St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 33b; Judgment of Hell.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their persecution of religion) Part 8.  

Here they were the religious leaders of the people standing before the Word of the Living God, still not knowing, not believing, not understanding their fate.  So bold were they.  So arrogant were they.  So caught up in their own importance of honor and prestige that they could not see or hear the truth of the Son of Man.  He call them a brood of vipers.  And that still did not shock them enough to make them think of who this Christ was.

They had seen the miracles, heard of the demons that were cast out, knew of the people that were cured of illnesses, seen those who they knew were lame or blind or cripple or diseased.  Yet in their minds it was all a hoax, all unreal.  They were lost, the Scribes and the Pharisees, unable to change their behavior.  Evil had fully taken over.  They had become the persecutors of their own religion.  Christ knew they were lost, yet he offered opportunity for redemption.  Yet he questioned:  "How are you to escape the judgment of hell?"

They were lost, completely engulfed in the prison of their evil spirits.  Darkness had taken over in their souls and there was no escape.  Where are we today?  Are we in the same boat?  Are we following the same path?  Do we have the opportunity for redemption?  Can we be saved from the evil that may be within us or around us or in our society?  What must we do to remove ourselves from the bonds of evil?

Everyday we are faced with opportunity to do wrong.  We are tempted to do just the little thing that wont hurt anyone.  Daily those little wrongs add up until we become immune to wrong and we can rationalize doing something a little bigger something a little more daring, something a little more evil.  And it is that path that we allow ourselves to travel that leads us down the road to more and more wrong until we do not recognize the difference.

Our God gave us a conscience that tells us when we do right and when we do wrong.  He gave us commandments to guide us in our daily lives.  It is those commandments that help us as children to stay safe from evil.  We do not know the many ways of evil.  We are not of the same spirit as evil but of a human nature, far less than those who seek to turn us against the will of our Father.  It is the love of our Father in heaven and Christ Jesus that keeps us in his grace.  It is his loving mercy and forgiveness that opens the door to bring us back into his love when we commit wrong.  It is the spirit of his love that guides us daily when we seek to know his will in our daily lives that helps us stay in the grace of our Father.  

We are blessed to have this opportunity to know who we are and to know the truth of the love of God for us.  It is that truth and that love that we can carry with us in our daily affairs to show others what God has to offer and what he gives to those who know him.  Spread the word.  Show the love.  Let the spirit of his love shine in 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 21, verses: 39; They killed the Son.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The vine-dressers kill the master's son) Part 2. 

This is a special time of year when Christians come together to celebrate the three days of the passion of Christ.  He came to Jerusalem knowing full well the outcome.  Yet he completed the Father's will, not his own, even to the point of death.  He died on the cross sacrificing his life for the life of many throughout the world and throughout all time.  He conquered death and gave life anew to all who would believe.

This parable is about that death.  It is about the opportunity that Christ Jesus extends to all.  The vine-dressers were given that opportunity to change from their greed, to change from their passion, to turn away from temptation.  Yet they could not see.  They could not understand what was being offered.  They did not accept it.  They could only see the greed and passion of their wants and desires.  "So they seized him, cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him."

They were vine-dressers.  They were workers in the vineyard.  They did not own it, but they laid claim to it.  The owner sent messengers.  He sent servants to them.  He sent his own son thinking that they would respect him as the official representative of the owner.  They did not.  They cast him out and killed him, thinking that his death would end the claim on the vineyard.  The opportunity was theirs to take.  The reward was theirs to receive.  But greed had consumed them and they could not see beyond their false claim.

Christ came into this world to bring the word to all who would listen.  He came so that we could know and believe in the Father.  He cast out demons.  He healed the sick, cured the lame, opened the eyes of the blind, made the lepers whole, even raised the dead to give signs of the power given him from the Father.  Yet even this was not enough to convince that he was the Messiah, the chosen one.  Evil had taken hold of Israel.  Power and influence were challenged.  He came to break those bonds to set the people free and give them new life.

We celebrate Easter on this day, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We celebrate with joy and gladness the gift that he has given to all, the gift of life.  Though he paid a horrific price for our freedom, he accomplished the will of God our Father through the passion of love.  His love is fulfilling.  His love is all encompassing.  His love is for all peoples throughout the entire
world.  His love is eternal throughout all time.  We are his people, his creation; he is our Father.  Let us be glad this day that it is finished. 

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.