Matthew 22

22 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.”

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.

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.

The Greatest Commandment

³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^{[c] 38} This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^{[d] 40} All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

⁴¹ While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
“The son of David,” they replied.
⁴³ He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

⁴⁴ “‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
    under your feet.”’^[e]

⁴⁵ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” ⁴⁶ No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

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 What does it mean to be "chosen?"  I would like to be one of the chosen, but is it up to me?  Are we just all pre-selected, some to eternal life and others to eternal damnation?  The first story in this chapter seems to suggest that we have some input in whether we are chosen or not.  Many are invited, called, selected or whatever you translation names them.  God initiates with the world, offering His eternal banquet to all of humanity.  Many reject the invitation.  They are too busy.  They do not want to submit to a king.  They do not believe how good it might be...whatever.  But those who say yes to the invitation and fully submit to the king are "chosen."  

The word "submission" just rubs us the wrong way, doesn't it?  It alleges that we are not in the position of power in a relationship, that we are potential victims if the other person wishes to do us harm.  It is a position of vulnerability and dependence that everything in our culture screams to avoid.  But when I try and think rationally...am I equal in power to the creator of the universe?  Um...no.  Do I have the power of life or death over reality?  Pretty sure that's a no also.  Can I speak existence into being?  If I talk too loud I can make my toddler cry...that's pretty close, isn't it?  

The king asks his guests to come to the banquet and trade in their rags and everyday clothes for wedding garments of splendor.  The man who refuses is an interesting study.  He chose to stay in his rags.  Maybe they had sentimental memories attached.  Maybe he did not trust that the king would not leave him naked.  Maybe he refused because he did not feel that he was worthy.  Whatever his reason, what he communicated was that he was not fully committed to being at the party.  He had one foot in and one foot out and the king will not accept partial attendance.  If you love your old clothes and your old life so much more than this celebration, you are free to go back.  

There is a phrase I have learned in grant writing: "It's their sandbox.  It's their rules."  God set this reality up, spoke it into being.  If this is what He says is required in order to enter eternity, there is no bargaining or manipulating our way around it.  Reality is His sandbox.

Matthew 21

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

⁵ “Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”^[a]

⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. ⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna^[b] to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[c]

“Hosanna^[d] in the highest heaven!”

¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

¹¹ The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus at the Temple

¹² Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ¹³ “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’^[e] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’^[f]”
¹⁴ The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
¹⁶ “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

“‘From the lips of children and infants
    you, Lord, have called forth your praise’^[g]?”

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

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.”

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.

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.

The Parable of the Tenants

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.

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Why did Jesus erupt in the temple?  Why did he throw over tables and chase out moneychangers?  This is the passage that Christians love to point to as far as God's righteous anger.  This is the inspiration to be zealous in our faith and fight for what is right.

Here's the thing...Jesus did not fight back because his rights were being violated.  He did not fight back because of sexual immorality or idol worship.  He fought back because there was a systematic evil that served as a barrier to people who wanted to approach God.  The money changers and merchants were simply performing their business within the accepted practices of the day.  But those practices had been tweaked over the generations to make it more expensive and exclusive to be permitted to worship God.  The only money that could be used in the temple was special temple currency which could be exchanged for, at a cost.  There were only specific animals that could be used for worship which were available, at a cost.  That does not even cover the fact that women, children and foreigners could only enter so far into the temple grounds...engaging in long distance worship, if you will.  

The economy of the temple made it incredibly hard for the poor and the foreigners to worship their God and it made Jesus furious.  Here were lost children, doing everything that they could to reconcile with their Maker and there were believers who got in the way in order to make some money.

What gets in the way of people reconciling with God these days?  What do believers do that turns earnest seekers away?  There are a lot of differing opinions out there. The church is too conservative...it is too liberal...Christians don't really know what they believe...Christians don't live what they believe...there are too few miracles...religious leaders are famous for falling.  Lots of opinions.  What do I think Jesus would rail against?

I think he would mourn how divided the church is.  I think he would laugh at the value we place on buildings and programs.  I think he would be outraged at how we marginalize the poor.  If the "least of these" are only your mission and not also your fellow ministers, how are you any different than the world?  If the only ones who have a voice in the direction of the congregation are those with money, how are you any different than the world?  If there is a clear, unspoken, set of rules that put the poor and needy on the outside looking in...to be humored rather than being honored...if you have moved your church building or meeting times so that it is a hardship for the poor to attend...what are you doing?

The poor are uncomfortable and messy and come with lots of drama and they hold a special place within the heart of God...so shouldn't they hold a special place within the church?

Matthew 20

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage,^[a] he sent them into his vineyard. ³ When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; ⁴ and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. ⁵ When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. ⁶ And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ ⁷ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ ⁸ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ ⁹ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.^{[b] 10} Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage.^{[c] 11} And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, ¹² saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ ¹³ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?^{[d] 14} Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. ¹⁵ Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’^{[e] 16} So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”^[f]

A Third Time Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

¹⁷ While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, ¹⁸ “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; ¹⁹ then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.”

The Request of the Mother of James and John

²⁰ Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. ²¹ And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” ²² But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?”^[g] They said to him, “We are able.” ²³ He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
²⁴ When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. ²⁶ It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; ²⁸ just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

²⁹ As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. ³⁰ There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Lord,^[h] have mercy on us, Son of David!” ³¹ The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet; but they shouted even more loudly, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” ³² Jesus stood still and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?” ³³ They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” ³⁴ Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.

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"Are you envious because I am generous?"

Well yes, we are.  We are jealous because someone else might have had a better life than we have.  That means that you might love someone more than you love us or honor them more...they may be better than us and if you have to choose you may choose them instead of us.  You only have so much grace and so much favor and so many blessings.  What if you give them to those other people instead of us?

I have been taught to be wise with my possessions.  Jesus clearly has not.  He gives a full salary to everyone who works for him in this story.  Because he is generous.  What about stewardship?  What about teaching good work ethics through hard work?  What about those guys who worked all day?

God's generosity is remarkable.  He is not worried about running out...ever.  He is eager to lavish good gifts on His children whenever He can.  It is hard to wrap my mind around instead of making everyone else earn their blessings.

Matthew 19

19 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. ² Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

³ Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’^{[a] 5} and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’^[b]? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
⁷ “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
⁸ Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. ⁹ I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
¹⁰ The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
¹¹ Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. ¹² For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

The Little Children and Jesus

¹³ Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
¹⁴ Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ¹⁵ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

¹⁶ Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
¹⁸ “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother,’^[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d]”
²⁰ “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
²⁷ Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife^[e] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

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Ugh.  This marriage and divorce passage always gets me.  This is one of the clearest teachings that Jesus gives.  Ever.  But you can't teach on it.  Ever.  Because our congregations are way past the point of following this to the letter.  Imagine getting up and saying that remarriage is adultery.  Who in the church is not remarried or has a friend who is remarried or has parents who were remarried or is in a horrible marriage and wants out or is divorced and terribly lonely?  How can you get up and say to all of them, "Sorry.  You can either choose to live in sin or be alone for the rest of your life"?  I know many, many people who have better lives because they entered into a 2nd marriage.  They are faithful and follow Jesus and serve the world around them and a great example to younger couples of how to care for your spouse.  But this passage...what do I do with it?

Is it enough to say that God speaks to everyone individually about whether to remarry or not?  Do we say that each case is unique and there are exceptions for being married to a nonbeliever or married in an abusive context or getting married too young?  Jesus doesn't leave a lot of loopholes...it just feels very messy.  Very, very messy.

Matthew 18

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² He called a child, whom he put among them, ³ and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Temptations to Sin

⁶ “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. ⁷ Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!
⁸ “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell^[a] of fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰ “Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.^{[b] 12} What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? ¹³ And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. ¹⁴ So it is not the will of your^[c] Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.

Reproving Another Who Sins

¹⁵ “If another member of the church^[d] sins against you,^[e] go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.^{[f] 16} But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. ¹⁸ Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹ Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Forgiveness

²¹ Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church^[g] sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven^[h] times.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²³ “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴ When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents^[i] was brought to him; ²⁵ and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii;^[j] and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. ³¹ When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. ³² Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. ³⁵ So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister^[k] from your heart.”

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 Children and forgiveness.  That's what I see in this passage...children and forgiveness.  When you talk about children or you talk about forgiveness, what you are really talking about is power.  Power is the ability to dictate terms to the world around you.  I say _____ and ______ happens.  Power is not inherently good or bad, it is a tool to be wielded and utilized as we move through our lives.  Usually the only times that we think about power is when it is abused and people are hurt through the bullying of those in authority or by those who are bigger, stronger, richer, smarter, etc.  Power dynamics are fluid and fought over on all levels of society, from nations negotiating over trade all the way down to toddlers fighting over toys.

We fight for power because we want to be in control because we are afraid that God won't take care of us.  The disciples ask Jesus about greatness, power, in the kingdom of God.  His response is to show them a child.  A young, helpless, powerless child.  Kids in the ancient world had less voice and value than in the modern day...they were a drain on resources until they could be old enough to work.  Jesus shows this child and says this is the picture of greatness in the kingdom.  Dependence.  Total and utter dependence and trust in God.  Those are the ones that God holds closest and dearest to his heart.

If there is any place where power dynamics are strongest, it is when one person has been wronged by someone else.  The wronged party has complete authority to demand that restitution be made and shame be heaped upon the head of the offender.  Jesus invites us to release the moral high ground and let go of our offense.  If we have been forgiven, we must forgive.  It is as simple as that.  It is well within our rights to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, but in the Kingdom of God the currency is mercy, grace and relationship...and few things destroy relationship as thoroughly as unforgiven offense.  We must forgive for the sake of our hearts, for the sake of our relationships and for the sake of our relationship with God.

Matthew 17

17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

⁴ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” ⁸ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
¹⁰ The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
¹¹ Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. ¹² But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” ¹³ Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

¹⁴ When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
¹⁷ “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ^[21] [a]

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time

²² When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. ²³ They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

The Temple Tax

²⁴ After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
²⁵ “Yes, he does,” he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”
²⁶ “From others,” Peter answered.
“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. ²⁷ “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

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     Two things stand out through this series of vignettes.  The first is that I have finally figured out how to spell "vignettes."  No, just kidding.  The first is how clueless Jesus' followers are...especially Peter.  Peter breaks holy moments to explain his plans to build little huts for a transfigured Jesus and His visitors.  Then he boldly states that Jesus pays a tax that He should never have to pay in His life.  But at least inbetween those times Jesus lumps his disciples in with an unbelieving and perverse generation that has no faith.  And then the disciples are filled with grief because Jesus will die...but they totally miss the part about Him being raised from the dead.  Clueless.  And really not just clueless, but destructively clueless.

     The second part that is consistent is Jesus' remarkable Grace towards these men.  He offers comforting words, heals when they don't believe, repeats his plans over and over and provides a coin out of a fish's mouth so that Peter's words will not cause offense and difficulty for His friend.  

     What I have found when I encounter someone speaking without thinking or being destructively clueless is that I need to remember the times that people have been gracious with me.  Freely I received grace, freely I can give it.  Offer correction, protect those who may be collateral damage from the clueless, offer opportunities to grow from their mistakes...I try to do all these things with a heart softened by grace and eager to see my friends (usually teenage boys) develop into strong children of God.

Matthew 16

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

² He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ ³ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.^{[a] 4} A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. ⁶ “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
⁷ They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”
⁸ Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? ⁹ Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? ¹⁰ Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? ¹¹ How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter,^[b] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades^[c] will not overcome it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be^[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[e] loosed in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Predicts His Death

²¹ From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
²³ Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life^[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. ²⁶ What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
²⁸ “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

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     What sign would convince you, now and forever, that Jesus was God?  Raising the dead?  Controlling the weather?  Telling you what you were thinking in a sensitive and private moment?  I have known several people who have seen amazing signs and have been passionately dedicated to Jesus only to see their faith fade as time passed and life wore on them.  One moment does not salvation make.  I give you Peter who has a rollercoaster of a ride in this passage.  

     First he is part of a group that has their faith questioned by Jesus because they do not understand his warnings.  Then he is held up by Jesus, renamed to be the rock that the church will be built on.  Then he is denounced as Satan for opposing Jesus' plan to die.

     People say that they want a sign, an offering of proof from the heavens that God is real and Christianity is more than just a massive scam.  Signs, wonders and miracles are great but they are generally not the one thing that brings people into the kingdom.  Singular events are too easy to rationalize, compartmentalize or simply forget.  You know when miracles and signs are most effective?  When a believer is there to help interpret them.  When a friend is able to say, "I think this is God reaching out to you, would you like to reach back?"  There is a lot of noise in our world offering twisted versions of the truth.  Sometimes all a person needs to enter into the Kingdom is someone to help discern which path reflects the "concerns of God" and which path reflects "merely human concerns."  May God grant us the wisdom and boldness to be those people at those times. 

Matthew 15

15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ² “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.” ³ He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said,^[a] ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ ⁵ But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’^[b] then that person need not honor the father.^{[c] 6} So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word^[d] of God. ⁷ You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said:

⁸ ‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me;
⁹ in vain do they worship me,
    teaching human precepts as doctrines.’”

Things That Defile

¹⁰ Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: ¹¹ it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” ¹² Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” ¹³ He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.^[e] And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” ¹⁵ But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” ¹⁶ Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? ¹⁸ But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. ²⁰ These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”

The Canaanite Woman’s Faith

²¹ Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²² Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” ²³ But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” ²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶ He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷ She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Jesus Cures Many People

²⁹ After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. ³⁰ Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, ³¹ so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

Feeding the Four Thousand

³² Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.” ³³ The disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?” ³⁴ Jesus asked them, “How many loaves have you?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” ³⁵ Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, ³⁶ he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ³⁷ And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. ³⁸ Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹ After sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.^[f]

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^{At what point do you think that the disciples feel bad about themselves and how much of Jesus' message they are absorbing?  I mean...on top of just not getting some simple teaching and trying to remove people who are seeking healing they look at the crowd and lament, "Where could we possibly get enough food to feed this group of 4,000?"  It was not that long ago...just last chapter, in fact, that they were faced with a group of over 5,000.  This time they have fewer people, more food and the experience of having seen Jesus perform just this kind of miracle...yet they still see it as impossible.}

^{Granted, even though there are fewer people and more food, there is still no earthly way that you can stretch 7 loaves of bread and a few fish into a meal for thousands of people.  They still need a miracle; they just should be able to remember what Jesus can do with "just barely enough."}

^{Memory is a funny thing.  It is fluid, not solid.  Our memories reflect our priorities and perspectives as well as our interpretation of how and why different events happened.  If you listen to my wife and I tell our versions of the same events, you will get wildly different accounts.}

^{It is easy for us to forget what God can do and what God has done for us.  The pressures and stresses of today make us question whether God will come through, even though He has repeatedly (in the exact same way).  This is true for me in three significant arenas: prayer, rest and money.  Every month I wonder if we will have enough money come in at work and at home in order for us to survive.  For 15 years money has been tight and for 15 years we have made it to the next month.  At some point it will sink in.} 

^{Prayer and rest are forgotten in the torrent of life.  I forget how good they both are for me and my family.  I forget that they are the foundation that is required for all the work that I do through the week.  God repeatedly calls me back to prayer and I am amazed by how good it is for my soul and how much easier my daily work becomes.  And then I get too busy and my soul and daily routine become frenzied and stressful again.  God invites me to rest, to sabbath, and I promise that I will get around to it as soon as I get a few more things done.  I forget over and over again about the good things that God wants to do in me and through me.}  

^{Why is that?  Well, I have kids.  I know what selective hearing looks like and it looks a lot like this "forgetting."  I do not think we forget.  I think we choose not to believe.  We have a paradigm of how the world works and what our place is in it.  We have a belief of how God is supposed to work.  The pieces of our experience that confirm those opinions, we hold onto.  The pieces of our experience that contradict those opinions give us two choices: dismiss them and cling to our views OR be changed by them.}  

^{My paradigm is centered upon earning.  Earning money.  Earning respect.  Earning acceptance and love and grace.  It is dependent upon me and my skills and my effort and my success.  There is an idolatry located not too far under the surface that God is eager to break me of, so I find myself in jobs and situations where we rely on donations and give away opportunities for respect.  I find myself called to accept freely given love and grace.  It chafes, but it is the only way to life and the deepest desires of my heart.  May we be transformed and move past our "forgetting."}