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Today’s Reading: Matthew 22

Hello again, this is Lynden and I am excited again to be here. Today’s reading of Matthew has several interesting points that are very intriguing: The parable of the wedding, paying taxes to Caesar, the lady with seven husbands (who all were brothers), the great commandment, one that states “Who’s your daddy?” I have been reading over these and there is one that really has been calling me: “Who wore the warm-up suit to the wedding?”

Matthew 22: 1-14

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

22 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants [a] to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, 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 paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized 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 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom 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?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast 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.” 

This week, Jillian and I have been doing some deep cleaning of material items in the house and we have uncovered many pictures and special items from our wedding and the newlywed days. I have taken a couple of moments to sit down and reflect on those precious days. It seems as if the wedding day was yesterday, but it has been over 8 years. I can still remember the morning routine that I did that day. I still remember the cool morning of July 12, and the anticipation of the day. I still remember the first time that I saw her under the tree in the churchyard. It is one of most, if not my most memorable days of my life. Jillian and I had an engagement of about a year, but had dated for 5 years. I still remember when we sent out the “Save the Dates” several months in advance of the wedding and waited in anticipation of RSVP. There was a lot of preparation that had went into the special day and I would have been distraught if NO ONE SHOWED UP.

As I have been reflecting on the story this week I was somewhat sadden to see that the king had prepared such an awesome feast for the wedding and the invited guest didn’t show, then the close friends who didn’t get an invite declined, but then he has everyone in the city and highways be summoned and brought in and had the feast. At this point, I feel warm and fuzzy, then the kings is welcoming everyone and finds someone that is not properly dressed and then throws him out. This is so strange to me, “ Hey come into a bountiful feast, oops you have on sweats, I’m sorry you must go”. So I had to do some research and understand what is the rationale.

In biblical Jewish times the marriage of couple was several months or years at length. There are three stages: Contract, Consummation, and Celebration. The contract would be the “ketubbah” which the wife would chose her husband and then the father of the bride would sign the legal document stating the daughter is technically and religiously married. This is how Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ parents were married.   The second is the “chuppah” which is the consummation. The period between the Ketubbah and the Chuppah can be as long as 7 years; there is not a prescribed amount of time. During this time the bridegroom is preparing for his bride. This could be building a house, making enough money to provide for the bride, or something similar. Once the preparations are met then the consummation happens, and then there is feast or celebration that last for days or even for weeks.

So this is the big celebration that everyone has been preparing to witness for several months up to several years. There has been a lot of sacrifice and waiting and the time has finally come that we can part-take of the goodness of the family and the couple. So, as I research I can see that this is not just one day of merriment, but can be several weeks. This is not the first time that the people of the kingdom have heard about this upcoming celebration; this has been the rumor for quite some time.

I have to think about this as one of fairytales where everyone in the kingdom hears that there is a ball, like in Cinderella, everyone prepares for the ball, just in case they are called and invited. This is the “ONE” that everyone is waiting for and expecting. Just when you think it is all over, the king’s men come and say “Come you have been chosen to come to the celebration”. You have to go right then. So you grab your finest clothes that you have prepared for just this occasion. You have to be ready at the moment’s notice.

I can now understand the king’s actions at the end of the parable. Everyone knew the day of the feast would come, not everyone thought they would be called or invited, but everyone came anyway. You have to be ready when the king calls you; His Son is preparing a special place for His bride, and when He is ready, will you have your best suit ready or in sweats?

Prayer: Lord, allow us to be ready and properly dressed to come to your feast. We are excited and wait in anticipation. We pray you use us to help others prepare for the celebration. Amen

It’s amazing what happens when one dives into a chapter of Scripture.  For the past few years I have been diligent at reading short daily devotionals and feeling satisfied that I at least attempted to connect with Jesus.  I would walk away with a good thought or something to ponder.  But, I am amazed at what happens when one sits down with the Bible in hand and actually studies a full chapter for a week!  It has been a while since I have figured out for myself what a passage means and not used somebody else’s interpretation of the Word to inspire me.  This week I have been awestruck at the amount of information in Matthew 21 and all the lessons that stem from these 46 verses.

I want to focus on Matthew 21:12&13                                                     The Cleansing of the Temple

Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice.  He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.  He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer, ‘ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

A market had been established in part of the temple, the Court of the Gentiles. The merchants set up shop in the temple court for the convenience of those who came from all regions to celebrate Passover and any other celebrations. Foreign Jews could exchange money and purchase sacrifices. What had begun as a service and convenience for visitors from other lands soon turned into a profitable business. The merchants were “robbing” the customers by charging high prices.  The focus of the believers had turned to “making a deal” and away from a “house of prayer” and Jesus was angry. Jesus invaded the temple to restore it to its purpose.

The temple was to be called a “house of prayer.”
The word house refers to a way of life, not necessarily a structure. A house is the place where we live with our families and those we love. We return to our homes on a daily basis (after school, work, appointments, or running errands), it is not a place where we temporarily visit or pass through. I consider myself a home-body. I love to be at home with my husband and three children.  My home is what I know, it is mine.  I can’t imaging if I spent as much time with Jesus in His Word as I do just being in my home! He wants us to be home with him…to make him our house where we live day in and day out.

Prayer is to ask for favor, to urge, or to request something. Prayer humbles us because we have to ask for help and guidance. Prayer invites God into our daily lives, needs and struggles.

To be a House of Prayer, then we need to be at “home” with Jesus, living with him, asking Him for all that we need every day.

The reference “den of thieves” comes from Jeremiah 7:11. A den is where thieves would hide to plot their next adventure and hide from whomever they robbed.  In Jeremiah, the people were hiding in the Temple to cover up their sins.

If Jesus invaded my heart-What would He find? Would He be angry? Would He find I am filling it with worldly finds to try and find peace, fulfillment, and happiness? Would He find that I am more suitable to a den of thieves or a House of Prayer?

Just as 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, we are called to be a house of prayer. To live and reside in constant communion with Jesus. Jesus wants to cleanse us of all the BUSINESS that is going on in our heart and restore us to a house of prayer. I want to cleanse my heart daily and not get caught up in the business of life that overshadows his call for me to be a house of prayer.

Today’s reading:  Matthew 20

Yesterday, we witnessed the transfer of power from the 44^th President of the United States to the 45^th President of the United States.  Like many Presidents who have gone before, our 44^th President exercised his authority to grant a variety of pardons and commutations before he left office – 212 pardons and 1,715 commutations to be exact.  These are a big deal, as they release offenders from all future consequences that would have otherwise accompanied their conviction(s).  Did you know granting pardons is a unilateral power of the President of the United States?  This means the decisions aren’t reviewed, and cannot be overturned by the court, Congress or even the incoming President.  With one act, an offender’s conviction is wiped away and freedom is granted.  What a powerful illustration of mercy.

• Mercy – compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power.
• Forbearance – a refraining from the enforcement of something (as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due.

(Miriam Webster)

Our text today in Matthew 20 covers the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard.  In this story, the landowner hired laborers to work in his vineyard throughout the course of the day.  When it came time to pay them, he used a last-in/first-out method, paying those who had worked the shortest time first and those who had worked all day last.  The issue was, he paid them all the same amount, regardless of how long they had worked.  Those hired in the morning were mad.  While the landowner kept his promise and paid them the amount on which they had agreed, these workers felt shortchanged.  They believed their longer hours should have earned them more money than the others.

Do you see the lesson? This was not a parable about hard work, equality or justice.  It was about mercy.  The landowner showed compassion to workers hired later in the day.  He paid them a full day’s wage instead of just paying them what they had earned.  In the same way, God chooses to bestow mercy on those who follow him.  He doesn’t make us suffer the consequences of our sins.  Rather through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he wipes away our conviction and grants us freedom.  He offers each of us a pardon.  We have not earned it, and we certainly don’t deserve it.

• For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
• For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).
• For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

In preparation for my post this week, I was reminded of two very humbling lessons about God’s grace and mercy Jesus taught through this parable:

• When you decide to put your faith in Jesus Christ, you are entitled to all the rights and benefits he promises, regardless of how early or late in life you made the decision – (Ephesians 1:13-14).
• If you think you deserve more in God’s Kingdom because you worked harder or lived a better life than someone else, you’ve forgotten how you got in. By his grace and mercy, God saved you from sin and death. You certainly didn’t earn or deserve it – (Ephesians 2:8).

(gracethrufaith.com)

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5).

I am humbled, and eternally grateful for God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 15

“He took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ³⁷ And they all ate and were satisfied.” Matthew 15:36-37

I know what you’re thinking! Jesus fed five thousand yesterday! You’re right, in Matthew 14 our chapter for Sunday we revel in the many miracles performed by Jesus and witnessed by Matthew and the disciples. So today, we have a second loaves and fishes story. It’ slipped in just at the end of chapter 15 and is sort of “under reported” in my opinion. It’s as if all the news outlets heard about the 5,000 people fed the week before and decided that Jesus’ meal multiplication was old news. For me though, this repeat miracle is speaking truth and hope into my life right now. I like to study a few different bible commentaries on the weeks that I write. My NIV study bible said this today: “Jesus had already fed more than 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. Here, in a similar situation, the disciples were again perplexed. How easily we throw up our hands in despair when faced with difficult situations. Like the disciples, we often forget that if God has cared for us in the past, he will do the same now. When facing a difficult situation, remember how God cared for you and trust Him to work faithfully again.

Isn’t that just life changing? Do you ever feel like God has already graced you in one area of your life and so surely he can’t bless you in another? Do you ever feel that you may have reached the limit of his grace and mercy? Instead, we are given the hope that we can trust in His faithfulness and count on Him to care for us again and again. Over the last year, I’ve learned that the most powerful words I can write to you are those of my own testimony. On Tuesday of this week, I was laid off. I’ve worked in the same place for nearly nine years serving children with disabilities. Due to significant financial losses, the company simply cannot continue to pay all of us. I was overwhelmed with anxiety and fear for my young patients, my own children and our family. So many people depend upon me to care for their children and be with them in times of uncertainty. But, as always, God cared for me and every single one of His children. I have been blessed with a new job that affords me the opportunity to continue to serve the children and families I love. I have been rocked out of my comfort zone and am facing some of the challenges of starting an independent business. I know I would not have had the courage to do this without being laid off. There are lots of unanswered questions about how I will bridge some gaps but I know that He will feed me and my family. Today, Matthew shows us that Jesus is not only miraculous but that he is also consistent. God wants what is good for us, he is ever generous, ever sacrificing for us. Today, I’m doing my best to praise him in this dark time. I’m looking forward to a post in the not too distant future when this testimony continues with evidence of His love for me. Until then, I thank you for your prayer and your faithfulness that He will bring miracles to all of our lives!

The photo above is me 38 weeks pregnant doing what I do with little people! 

Today’s Reading: Matthew 14

My world is full of notes with ideas that come to me during sermons, classes, and conferences, even stop lights.  I think, “I could do that!”  I get all jacked up thinking about how I am going to do this or that.  And then, nothing.  Give it an hour or a day, or two and the notion is gone.  The excitement fades and the vision is lost.  Occasionally, however, I take a flier.  Today, we get a special look at the entire life-cycle of an idea, a vision, or an “aha” moment.

Excitement.   We all get ideas that make our heart beat a little faster.  Occasionally, this excitement turns into something more.  When we allow it to capture our full attention, we must respond.  It happened to Peter.  When he figured out that it was Jesus walking toward the boat he got excited.  He wanted to be part of the action.  So, “Peter answered him” (Matthew 14:28).  Simple, right?

Action. Hopefully, we get to this stage.  This is when we have to actually do something about it.  Peter did it. It started with a decision.  He tells Jesus, “command me to come.”  Peter doesn’t stop there, he also moves.  “Peter got out of the boat and walked.”  To be honest, I’m pretty good at the first part.  Getting out of the boat?  That is a little tougher.

Fear. When we act, something unforeseen will show up. For Peter, it was the wind.  It distracted him.  He feared it and couldn’t overcome it.  So, it overcame him.  “when he saw the wind, he was afraid” (v30).

Failure. Peter’s attention on the wind and his own safety resulted in failure.   He was “beginning to sink” (v30).

Recovery. Successful people are not the ones that never fail, rather, they fail the most often.  The difference is that they recover fast.  If you have recently fallen, or are stalled out by the headwinds in your life, take note of what happened to Peter.  In the midst of his failure, “Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him” (Matthew 14:31).   The truth is that if God called you out, he will help you through.  If you feel like you are hanging today, it is because you have not accepted his help.

Worship. When safety returns and we relax, who gets the credit?  All too often, we think that we survived through grit and determination.  This results in self-worship. Peter and the apostles, however, knew where their help came from.  They, “worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God”” (Matthew 14:31).

I don’t know where you are in the life-cycle of a calling.  I can look across my many projects and see that I have some that need to get off the ground and some that have completely failed.  Today, these promises are hugely encouraging to me.  Thank you, Lord!  Truly, you are the son of God!!