Matthew 20-22
Jesus tells a parable at the outset of chapter 20 - The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. Even the workers who were still standing around an hour before quitting time were paid for a day's work. Rather hard for us to conceive of a convicted murderer's deathbed confession and repentance allowing him entrance to the same reward I am awaiting, but then again I was one of the first few workers. Who am I to complain? I'm going to heaven! What a great parable for the longtime, crusty family of God member! The first will be last and the last will be first.
In 20:17-19, Jesus clearly lines out what will be happening in the next few weeks. Here, Matthew gives no reaction from the disciples. Likely it was like the other accounts we have -- disbelief and even telling Jesus not to talk like that. It's easy for us to see with 20/20 hindsight, but it's still tough to figure out how the twelve missed this.
Matthew gives us the fullest accounting of the request of James and John for the best seats in heaven. They sent their mother? Why would mom get involved? Was it her idea or did the boys put her up to it? We're not told. Elsewhere we are just told that James and John were asking and we don't hear about the intermediary. It is extremely difficult to overcome pride. In his later days, I'm sure John had to work to keep it down. We love to think of ourselves as important.
Jesus' answer must have sounded confusing to the Zebedee family. The boys had exlaimed their willingness to drink the cup, but Jesus told them that drinking the cup wouldn't put them in the choice thrones. That Someone else was putting out the placecards was odd enough for them.
The other ten were understandably upset with James and John. Finally Jesus has to lecture them about the proper way to "become great." Knowing that it was a completely upside-down teaching for the disciples (and the rest of us) Jesus used Himself as an example -- the ultimate servant. Why we revert back to seeking fame and fortune the world's way instead of Jesus' way is to be blamed on our own reliance upon our sinful nature.
The two beggars near Jericho would not quit yelling for mercy, even when the crowd tried to shut them up. Jesus had compassion on them. He asked them what they wanted Him to do for them. I wonder if they had thought up any other answers to that question.
Palm Sunday arrives at the beginning of chapter 21. The disciples are sent for donkeys and Jesus makes His entrance on the "kingly" donkey's colt. A crowd is in front of Him and another crowd comes behind Him. I've heard so many opinions on what this procession actually looked like. In a huge city like Jerusalem, swollen with people for the Passover, how many would have noticed His entrance? I'm guessing a very small percentage.
He heads for the temple -- not His first trip there, so He knows what happens at the temple -- and cleanses the place, quoting the Psalms as He does. He is not arrested. The only time He encounters the authority figures, they are mad over the shouts of praise from the children! There seems to be no outrage in Matthew's account of the priests and scribes from Jesus' table-flipping activities. After things settle down, and Jesus is through healing those who were there, He goes back to Bethany for the night.
The account of the fig tree seems a bit out of character for Jesus. I've always wondered about this one. Was it Jesus being tired and stressed out? Was there a teaching moment in cursing a tree without fruit? It eventually became an opportunity for Jesus to teach the twelve about the power of prayer and the need for faith. The point is not so we can throw mountains around or kill off fig trees. Instead we are to do greater works -- change hearts. Anything we ask in prayer must be in line with God's will to be answered. If we are asking for something God doesn't want, it will not happen. Jesus is not giving us carte blanche to do anything, but to line up our own will with His.
The questioning begins anew in 21:23 with Jesus coming back to the temple courts. The first trick question Jesus deflects with a typical rhetorical construct of the day. "I'll answer your question if you answer mine." To the chief priests, Jesus' question was a bit trickier than theirs. The priests feared the people above all. They could not afford an uprising, especially at Passover. Common thought among the people about John the Baptist was that he was a prophet, yet the priests rejected him. That put the whole subject of John the Baptist on the dangerous list. Jesus pushed the issue and the priests backed down.
Then Jesus goes further. The Parable of the Two Sons is aimed at those who reject Jesus and the Parable of the Tenants is even more pointed. The lesson of the fruit tree is repeated here, this time pertaining to the establishment religiosity -- the chief priests and Pharisees. They knew it and conspired to find a time for an arrest, but they had to beware the people.
The parables continue into chapter 22. "For many are invited, but few are chosen." Same idea.
The Pharisees and Saducees play tag-team offering trick questions designed to turn the crowd against Jesus. The logical place to begin is something the people hold as a hot-button issue - paying taxes to Rome. Then the Sadducees pose a question to try to show the correctness of their position (saying there is no resurrection) and the ridiculousness of other teachings. Jesus isn't confused, but turns the conversation and accusation back on the Sadducees. "You don't know the Scriptures or the power of God." That claim is true for many people today as well.
The Pharisees try again and Jesus fires back with the Greatest Commandment, with which the Pharisees cannot logically argue. Jesus wraps up the entire Old Testament application into three verses. Finally he tweaks the Pharisees by showing from the Psalter about who the Son of David really was supposed to be.
And from that day on, no one dared to ask Him any more questions.
Indeed.
In 20:17-19, Jesus clearly lines out what will be happening in the next few weeks. Here, Matthew gives no reaction from the disciples. Likely it was like the other accounts we have -- disbelief and even telling Jesus not to talk like that. It's easy for us to see with 20/20 hindsight, but it's still tough to figure out how the twelve missed this.
Matthew gives us the fullest accounting of the request of James and John for the best seats in heaven. They sent their mother? Why would mom get involved? Was it her idea or did the boys put her up to it? We're not told. Elsewhere we are just told that James and John were asking and we don't hear about the intermediary. It is extremely difficult to overcome pride. In his later days, I'm sure John had to work to keep it down. We love to think of ourselves as important.
Jesus' answer must have sounded confusing to the Zebedee family. The boys had exlaimed their willingness to drink the cup, but Jesus told them that drinking the cup wouldn't put them in the choice thrones. That Someone else was putting out the placecards was odd enough for them.
The other ten were understandably upset with James and John. Finally Jesus has to lecture them about the proper way to "become great." Knowing that it was a completely upside-down teaching for the disciples (and the rest of us) Jesus used Himself as an example -- the ultimate servant. Why we revert back to seeking fame and fortune the world's way instead of Jesus' way is to be blamed on our own reliance upon our sinful nature.
The two beggars near Jericho would not quit yelling for mercy, even when the crowd tried to shut them up. Jesus had compassion on them. He asked them what they wanted Him to do for them. I wonder if they had thought up any other answers to that question.
Palm Sunday arrives at the beginning of chapter 21. The disciples are sent for donkeys and Jesus makes His entrance on the "kingly" donkey's colt. A crowd is in front of Him and another crowd comes behind Him. I've heard so many opinions on what this procession actually looked like. In a huge city like Jerusalem, swollen with people for the Passover, how many would have noticed His entrance? I'm guessing a very small percentage.
He heads for the temple -- not His first trip there, so He knows what happens at the temple -- and cleanses the place, quoting the Psalms as He does. He is not arrested. The only time He encounters the authority figures, they are mad over the shouts of praise from the children! There seems to be no outrage in Matthew's account of the priests and scribes from Jesus' table-flipping activities. After things settle down, and Jesus is through healing those who were there, He goes back to Bethany for the night.
The account of the fig tree seems a bit out of character for Jesus. I've always wondered about this one. Was it Jesus being tired and stressed out? Was there a teaching moment in cursing a tree without fruit? It eventually became an opportunity for Jesus to teach the twelve about the power of prayer and the need for faith. The point is not so we can throw mountains around or kill off fig trees. Instead we are to do greater works -- change hearts. Anything we ask in prayer must be in line with God's will to be answered. If we are asking for something God doesn't want, it will not happen. Jesus is not giving us carte blanche to do anything, but to line up our own will with His.
The questioning begins anew in 21:23 with Jesus coming back to the temple courts. The first trick question Jesus deflects with a typical rhetorical construct of the day. "I'll answer your question if you answer mine." To the chief priests, Jesus' question was a bit trickier than theirs. The priests feared the people above all. They could not afford an uprising, especially at Passover. Common thought among the people about John the Baptist was that he was a prophet, yet the priests rejected him. That put the whole subject of John the Baptist on the dangerous list. Jesus pushed the issue and the priests backed down.
Then Jesus goes further. The Parable of the Two Sons is aimed at those who reject Jesus and the Parable of the Tenants is even more pointed. The lesson of the fruit tree is repeated here, this time pertaining to the establishment religiosity -- the chief priests and Pharisees. They knew it and conspired to find a time for an arrest, but they had to beware the people.
The parables continue into chapter 22. "For many are invited, but few are chosen." Same idea.
The Pharisees and Saducees play tag-team offering trick questions designed to turn the crowd against Jesus. The logical place to begin is something the people hold as a hot-button issue - paying taxes to Rome. Then the Sadducees pose a question to try to show the correctness of their position (saying there is no resurrection) and the ridiculousness of other teachings. Jesus isn't confused, but turns the conversation and accusation back on the Sadducees. "You don't know the Scriptures or the power of God." That claim is true for many people today as well.
The Pharisees try again and Jesus fires back with the Greatest Commandment, with which the Pharisees cannot logically argue. Jesus wraps up the entire Old Testament application into three verses. Finally he tweaks the Pharisees by showing from the Psalter about who the Son of David really was supposed to be.
And from that day on, no one dared to ask Him any more questions.
Indeed.
posted by rev-ed @ 8:30 AM
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