Matthew 22:23-33, Marriage at the Resurrection

 ²³ That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. ²⁴ “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. ²⁵ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. ²⁶ The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. ²⁷ Finally, the woman died. ²⁸  Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”  

 ²⁹ Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. ³⁰ At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. ³¹ But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ³² ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’^[b]? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”

 ³³ When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

Before my dad died he would frequently make reference to his longing to die so he could go off to see my mom in heaven. He was so lonely. I was often tempted to (but didn’t) tell him if mom was in heaven she certainly had far better offers on the table than a tired old Swede…

But…that’s another story…we all know our relationships in heaven are not limited to earthly longings.

There’s a bigger story here. That story is the difficulty we have being honest with God when we disagree with Him. When faced with this dilemma we resort to mounting “deductive” arguments and creating “straw men”. Both strategies are suspicious.

Deductive reasoning begins with the conclusion and mounts an argument to support the conclusion. Sometimes our arguments holds water…often they don’t. But that doesn’t stop us from doing it because the conclusion is more important than the premise. This is exactly what the Sadducees did. They knew there wasn’t a heaven (conclusion) so they developed an argument (a woman married to seven brothers) that supported that conclusion.

To ensure they prevailed they erected their “straw men”. A straw man is a part of an argument and is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position. In this case…they wove a tale of marriage and adultery in heaven.  “Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”  In spite of the fact that she had perfectly followed the law here on earth, this woman would be faced with at least six adultery violations if she could not assume all seven husbands.

Voila! Heaven could not be possible. The straw man…as Jesus pointed out…was the premise that there is marriage in heaven.

What idiocy…Actually, Jesus called them “Hypocrites”.

Nevertheless, it’s part of what we do…

1.   “Lord, I can only tithe on my net income because the government won’t let me touch the rest of it”.

2.    “Lord, I can’t go back to church after what they did to my mom 40 years ago. I’d be disrespecting her memory”.

3.    “God, I can’t forgive him…I’ve already done it 490 times (your rules, not mine!)”.

Think he’s buying any of it? Me either…

And, the foolishness begins when we simply won’t believe God’s premise.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 22:15-22, Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar

 ¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. ¹⁶ They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. ¹⁷ Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax^[a] to Caesar or not?”

 ¹⁸ But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? ¹⁹ Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, ²⁰ and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

 ²¹ “Caesar’s,” they replied.

   Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

 ²² When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

We’re not really unsure about this meaning are we? Pay our taxes, pay our mortgage, pay off our student loans. It’s not complicated.

But, that’s the “Caesar” part…What about the “God” part?

Well, I suppose it’s everything God owns…which would be everything He created. Not so complicated, but very complex. Have we thought about everything in our lives that God owns? Are we giving it to him?

And, no…I’m not trying to trap you. Hypocrites do that. I’m trying to help you…

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 22:1-14, The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

 ¹ Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

   ⁴ “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

   ⁵ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. ⁶ The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

   ⁸ “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. ⁹ So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ ¹⁰ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

   ¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ¹² He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

   ¹³ “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

   ¹⁴ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

So…”Christians are a worse threat to society than radical Muslims”. So says one of our celebrity oracles. Increasingly, we are viewed as being part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

I’m often perplexed by this attitude because I’m a “nice” Christian. I’m not pushy about it (nor, are most of my friends). I’m joyful, optimistic, thoughtful and respectful when I shine my light. All I want the world to do is appreciate the eternal blessing of following Christ. How is that a problem?

And so…the parable explains. We don’t see a lot of mystery in this parable. It’s pretty straight-forward. The meaning is clear.

Everybody is invited to personally celebrate Christ. It’s just that most people aren’t even interested enough to RSVP. They simply ignore the offer. Furthermore, if the invitations persist, some people get outright belligerent and lash out at well-meaning disciples. The answer is “NO!” with an attitude.

All over a party…

And I thought we lived in a party culture. Not actually. We live in a hedonistic culture…there’s a difference. It’s why the world will get all “clubbed out” to go drinking and dancing but won’t spend an ounce of effort on Jesus. All parties are not equal. (I’d love to suggest vs 11-12 really refers to how we should dress in church…but, I don’t think so).

But, we all know, this is a party we cannot afford to miss. If we aren’t counted among the guests we will not be recognized as one of the relatives. In the end, if the hostess didn’t put our name in the guestbook…we’re ushered out.

Unfortunately, we have to show up at the wedding if we want to kiss the bride…

We should be diligent to remind our friends…the wedding is coming.

Live boldly out there.

Matthew 21:33-46, The Parable of the Tenants

'm    ³³ “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. ³⁴ When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

   ³⁵ “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. ³⁶ Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. ³⁷ Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

   ³⁸ “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ ³⁹ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

   ⁴⁰ “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

 ⁴¹ “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

 ⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

   “‘The stone the builders rejected
   has become the cornerstone;
   the Lord has done this,
   and it is marvelous in our eyes’^[h]?

   ⁴³ “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. ⁴⁴ Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”^[i]

 ⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. ⁴⁶ They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

A church in Colorado recently called a “transgendered” man to be their pastor. I'm less bothered by this controversial decision than I am by the (entirely non-biblical) explanation from the congregation justifying it. But, I’m not surprised…the inmates are running the asylum. Jesus said as much…

Chalk one up for the Pharisees…they finally grasped what Jesus was saying.”They knew he was talking about them”. On the other hand, they didn’t handle this epiphany very well. ”They looked for a way to arrest him”. The only thing that stopped them was public opinion.

What was this all about?

Jesus was explaining, through this parable, how the Chief Priests and Pharisees had basically mounted an insurrection and usurped God’s Kingdom. Through the years they had claimed ownership and destroyed everything that threatened their authority. It was, de facto, no longer God’s, but theirs.

Sadly, they actually realized it. God’s interests were now subordinate to their own. In some crazy way they justified their conduct (like the church in Colorado). As Napoleon once said “to make an omelet, one must break a few eggs!” So…what are a few dead prophets in the grand scheme? They were on a mission.

The proof…lies in the fact that when God’s Son, the rightful heir, comes to settle accounts…the charlatans would kill Him, just like every threat that preceded Him.

Decision time…

Vince Lombardi didn’t like the forward pass. He said “there are three things that can happen when you pass the ball…and two of them are not good.”

Well…we have three possible encounters with Jesus, the Cornerstone. The one option we don’t have is to ignore Him. Jesus will get in our face and make that impossible. We can argue with Him and be broken to pieces. We can obstruct Him and be crushed. Or, we can build our lives upon Him (the Cornerstone) and erect something that will stand the test of time.

Lombardi, the great theologian, was right, but the one good option is very, very, good.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 21:28-32, The Parable of the Two Sons

    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, “Truly I tell you, 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.

Some people call it tact. Others call it prudence. It’s those times we say one thing while we believe another. We reserve it for the times we don’t have the energy for a confrontation…or we just don’t care enough to tell the truth.

“Can you come home straight after work today? We’re having visitors.”

“OK, I will.”

If we meant it, we wouldn’t have forgotten. But…it’s easier than saying “I don’t want to”. What begins as ambivalence ends up a lie…when we don’t do what we say.

This has serious consequences in a relationship. And, by the way, we and God are in a relationship. We are the “Bride of Christ”.

I _____, take you Jesus Christ, to be my Lord and Savior. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death we are eternally joined. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness.

Sort of eliminates the liberty to proclaim we’ll follow Christ today while we do whatever we please once our devotions are over. In fact, an honest and contrite prostitute will see God’s Kingdom before the folks who put on a good show (aka Pharisees).

So, who’s obedient and who isn’t? Only the heart that is pure and submissive before God. And…that’s not always easy to see from the outside. Rather than worry about who is and who isn’t…perhaps we should be more concerned about why a prostitute might get into the kingdom before the pillars of the community (some of them sit on the front pew).

A healthy dose of that reality should prompt me to open my spirit and respond obediently to God. When I worry about my own heart I have less time to worry about yours. I should leave that to you and God. As for my own heart…I can measure it by my fidelity to the promises I made.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 21:23-27, The Authority of Jesus Questioned

 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 of human origin?”

   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, ‘Of human origin’—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.

“What gives you the right?” If the Chief Priests and elders only knew who they were speaking with…

We ask it…or at least think it all the time. Often with justification, often not. The question surely comes from our own sense of privilege and importance. We imply that we are arbiters of who has which rights. Otherwise we wouldn’t ask…or think…the question.

So, my wife can suggest I stay out of the refrigerator and I can suggest she not “borrow” my tools. That’s the easy part. We know who we’re talking with in each case.

It’s a little trickier at outside the home. Deciding who has the right to move the coffee-maker can be difficult. Who gets to occupy which desk is more so.

I was working in an office with no window. My storage room had a window. I switched offices. I’m the chief. I can do it. Well, maybe not. A facility manager came to my new office and asked my who gave me authority to make the switch. I told her I was my own authority…I was the chief of the service.

Wrong answer…Bob Dylan said “you’ve got to serve somebody”. I guess, for me, it’s the facility manager. Although, I found out getting forgiveness is easier than getting permission.

When we begin to think this way with Jesus, we might want to stop and remember who we’re talking with. We could avoid the multiple choice test and save a lot of embarrassment.

Live boldly out there today…

Matthew 21:18-22, Jesus Curses a Fig Tree

 ¹⁸ Early in the morning, as Jesus 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, “Truly I tell you, 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.”

I’m not so interested in the mountain being thrown into the sea. I believe in the power of prayer.

I’m more interested in what Jesus did here, not what he said. Did he lose his temper? And the fig tree paid the price? I notice the disciples didn’t think to ask Jesus why he cursed the tree. They really wanted to know how that curse took effect so quickly.

Let’s guess it’s not about the tree…Yet, some folks want to make it all about the tree. After all, the tree was innocent. Which, of course opens up the suggestion that Jesus may have done something wrong here.

You think I’m kidding, right? Well, I’ve heard (a number of times) that this creation would be better off if people were not in it.

Huh? By what measure? Creation exists for mankind…it’s not the other way around. If mankind were not here it, creation could not possibly fulfill its purpose.

So what does the withered fig tree mean? It means that creation has no other purpose than to serve mankind. If it fails to do so…it’s superfluous.

Of course, a wise person would take good care of nature so it can fulfill its purpose for a very long time…

Live boldly out there today…