensed that he taught the people without their permission.  He taught in the temple where they taught and the people listened to him rather than their teachings.  The people were leaning away from the teachings of the Law and leaning towards the teachings of Christ.  And the chief priest and elders witnessed the change that was taking place and they did not like it.  So they came and confronted him directly and asked the question.  Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question, and if you answer me this, I in turn will tell you by what authority I do these things." 

And so it became a standoff.  The chief priest and the elders wanting to know the answer and Christ having a question for them, wanting to know how they would respond.  Would they come to an agreement or would they have a standoff each taking a different side? 

The Mexican standoff was at play here.  Good verses evil, left verses right, your side verses mine.  Were do we go from here or do we continue to stay divided?  This sounds like a position that we face everyday in our lives.  Where do we stand?  And that question is put to us so often that the answer comes automatic because of our programing.  We have a choice but which do we take.

Do we go right or do we go left?  Are we naturally inclined to the right but the persuasion and influence of the left draws us in.  We fight.  We struggle.  But it is only with the help of something stronger than ourselves that we are able to stay the course.  Where do we find the strength?  Where do we find the courage, the enlightenment, the belief, the faith and the hope to continue each day.  

We are spiritual beings encased in a physical body.  We live in the physical but we belong to the spiritual.  Our physical existence is given to us without our asking.  Yet our spiritual being requires feeding, requires nourishment, takes exercise and practice for it to grow and develop into the life of its own.  It is there but we need to recognize it and feed it.  And we have a source that will lead and guide us along the way.  But the need and desire to grow is up to us.  It is our decision where to stand, to the right or to the left.  Where do we want to be?  Do we want to be with the authority of the universe or do we want to be with physical realm of death?  The answer is ours only.  No one can make it for us but many can influence.  Will you answer my question or will I answer yours?  

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in. 

St. Matthew, Chapter 20, verse:25b, Authority over the Gentiles.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Humility according to Christ's example) Part 3.

The disciples have expressed their anger and their frustration at James and John.  They want to sit with Christ also.  They want to be at his right and at his left also.  They want to be first also and that is the problem.  James and John did not express these wants, these desires.  Their mother came forth and spoke to Christ about what she wanted for them.  She came forth and spoke what was in their hearts.

What she did not realize was that her words opened the door to the hearts of the disciples.  Her words exposed them to anger.  He words exposed them to injustice.  Her words exposed them to jealousy.  And Christ had to speak to their hearts to help them understand what they were doing.  He had to speak to the jealousy, and their anger and their heartfelt injustice.  So he gave them an example.  He told them of the lords of the Gentiles.  He told them of their practices.  He told them how they would become like the Gentiles, how the rulers of the Gentiles lorded their power over them.  "And their great men exercise authority over them." 

They wanted to be great.  They wanted to be known throughout the land.  They wanted to be like the lords and rulers of their time.  This was the example that they knew.  This was what they saw in their time.  The rulers would parade through the streets with their guards and their attendants.  They would receive privileges everywhere they went.  The people would give them special recognition and this was what they thought that they would become being disciples of Christ.

Yet Christ wanted to give them a different image.  He wanted to give them a different understanding of who they were and who they would become through him.  For he was a lord.  He was a king.  He was the ruler of all the world.  Yet he did not come to be a king.  He did not come to be a lord, a ruler.  He gave up all his royal trappings to become like an ordinary man.  He gave up his crown and his glory and his majesty to become the pauper among us.  And this was the example that he wanted his disciples to understand.

For without the power and without the glory, one does not assume a position of greatness.  Without the majesty and the privilege one does not become haughty,  and aloof and assume an attitude of being special.  And without the attitude of feeling special the heart is closed to jealousy, and anger, and injustice.  For Christ came to right the injustices of the world, he came to act as a sacrifice for the injustices.  He came that the punishment may be lifted.  He came that what was lost may now be restored.  He came that his love for man would be established for all eternity.

We are here today to be witnesses to the love and the mercy and the forgiveness of our God and Father.  We are here today to testify to his love.  We are here today to become living examples of the life that is within each of us that others may see and know that they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.  For he came and gave that we would have life.  He came and walked among us that we would know the truth.  He came and gave us an example, a history, and a path to follow that would lead us to him.  He came to demonstrate his passion for us that would last throughout all eternity.  It is that passion that carries us.  It is that passion that guides us.  It is that passion that leads us to him each day.  And it is that passion that is available for all to know, to see, to feel, to become a part of their lives today.  His love is there for the asking.  His love is there for those who seek it.  His love is there for all to receive it even if they do not know him.  All you have to do is open the door to your heart and let him in.   

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage and then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ.   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.