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, verse:25b; The Argument.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The authority of Jesus) Part 5.  

There was the Question: "Whence was the baptism of John? from heaven or from men?"  Jesus posed this question to the chief priest and the elders to test their honesty and sincerity in seeking the truth.  Did they really want to know of his authority or were they asking him for proof of his authority to set another trap for him? 

They came with a plan to questioned him.  They were angry and jealous of his attraction to the people.  They did not know him or from whence he came.  He taught in the temple but his teachings were different from theirs.  His teachings were commonplace and reached the hearts and minds of the people.  And this was something that the leaders did not like.  They were afraid that he would sway the people against them.  So,  (They) began to argue among themselves. 

They had prepared their question and knew what they would do with his answer.  They did not know that he would pose a question to them.  So they had to step back and prepare an answer for him.  They had to consider all the possibilities of their answer.  They had to respond in a way that they knew would not be controversial or that would cause themselves harm in the eyes of the people.  So they argued among themselves.

They were like children who had done something wrong and were preparing their story of what happened.  They did not want to cast doubt upon themselves.  They did not want to be seen as culprits.  So they had to get their story strait.  Guilt or innocent.  Right or wrong.  Acceptance or blame.  Punishment or forgiveness.  These were the emotions that they dealt with, the same emotions that we deal with today.

We do not want to be wrong, we want to be right.  Our fear of punishment persuade us to try and escape, attempt to place blame on someone or something else.  We learn this from childhood and the more it is practiced the more we rely on it to find solutions to wrongs that we commit in life.  And our conscience influence aids us in finding ways to explain or to get out of the punishment that awaits us.

Is there remorse?  Is there shame?  Is there a true feeling of regret for what we have done?  Only the heart knows and our God knows our hearts.  He sees within our deepest thoughts and feelings.  He knows the truth of who we are.  He is our judge and jury.  He is the one who will issue punishment.  And he is the one who can dispense mercy.  He is the one who can forgive.  He is the one who knows who we are and knows our weaknesses.  Yet it is up to us to ask for his mercy, to ask for his forgiveness, to seek his love.

Deep within is the spirit of his creation, the object of his love.  We are his children and he is our Father.  He gave us life and it is that life that he sees as loving and caring and wonderful.  But we live in a world where that life can be tainted, dulled, corrupted, and killed, if it is not protected and nourished.  We are loved.  We are cared for.  We are provided for, if we only allow ourselves to be.  The choice is ours.  The peace is ours.  The rewards are ours, waiting to be accepted.  Open the door and let him in.  Open the door and receive the nourishment of life.

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 12, verses: 1-2, The Accusations of the Pharisees

Our paragraph topic is:(The disciples pluck grain on the Sabbath) Part 1.

Christ and the disciples have moved on from their previous location and are walking through a field of grain.  The disciples, being simple Jewish people, for they were all Jews, were hungry and did pluck grain from the plants that they were walking through.  They knew the law about working on the Sabbath.  They knew the punishment that was exacted by the Pharisees for those who broke the law.  For the Pharisees were the keepers of the law handed down by Moses to the people of Israel.  But they were the disciples of Christ and they were hungry and there was food to eat before them and they eat.

But the Pharisees who were, in their own eyes, the true believers, saw this act as breaking the laws of God.  They saw this as an act of treason on the part of a teacher sent by God and they would not stand by and allow it to happen.  So they protested to Christ.  They brought it to his attention.  St Matthew tells us, "But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, "Thy disciples are doing what it is not lawful for them to do on the Sabbath."

They told the creator of the law about what was lawful.  They told the creator of the law what he should or should not do.  In their arrogance they told the creator of the law that he was wrong in allowing this act to take place.  They demanded that, as a teacher, he do something about this act of breaking the law of the Sabbath.  They wanted to know that Christ was going to exact punish upon his disciples for breaking the law of the Sabbath.  They, did not know.  They only wanted their satisfaction that his teachings aligned with what they were enforcing upon the people in order to maintain their positions of power and authority. 

The Pharisees followed Christ.  They recognized that he had great power.  They wanted to know who he was.  They wanted to align themselves with his teachings so that they could continue to have their positions of authority.  For they were the enforcers of the Law.  They were the keepers of the Law and everyone who did not follow the Law were punished.  The disciples knew the laws concerning the Sabbath.  But when the Pharisees were not around to enforce the laws, the people, like the disciples, did as they pleased.  They did not follow the strict interpretation of the law as laid down by the enforcers.  For the Pharisees believed that through strict enforcement they were able to control the people.  They believed that through harsh punishment issued to those who broke the law, they could keep the people in line and thereby keep their positions of power.  So they used the law as their yoke upon the people.  They used the law as their basis of authority and their means of control.  It was the Jewish heritage that kept them in authority and their interpretation of the Law handed down by Moses.

We have Pharisees today in our churches.  We have those who know the Bible and use it to keep the people in line.  The Pharisees of today will punish you when you get out of line.  They will beat you up with the scriptures when you do wrong.  They will bring down fire and brimstone upon you and create guilt in your life to keep you in line with the teachings, as they see  them and understand them.  Many times the pharisees in our churches are aligned with the chief priest, the pastor, and together they rule the flock to keep them in line.  They preach fire and brimstone and fear and guilt and doubt so that the congregation will live in awe of the teachings.  And as a result the congregation live in spiritual limbo never knowing the true love of Christ.  The congregation live in a continuing battle with sin never winning and never knowing the power in Christ to conquer sin.  The congregation lives under the dictatorial rule of the chief priest and the pharisees. 

Do you live under the rule of the chief priest and the pharisees in your church?  Are you beaten into compliance by those who would use the Bible to create fear and guilt in your life?  Christ did not preach fear and doubt.  Christ does not seek guilt in your life.  Christ seeks your love.  Christ seeks your understanding.  Christ wants to teach each and every one of us his principles for they are light and his yoke is easy.  For he is meek and humble.  Christ wants us to know him, have a relationship with him and to carry him in our heart.  And when we fail, he does not condemn us.  He reaches out a helping hand to lift you up that you may know the true love that he bares for you.  Do not be a pharisee in your church.  Be Christ like in your church, lending a helping hand to those who fall.  For though we practice the principles given us by God, we are all, human and not perfect and do not live perfect lives.  If Christ can forgive us for our faults, we should forgive others of their faults and failures also.  Be Christ like and not a Pharisee!!