Sharing Bread Matthew 21:28-32

SHARING BREAD

²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’”

²⁹ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.”

³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.”

³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”

Matt 21:28-32 (NIV)

In our verses for today through parabolic jargon our Lord sets forth to demonstrate the difference in men’s characters.  Some prove to be better than they promise, others promise better than they prove to be.  May we be as the former and not the latter!  We discover the same command delivered to both sons:  “‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’”   God sets His children to work even as heirs.  Work was not meant to be a curse rather a blessing.  It is a gift.  I am reminded of our first father’s marching orders in Genesis prior to the Fall.  God had intended for man to enjoy his labor.  Work became drudgery only after sin entered:

¹⁵ The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.   Gen 2:15 (NIV)

 

God had no intention for His children to remain shiftless and idle – indeed, idle hands are the devil’s workshop!  The Gospel call to work in God’s vineyard requires modern day believers to be obedient to His “good, pleasing and perfect will” as well – whatever profession we may be.  This is not for preachers only.  We are to bring the love and Truth of Christ to each of our spheres.  Daylight was not given for us to aimlessly piddle away.  It is Jesus’ command for us to “go and make disciples” and carries with it His authority, affection and ability.  The Gospel call is the same for every believer.  Remember Jesus tells us the harvest is plentiful and the worker’s few:

 

³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”   Matt 9:37-38 (NIV)

 

Jesus also tells us we must work while it is still day – doing the will of the Father.   This was His chosen path by the way.  There is an allotted time for each of us to do what God has prepared in advance for us to do:

 

⁴ “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”   John 9:4-5 (NIV)

 

Paul also tells us in Ephesians:

 

¹⁰ For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.    Eph 2:10 (NIV)

 

“Nothing taken for granted; everything received with gratitude; everything passed on with grace.”   G.K. Chesterton

In our parable today, the two son’s responses were very different.  The first son responded with a flat denial to his father’s wishes.  Excuses are bad enough but downright “no’s” are even worse.  Often people refuse the call of the Gospel – the still small voice of the Father – initially choosing rather to give way to worldly pursuits or pleasures – temporal and fleeting as they may be.  Here the first son denies yet on second thought later reconsiders, repents and produces fruit in keeping with repentance.  To be sure, it is better late than never.  God graciously and patiently waits on us despite our former follies.  Indeed, He rises to show us compassion:

 

¹⁸ Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!    Isaiah 30:18 (NIV)

 

The second son responds with respect and professed obedience yet was duplicitous and remained unchanged.  To be sure, saying and doing are two separate matters.  Many mouth words but demonstrate their heart goes in a different direction.  We must back up our words with what we do – practice what we preach.  God does not look lightly on an unfulfilled vow – better to remain silent.  Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes:

 

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. ⁵ It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.    Eccl 5:4-5 (NIV)

 

Lastly, Christ’s application of this parable being that the Baptist – our Lord’s forerunner sent from heaven - came showing the way of righteousness.  The tax collectors and prostitutes had believed Him while the religious elite snubbed their noses.  By this, Jesus reproves the chief priests and elders for their contempt of John’s baptism – shaming them for it and setting before them faith, repentance and obedience.

 

What I glean from this:

 

·       Work was given initially by God as a blessing – sin turned it into labor.  It is God’s desire for me not to be idle rather to go forth working in the strength of His perfect power.

·       As long as it is day I am to do the work of Him who sends me forth.

·       God longs to be gracious to me – He rises to show me compassion.

Sharing Bread Matthew 21:23-27

SHARING BREAD

²³ Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

²⁴ Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ²⁵ John's baptism--where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn't you believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘From men’--we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We don't know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Matt 21:23-27 (NIV)

Much contention and controversy followed Jesus as He was preaching the Gospel.  Contention and controversy often nip at the heels of those bringing the Gospel today as well.  We can expect it as Satan is not one bit eager to give up his fight.  Furthermore, Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that we are blessed in our persecutions for righteousness sake:

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”   Matt 5:11-12 (NIV)

 

John also records Jesus’ Word to us regarding this in his Gospel:

 

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.”   John 15:18-20 (NIV)

 

“Jesus promised His disciples three things:  that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble.”   F.R. Maltby

In our verses for today our Lord’s great contenders were the chief priests and elders of the land – the religious elite – those who should have believed yet chose to be blinded to the Truth by their darkened eyes of envy and pride.  We find here these enemies of the Lord interrupting His teaching – they did not desire to receive His instructions nor were they eager for others to receive them.  Jesus was well aware that He entered to teach where He would be surrounded by enemies and in the midst of danger.  These religious elite approached Jesus haughtily challenging Him to produce His orders – His right to be teaching, His right to His miraculous healings.  Surely their question was put forth to ensnare and entangle Him.  Had He been silent they would have insinuated He was a usurper.  If He had said His power was from God they would have claimed blasphemy.  I can’t imagine what response they were expecting to receive from the Master – did they want Him to produce a scroll giving Him written authority from above?  Did they imagine the heavens parting and a Voice from above verifying His authenticity?  Did they want Him to remain a mute?  Had He not already proved His authority through His miracles and the teaching and fulfillment of His Word?  How insolent their demand was of Him!

Loving their power and seeking to hold it in their tight fisted grip, these religious elite could not imagine Him to have had any authority whatsoever since they had not bestowed Him any.  How He kept from zapping them to me shows more restraint and is just as much a miracle as restoring sight to the blind or healing the lame!  Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus.

“O the deep, deep love of Jesus.  Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!  Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!  Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love, leading onward, leading homeward, to my glorious rest above!   O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!  How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, never more!   How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own; how for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!  O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!  ‘Tis an ocean full of blessing, ‘tis a haven giving rest!  O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ‘tis a heav’n of heav’ns to me; and it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!”   Samuel Trevor Francis     

I find it interesting that they sought to silence Him yet by His wisdom He silenced them.  I am reminded of the Truth of King David’s words in 2 Samuel:

²⁶ “To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
²⁷ to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. ²⁸ You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.”   2 Sam 22:26-28 (NIV)

Jesus was also fulfilling His own command found in Matthew:

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”   Matt 10:16 (NIV)

 

Thus Christ avoided the snare set for Him justifying Himself and refusing to gratify them.   Wisdom is always proved right by her actions.

 

“There are five Gospels: Matthew Mark, Luke, John, and the Christian, and some people will never read the first four.” Gypsy Smith

What I glean from this:

·        To be sure, contention and controversy often follow where the Gospel is preached. 

·        Envy and pride blind Truth.

·        I am to be as shrewd as a snake and as innocent as a dove. 

Sharing Bread Matthew 21:18-22

SHARING BREAD

¹⁸ Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

²⁰ When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

²¹ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matt 21:18-22 (NIV)

Every statement the Lord Jesus made carried with it richer and deeper meanings to His hearer’s ears than at first blush they perhaps realized.  It remains the same presently to the readers of His Truth.  Indeed, each Word Christ uttered was pregnant with power and purpose.  The Word made flesh and dwelt among men both spoke the Word freely and lived the Word accurately.  I am reminded of the Scripture penned in Hebrews regarding the Word of God:

¹² For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.   Heb 4:12 (NIV)

 

In our verses for today, the Lord Jesus was hungry.  He spots a fig tree in the distance by the roadside laden with leaves.  Normally, figs appear prior to the leaves or at least at the same time as the leaves but this tree was barren of all fruit.  Jesus curses it – sentencing it to a perpetual barrenness - immediately withering its leaves.  Interestingly, up to this point Christ had used His power to only bless and bestow grace for the good of men and now we discover Him using His power on an inanimate object to show His wrath and curse.  To be sure, Jesus uses this as a lesson on faith but it is also on the fruitlessness of hypocrites as well.  I am reminded of Jesus Words recorded in the Gospel of John:

 

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. ⁸ This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”    John 15:5-8 (NIV)

This is why John the Baptist came proclaiming to the hypocritical Pharisees of his day to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance”.  Every person who professes to be a disciple of Christ is not necessarily a true follower of the Master.  True believers cannot help but produce fruit with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit Who resides in every saint’s heart – prompting, convicting, empowering and encouraging.  Christ looks for the power of faith from those who profess it.  The sin of barrenness is justly cursed by the plague of barrenness.  A false and hypocritical profession commonly withers in this world.  They appear profitable for a time but their professions come to nothing as the pretender is powerless in and of himself to “walk as Jesus did”.  I am reminded of Hebrews again:

⁷ Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. ⁸ But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.  Heb 6:7-8 (NIV)

 

Lastly, Jesus addresses faith in the power and promises of God.  We are to be careful in what we have faith in.  It is not to be in our fickle inept selves rather in the all-powerful never changing God whom we serve.  Our constant doubting spoils the efficacy and success of faith in God’s revealed will and ways.  He is good on His Word – you can take it to the bank.  I am reminded of Joshua’s words to the Israelites as he was about to pass from this life to the next:

 

¹⁴ “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”  Josh 23:14 (NIV)

   

God, Who never changes, remains faithful today just as He did to Joshua and the Israelites.  We can depend upon His faithfulness.  Nothing is impossible with Him.  The world tells us “seeing is believing” yet God tells us believe in order to see.

“Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.”   Saint Augustine

“Strive to be one of those-so few- who walk the earth with ever-present consciousness-all mornings, middays, star-time-that the unknown which men call heaven is ‘close behind the visible scene of things.’”   Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

¹ Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.   Heb 11:1 (NIV)

 

What I glean from this:

 

·       God’s Word is living and active.

·       I am to bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

·       Seeing is the reward of faith.

 

      

Sharing Bread Matthew 21:14-17

SHARING BREAD

¹⁴ The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

¹⁶ “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
‘From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise’?”

¹⁷ And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Matt 21:14-17 (NIV)

Exit the buyers and sellers surrounding the temple area and enter in the blind and the lame – those desirous of healing from the Healer.  It is good and profitable to enter the temple where Christ is present – lovingly and humbly approaching Him. Our Lord had recently rid those who had profaned His Father’s house and here He is graciously making whole those seeking Him in humility.   

“Love and humility are the highest attainments in the school of Christ.”    John Newton

Christ not only offers wholeness but rest and peace.  His miraculous works testifying to Him even more than the praise of the children.  Scripture tells us:

³ Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; ⁴ say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” ⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. ⁶ Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.  Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.   Isaiah 35:3-6 (NIV)

 

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Matt 11:28-29 (NIV)

In our verses for today, the chief priests and the teachers of the law were stirred up in anger over our Lord’s miraculous healings and of the high praises He was receiving from the wee ones.  Such jealous guys they were - even to the point of audaciously questioning the Master - implying they wanted Him to make the babes stop singing of His worthiness.  Peace gives life to the body yet envy will rot the bones.

³⁰ A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.   Prov 14:30 (NIV)

 

These religious leaders were inwardly vexed at the wonderful miracles Jesus performed and they could not bear to hear the praises He was receiving.  In our Lord’s refusal to silence the “Hosannas” of these young ones He was declaring that He was indeed worthy of them.  He not only allowed their sweet songs of praise but He was pleased with them as well. 

“Praise is the beauty of a Christian. What wings are to a bird, what fruit is to the tree, what the rose is to the thorn, that is praise to a child of God.”    Charles H. Spurgeon

“Be not afraid of saying too much in the praises of God; all the danger is of saying too little.”   Matthew Henry

“God doesn’t ask me to be perfect; He asks me to praise.”   Ann Voskamp

Evidently the religious leaders had not the insight of the little children as they rejected and disdained the Lord while the latter received and honored Him.  Out of the mouth of babes Truth comes. Jesus spoke of this earlier in Matthew:

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.”   Matt 11:25-26 (NIV)

 I am reminded as well of the words John penned in the Gospel bearing his name:

¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.   John 1:10-13 (NIV)

Human ignorance and blindness caused by sin kept these religious leaders in the dungeon of darkness and depravity.  Out of envy, these chief priests and teachers of the law were resolved to oppose the Lord Jesus.  Had they had any wit about them, they surely would have testified to His acts as being miracles fueled by love and mercy.  Proud men detest honor coming to any but themselves and remain displeased over the just praises of deserving men.  By baulking at the praises given Jesus we drive Him from us – “And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.”

 

What I glean from this:

 

·       Jesus makes whole those seeking Him in humility and love.

·       God is worthy of my praise.

·       Envy and jealousy rot the bones.

     

Sharing Bread Matthew 21:12-13

SHARING BREAD

¹² Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ¹³ “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.’”

Matt 21:12-13 (NIV)

In our verses for today we see the Lord Jesus exercising His authority in the temple of God with a moral and righteous indignation.  Abuses must be purged before righteousness can be established – here, the Light shone brightly on the darkness at hand.  I am reminded of Jesus’ Words to Saul turned Paul on the road to Damascus found in Acts.  It is Jesus’ desire to turn us from darkness to light:

¹⁵ “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied. ¹⁶ ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. ¹⁷ I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them ¹⁸ to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”    Acts 26:15-18 (NIV)

As Jesus entered the courtyard area surrounding the temple He immediately directed His attention to those who had corrupted the character of His Father’s house from a place of prayer to becoming a place of commercialism and wanton gain.  He drove out those who were buying and selling and changing money - overturning both the tables and the benches. These practices may have perhaps started innocently enough to aid pilgrims who lived in faraway places by providing them their sacrifices.  They could more easily bring money with them than their beast yet it quickly turned into a counterfeit godliness filled with worldly gain. The chief priests were now admitting this market into the temple area for filthy lucre.  Perhaps it slipped their minds that surely the Lord was in this place. Perhaps they thought they were getting away with something under the guise of godliness.  Paul writes in1Timothy of such as these who with corrupt minds think godliness is a means to financial gain:

³ If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, ⁴ he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions ⁵ and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.    1 Tim 6:3-5 (NIV)

“Many were making their living from the temple and the sacrifices purchased there. They insisted that in the temple the people could not use money that had been circulating in society, but had to change their money into temple money first, for a fee, and then use the temple money to purchase animals for sacrifice, at inflated prices.”  Bible Knowledge Commentary

Upon seeing Jesus’ actions His disciples rightly remembered what had been written of Him in the Psalms helping them to reconcile His actions - the meekness of the Lamb with the majesty and authority of the King.  The Word of God and the works of God ever explain and illustrate one another:

⁹ for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.   Psalms 69:9 (NIV)

 

Indeed, zeal for His Father’s House consumed our Lord as well as it should us.  We are to be ready and mighty in the Scriptures having our memories well stored with its precious truths.  It will greatly benefit us in every endeavor and encounter.  When we turn our hearts towards Him in His Word and prayer He is drawn to us.  He rises to defend and provide for those who enjoy Him.  He is a “with us” relational Father Who delights to be with those He loves.

 

Interestingly, the Lord Jesus also quotes from Jeremiah regarding what the Pharisees were doing to God’s house:  “you are making it a den of robbers.”  Jeremiah had been sent by God to the Israelites to tell them how worthless their false religion was in His sight.  They wrongly believed they could do whatever they desired and, like these Pharisees imagined, they would remain safe to do these detestable practices because they stood in the house which bore God’s Name.  Big mistake!

 

⁴ Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!” ⁵ If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, ⁶ if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, ⁷ then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. ⁸ But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. ⁹ “'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, ¹⁰ and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, ‘We are safe’--safe to do all these detestable things? ¹¹ Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching!” declares the LORD.   Jer 7:4-11 (NIV)

 

What I glean from this:

 

·       Jesus desires to turn me from darkness to light.

·       Jesus hates hypocrisy particularly in His church.

·       Zeal for my Father’s house should consume me.