On Line Bible Study - For the week September 1 - 7, 2008

Two Traps . . .

I suppose the biggest "trap" we human beings fall into is the one set by our own ego. But, having acknowledged that, it seems as if the bait for that trap manifests itself in two forms: Money, and Sex. Jesus is hit with both of them in Matthew 22. First, the Money . . .

Matthew 22: 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 you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes 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 portrait is this? And whose inscription?"

21 "Caesar's," they replied.
Then he said to them, "Give 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.

As I read and study the gospel of Matthew I am increasingly convinced that Jesus is doing everything in his power to lead people through the doors of the kingdom of heaven. And this "kingdom" has an "all or nothing" quality to it. The "trap" has to do with a point of law. There are several things to be aware of:

1. The Jewish people were paying a number of religious taxes.
2. The Roman tax was on top of these religious taxes, and no one likes to pay taxes!
3. Jesus has been talking a lot about the kingdom of heaven - for persons predisposed to the overthrow of Roman rule, his rhetoric was both exciting (if you were looking for the restoration of Jerusalem) and treason. Rome did not take kindly to anyone inciting public rebellion against Caesar.

It looked like the perfect trap. No matter how he answered, Jesus would make enemies.

But herein lies the power of the kingdom of heaven - it plays by a set of different rules. To some extent the kingdoms of this world become irrelevant. Is it in love, and with great hope that Jesus says to his "testers": Give to God what is God's! If we do that, we put everything right! As high as the taxes are, they are insignificant when compared to what is owed to our Creator! Why do we quibble over taxes when all the while we are shortchanging the God who loves, heals and saves us? Our loving response to this amazing God is that we give our all.

Regarding the "Sex" question, I may be stretching it a bit. The test isn't so much so much about "sex" is it is marriage. And marriage is but the "on-ramp" to the real issue they want to discuss:

Matthew 22: 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 have children 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. 28Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?"

It is so easy to get sidetracked on issues that don't really matter! Perhaps you have heard the saying: Keep the main thing the main thing. Anyone who is married knows how easy it is for disagreements and arguments to become hot to the boiling point only because one or the other - or both - parties start bringing up things that have nothing to do with the concern at hand! Jesus has a relationship with God, and he knows we don't have relationships with nonexistent beings - at least, not healthy relationships! Jesus deals with the "marriage" question as if to get it out of the way:

Matthew 22: 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.

It's almost as if Jesus is saying: You don't care about marriage! Let's cut to the chase!

Matthew 22: 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']? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

For those who attended our Church this past Sunday, Jesus' answer should ring some bells. This is what God says to Moses when asked: What is your name? (Exodus 3:6, 15.) Remember the "name" God gives to Moses? I am who I am. This is a living God; and the living God does not have a relationship with nonexistent beings! In other words, every section of the equation is alive - God, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!

It's not a question of who is married to whom. Rather, it is growing into the faith that believes in life - abundant, eternal life - that's what really matters.

Upon hearing Jesus' response, the Bible tells us the crowds were astonished at his teaching. So am I.

For next week we will finish Chapter 22.

On Line Bible Study - For the week August 24-31, 2008

Lesson 350

The Kingdom of heaven is like . . .

Matthew 22: 1-3 Jesus responded by telling still more stories. "God's kingdom," he said, "is like a king who threw a wedding banquet for his son. He sent out servants to call in all the invited guests. And they wouldn't come!

4"He sent out another round of servants, instructing them to tell the guests, 'Look, everything is on the table, the prime rib is ready for carving. Come to the feast!'

5-7"They only shrugged their shoulders and went off, one to weed his garden, another to work in his shop. The rest, with nothing better to do, beat up on the messengers and then killed them. The king was outraged and sent his soldiers to destroy those thugs and level their city.

8-10"Then he told his servants, 'We have a wedding banquet all prepared but no guests. The ones I invited weren't up to it. Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet.' The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on—every place filled.

11-13"When the king entered and looked over the scene, he spotted a man who wasn't properly dressed. He said to him, 'Friend, how dare you come in here looking like that!' The man was speechless. Then the king told his servants, 'Get him out of here—fast. Tie him up and ship him to hell. And make sure he doesn't get back in.'

14"That's what I mean when I say, 'Many get invited; only a few make it.'" (The Message.)

The first thing to note: Jesus' intended primary audience is comprised of chief priests and Pharisees. (See Matthew 21:45-46.) Bible scholar John Nolland points out there are two parts to this parable. First, Jesus deals with those who refuse to respond to the invitation. Second, Jesus makes it clear that, regardless of who we are, we do not enter the kingdom of heaven on our own terms. Let's think about each of these points.

Those who have been listening to Jesus and who are more apt to find his message repulsive are people who believe themselves to be "in".

Did you ever show up at the airport, ticket in hand, only to find out that you have been "bumped"? Not a good feeling! But that helps us get a handle on how these priests and Pharisees may have felt. They had done all the right things. Their righteousness was the "boarding pass", and it was inconceivable to them that Jesus would even insinuate that they would not get into the kingdom.

The second point: Lest we get too cocky, Jesus makes it clear that we had best not get too jubilant over the priests' and Pharisees' bad fortune. Not being one of them is no guarantee that we will get in either! We do not enter the kingdom of heaven as a result of anything other than God's grace. In this regard, repentance is the garment that is our only assurance.

Another dimension to this text has to do with the nature of the "called". This was Israel's status - the "chosen" ones. Jesus (and Matthew) may be doing something here to break down racial and cultural barriers. We will come to Matthew 24 in the next month or so, and when we do we will read of Jesus telling his disciples that, apart from God's mercy and the shortening of "those days", "no one would survive". We will talk about the nature of apocalyptic literature at that point. Suffice it to say now that this parable in Matthew 22:1-14 has an apocalyptic ring to it.

Jesus not only teaches the subject; he sets the tone and the standard for our lives when he finds himself in the garden prior to his arrest. Here, he struggles in the extreme with the same issue we face - the question of whose will is going to win the day, ours, or God's.

Don't let yourself off the hook of Matthew 22:1-14 by assuring yourself that you are not a "Pharisee". Like them, we too have been invited. But we will get through the door only on God's terms. Therein lies the challenge of this passage - am I willing to live more and more on God's terms?

Two traps await Jesus. We will discuss those next time. Read Matthew 22:15-33 if you get the chance.

On Line Bible Study - For the week August 18 - 24, 2008

Lesson 349

Matthew 21:23-43

Matthew 21:23 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.

Just for a moment, consider an interesting aspect of the text:

Authority of Jesus Authority of John Authority of Both

Matthew 11:2-6 11:7-15 11:16-19
21:33-43 21:28-32 21:23-27

This is the kind of thing that doesn't mean much to us in terms of living our faith; but it intrigues scholars - the idea that in Matthew 11:2-19 the ministries of Jesus, John and both are discussed in that order, while in Matthew 21:23-43 the ministries of both together, then John and then Jesus are discussed in that order - the reverse of the order found in Chapter 11. (Thank you to scholar John Nolland for this observation.)

Jesus' public ministry in Jerusalem will happen almost exclusively in the temple. It causes me to wonder: Were Jesus to be physically present with us today what percentage of his ministry would be focused at the church - at those of us who claim to be his "followers"? Always, throughout the gospel of Matthew, we have seen that his harshest words were aimed at those who were religious leaders. How much actual authority do we afford Jesus in the living of our lives? It would never occur to me to try to trip Jesus up in terms of the origin of his "authority". I actually do believe that his authority comes from God - and still I don't give it nearly the sway it deserves in my life!

In this exchange between Jesus and the priests and elders, doesn't it become clear that they are desperate to hold on to their own authority? They didn't want to acknowledge John or Jesus. Repent - that was the prophetic cry of John. Why? That seems to be how the religious leaders had responded! If they did not "get" John's message, they would not "get" the message of Jesus either. And what would they have done with the information anyway? Had Jesus told them the truth, would they have received it?

Matthew 21:28 "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.

This is about John and the religious leaders, isn't it? The leaders gave lip service to the message of God; John followed through. And because of him, not them, people were coming to faith and entering the kingdom. Faith proclaimed is nothing apart from faith in action. John was a "man of action". So must we be.

Matthew 21:33-43 - You can read this parable - Briefly it is about a man who owns a vineyard that he leases to tenants. He sent one servant after another to collect his rent, but the tenants beat, stoned, and killed them. Finally the man sent his son, thinking the tenants would respect him, but they killed him, too. (John had been beheaded; Jesus would be crucified.) Jesus then asks: What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants?

There is a clear parallel between Matthew 21:33-43 and Isaiah 5:1-7. Just as the words of Isaiah were aimed at the people of Judah, so too, the words of Jesus in Matthew are aimed at the very people who were questioning Jesus' authority - and they know it. Look at how Matthew 21:43 reads:

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it.

And then . . . . When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. (Matthew 21:45.)

Here is the challenge: Can we identify the places where Jesus is speaking about us?

For next time begin to read Matthew 22.

On Line Bible Study - For the week August 11-17, 2008

Lesson 348

Matthew 21:12ff . . .
Jesus entered the temple courts . . .

This is the beginning of the end. Matthew 21:12 is a section of the gospel that comes to its conclusion in Matthew 23:39 - . . . . For I tell you (Jerusalem), you will not see me again until . . .

12-14 Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text:

My house was designated a house of prayer;
You have made it a hangout for thieves. (See Isaiah 56:7.)

Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them. (From The Message)

We had an interesting conversation at a recent Men's Breakfast. We were discussing the healing ministry of Jesus when one of the men who attends the breakfast - who happens to be blind - made the comment: The AMA would not be pleased if Jesus were to come around and heal the blind people. As we pursued what he meant by his remark he spoke about the business that has grown and the money that is to be made around various "disabilities". When we translate this to Jesus' day, we ask the question: Was there money to be made in the temple courts? The answer, obviously, is "Yes!"

Today churches receive countless promotions from a myriad of companies all of which know exactly what we need to do in order to grow, to expand ministries, to start new ones. And, for a price, they are happy to share their expertise with us. Does the church need to be "cleaned out"? Has the business of Christianity pushed out what the church is really supposed to be doing - praying, serving, praising? What has to happen in order for there to be room in the church for it to be doing what it has been called to do?

Look at the response of religious leaders to what Jesus was doing in the temple:

Matthew 21:15-16 When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, "Hosanna to David's Son!" they were up in arms and took him to task. "Do you hear what these children are saying?" Jesus said, "Yes, I hear them. And haven't you read in God's Word, 'From the mouths of children and babies I'll furnish a place of praise'?" 17 Fed up, Jesus turned on his heel and left the city for Bethany, where he spent the night.

This entire episode reminds us of a passage in Malachi 1. God is frustrated in this passage because the people were offering animals that were unfit as sacrifices.

Malachi 1:10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the Lord Almighty . . ."

Jesus did not exactly shut the temple doors; but he certainly disrupted the status quo.

And then - there are the praises of the children. Some simply cannot abide anyone else other than themselves on the receiving end of praise!

Early the next morning Jesus came back into the city. He was hungry, and he saw a fig tree. Finding nothing but leaves, Jesus said to the tree:

Matthew 21:18-20 "No more figs from this tree—ever!" The fig tree withered on the spot, a dry stick. The disciples saw it happen. They rubbed their eyes, saying, "Did we really see this? A leafy tree one minute, a dry stick the next?"

In his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, John Nolland suggests the real question here is not: What made the fig tree wither? The real issue is: Why is this happening? Jesus gives us an insight in his answer:

Matthew 21:21 "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 . . .

In other words, the Lord expects the disciples to bear fruit! Their faith has to make a difference! Their preaching has to result in transformed lives. Their fellowship has to inspire others to love God and each other. Put another way - Bear fruit, or you too will wither!

In all of this, I ponder: What would Jesus think of the church today? Is my life bearing good fruit for the kingdom of God? Do I have faith, and am I exercising it?

Jesus (Matthew?) is intensifying the message, turning up the heat. Time is growing short, and we have to "get it". Do you get it?

For next time read Matthew 21:23-32 if you get the chance.

On Line Bible Study - For the week August 4 - 10, 2008

Lesson 347

Matthew 21: 1-3 When they neared Jerusalem, having arrived at Bethphage on Mount Olives, Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions: "Go over to the village across from you. You'll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you're doing, say, 'The Master needs them!' He will send them with you."

4-5 This is the full story of what was sketched earlier by the prophet:
Tell Zion's daughter,
"Look, your king's on his way,
poised and ready, mounted
On a donkey, on a colt,
foal of a pack animal."

6-9 The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, "Hosanna to David's son!" "Blessed is he who comes in God's name!" "Hosanna in highest heaven!"

(Translation from The Message.)

The king is coming. The Gospel of Matthew takes a turn toward the finish line – we are, in the chronology of the gospel, within a week of the events that Christians believe the life of Jesus was ultimately all about – passion, death and resurrection.

In the text, Jerusalem is now in view. Jesus has previously set his sites on this city (Matthew 16:21ff, 20:17ff). At some point in his life he became convinced that, whatever his mission in life, it would play itself out in Israel’s capital city. Jerusalem was the hotbed of religious and political activity in Israel. Here was where money was changed, sacrifices were offered, and Rome was appeased. In the best of circumstances, the balance that was maintained was tenuous; in the worst, there was no balance at all. And when things got out of control in Jerusalem every segment of the population paid the price.

Two passages of the Hebrew Bible come into play here. From Genesis 49 we read of Jacob’s blessing of Judah, his fourth son: He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.

All this is to say that Judah is going to have the world at his fingertips, and no creature comfort will be lacking. To be “parked” at the “choicest branch” is to have easy access to every luxury.

The second passage is from Zechariah 9:9 – See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey . . .

This gives us a different image – not of luxury, but of humility.

The text of the passage presents us with some practical problems. Did Jesus actually mount both animals? Did the branches really get thrown down in front of the animals? If so, they would present quite an obstacle to negotiate. But this too is recorded by Matthew as a result of what was written by the Psalmist: With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. (Psalm 118: 27.)

The cries of praise – that one has come in the name of the Lord – would certainly get the attention of the Romans. Caesar, and Caesar alone was “lord”.

Matthew concludes this scene with these words:

Matthew 21:10 As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, "What's going on here? Who is this?"

11 The parade crowd answered, "This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee." (The Message.)

A city “shaken, unnerved”. Who is this man?

Remember several chapters ago, when Jesus asked the disciples: Who do you say I am? (Matthew 16:15.) Now the Evangelist is turning the question directly to us – the “crowds” . . . Who do you say Jesus is? He is the prophet from Nazareth . . . yes. But he just rode into town as king of the Messiah Parade. Matthew doesn’t mean to stop at “prophet” . . . Jesus is going to do some rather unnerving things in Jerusalem. We’ll discuss some of those things in our next lesson.

Matthew 21:12ff for next time . . .