Come to the wedding feast

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 22:1-14

1 And Jesus spoke to them in parables again, saying,

2 “The kingdom from the sky may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,

3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.

4 He sent other servants again, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’

5 But they ignored the invitation and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,

6 while the rest arrested his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.

7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.

9 So go to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you can find.’

10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered everyone they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment.

12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was speechless.

13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

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Come to the wedding feast

The picture Jesus paints is a festive one. A wedding feast has been prepared for the king’s son, and all the important people have been invited. Then something goes wrong. The people invited stood up the king! That’s the first twist in the plot of the story. The embarrassed king sends out a general invitation through his servants. That works: the wedding hall is now filled with guests. But something is still not right.

There, in the corner. Someone has crashed the party. He is conspicuous because he is not wearing the special clothing supplied by the king himself, for the feast. He’s out of there.

The intended target of this parable is the religious elite of first century Judaism. They would recognize themselves in this story because they had rejected the kingdom offered them by John the Baptist and Jesus. They thought that they had enough merit by their own works to get into the coming kingdom. But they had refused Jesus – whose atoning sacrifice is the wedding garment. No shirt, no shoes, no service.

LORD, we enthusiastically accept your gracious invitation to your coming wedding feast. We will be there, properly clothed in your righteousness, bought by the blood of your Son.

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the rightful heir

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 21:33-46

33 “Listen to another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it out to tenants, and went into another land.

34 When the season for fruit harvest drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit.

35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

36 He sent other servants again, more than the first. And they did the same to them.

37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’

38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and we will have his inheritance.’

39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits at the appropriate times.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘ The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and we see it as a marvelous thing’?

43 This is why I am telling you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who are producing its fruits.

44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they figured out that he was speaking about them.

46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they thought he was a prophet.

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the rightful heir

There is a difference between putting on a good religious show and welcoming Jesus into our lives. The difference is respect for him as the rightful heir to God’s universe. The chief priests and Pharisees had no problem with the concept of the Messiah, but there was a difference between accepting an idea and submitting to a leader. Somewhere inside us is a little Pharisee who is comfortable with his own way of running the vineyard. If we don’t run that imposter off, he will crucify Christ all over again in our hearts.

LORD, we choose to submit to your Son, the rightful heir to your universe.

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organized unbelievers and the real deal

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 21:23-32

23 And after he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him while he was teaching, and said, “What gives you the right to do these things, and who gave you this right?”

24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what right I do these things.

25 The baptizing ministry of John, from where did it originate? From the sky or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From the sky,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, because they all think that John was a prophet.”

27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what right I do these things.

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’

29 But he replied, ‘I will not,’ afterward, however, he changed his mind and went.

30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I am going, sir,’ but did not go.

31 Which of the two did what his father wanted?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Honestly, I am telling you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God before you.

32 Because John came to you following the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

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organized unbelievers and the real deal

The chief priests and elders of Jerusalem had given their silent approval to Herod’s arresting, and later killing John the Baptizer. Now, they were gunning for Jesus. They had each other’s backing, and so constituted a dangerous thing in any generation: organized unbelievers. Their secret doubts of John’s legitimacy, and fear of Rome — enabled them to overlook the fact that Herod (whom they knew to be evil) destroyed him for selfish reasons. They never dared to ask Herod who gave him the right to do what he did.

Now, the king of kings goes about doing good, and organized unbelievers can only criticize him, question his motives, and secretly seek to destroy him. The tax collectors and prostitutes knew hypocrisy when they saw it. They knew of elders who had property they didn’t claim on their tax forms, and they knew temple officials who had illicit relationships. They also knew the real deal when they saw it. John and Jesus were the real deal, and the broken came to them.

The question for us as we read this text today is “which group do we fit in the most?” Are we more likely to hide our own sinfulness, and criticize those unpopular folk who are genuine? How do we respond when the real deal comes around?

LORD, give us the courage to acknowledge you in spite of the pressure from organized unbelievers.

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faith kills fruit trees

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 21:17-22

17 And when he left them, he went out of the city to Bethany and stayed there.

18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he got hungry.

19 And when he saw a fig tree by the wayside, he approached it but found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?”

21 And Jesus answered them, “Honestly, I am telling you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

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faith kills fruit trees

The disciples had seen many miracles. They had even had many miraculous answers to their own prayers during their missions campaigns. So the withered fig tree did not pose a problem for them in terms of its being a real event. Their issue was that even though they understood and accepted the reality of miracles, they were still clueless as to their cause. They asked “How did the fig tree wither at once?” Perhaps they considered themselves to be at a point in their Christian walk when they should have insider information on the power that they had experienced. They wanted to know the secret.

Jesus did not hold back. He told them that the very same ingredient that brought them access to Christ as their teacher and discipler is the ingredient responsible for miracle-working faith. Faith kills fruit trees and removes mountains. That is not much of a secret. When authentic Christians come together and pray in faith, stuff happens. In verses 21-22, all the second person pronouns are plural. Jesus is encouraging cooperation in the manifestation of faith. If there is any secret to power in prayer, that is it. When we gather to pray, he is present to answer. Some of our modern powerlessness is due to our stubborn insistence on going alone to the throne room. “I can handle this” is a destroyer of faith in Christ.

LORD, we confess our lack of faith, and our lack of cooperation in prayer. Make us into people who display your power by cooperating with your will together.

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house cleaning

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 21:10-16

10 And after he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, asking, “Who is this?”

11 And the crowds replied, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

12 And Jesus entered the temple and cleared out all the sellers and buyers in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of robbers.”

14 And blind and the lame people came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were very angry,

16 and they asked him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus replied to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘ Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have perfected praise’?”

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house cleaning

Jesus’ little joy ride into Jerusalem had stirred up the whole city, and had gotten them asking an important question: “who is this?”

His actions are his tell. He goes back to the temple courts that he has visited several times before in his life. This time, he finds the people there profiting from other people’s devotion again, and he chases them out. The temple was a symbol of the presence of God. It should be a place where people can go to connect with God, to further their relationship with him. Jesus was disgusted with these merchants and bankers. There is a time and a place for selling and servicing financial needs, but this was not the time, and definitely not the place.

The sound of praise continued to flow from those who dared to believe that Jesus was more than just a gifted prophet. They dared to believe that Jesus was who he had said he was, and were criticized for their faith, put into song. The religious elite were actually embarrassed by this worship. They cringed to hear these ignorant folk singing about deliverance. Jesus soaked in this praise, and he does the same today. When the chief priests and the scribes registered their complaint to him, he told them that these songs were not just legitimate, they were perfected praise.

So, whenever we gather in Christ’s name, as his temple, we have a choice. We can either focus on the things of this world or its creator. We can either set up tables for doing our business or we can do his business. He is all about connecting with God through prayer, and praising God through worship.

LORD, purge our temples of selfishness and inauthentic living. Help us to reconnect with you through prayer, and to declare your praises with authentic worship.

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prisoners of hope

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 21:1-9

1 When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

2 telling them, “Go into the village in front of you, and soon you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.

3 If anyone asks anything, you should reply, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, who said,

5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them.

7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.

8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

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prisoners of hope

The Old Testament prophecies of a coming Messiah dug deep into the souls of the Israelites in Jesus’ day. They were well aware that their political situation was an impossible one. But they dared to believe these prophecies, and thought about them as a way of dealing with the harsh reality of oppression under foreign rule.

So, when Jesus’ disciples borrowed a donkey and her colt, explaining that the Lord needs them, they thought of this prediction from Zechariah:

“Rejoice excessively, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; he is triumphant and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”[1]

The seeds of hope had grown within them, and produced a harvest of excessive joy. They shouted “Hosanna” in direct obedience to this prophecy, which was being fulfilled that very day. His choice of these two meek animals as his means of transportation was not unheard of in the ancient near east. Sometimes a conquering ruler would ride into his newly conquered city on a humble beast instead of his war horse. It would serve as a symbol of his triumph over the opposition. Zechariah predicted that the Messiah’s triumphant entry would be both a symbol of his conquering power and his true humility.

Zechariah went on to declare that the rescue of these “prisoners of hope” would be “through the blood of the covenant.” Their real rescue was not from political bondage but from the “waterless pit” of death itself. Jesus knew that this symbolic triumphal entry must be followed by a humiliating torturous death for himself on the cross. To truly set these “prisoners of hope” free, he had to die in their place.

LORD, inspire us again with the hope for rescue we had when you first showed us our coming king. Remind us again of the victory and the peace that is now ours because of the price Jesus paid for our deliverance. Hosannah!

[1] Zechariah 9:9.

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useless people

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 20:29-34 .

29 And as they went out of Jericho, a large crowd followed him.

30 And see, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”

31 The crowd criticized them, telling them to shut up, but they cried out even more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”

32 So Jesus stopped and called them and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”

33 They replied to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”

34 And out of compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and started following him.

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useless people

Jesus had just given his disciples an object lesson on servant leadership, reminding them that in the kingdom coming down from the sky, leaders serve out of love, not for gain or status. Next, another object lesson as they hear two blind men shouting along the side of the road as they leave town. If you had asked anyone in the crowd to describe the scene, they would have said it was annoying. Those blind beggars are such a nuisance. But Jesus stops. Now, the crowd is watching. All the other religious and political leaders just ignored these two useless people. After all, what good are blind followers?

But then, Jesus touches them, and these two formerly useless people become living, breathing, walking, following examples of who he is. This event was an object lesson on faith and God’s power, but it was also an object lesson on servant leadership. If Jesus had not served these two useless people, there would have been two fewer followers. Compassion was not only a leadership trait of Jesus, it was – and is – a means of leading in the sky kingdom. We, who aspire to lead his church need to stop looking for useful people to follow us, and look for broken people we can help. The most amazing saints who have made an impact on this world for Christ were once blind beggars, annoying the crowds with their cries for help.

LORD, open our eyes to the blind beggars. Give us the vision to see the value in those whom the world wants to ignore. Help us to invest our lives in them, as you did.

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grand ambitions

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 20:17-28

17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he was saying to them,

18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be arrested by the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death

19 and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and beaten and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for a favor.

21 And he asked her, “What do you want?” She replied to him, “Announce that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your coming kingdom.”

22 Jesus answered, “You two do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the suffering cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We can.”

23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been arranged by my Father.”

24 And when the ten heard it, they were very angry at the two brothers.

25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the leaders among the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones subordinate them.

26 It is not to be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,

28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to provide his life as a means of rescue for many.”

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grand ambitions

Jesus was explaining that his suffering cup was coming soon, and he would have to drink it, because he came to provide his life as a means of rescue for many. He thought of others before himself, even though he was the only one who deserves to be put first.

Meanwhile, the disciples were betrayed by their own grand ambitions. James and John wanted to have top billing in the coming sky kingdom, and they had the audacity to get their mother to request it. The other disciples were angry – probably because the sons of Zebedee asked for this favor first – beating them to the punch.

Jesus takes this opportunity to teach his disciples about the nature of sky kingdom leadership.

1. Leadership is sacrificial investment in the lives of others. It is all about serving others and meeting their needs.

2. Jesus is the ultimate example of leadership in the sky kingdom. He gave his life for the lost.

3. The Gentile example of exploitation of subordinates is the antithesis of sky kingdom leadership.

4. There is a way to top billing, but that way is through self-sacrifice, and investment in the well-being and salvation of others.

5. In the end, the sovereign God determines who the top dogs are.

LORD, our eyes are fixed on the prize of your coming sky kingdom. Help us not to get sidetracked by grand ambitions. Help us to invest sacrificially in others, as you did.

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the God factor

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 50:15-26

15 When Joseph’s brothers realized that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge and wants to repay us in full for all the harm we did to him?”

16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, ” Before he died, your father gave this instruction:

17 ‘Tell Joseph this: Please forgive the sin of your brothers and the wrong they did when they treated you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sin of the servants of the God of your father.” When this word was presented to him, Joseph wept.

18 Then his brothers also came and threw themselves down before him; they said, “Here we are; we are your slaves.”

19 But Joseph replied to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?

20 As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day.

21 So now, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little children.” Then he consoled them and spoke kindly to them.

22 Joseph lived in Egypt, along with his father’s family. Joseph lived one hundred and ten years.

23 Joseph saw the descendants of Ephraim to the third generation. He also saw the children of Makir the son of Manasseh; who were counted as his own.

24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am going to die. But God will certainly come to you and lead you up from this land to the land he swore on oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

25 Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He said, “God will certainly come to you. Then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

26 So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten. After they embalmed him, his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

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the God factor

Joseph had all the authority he needed to execute revenge against his brothers, and he had most certainly been wronged by them. So, why did he choose to forgive instead of repay their evil with his own? He took into account the God factor. He saw the good that God brought out of the evil, and chose to trust God’s purpose. He understood that not everything that happens is a good thing, but that God can cause even the bad things to work together for the good of those who love him and are called by him.[1]

That perspective also gave Joseph insight into why the family of Jacob had been relocated to Egypt. God’s providence was also at work there, assuring that the family had a chance to grow and develop into the nation it was destined to be. So, Joseph was confident that God was not through with them. He gave his brothers instructions to take his coffin with them when they returned to the land that God had promised them.

So, the God factor gave Joseph the insight he needed to react with forgiveness and grace in spite of the wrong done him in the past. It also gave him the wisdom to trust God to continue working everything together for good in the future.

LORD, give us the insight into your work in our lives that we need to respond appropriately to life’s injustices, and to trust you to complete the work you have begun in us.

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Whew! One book down, 65 more to go! Just to give you a head’s up, I plan to continue our study of Matthew’s Gospel tomorrow, and finish that study before I begin with another Old Testament book.

Jefferson Vann

[1] see Romans 8:28.

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inequality, equality and kingdom investment

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 20:1-16

1 “Because the kingdom from the sky is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

2 And after he had agreed together with the workers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 But when he went out about the third hour he saw others standing around doing nothing in the marketplace,

4 so he told them, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and I will pay you whatever is right.’

5 So they went. When he went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.

6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. Then he said to them, ‘Why are you standing around here doing nothing all day?’

7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into my vineyard too.’

8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’

9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.

10 And when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.

11 And when they received it they complained to the master of the house,

12 They said, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have done the hard work all day in the scorching heat.’

13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me to work for a denarius?

14 Take what belongs to you and go. I am choosing to give to this last worker the same that I give to you.

15 Am I not permitted to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you resent my generosity?’

16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”

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inequality, equality and kingdom investment

The prophets, John the Baptizer, and Jesus had taught that a kingdom was going to come down from the sky. Believers in that kingdom had the opportunity to invest in that coming kingdom by learning and obeying the commands of Christ. This opportunity spans the ages from the point in Old Testament times when that kingdom was merely hinted at in biblical history and the Mosaic law, to the point in the distant future, when the harvest is complete, and Christ comes again. There are two principles concerning that kingdom investment that Jesus explains by means of this parable:

1. The principle of inequality is that not everyone will have equal access to the kingdom, or equal understanding of it. In fact, many people and cultures who are first to learn of this coming kingdom will be among the last to embrace it, and benefit from it. The first century Jews among whom Jesus walked thought that they were God’s privileged elite. But – as a whole — they would reject that kingdom, making them last instead of first.

2. The principle of equality, ironically, is also taught here. The wages at the harvest in the parable were distributed equally, regardless of how long the workers worked in the vineyard. From the workers’ viewpoint, this seemed unfair. But from the master’s viewpoint, it was all a matter of grace. He chose to employ the workers, and he chose to give them the same wages. In the same way, the eternal life that God promises to give citizens of his coming kingdom will be shared equally among all the recipients of his grace.

LORD, You are the master of the harvest. We refuse to compare ourselves with others who have served you. We only thank you that all of us who have served you at all times will gain the great reward of entrance into your kingdom and eternal life. Thank you for your grace.

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