22010.179 Amazed!

“When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching, because he taught them like one who had authority, not like their experts in the law.” —Matthew 7:28–29

Authority. The very word according to the Oxford Dictionary means: “the power or right to enforce obedience; an influence exerted on opinion because of recognized knowledge or expertise.” The word translated “authority” in verse 29 above is from the Greek word exousia meaning: “it is permissible, allowed; permission, authority to do something; denotes not only the physical capability to do something, but also the right and authority to carry out the action; the right or privilege to do or not to do something; the license or liberty to do or not to do something” (Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible—New Testament Lexical Aids).

It is no wonder the crowds were amazed at Jesus’ teaching. Their ears were used to listening to the teachers of the Law who were a mere reflection of authority—and not a very good one at that. Jesus was and is the ultimate authority. He is very God of very God. He possesses all power and knowledge. It is a comparison of shadow and substance—one a mere reflection, one the “real deal.” And this difference was extremely obvious to His hearers! Their teachers were a mere pretense, unable to fulfill what they preached. The words they taught fell flat as they came without life or force. The Pharisees were reciting a memorized passage. Jesus, who spoke the world into being, spoke with authority as a judge gives forth his charge.

Matthew used the expression “amazed” four other times in his Gospel. This word means: “overwhelmed, suggesting a strong sense of being astounded.” Jesus’ words overwhelmed His audiences! He spoke with authority because He was and is the ultimate Authority. There is no real power apart from Him. Scripture tells us without Him we can do nothing of eternal value but with Him, He gives us success. His presence is our power. In Him is unaided omnipotence:

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.’” —John 15:4–5

I am reminded of Jesus’ parting words to His disciples in the Great Commission recorded later in Matthew. He told them that they were to go in His power and authority to disciple the world:

“Then Jesus came up and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” —Matthew 28:18–20

Become More

“The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of rules and regulations—it is a picture of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is having His unhindered way with us.” —Oswald Chambers

“Every attribute of God should become a fresh ray in the sunlight of our gladness. That He is wise should make us glad, knowing as we do our own foolishness. That He is mighty should cause us to rejoice who tremble at our weakness. That He is everlasting, should always be a theme of joy when we know that we wither as the grass. That He is unchanging, should perpetually yield us a song, since we change every hour. That He is full of grace, that He is overflowing with it, and that this grace in the covenant He has given to us; that it is ours to cleanse us, ours to keep us, ours to sanctify us, ours to perfect us, ours to bring us to glory—all this should tend to make us glad in Him. This gladness in God is as a deep river; we have only as yet touched its brink, we know a little of its clear sweet, heavenly streams, but onward the depth is greater, and the current more impetuous in its joy.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

Further Reflections

“If He be God, there can be no limit to His power. Come then with the blind eye of darkened understanding, come with the limping foot of wasted energy, come with the maimed hand of weak faith, the fever of an angry temper, or the ague of shivering despondency, come just as thou art, for He who is God can certainly restore thee of thy plague. None shall restrain the healing virtue which proceeds from Jesus our Lord.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” —Colossians 1:15–20

22010.178 The Right Foundation

“Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because its foundation had been laid on rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed—it was utterly destroyed!” —Matthew 7:24–27

Jesus begs the question of us all: Upon what foundation are we building our houses (lives)? The foundation determines the ability of our structures to withstand the elements. No one is immune to the cold, hard winds of life. Because we live in a fallen world, and we wrestle daily with Satan, sin, and self, trials and heartaches blowhard on us all. A sudden death, the loss of income, a wayward child, a chronic illness, a love-less marriage; you name it, these beat against our houses like no small hurricane. The hope which is built on Christ will stand even when the storms fiercely blow. His comfort will never fail; His faithfulness is great and new every morning. When the Lord is our portion and sufficiency, we will always be satisfied:

“The LORD’s loyal kindness never ceases; his compassions never end. They are fresh every morning; your faithfulness is abundant! ‘My portion is the LORD,’ I have said to myself so I will put my hope in him.” —Lamentations 3:22–24

Jesus teaches us that we can either choose to be sensible and wise in our choice of foundations or we can choose to be silly and foolish. Sounds like an easy choice to me! Paul gives us a fair warning as well:

“Guard against self-deception, each of you. If someone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he can become wise. For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. As it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness.’ And again, ‘The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.’” —1 Corinthians 3:18–20

Jesus classifies the builders into two categories: those who hear His Words and act and those who hear His Words and do nothing. Those who hear and are obedient to God’s Word receive freely flowing grace giving way to grace. Conversely, those who are disobedient to what they hear turn their backs on the grace held out for them. Sadly, they bring ruin upon themselves. God’s Word is meant to benefit us by changing our lives as we obey. God clearly tells us:

“They come to you in crowds, and they sit in front of you as my people. They hear your words, but do not obey them. For they talk lustfully, and their heart is set on their own advantage. Realize that to them you are like a sensual song, a beautiful voice and skilled musician. They hear your words, but they do not obey them.” —Ezekiel 33:31–32

Delayed obedience is disobedience causing us harm as well. Postponed obedience can never bring the full blessing God intended for us and others. We are to dare to trust Him as well as dare to follow Him. He will never disappoint us! We will always be enabled to stand firm in the storm.

James tells us we are not to merely listen to God’s Word but do what it says in order to not deceive ourselves and to be blessed in all that we undertake. Why would we want to waste our lives and efforts by doing any differently?

Become More

“It is not enough to hear Christ’s words, and understand them, hear them, and remember them, hear them, and talk of them, repeat them, dispute for them; but we must hear and practice them. This do, and you shall live. Those only who hear, and obey, are blessed.” —Matthew Henry

“Love for God and obedience to God are so completely involved in each other that either one of them implies the other too.” —F. F. Bruce

Further Reflections

“Faith, as Paul saw it, was a living, flaming thing leading to surrender and obedience to the commandments of Christ.” —A.W. Tozer

“But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror. For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out—he will be blessed in what he does.” —James 1:22–25

22010.177 Living for Jesus

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many powerful deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’” —Matthew 7:21–23

Jesus gives us an important red flag in these verses: It is not by our words, however religious or pious they may sound, or by our works, however righteous, gracious or good they may appear, that we secure a right relationship with Him. It is only by His grace that our hearts are changed as we freely relinquish our will into His hands. Anything ultimately good done in a life is from Jesus. We can call Jesus “Lord” all day long, and perhaps even use His great name for the miraculous, yet remain hardened in our hearts and estranged from Him. Scripture gives us an example of this in Acts:

“But some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by evil spirits, saying, ‘I sternly warn you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.’ (Now seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.) But the evil spirit replied to them, ‘I know about Jesus and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?’ Then the man who was possessed by the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them all into submission. He prevailed against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded.” —Acts 19:13–16

When one calls Jesus “Lord,” yet consistently does not do what He says, is He really their “Lord”?

Our outward expressions and acts of pride, particularly for personal gain, do not equate to obedience. Anyone can say “Lord,” but that does not make Jesus such if we staunchly refuse to make Him our Master. Unless we know Jesus through a personal relationship, we have no part in the Kingdom of God. Jesus said:

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do what I tell you?” —Luke 6:46

Do we really think we can fool Him? God knows the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts. We hide nothing from Him! 

“And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” —Hebrews 4:13

Our resistance in allowing Him to be the Master of our lives only brings us harm.

God, who surely has our best interest at heart, knows and loves us completely. He can certainly be fully trusted with our lives and with the lives of those we love. He seeks broken and contrite hearts that are willing to look up and take Him at His Word. He desires and deserves our total trust. King David tells us:

“The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit—O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject.” —Psalm 51:17

God is not looking for an outward, ritualistic relationship with His us. He desires inward obedience, as our desire, not as a burden.

Micah gives us a wonderful definition of God’s requirements for His children:

“He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the LORD really wants from you: He wants you to carry out justice, to love faithfulness, and to live obediently before your God.” —Micah 6:8

Our loving of mercy demonstrates a proper humility before God!

Become More

“Never be afraid to live for Jesus. Never be ashamed to live for Jesus. Never be apathetic in living for Jesus. Be committed.” —Anne Graham Lotz

“Now this is His will, that we believe in Christ, that we repent of sin, that we live a holy life, and that we love one another. This is His will, even our sanctification.” —Matthew Henry

Further Reflections

“Sanctification is a life of Christ-centered choices, made evident in loving obedience to God.” —Mel De Peal

“Living for Jesus a life that is true, Striving to please Him in all that I do; Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free, This is the pathway of blessing for me. O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee, For Thou, in Thy atonement Didst give Thyself for me; I own no other Master, My heart shall be Thy throne, My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.” —Hymn: “Living for Jesus” by Thomas Chisholm

22010.174 Test the Fruit!

“Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.” —Matthew 7:15–20

Jesus is warning his followers to watch out, to be on our guard against those who would lead us astray. While the “false prophets” may appear harmless, they are anything but! We would do well to remember what Scripture tells us regarding Satan and his minions. The devil disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, we should not be surprised that his servants do as well:

“For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.” —2 Corinthians 11:13–15

Before believing, we are to test all words against Scripture. When words are proven false, avoid and have nothing to do with following those who speak them! God blesses those who diligently search the Scripture for truth. Even the Bereans checked the teaching of the Apostle Paul!

“For they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so.” —Acts 17:11

We are to be cautious! This is certainly not anything new. From the serpent in the garden until this present-day, people have been bombarded by those who desire to take them on the path of destruction. God has continuously warned His people against this:

“The LORD of Heaven’s Armies says to the people of Jerusalem: ‘Do not listen to what those prophets are saying to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They are reporting visions of their own imaginations, not something the LORD has given them to say. They continually say to those who reject what the LORD has said, “Things will go well for you!” They say to all those who follow the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts, “Nothing bad will happen to you!” Yet which of them has ever stood in the LORD’s inner circle so they could see and hear what he has to say? Which of them have ever paid attention or listened to what he has said?’” —Jeremiah 23:16–18

Jesus tells us we can know these false prophets by the actions of their lives. A tree produces fruit according to its own kind. If we want to know if a person’s teaching is from God, an easy test is to examine their life! The works of a person’s life will testify for or against them. If the direction of their teaching leads to godliness, humility, patience, love, joy, and a host of other Christian graces, it surely points us to the truth. However, if their doctrine is one of dissension and pride, and takes people away from governing themselves or their families, we had better flee or at the very least dig deeper ourselves to discover the real truth.

Each person is ultimately responsible to God for what they believe.

Become More

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical. And the fruit that consists of righteousness is planted in peace among those who make peace.” —James 3:13–18

Further Reflections

“Holiness is the visible side of salvation.” —Charles Spurgeon

“A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine.” —D. L. Moody

“Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.” —2 Timothy 3:16–17

22010.293 Choose to Follow the Truth

“Then the experts in the law and the chief priests wanted to arrest him that very hour, because they realized he had told this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.” —Luke 20:19

The teachers of the law were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus! The truth of his words cut to their hearts and they needed to not only be rid of his message, but his entire being!

This sentiment is repeated several times by Luke:

“Jesus was teaching daily in the temple courts. The chief priests and the experts in the law and the prominent leaders among the people were seeking to assassinate him, but they could not find a way to do it, for all the people hung on his words.” —Luke 19:47–48

“Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. The chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find some way to execute Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.” —Luke 22:1–2

Have you ever noticed that one simply cannot get rid of Jesus when confronted by the truth of Him? No matter how hard we try—pretending He doesn’t exist, or ignoring Him, or closing our ears and hearts, or seeking any other way to silence Him—it does not negate the fact that He is truth, and that He presents each one of us with a choice of whether or not to follow Him.

We see this “choice” throughout all of Scripture: People are clearly given the choice between following the world and following God. God does not want us to do a limping dance between the two options—a divided mind and heart will never stand.

For example, we find in 1 Kings the confrontation between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel:

“Elijah approached all the people and said, ‘Kings, how long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? If the LORD is the true God, then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!’ But the people did not say a word.” —1 Kings 18:21

Joshua also presented the people of Israel with a clear choice:

“Now obey the LORD and worship him with integrity and loyalty. Put aside the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt and worship the LORD. If you have no desire to worship the LORD, choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the LORD.” —Joshua 24:14–15

In the New Testament, we see Peter and John faced with this same choice … and then turning that choice back to their accusers:

“When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus. And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this. But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, they began to confer with one another, saying, ‘What should we do with these men? For it is plain to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign has come about through them, and we cannot deny it. But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.’ And they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, ‘Whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God, you decide, for it is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.’” —Acts 4:13–20

Jesus came as the light of the world and He has left us here to shine forth His light through our words and our deeds. We are to be Jesus! And just like Peter and John, we must be bold in professing to others what we have seen and what we have heard!

Become More

“You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.” —Matthew 5:14–16

Further Reflection

“We are holding a light … Though it may seem but a twinkling candle in a world of blackness, it is our business to let it shine. We are blowing a trumpet … We must keep sounding the alarm to those who are in spiritual danger … We are kindling a fire. In this cold world full of hatred and selfishness our little blaze may seem to be unavailing, but we must keep our fire burning. A light, a trumpet, a fire … they seem so little … But ‘with God all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:26), and He will bless our efforts to bring the good news of Jesus to a weary and strife-torn world.” —Billy Graham

22010.292 Broken to Pieces

“Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.” —Luke 20:18

When we fall on Jesus as our only hope of salvation, with a broken and contrite heart, completely sorry for our sin and hopeless condition—in other words “broken to pieces”—God will welcome us!

“The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit—O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject.” —Psalm 51:17

“Has that breaking of my independence come? All the rest is religious fraud. The one point to decide is–will I give up? Will I surrender to Jesus Christ, placing no conditions whatsoever as to how the brokenness will come? I must be broken from my own understanding of myself. When I reach that point, immediately the reality of the supernatural identification with Jesus Christ takes place. And the witness of the Spirit of God is unmistakable—‘I have been crucified with Christ.’” —Oswald Chambers

It is a crushing blow to come face-to-face with the reality of our own sinfulness. The more that we grow in Christlikeness, the more aware of our sinful nature we become.

And it is when we approach God’s throne full of ourselves, full of our works, full of self-righteousness, full of arrogance, full of self-importance, and full of our ability to reconcile ourselves to a holy God, that we are crushed. Eventually, when face-to-face with God’s pure holiness and glorious majesty, it will be evident to those who have chosen not to follow our Savior that neither their arrogance nor their wealth will be able to save them.

We are told by the prophet Isaiah:

“Their land is full of gold and silver; there is no end to their wealth. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots. Their land is full of worthless idols; they worship the product of their own hands, what their own fingers have fashioned. Men bow down to them in homage, they lie flat on the ground in worship. Don’t spare them! Go up into the rocky cliffs, hide in the ground. Get away from the dreadful judgment of the LORD, from his royal splendor! Proud men will be brought low, arrogant men will be humiliated; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. Indeed, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has planned a day of judgment, for all the high and mighty, for all who are proud—they will be humiliated.” —Isaiah 2:7–12

The book of Hebrews explains:

“Take care not to refuse the one who is speaking! For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less shall we, if we reject the one who warns from heaven? Then his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven too.’ Now this phrase ‘once more’ indicates the removal of what is shaken, that is, of created things, so that what is unshaken may remain. So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. For our God is indeed a devouring fire.” —Hebrews 12:25–29

Become More

I am a religious fraud if I depend upon by own sense of righteousness and abilities to reconcile myself to a holy God. It is only through the blood of Jesus that I am washed and made clean of my sins.

“Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come! Buy and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost! Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing! Enjoy fine food! Pay attention and come to me! Listen, so you can live! Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David. Look, I made him a witness to nations, a ruler and commander of nations. Look, you will summon nations you did not previously know; nations that did not previously know you will run to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he bestows honor on you. Seek the LORD while he makes himself available; call to him while he is nearby! The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle and sinful people their plans. They should return to the LORD, and he will show mercy to them, and to their God, for he will freely forgive them.” —Isaiah 55:1–7

“Now this is the gospel message we have heard from him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.” —1 John 1:5–v10

Further Reflection

“It’s the nature of God to make something out of nothing; therefore, when anyone is nothing, God may yet make something of him.” —Martin Luther

22010.291 Jesus, Our Cornerstone

‘The stone the builders rejected has become the corner.” —Luke 20:17

The “corner” that Jesus is referring to here is himself! He is telling the people that God has exalted Him to be the chief stone above all, the head of the corner, on which all else depends. Jesus—according to the book of Daniel—is the rock cut out of the mountain.

Daniel described this as he told King Nebuchadnezzar about his dream:

“You were watching as a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its iron and clay feet, breaking them in pieces. Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth.” —Daniel 2:34–35

Daniels’s interpretation of this dream speaks to our verses for today:

“In the days of those kings the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever. You saw that a stone was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands; it smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold into pieces. The great God has made known to the king what will occur in the future. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is reliable.” —Daniel 2:44–45

Peter uses the word “cornerstone” for Jesus in the book of Acts:

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, replied “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man—by what means this man was healed—let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.” —Acts 4:8–12

Scripture is clear—salvation is found in no one else but Jesus! We find this clearly explained by Paul and Silas in the book of Acts when they answer the jailor’s question about salvation:

“They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with all those who were in his house. At that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized right away. The jailer brought them into his house and set food before them, and he rejoiced greatly that he had come to believe in God, together with his entire household.” —Acts 16:31–34

Become More

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” —John 14:6

Further Reflection

“Our nature struggles fiercely against being saved without our works and tries to deceive us with a grand illusion of our own righteousness. So we may find ourselves attracted to a life that merely appears to be righteous. Or because we know we aren’t righteous, we may be frightened by death or sin. Therefore, we must learn that we should have nothing to do with any other way of becoming righteous, except through Christ alone.” —Martin Luther

22010.290 Rejection of the Son?

“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my one dear son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir; let’s kill him so the inheritance will be ours!’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?” —Luke 20:13–15

Destruction follows the path of continuous disobedience. This is man’s choosing, it is not God’s desire. We find this warning in other parts of the Bible:

“What more can I do for my vineyard beyond what I have already done? When I waited for it to produce edible grapes, why did it produce sour ones instead? Now I will inform you what I am about to do to my vineyard: I will remove its hedge and turn it into pasture, I will break its wall and allow animals to graze there. I will make it a wasteland; no one will prune its vines or hoe its ground, and thorns and briers will grow there. I will order the clouds not to drop any rain on it.” —Isaiah 5:4–6

“The LORD God of their ancestors continually warned them through his messengers, for he felt compassion for his people and his dwelling place. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his warnings, and ridiculed his prophets. Finally the LORD got very angry at his people and there was no one who could prevent his judgment.” —2 Chronicles 36:15–16

“This is what the LORD says:‘What fault could your ancestors have possibly found in me that they strayed so far from me? They paid allegiance to worthless idols, and so became worthless to me. They did not ask: “Where is the LORD who delivered us out of Egypt, who brought us through the wilderness, through a land of valleys and gorges, through a land of desert and deep darkness, through a land in which no one travels, and where no one lives?” I brought you into a fertile land so you could enjoy its fruits and its rich bounty. But when you entered my land, you defiled it; you made the land I call my own loathsome to me.’” —Jeremiah 2:5–7

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it! Look, your house is left to you desolate!” —Matthew 23:37–38

May we not be found in the place of desolation! Consider for a moment all that God has blessed us with! Think about His constant love for us! Do we not owe Him our all?

“What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?” —Romans 8:31–32

Become More

“Now may the Lord direct your hearts toward the love of God and the endurance of Christ.” —2 Thessalonians 3:5

Further Reflection

“He will shelter you with his wings; you will find safety under his wings. His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall.” —Psalm 91:4

22010.289 God’s Vineyard

“Then he began to tell the people this parable: ‘A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time. When harvest time came, he sent a slave to the tenants so that they would give him his portion of the crop. However, the tenants beat his slave and sent him away empty-handed. So he sent another slave. They beat this one too, treated him outrageously, and sent him away empty-handed. So he sent still a third. They even wounded this one, and threw him out.’” —Luke 20:9–12

In the books of Matthew and Mark we find additional details surrounding this story:

“There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey.” —Matthew 21:33

“A man planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey.” —Mark 12:1

Jesus is comparing the kingdom of God on earth to an exquisite vineyard furnished with everything necessary for its management, improvement, and development.

These verses of Scripture are reminiscent of a description found in Isaiah:

“I will sing to my love—a song to my lover about his vineyard.
My love had a vineyard on a fertile hill.
He built a hedge around it, removed its stones, and planted a vine.
He built a tower in the middle of it, and constructed a winepress.
He waited for it to produce edible grapes, but it produced sour ones instead.” —Isaiah 5:1–2

The Lord has planted the Church for the display of His splendor, and it is ever under His watchful, protective eye. It was He who planted the vineyard with the choicest of vines; it was He who cleared the soil of the stones; and it was He who built the watchtower and the winepress—all with the goal of enjoying its fruitfulness.

“When that time comes, sing about a delightful vineyard! I, the LORD, protect it; I water it regularly. I guard it night and day, so no one can harm it.” —Isaiah 27:2–3

Those of us who enjoy all the privileges as children of the King also have pleasant and profitable responsibilities which accompany our position—we are to about bringing forth much fruit.

Proverbs tells us:

“The fruit of the righteous is like a tree producing life, and the one who wins souls is wise.” —Proverbs 11:30

The prophet Jeremiah proclaimed God’s message:

“My blessing is on those people who trust in me, who put their confidence in me. They will be like a tree planted near a stream whose roots spread out toward the water. It has nothing to fear when the heat comes. Its leaves are always green. It has no need to be concerned in a year of drought. It does not stop bearing fruit.” —Jeremiah 17:7–8

The story goes on to explain how the tenants beat the faithful servants of the man. Unfortunately, this has often been the case of God’s faithful servants as well. They have been abused and treated wrongly by those who are resolved to take God’s gifts for themselves. They not only refuse to acknowledge God’s rightful authority, but also abuse those who do.

“Though assaults be many, and my enemies mighty, if God strengthen me, I have enough to comfort me; for the greater my enemy, the more glorious my victory; and the more glorious my victory, the more triumphant my glory.” —K. H. Von Bogatzky

Become More

“Grant, O Lord, that I may earnestly seek to bring forth fruits, and may grow in fruitfulness as I grow in years; and never cease from yielding fruit; hereby proving myself to be a tree of the Lord’s planting, whose leaf is green, and whose branches are flourishing and fruitful. Yet bless me also with deep poverty of spirit, that I may see myself still nothing, have nothing of my own to glory in, or to justify me; and thus esteem Christ my all, and rest upon Him wholly.” —K. H. Von Bogatzky

Further Reflection

“Christians shouldn’t be surprised when, in seeking to do God’s will, we find ourselves trapped in painful, frightening, difficult, or impossible situations. Life is hard—especially for Christians.” —Robert J. Morgan

22010.286 Accountable

“Then another slave came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina that I put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth. For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’ The king said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! So you knew, did you, that I was a severe man, withdrawing what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow? Why then didn’t you put my money in the bank, so that when I returned I could have collected it with interest?’ And he said to his attendants, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has ten.’” —Luke 19:20–24

The faithful go about their Master’s business with eagerness awaiting His sure return. There is a great deal of work for every Christian to do and there is a need to set about it swiftly, losing no time. At Christ’s ascension He took care to furnish His Church with all things needed until His return.

“He gave to some more, to others less; to everyone according to his own ability. When Divine Providence has made a difference in men’s ability, grace dispenses spiritual gifts accordingly, but still the ability itself is from Him. Everyone has one talent at least, and that is not a despicable stock for a poor servant to begin with. A soul of our own is the one talent we are every one of us entrusted with, and it will find us with work.” —Matthew Henry

“Be careful not to say, ‘My own ability and skill have gotten me this wealth.’ You must remember the LORD your God, for he is the one who gives ability to get wealth; if you do this he will confirm his covenant that he made by oath to your ancestors, even as he has to this day.” —Deuteronomy 8:17–18

Everything comes from God’s hand and is intended for His glory. Sadly, somehow along the way, we have become confused. We must remember that God has a purpose for what He has poured into us. The servant in our verses today forgot that he was accountable to the master.

Become More

The failure of the servant to put his talents to work was an indication of his lack of faith in the master’s response to him upon his certain return. The servant failed to put forth any effort to improve the lot given him. None will be called to account for more than they have received, but for what we have received we will surely be called upon to give an accounting.

“And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” —Hebrews 4:13

Further Reflections

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” —Edmund Burke

“You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” —Luke 12:40