St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 11; The Greatest.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 9.  

Honor and prestige they sought.  Dominion they practiced over the people.  They were the law makers.  They were the enforcers.  They were the eyes and the ears of the law.  Everyone must obey or suffer the consequences of punishment.  Respect was what they needed and the Scribes and the Pharisees demanded it.

They were out in the public everyday watching the people to make sure that the rules were followed.  They had spies who reported to them the what and wherefore of the people.  It was a hard time for the people and they resented the rule of law.  But the Scribes and the Pharisees sought to be great among the people.  And Christ turned the tables upon them.  He told the people and the disciples:  "He who is greatest among you shall be your servant."   

Indeed, he was the servant of the people; he came to serve mankind.  He was greatest among them.  They did not know.  They did not believe.  They did not see who he was.  Their minds could not comprehend the truth of the statement.  Even the evil that dwelled within them knew who he was and paid tribute to him.  But he would not have his identity known until it was his time.

The Scribes and the Pharisees hated him.  They wanted to get rid of him because he exposed them to the people.  He removed the masks so that the people could see who they really were.  Christ taught the people the truth.  He taught them who they were and how to live with one another in peace and love.

Today we can take a lesson from his teachings.  Serve the people.  Humble thyself.  Live a peaceful life, not one filled with self seeking love, competing to be the best, the greatest.  Be your self.  We all have God given gifts and talents that can be used in service of others.  It is those gifts that allow us to become fruitful.  It is those talents that allow us to multiply the kingdom of heaven.  It is those gifts that will help us to spread God's love to all our brothers and sisters that they too may know the truth of who they are in Christ.  Love one another.  Keep the faith.  God's will be done.

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 22, verse: 11; The Improperly dressed Guest.

Our Paragraph topic is:  (One guest is cast out) Part 1.  

After all the preparation and all the invitations, the celebration began.  The wedding feast of the bride and the groom will be an event to remember for all those who attended.  All those who stopped their journey at the crossroads of the town and came to the party, they will remember this celebration and talk about it to all whom they meet wherever they travel.

There was music and dancing and food and laughter and happiness all around.  Even the king was happy when he came down to see the great hall filled with music and laughter.  But there was one thing that displeased the king.  "Now the king went in to see the guests, and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment."  

Now this was a wedding party and all knew the attire.  Yet here was a man who decided to attend but refused to wear the appropriate attire.  It was not that he did not have a wedding garment, but it was that he refused to wear a wedding garment and decided that he was going to attend anyway no matter what the attire.  It would be like attending a formal event without having the formal attire and saying that you were going anyway without the formal attire to show disdain for the event and the host.

The king went to great lengths to host this event for the bride and the groom and he did not want anything to take away from this occasion.  And certainly this person would was not going to be a distraction for everyone to see and talk about at this great event.  Christ is telling this parable to the people because he wants them to understand the conclusion that he is leading up to.  He has a lesson that he wants them to learn.  He teaches in parables but within the parables are life's lessons that the people can take with them and remember for the rest of their lives and apply in situations when they come up.

The same is true in our lives today.  His parables are teachings to guide us through life.  The Bible is full of the parables and teachings that we can learn from.  There are hundreds of stories that we can take with us on our journey through life if we choose to look and see, if we choose to read them, if we choose to believe that they are there for us to know.  We walk a path everyday through life lost in the physical world doing the same things over and over again telling ourselves we are happy.  We find joy in some things that we do but we wake up to the drudgery of life and have to go back to the everyday work of living instead of living the life that we dream.  Few get to live a life of freedom and even they become board with their lives.  

Find the life within and walk the journey that you are given.  Seek the true light that gives you life and you will know who you are.  Each day you will grow in the knowledge and strength of your self awareness and soon you will no longer be the physical but more the spiritual than the physical.  And in that moment of transition Christ and the spiritual will be with you more than the physical, always.

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: 11, The Comparison and the Murmur.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the laborers in the vineyard)
Part 15.

The first received his reward and was joyous.  They had only worked an hour.  The next to the last received their denarius and they were happy.  They had only worked a couple of hours.  Those who came before the first received their wages and they were satisfied.  They did not work as long as those who came first.  And then came those who were hired first.  The time came for them to receive their reward and they also received a denarius.

And upon receiving their pay they were astonished.  They were not satisfied.  They were not joyous.  They were not happy to receive what they had agreed to work for.  For they had made comparisons.  They had worked all day in the heat of the sun.  They had watched others come into the vineyard and knew that they would receive more.  They thought that their reward would be greater than all the rest.  "And on receiving it, they began to murmur against the householder." 

They made comparisons.  They looked at others as they entered the vineyard and compared themselves to those that came after them.  They raised themselves above those that came after them.  They thought that they were better.  They thought that they deserved more.  They saw themselves as different from those who came after them.  And yet they all were the same.  They all were offered the same amount by the house-holder to tend the fields in the vineyard. 

There was work that needed to be done.  There was a need for laborers to do the work.  There was a contract made and an agreement for compensation.  Yet somewhere in the process a change took place.  Somewhere in the work something entered the picture to bring about a change.  They worked side by side.  They picked the grapes from the vines and harvested the fruit.  Somewhere in the work day, the minds of the workers changed.  Somewhere during the heat of the day their thoughts changed.  Somewhere as the day came to a close the hearts of the workers changed and a new mind, a new heart, new thoughts came into the picture and all were changed.

Some were happy.  Some were joyous.  Some were satisfied.  But others were astonished and dismayed at what they received.  They began to murmur.  They began to talk back.  They began to allow frustration and doubt, and fear, and anger to enter into their hearts and minds and bring about a transformation in who they were.  They began as simple workers seeking to find work for the day.  They ended up as angry spirits who's hearts were filled with anger.

What is it that brings about such a change?  What happened that they were dissatisfied?  What brought about this about face in their attitudes and mindsets that they began to murmur?  Comparison came in.  Comparison came in and set things in motion.  Comparison came through and showed them a different picture.  They started out happy to have work.  They ended up sad and disgruntled with their pay.  Are we the same today?  Do we start out happy to have work and end up sad with our pay?  Does comparison come into our lives and lead us to change?  Does comparison come into our lives and turn us in a different direction? 

We are God's children, created in his image and likeness.  He has given us the gift of life.  The most precious gift that could be had, we already have.  Are we satisfied?  Are we happy?  Are we understanding of what has been given to us?  Or are we making comparisons with what the world has to offer against what we already have?  We see, we feel, we taste and touch and smell all that the physical has to offer.  Can we know the truth of what the gift of life has to offer?  The spirit will tell.  The life within will show.  The Advocate will listen and teach that which has not been taught.  And then you will know that there is no comparison to what you have.  And then you will be happy and joyous, for you have the gift 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 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.