St Matthew, Chapter 20, verse: 2, The Laborer's agreement.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the laborers in the vineyard) Part 2. 

Christ continues to educate his disciples on the kingdom of heaven by using a parable.  He tells them that the kingdom of heaven is like a house-holder who needs laborers to work in his vineyard.  The owner goes out to the market place and hires laborers to do the work.  He makes an agreement with them to do the work and he agrees to pay them for the work that they will do.  The agreement is for one denarius to work in the vineyard all day.  The laborers agree and go to work in the vineyard.

The disciples understand this concept because they themselves have hired laborers to work with them and have made agreements before the work has begun.  The process is simple.  The procedure is standard and used by most laborers and those seeking to hire laborers.  So Christ told his disciples:  "And having agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard."

We are given this example because most can relate to being hired for work.  In today's world we make application and have an interview and the personnel representative makes the decision to hire based on the needs of the position and the company.  We seek to work and they seek to hire.  We agree to work for a price and they agree to pay the price that we agree.  In most cases the pay is already set in writing.  So Christ is giving his disciples and us, today, a living example that we can use to compare to the kingdom of heaven. 

Why does he want us to think of the kingdom of heaven as a work-laborer relationship?  Why does he want us to understand the parallel between the two?  What are the similarities?  What are the differences?  Are we being called to work in the kingdom?  Are we being offered a work-laborer relationship?  What is our pay?  What is our compensation?  What work are we required to do?

Christ came that we would have life and have it more abundantly.  He came that we would know the truth of who we are in him.  He came to pay the price for our transgressions.  And having paid that price, he came that we would be released from the bondage of our past sins and given a new opportunity to enter into the kingdom of heaven.  We are cleansed.  We are justified.  And we are newly born again.  He has offered the invitation to work in his vineyard.  He has agreed to pay the wages for the work.  The decision is ours to make if we want to work in his vineyard.  Or the decision is ours if we want to work in the vineyard of death. 

Christ calls us.  Christ wants us.  Christ has given us the opportunity.  But it is ours to accept or to reject.  Each one and everyone has the decision to make.  What will yours be?  Who will you work for?  What will be your reward?  Come!  Let us go and work for the Lord that he may provide for us.  The harvest is great but the laborers are few.  Are you one?

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. 

St Matthew, Chapter 14, verses: 3 - 5, Herod's murder plot: Imprison John the Baptist.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Herod murdered John) Part 1.  

Herod was fearful.  He thought that Christ was John the Baptist resurrected.  And he knew that he had murdered John.  He knew that he had planned and plotted to get rid of John.  John was loved by the people.  He was a prophet.  He carried the message of the kingdom preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah.  Many came to John to repent.  Many came to John to be baptized.  Many came to John that they may prepare themselves for the coming of the kingdom.  And John was the messenger.  John was the voice of one crying in the wilderness calling people to repent, telling them of the evil in the world.  And John spoke of Herod.  This is why Herod wanted to get rid of John.   For Herod had taken John, and bound him, and put him in prison, because of Herodias, his brother's wife. 

John told the people of Herod.  John told the people of the sins of Herod.  John told the people to repent of their evil ways and not to follow the ways of Herod.  For Herod was their ruler.  He set the morals of his people by his own example.  And the people followed what they believed was true and correct as set by Herod.  Herod had married his brother's wife.  Herod had his brother murdered so that he could marry his wife, Herodias, for he wanted her.  Lust had filled him with desire and he wanted his brother's wife.  So he created a plot to get rid of his brother that he may have Herodias.  And she, Hereodias, participated in the plan.  For she lusted for Herod.  She lusted for power.  She lusted for the position to be the mate of Herod the king.  So together they plotted that they may be together.  And John spoke to the people of this evil.   "For John had said to him, “It is not lawful for thee to have her."

John had spoken of the evil that existed in the kingdom.  John had preached of repentance to the people.  John preached of the coming of the Messiah and told the people to repent of their evil ways that they may be saved.  Do not follow the ways of Herod, he preached.  Do not fall into temptation as Herod did, he told the people.  Do not lust as Herod does, he told the people.  For Herod was living in sin and should repent of his ways.  Herod should repent and rid himself of Herodias.  But Herod did not follow the preachings of the prophet.  Herod did not believe that he should rid himself of Herodias.  Herod lusted of her pleasures and wanted to rid himself of John and his preachings.   And he would have liked to put him to death, but he feared the people, because they regarded him as a prophet.

John spoke of the evil in his time.  He told the people to repent.  He spoke to them of the coming of the Messiah that they may be saved.  John was bold.  John was outspoken.  John was a man of God.  He spoke to the evil wherever it stood.  John feared not.  Are you like John the Baptist, today?  Are you fearless?  Are you outspoken?  Are you a man/woman of God?  Speak to the evil wherever you see it.  Speak to the evil wherever you encounter it.  Be bold yet be loving.  Be courageous yet be understanding.  For God is the ultimate judge of evil. 

We speak to evil that our words may open the eyes and the ears of those who may hear the message of the kingdom, helping them to repent of their sins and be healed by Christ.  We are not to judge.  We are not to condemn.  We are to love.  We are to understand that those who commit sin are like us.  We are all human.  We are all sinful.  But with the light of Christ within us we sin no more.  And if we do sin we have his forgiveness and his love to bring us back from sin.  For it is through our repentance that we are justified.  It is through our repentance that we are sanctified.  It is through our repentance that we are born anew and glorified in Christ.  Be a John the Baptist today.  Preach the gospel wherever you go.  Call for repentance with whoever you meet.  For God is our creator and our father.  He loves us all and would have us with him in the kingdom of heaven for eternity.