Our paragraph topic is: (Their distorted religion) Part 2.
He had called them names in public, names that caused other prophets to be killed. He berated them for the things they did, for their so called pious behavior, for their religious demeanor on the outside and hypocritical behavior on the inside. He saw everything that they did and made comment of it to the people. And the Pharisees and the Scribes did not like what they heard from this man of low demeanor.
Yet he was the Christ that they could not see. He was the Messiah. He was the Chosen One and they still could not see the writing on the wall. The people heard, the people saw, the people understood. The people believed and knew that he was the one foretold, the one who would come and bring about change. But they, the religious leadership, could not believe he was the one. He called them blind guides: "Who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing."
Is it nothing to swear by the house of God? Is it not something to make an oath and bind it by the house that the creator of the universe lives? Does that not have any meaning? We place our hands on the Bible and swear to tell the truth. If we place our hands on the Temple of God and swear that we are bound does that not have meaning?
We say that a man's bond is his word but how true are those words today. How often have those words been reversed or taken aback when convenient and to our benefit. What is truth? What is honesty? What is love of brother, or neighbor of fellow man? We are all brothers and sisters created by one God, given his one image. Does that not make us the same?
Least we forget who we are, we come from a different place. As beautiful and wonderful as this place we live in, it is not the home we are destined for. We are two in one. A two-fer, one flesh, one spirit. Until we come to realize and understand this we loose the truth of who we are in this world. We loose the opportunity given us from birth to transform into the spirit that we are to become. For we are truly spiritual beings in a physical body waiting for the transformation to take place at the given time and place designated by God. Do not be blinded by the physical. Open your heart and see the true you from within.
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.
Our paragraph topic is: (Tribute to Caesar) Part 2.
The Herodians began by setting the tone of the discussion with Christ and the nature of his character. They sought from the beginning to set a trap by characterizing him as a man of certain traits upon which they could build a foundation which they could use to tear him down. What they did not know was that Christ knew what they were doing and saw where they were taking their scheme.
They sought to build him up. They sought to give him certain features. They sought to make him out as a man who had boundaries and limits upon which he would not cross because of his character. So they started out by saying, "Master, we know that thou art truthful, and that thou teachest the way of God in truth."
They were the smart ones of their group. They had studied the ins and out of deceit. They knew how to bring down kings and prophets so they used the same tactics on Christ. They wanted to create a trap for him. Little did they know or believe that he was the Christ, the Messiah. He was the one foretold of old who would come and redeem the sins of the people. He was the Son of God who would come and walk among the people.
Fear ruled the leaders of the people. There was excitement in the land. There was talk of a new king, a new ruler, a Messiah. And the existing rulers did not like the sound of what they heard. Also the Romans did not like the idea of unrest in the people so order had to be maintained. And it was up to the existing rulers to maintain that order or be replaced by Roman rule or Roman brute force. So there was intense fear in the land.
Christ did not come to overthrow the existing government. He did not come to challenge the rule of the Romans. He did not come to create unrest in the people. Instead he came to forgive sins, to cure the sick, to heal the blind and the lame, to make the broken straight again and to show the people what the love of God could do for them. He was living proof that there was a God. And most of all he came to sacrifice himself for the sins of mankind that we may have life again and not death.
That was our time to rejoice, our time to see, our time to believe, our time to be free from the bonds of slavery from the world. For Christ came to reignite a new light within each of us that was given us from birth. We have a choice. We are free, or we can continue to be bound. That choice is up to us, individually. This is what Christ has given us, the freedom of life or death. Choose well, where you will be. We are all created in God's image and his love extends to each and everyone of us. But the decision is ours to make. Love God and Love one another.
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.
Our paragraph topic is: (Anger of the Jewish leaders) Part 4.
Jesus was a man who came to Jerusalem to preach and teach. Many had heard his words and many had not. He had many followers who praised him for the things that he did for the people. Just like many who had come before him, prophets, preachers, and teachers, sent by God, he came to bring the word to the people.
The Jewish leaders saw him as a threat. They did not want the people to follow him, to believe in his words. He brought new words. He brought new meaning. He brought a new way of life that could threaten the existing power and leadership. And the leaders were afraid of what could happen. They were fearful of what the people would think and believe about their leadership. So they sought every way to destroy him and the word he brought to the people. In the temple when the children were crying out praise to him, the leaders questioned him about what was happening. And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and sucklings thou hast perfected praise'?"
And so it was, even the little ones gave praise to Lord Jesus. The leaders did not. They were fearful. They were in doubt. They did not see or believe what was happening before their eyes. Theirs was the concern of power and influence. For they were held in power and influence for so long that they could not understand what was written in the word. Even praise from the mouths of infants came to him.
We are our Father's children. He created us and gave us eternal life. Yet even though we lost what was freely given, Christ came and restored the gift of life, eternal life. And the Holy Spirit comes and waters that gift in those who seek the eternal water of life so that they may grow and prosper in this world. For our growth is not the growth of death but the growth of life. And our fruit is not the withering and dying fruit of the flesh but the fruit of life that we freely give to those who are lost and without hope.
We are the example that Christ left for others to follow. We are the example for the world to see, a light unto the darkness of the world. We are the example to new life, a new beginning, a life eternal. For those who can believe, for those who are not blinded by the world, we are the examples of hope, and trust in the promises of Christ Jesus. He returned to his father that he might build a place for us in his father's kingdom. And for those who know the spirit of the Advocate, peace be upon them. For they no longer toil for the fruits of death but work for the fruits of eternal life. Yours is the gift of life should you choose to accept and believe. For belief is the key to open the door to the heart and unlock the love that awaits you from the overflowing cup of love from the Father.
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.
Our paragraph topic is: (Parable of the laborers in the vineyard)
Part 25.
We started this chapter with Christ teaching his disciples about the kingdom of heaven. He uses parables to get his message across to those who have ears to hear, those who have open minds, those who have not been influenced. This particular parable is about laborers. It is about the need for workers. It is about agreements, and wages or rewards. It is about generosity, and rights, about influence and anger and disagreements with the one who has the right to make a decision.
God made man and decided to be generous with his grace. He created the angels and the principalities first before man. Man does not have the same power and majesty as the angels but God our Father still loves us as he does all his creations. Christ told his disciples that the kingdom of heaven is like a house-holder who went out to hire laborers to work in his vineyard. He had a right to do so. He had a need to do so. He has the resources to do so. Yet at the end of the day others decided that he was wrong in the way that he dispensed his generosity. As the parable ends Christ says that: "For many are called, but few are chosen."
What does it mean to be chosen? Who are they who are called and for what? Does God have a special purpose for each of us? What is his plan and who are the participants? These are questions that may come to mind as we think about this parable. For the words of Christ are living words that have meaning and purpose. They are written for our direction, for our understanding, for our knowledge and our wisdom. If we seek to know, to understand, to believe, to trust then we must seek the meanings of these words. Those meanings will not come from outside. They will not come from others. They will only come from the light Christ has given us within the will guide us and teach us on a daily basis.
For we are the children of the living God. He gave each of us life. At some point in each of our lives we have contemplated why we are here. We have asked the question: "Why was I born?" And we have sought to give meaning to that question that we may live our lives. For we were born out of love. We were given life out of grace. And we were restore to life out of passion. And yet we live not know the inner self, the inner life, the inner light that comes from the Father. He is our purpose. He is our passion. He is our meaning of life.
And life has no meaning without him. We can strive for all physical life has to offer. We can reach the mountain top and live high above all the rest. We can achieve lofty goals in life only to find that nothing has meaning in the physical. And if we choose not to recognize, not to understand, we choose to die without meaning, without purpose, without love. For it is the love of the Father that overcomes all. It is the love of the Father that fulfills all. It is the love of the Father that is all to the life that we have. And without that love nothing has meaning.
We live and we die and darkness takes the rest. But with the Father, life continues. With the Father, love abides. With the Father, physical life is but a shell that is shed upon death and the doors to the kingdom are open that we may know ourselves as we truly are known, spiritual beings who belong to the Father. Awaken to the truth of who you are within. Christ has given us the key. He has told us how to see. All we have to do is open our eyes and behold what is within us. The joy, the peace, the love awaits your awakening. Come! Open your eye and see!
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.
