St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verses: 36; The Vine-dressers II.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the vine-dressers) Part 3. 

The vine-dressers were drunk.  They were giddy with the wine from the fruit of the vineyard.  And it had been years since they had heard from the householder so they considered him dead.  They had convinced themselves that they were the owners and they were not going to let anyone come and claim their prize, even if it was the owner himself.  They believed so much in what they had worked for in the fields of the householder that they would give up their lives to keep it.

The vine-dressers believed that if they defended their rights to the vineyard then no one else would come and lay claim to their prize.  So convinced that they were the owners of the vineyard that they believed the rightful owner would not send anyone else to take possession.  "Again he sent another party of servants more numerous than the first; and they did the same to these." 

What do we want from life?  Are our desires so strong that they would lead us to do anything to satisfy them?  The vine-dressers had a taste of stewardship of the vineyard and that taste led them to want more.  The crop was good.  The grapes were pressed and set to be cured into wine.  And when the wine was aged, it was a great product that everyone liked.  It was the best.  It was perfect.  It had taste and balance.  It had all the right qualities of a great wine and the labor of the vine-dressers made it so.

They were ecstatic.  They were happy and elated.  But they were not the owners of this great wine.  It did not belong to them.  But like so many, they were influenced to believe that they had come upon something that all mankind would want and they were not going to give it up.  Oh, what a man would not do to discover his own gold mine.  He would fight, kill, steal, die, protect it from all who would seek to take it from him.  And many would do so.

We are such weak creatures, easily influenced by the dirt that we walk upon.  Call it gold, call it money, call it whatever we desire, it still comes down to the same, influence.  What we would not do for influence over others.  We are given all the precious stones and jewels of many worlds but we happily give it up for dirt because someone or something tells us that we can become more than we are.  We are already rich.  We are already powerful.  We are loved.  We are blessed with the light of life given us by Christ Jesus.  He died to give us that life.  He loved so that we who believe in him would not die in darkness.  He knew that all was not lost and that there could be redemption.  

God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to save it.  For it had fallen into darkness and the people who inhabited it were dead.  And Christ came as the life and light of the world that we may know the truth of who we are.  He ascended into heaven and left the living word for those who would follow.  The Holy Spirit will come.  He will live among us.  He will guide us, protect us, show us the way to the narrow path.  Let us not be robbers.  Let us not be murderers.  Let us not become all that the influencer of the world would have us become.  We would loose the life that is freely given us.  For the Lord and Savior awaits those who know.  The Lord and Savior awaits those who believe.  The Lord and Savior of the world awaits you.  Open 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 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:26b, The Great Disciple.

Our paragraph topic is: (Humility according to Christ's example) Part 5.  

When we look back upon the teachings of Christ to his disciples, one must wonder how they felt, how they thought, how they understood his teachings.  They followed Christ because they knew, within themselves, that he was the Messiah.  His miracles proved that.  He did things that no other prophet or other great leader could do.  They were amazed at what they saw, what they heard him say, and what they believed that he would do.  Their hearts and minds were opened to his teachings, his love, his passion, and his will. 

They all wanted what they saw.  They wanted to be powerful.  They wanted his fearlessness. They wanted to be like him because they thought that this would give them leverage over the leaders of their day.  They thought that being like him would make them famous with the people.  They thought that imitating him would give them prestige and privilege like other leaders of the day.  Little did they know or think that what they thought they wanted was completely different from what would be offered.  Christ told them:  "On the contrary, whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant." 

How was that to be?  How were they who sought to be great to become a servant?  A servant was a position that they sought to turn away from.  A servant was a person that they saw with disdain.  A servant in their day and time was a nobody.  Yet here was Christ, their leader, their teacher, their Messiah, telling them that they must become servants.  Certainly this did not go over well with them.  Certainly this did not sound good to them.  Certainly this saying was not immediately understood.

He had just spoken with them about the honor of sitting at his right hand and at his left in the kingdom of heaven, a position that they all sought.  He had questioned them about the price that they will pay to be his followers.  He had just placed the doubt in their minds and their hearts as to the courage of their convictions being his followers when the time of tribulation came.  Were they ready?  Were they prepared?  Were they strong enough to face that which was in their future?  And now he tells them that they must become servants if they want to become great.

Christ had a way of teaching that cut to the quick, got to the heart of the matter.  He taught in ways that required insight and thought, ways that revealed meaning and understanding with deeper thought.  In our day and time we can look back.  We can read about what happened.  We can study the text and meaning in many different ways and from many different authors.  But beyond all of the literature lies the inner meaning that comes to each of us individually guided by the Holy Spirit. 

In our society today, we strive to be top dog, the lady that stands out in a crowd, the one that gets noticed.  We do not seek to be servants.  We do not seek to be the lowly.  This is contrary to what we are given from birth in our society.  Yet here is the greatest teacher that walked the earth giving us an example of how to be great, how to serve and not how to be served.  He is giving us the example of how to give of oneself and not to take, the example to humble oneself and not to be proud.  This is the example that he brought to us, the example that he gives to us, the example that he left for us to follow.  For he, the king of the universe, humbled himself and came to save us.  Can we not seek to follow his example?

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.