Matthew 20:1-16 First Will Be Last!

Matthew 20:1-16  “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.  He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.  “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.  He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’  So they went.  “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.  About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around.  He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’  “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.  “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’  “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’  “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.  So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more.  But each one of them also received a denarius.  When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.  ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’  “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend.  Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?  Take your pay and go.  I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you.  Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money?  Or are you envious because I am generous?’  “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

We see the theme the last will be first, and the first will be last continued in this parable.  In last week’s breakfast, we discussed the disciples questioning who can be saved if the rich young man cannot be saved, allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven.  He had everything.  We might assume he or his family worked hard for their wealth.  If such a diligent, righteous person as this young man cannot be saved, then who can be saved?  Peter asserts that they, the disciples, have given up everything to follow Jesus.  Does not effort matter in obtaining the kingdom of God?  Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!”  (Matthew 29:27)  Yes, giving all is important in achieving right standing with God, but it is not important to this world, for such a commitment to God does not contribute much to the goods and services the world needs to survive.  These people are precious to God but not very precious to this world, for their contribution to the world in goods and services is quite limited.  But Jesus assures them that to be least in this world in the eyes of men is great in the eyes of God.  Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.  (Matthew 29:29)  In the above parable we see the same focus of the least first, the first last.  We see the master of the field who owns everything seek workers to work on his land.  They were sought because of the master’s plan for that day.  The landowner went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.  They were in his field that day for his reasons.  We can assume that Jesus is talking about the master as representing God.  The master’s plan was for workers to be in his field at different times—some early, some later.  But his plan was to treat them all the same at the end of their day, not on how hard they worked or how long they worked.  At the end of the day, payment was given for their labor.   But to the surprise of the first hired, the payment was all the same: a denarius (136 dollars), enough to feed 25 people.  The first hired were upset about this apparent injustice by the owner.  “These who were hired last worked only one hour,” they said, “and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.”  They were saying, "We are the ones who made your vineyard profitable.  We are the hard workers on your land, not those who rested most of the day in the shade and then came out here late at 5 o’clock and worked an hour."  But the master reminds them that he owns the field, and he can do what he wants on his land.  ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend.  Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?  Take your pay and go.  I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you.  Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money?  The master establishes who is supreme in this situation.  He is the lord of the land and will do what he desires on his property and to the people he places on his land.  “Are you envious because I am generous?  So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Of course this whole scene is not the way our earth functions.  The hard workers usually win the higher price.  They receive the rewards in life and may exist well if they put in a good effort achieving the wealth of this world.  In addition, they usually receive the esteem of others.  In the field they might become the foreman or the overseer; in the world their efforts might cause them to be a king, president, governor, legislator, and the like.  The rich young man was one of the esteemed, the winner in this world.  But the kingdom of God is not constructed for only hard workers, for many of the others will be put ahead of the diligent, full-day workers in the master’s field.  On the cross, we see one of the criminals placed into the kingdom of God with the full-day’s pay: eternal life.  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.  ”Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  (Luke 23:42-43)  We see here a short-timer in the field receiving the goodness and mercy of God in full measure.  The master of the field is in complete control.  He can hire those he desires; he can pay them what he desires.  In the chronicle of men and women on earth, God determines the price for working in his field.  He decides what is fair to all.  The denarius, eternal life, is given freely to whosoever will enter the master’s field.  The first hired were important to God, for they did much of the work, but the Kingdom of Heaven is not dependent on the amount of work one performs for God, but on the grace and mercy of God.  Our personal pretensions of who is important to God and who is not important to God is based on our value system.  Hard work is one of our values.  Experience, commitment, and longevity are other measuring instruments in our assumption of who is important to God and who is not.  In the above parable we see God’s goodness in spades.  His love is equally poured out on the first as well as the last.  Man evaluates effort and sustaining allegiance, but the owner of the field, evaluated people as being intrinsically important, more valuable than effort or even longevity in his field.  

In today’s parable, the master looks for people who are still out of work.  They are in the streets, milling around, without employment.  The master sees their condition and offers them a job, a way to sustain their lives.  He is focused on people, not the work in the field.  Even the ones hired at the end of day will receive a good wage.  In life, of course, the early workers are probably the strongest, the healthiest, the most aggressive.  They are the ones who can push their way to the front of the dayworkers’ line, clamoring to be hired, presenting themselves first to the master.  They show themselves ready to work in his field, having the right attire, looking eager and fit.  We see in the parable, these people were hired first.  The last in line, those who arrived late or who were pushed to the back of the line because of their frailty, only heard that the quota of dayworkers for the day was filled.  They went away sad.  They were the least in the kingdom.  They were the outcasts, the immigrants, the weak, the illiterate.  But the Kingdom of God is for people such as these.  Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  (Matthew 5:3)   The first workers complained that the master was not fair, for they had toiled all day for a denarius, but the last, the lazy and worthless in their eyes received an equal payment.  Why did they quarrel about this apparent injustice?  Because in the world’s system of effort and aggressiveness, the strongest, the healthiest, the wisest, the knowledgeable get ahead.  But this is not God’s way of evaluating and rewarding people.  He came for everyone, but especially to the hurting.   On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  (Mark 2:17)  He did not shortchange the first hired, for they received a denarius too.  But the master’s goodness was displayed even for those who were not much help to him or his field.  Those who really needed his help, the last in line, received undeserving grace and mercy.  They did not earn his gift, the day’s wage.  But by receiving this gift, the goodness of the master or God was manifested.  Jesus’ primary message was not for the people who could shove their way to the front of the line.  See how good we are, for we have served God all day.  He did not come for those who had profited in this world.  Instead, He came for those who had lost out in this world.  THOSE WHO KNEW THEY NEEDED A SAVIOR!   He came to offer the kingdom to the weak, the lonely, the desperate, the sinner.  He comes to those who have little power or influence on this earth.  He comes to those who have experienced abuse and injustice.  The scale of earthly justice has never favored them.  Justice for them is found only in the hands of God.  A violent, corrupt, aggressive world does not give justice equally.   Mercy and fairness are alien concepts in the land of human affairs.  But the master of the field brought justice to his workers, not the justice that humans were seeking.  Humans measure everything on effort, contributions to this world and its survival.  But the master was evaluating everything on the value of a person.  They were all equal in his eyes, for he is the Good Lord.  Dear friends if you feel the world is not a friendly place for you, and it seems injustice reigns, remember the scale of perfection is in God’s hands.  Eternal life, the kingdom of God, the denarius of God’s favor is in his purview.  He values the intrinsic you.  He created you for his favor.  He looks upon you with enduring love.  If you feel you have been pushed to the back of the line, remember the first will be last and the last will be first in the eyes of the Lord.  Amen!  

Matthew 19:23-30 All Things Are Possible!

Matthew 19:23-30  When Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  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.”  When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”  Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!  What then will there be for us?”  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.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” 

There are many different explanations to the above analogy of how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of heaven.  The most common interpretation is that the eye of a needle was a gate into the city of Jerusalem where probably for protection reasons it was made narrow and small.  To keep commerce going when security measures were heightened, a gate would allow a camel to pass through it on its knees, but with no burden on its back.  The burden it transported would have to be taken off the camel and dragged or carried through the gate separately.  But regardless of the interpretation, we hear the disciples saying something quite startling.  When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”  They were not saying, what rich man can be saved for his love of riches will not let him abandon his wealth for the kingdom of God.  No, they were saying something about themselves, which one of us then can be saved?  Quite a remarkable response, for they were questioning whether they could be saved or enter the kingdom of God if it were so difficult.  The Bible says the young man who questioned Jesus was attached to his wealth to the point he could not envision himself ever releasing the security and status riches provided. Jesus says to the young man, “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.”  When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.  (21-22)  The rich young man was an honest, introspective person who diligently kept the law.  He also knew his heart, and he knew his reliance on wealth made his life worth living.  The disciples responded to Jesus’ interaction with the young man by not addressing the specifics of this one wealthy person; they extrapolated Jesus’ comments to them as well.  They felt concerned about their own lives, their hope of entering the kingdom of God.  To them, this perfection Jesus inferred seemed an insurmountable hurdle, for who can withstand the scrutiny of God on a person’s life?  This kind of perfection is determined by God, not men.  For God even knows the intentions of the heart, not just the outward appearance that might be considered perfect from men’s perspective.  The disciples knew they might please men with their lives, but who can get by God’s eyes of judgment.  Jesus understood completely the fear that raced through their minds, so he says, With man this is impossible.  A soul unblemished is an impossibility in this life.  Perfection will always escape people, for humans possess the implacableness of Adam’s imperfection.  Jesus understood this reality of men, so He calmed their fear, their anxiety, by saying with God all things are possible.  How wonderful this statement is, for God allows humans to enter the kingdom of God through his grace and mercy.  

Peter eases his own conscience by saying, We have left everything to follow you!   And truly they had.  They walked, ate, and slept with Jesus.  Their lives were not their own, for they went where Jesus went and stayed where He stayed.  Initially, they were probably following him for many reasons, not just believing He was the Messiah.  At one time, Jesus confronted them with the question, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?”  They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  “But what about you?” he asked.  “Who do you say I am?”  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  (Matthew 16:13-16)  Of course, this was the correct answer, but later Peter would deny Jesus in front of men, something someone totally convinced that Jesus was the Son of God would not do.  However, for sure, they knew Jesus was a great man, and as his followers they received some deference from the people.  And if He was the Son of God, they would receive great eternal rewards.  Wanting a quicker and more sure payoff, Judas was not willing to wait for a future reward.  He received 30 pieces of silver for betraying Jesus to the religious leaders.  But the other disciples were dedicated and faithful to Jesus the Christ.  They did abandon Jesus when He told them to put away their weapons when the mob of people came to arrest Jesus.  Then they all fled.  Peter and John followed the mob from a distance to the house of the high priest to see what they were going to do with Jesus, but in the high priest’s courtyard, Jesus’ prophecy of Peter’s denial was fulfilled.  Accused of being a follower of Jesus, Peter was put on the spot.  He denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.  A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”  “Man, I am not!” Peter replied.  About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”  Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”  Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.  The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.  (Luke 22:57-61)  Peter, as with the rich young man who desired the kingdom of heaven, held his life to be too precious to follow Jesus to the grave.  Peter did not want to die, and he knew Jesus was in a precarious situation.  He knew the high priest and the elite of Israel wanted Jesus killed.  If he confessed to be a follower of Jesus, his life too would be on the chopping block.  He could not go that far.  His life was too important to him to cast it away by identifying himself as a follower of Jesus.  The rich young man’s life was too precious to him, for he could not see living a viable, abundant life without his wealth.  But Jesus had told the disciples that they would receive great rewards from God if they stayed true to him, even eternal life.  Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.  But the generator of true life within had not come to Peter’s life as yet.  Only after the infilling of the Holy Spirit was Peter willing to stand up in front of a huge crowd and talk about the fact that he was a follower of Jesus, the one who was crucified by the leaders of that city.  He identified with Jesus completely.  Otherwise, he put his life in jeopardy that day.  And from that time on, he would face persecution from the elite of the Jewish community.

“Who then can be saved?” is the appropriate question.  The answer: a miracle must happen.  With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.  We see in this dialogue, Jesus expanding the conversation to the requirements of eternal life, a new creature must come into view with a nature contrary to the human nature of a self-serving Adam.  Jesus earlier commended the rich young man for his willingness to obey the law, but then Jesus tells him his actions must include helping others, especially the poor.  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.  Jesus tells the man, God will credit him in heaven for giving to the poor, but he must also follow Jesus wholeheartedly; then he will be perfect.  Otherwise, faith accompanies actions, faith in Christ’s works.  But that means, losing one’s own life.  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  (Galatians 2:20)  Peter would not allow himself to be crucified with Jesus.  The rich young man would not disallow his life by giving away his riches to follow Jesus.  This life was too dear to both of them.  Yes, Who then can be saved?  Jesus in his ministry taught about what was necessary in the community of God.  Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and told them to do likewise.  He wanted them to lower themselves, to love their enemies, and to do good to those who abused them.  He desired for them to be meek and lowly, servants to all men, not just to those who favored them.  He had them put away their swords, to trust in God’s justice, not their own.  They were to live lives of sacrifice, not lording it over others.  They were to serve the least in the community, for Jesus was with the least.  Jesus concludes his teaching in the above verses by saying, many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.  Jesus came and turned the world upside down—the great of this world will be last and the least in this world will be favored by God.  Heaven belongs to the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  (Matthew 5:3)  The disciples wanted to be in the kingdom of heaven; they had heard Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom.  They had experienced the very presence of the Son of God.  But they needed more to finish out their lives in victory.  This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.  I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.  (Luke 24:46-49)   Neither the disciples nor the rich young man could fulfill God’s mission on earth without the infilling of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit’s message of redemption is for all people for all time.  Believers will be imbued with the power God.  This message of redemption is to be propagated everywhere, so people will have eternal life and know the Creator of all things.  Without the Spirit, good intentions are not enough as was demonstrated in the disciples’ lives.  They fled from Jesus at the end of his life.  Peter, the chief disciple, warrior of God, denied he ever knew Jesus.  The rich young man saw his wealth as more important than following Jesus.  Following the law for him was good enough.  But Jesus said, you must be perfect to be in the household of God.  Perfection only comes from the Perfect One as we embrace him.  We who know Christ through faith in Jesus’ works, sit now in heavenly places to rule and reign with him.  Amen!  

Matthew 19:16-22 Sell All, Follow Me!

Matthew 19:16-22  Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”  “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.”  “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, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”  “All these I have kept,” the young man said.  “What do I still lack?”  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.”  When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

The essential aspect of the above verses is the young man’s desire to be right with God, to inherit eternal life in God’s presence.  Everything he says points to his own efforts to please God.  What good thing MUST I DO to get eternal life?  Jesus responds to his question by telling him he must keep the commandments.  You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.  Immediately the man responds, All these I have kept.  This young man’s effort to be right with God are judicious and sound.  He fully understands to be right with God, one must keep the commandments.  Jesus first explains to the man that there is only One who is good.  Explicit in that comment is that God alone is good.  Jesus knows the Father, and He knows there is no shadow of wickedness or imperfection in his Father.  Man’s efforts to be good are commendable, but man’s basic nature is rebellious to God’s perfection and authority.  His Adamic DNA causes sin to flourish.  The Bible describes the nature of men as opposite to God’s goodness and righteousness.  Jeremiah talks about men’s nature being uncontrollable.  The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  (Jeremiah 17:9)  Paul chimes in on this theme by writing about the Jews and their law that reflects the nature of God.  What shall we conclude then?  Do we have any advantage?  Not at all!  For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.  As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.  (Romans 3:9-12)  This corruption within men was inherited from the beginning after the fall.  Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence.  God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for ALL THE PEOPLE on earth had corrupted their ways.  (Genesis 6:11-12)  Even the flood did not cleanse the hearts of humans, but God’s grace allowed for the human race to continue.  Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.  And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.  (Genesis 8:21)  This is a hard fact for men and women to accept that evil and waywardness are part of their DNA.  Jesus tells the young man that no one is good, only God, but if he wants to inherit eternal life, the law represents a good start.  However, Jesus goes one step further than the law, “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.”  Jesus focuses on perfection, true righteousness that depends on following him all the way to the cross.  Jesus, the Christ, is the Lamb of God.  He alone will bring about the perfection that is necessary to enter the kingdom of Heaven.  A new creation had to be born in Christ’s likeness, not in man’s likeness.   

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.  How hard it is for adults to step away from the cares and concerns of this world.  This account of the young man’s earnest desire for eternal life comes directly after Jesus’ teaching about little children.  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.  (Matthew 19:14-15)  Little children are not fettered with the concerns of the world.  They know not what they owe or own.  They just live, taking life as it comes.  In some respects they are entirely dependent on God to take care of them.  They breathe, eat, and sleep without really understanding the conventions and circumstances of the world.  The young man knew he had wealth; he knew he had to work to keep it.  He had to be engaged with the world if he were to remain wealthy.  All of this was far removed from the unconcerns of a toddler.  He had to worry about the next day; the young child does not worry about tomorrow.  The youngster takes each day as it comes, lives that day to the fullest, in the minute, in the hour.  Jesus’ request to the young man was an impossibility for him, for his investment into the world and its concerns was great.  He received great deference from others because of his wealth.  How could he give away his position of status to another called Jesus.  Yes, to him Jesus was a great teacher, maybe even a prophet, but was Jesus more important than the security he enjoyed through his wealth.  He could not make the necessary decision to leave everything to follow this man Jesus.  Others will do it, but not him.  Jesus’ disciples except for Judas will follow Jesus to the end of their lives.  Paul will pour out his life on the altar of sacrifice.  But this young man could not see a real advantage in being Jesus’ disciple.  And in so many ways he was correct.  He had only one life to live.  If he gave everything away, he would have no assets to fall back on if things went wrong in his life.  Jesus’ demands on his life were just too strong.  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.   He would lose all that he knew and held dear.  How could he throw away a world he knew for something he could not see, hear or know by his senses.   He went away in sorrow.  He was willing to follow the commandments for a future existence, but to live now by faith in Jesus Christ and his teachings was too much for him, a wealthy man of the world.

Committing to be a better person is not bad, to follow the Ten Commandments is not bad, but your efforts to battle your Adam’s spirit will always lose.  Perfection will always be beyond your grasp.  In fact, perfection comes only in the form of God, in his likeness, not in Adam’s likeness.  Jesus said, you must be born again.  Or, a new creation must be made.  The rich young man thought that attaining eternal life could come through his own efforts.  He was zealous in fulfilling the law’s commands.  He told Jesus readily, All these I have kept.  What else do I need to do to attain eternal life?  Jesus commends him for his efforts, but Jesus understood well that man is not good.  Only God is good, so the young man needed to attain goodness by another means other than through his efforts.  Jesus told the man to commit to him and to forsake the world and its way of life.  Of course, if he could have made that step of faith, he would have gained eternal life, which he was seeking.  Rather than be a leader in his community as the world sees leaders, he would have become a slave, a servant to others, displaying the love of God to all people regardless of their race, class, and ethnicity.  He would have fulfilled the requirements of the law by loving God with all his heart, mind, and soul, and just as important, loving his neighbors as he loves himself.  These two cardinal rules would be illustrated in his life.  He would not have shown favoritism to any people, for he would not be a lawbreaker, but a fulfiller of the law.  James states very clearly the sensitivity he would have needed if he would have committed his life to Jesus.  If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.  But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.  For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.”  If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.  (James 2:9-11)  This young man would not commit adultery or murder, but perfection is not found in obvious sins, but in the sensitively to others as Jesus is sensitive to the needs of people.  A new creature needed to be made in this young man, and only God can do that.  Eternal life is only assessable to new creatures, made in God’s image.  God loved the world so much that He gave his only begotten Son.  Even though the world is in rebellion, He gave his Son for every sin for every insensitivity.  This young man could not fulfill the requirements of the law, for the law extends far beyond the statements made in written form to mankind.  The law reveals God’s nature of holiness and goodness.  To be likewise, we need the only perfect One who walked this world: that One is Jesus Christ.  He alone brings goodness and perfection to man, and IN HIM we hide by faith.  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  (Romans 3:22-24)  You need not walk away sad today, for your righteousness is in Christ the Lord!  

 

Matthew 19:13-15 Let Little Children Come!

Matthew 19:13-15  Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.  But the disciples rebuked them.  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Children are very important in the eyes of God.  Jesus knew this about his Father, and we see Jesus blessing the children.  He came to earth to give Good News to adults, but children were special, for they illustrated the innocence and faith God desired in adults.  Children are not fretting about the question of existence, the meaning of life.  They merely function from day-to-day, living as God designed them to live.  They are self-absorbed from birth, but they are still free from the sins that so easily beset adults.  Sin matures in humans as flowers as they advance in age, from buds to full blooms.  Eventually men and women collectively will display every kind of waywardness from God’s nature of love and goodness, expressing fleshly self-indulgence above servanthood to God.  The products of their waywardness hatch out sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.  (Galatians 5:19-21)  Paul goes on and says, I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.  (21)  In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul reiterates this theme of eternal punishment for those who practice sin in their lives.  Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?  (9)  Jesus ministered every day to crowds under the judgment of eternal punishment because of their fleshy lifestyles.  As John the Baptist cried out, they needed to repent of sin and be baptized.  Jesus knew they lived unholy lives, if not overtly, in their hearts.  But his love and the Father’s love for them gave him the purpose for his ministry and led to his eventual death.  God intended to redeem his creation—Jesus would carry out the plan.  Jesus knew God demanded holiness; He also knew the people were in rebellion to God’s authority, going their own way.  They used their physical and emotional lives to serve themselves, not the Creator of all things.  When Jesus addresses these people, He uses their children to illustrate the kind of life the adults should live.  He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.  And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.  (Matthew 18:2-5)  He tells the adults that their insincere, self-indulging, self-worshipping cloaks must be cast off; instead, they should place themselves in the position of little children.  Frustrated perhaps over a lack of food or shelter or even neglect by irresponsible families or adults, children adjust and live as part of God’s creation without a lot of wondering.  Even in impoverished and war-torn environments, we often find children in the streets playing and enjoying life the best they can under calamitous events.  Entering the kingdom of God?  Adults, never; children, yes.  Jesus tells the adults, UNLESS YOU CHANGE and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.  Jesus’ words must be heeded.  As children are basically powerless in an adult society, we are to be like them, serving the world as powerless servants and slaves, not masters and rulers.  Most of us write our own Bible, avoiding difficult commands from the Master.  We eliminate verses that say, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) should be basic in our lifestyles.  We cannot write our own Bible, one that allows us to slip into the kingdom of heaven without change.  The Holy Spirit has given us God’s word, and Paul says eternal damnation is the future of those whose lives hurt others and damage people to get a pound of flesh.  Little ones are not devious or destructive; Jesus lifted them up as our example.

God keeps close tabs on the lives of little ones, so close that angels are assigned to these children.  See that you do not despise one of these little ones.  For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.  (Matthew 18:10)  We know God is concerned about the safety of children’s lives, the angels report to him.  Abuse of children will not go unpunished in the eternal records of God.  God is just and He will punish the unjust.  The scales of perfect justice must balance.  God will make sure the scales of justice are balanced in every sin against young ones.  Jesus tells the disgruntled disciples who consider little ones a nuisance, getting in the way of Jesus’ ministry, to allow the children to come to him.  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.  He tells them not to hinder or abuse the little ones by not letting them come to his side.  He relates to them that these young children who are not great in the kingdom of adults are very precious to God, so precious they are examples of how adults should live their lives.  The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.  These are the ones God accepts into his presence; therefore, do not forbid them to approach me is Jesus’ message to the disciples.  Jesus does not just talk to the little ones, He blesses them as only Jesus who knows their future could bless them.  He brings the richness of God into their lives.  As believers, we seek Jesus’ hand in our lives.  We know we need his help to get through our lives successfully.  But often we grumble because Jesus’ blessings seem to fall far short of what we desire in life.  Often our discontent with Jesus and with his ever present Holy Spirit is because of our perspective.  We are not looking for his kingdom, but for our present kingdom of this world.  Jesus said to Pilate, this world is not my kingdom.  But He said, I am the king of a kingdom, an eternal one.  God is always preparing his people for that kingdom, not this early kingdom.  We are eternal beings resident IN CHRIST; now, we are only temporary citizens of this earthly kingdom.  This kingdom of flesh will slip away from all of us in our deaths, but the eternal kingdom will be realized fully as we give up our last breath on earth.  Jesus told the thief on the cross, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  (Luke 23:43)  But no paradise for those who are polar opposite to God’s nature of servitude and love.  The self-indulgent, the self-serving, the sinful will experience only the judgment hand of God, not his loving spirit for those He loves, his children.  

The thief on the cross received the covering of Christ when he asked Jesus to remember him in his kingdom.  And, of course, who Jesus sets free is free indeed.  Jesus allowed the thief to drop his thievery at the foot of his cross.  A clothing of righteousness was put upon him when he called to Jesus to remember him in his kingdom.  This is the ultimate act of faith, claiming not his own righteousness for the future, but Jesus’ righteousness.  Jesus said the nature of children is the nature God wants us to reflect when we enter the Kingdom doors.  Little babies are new to the earth’s corruption.  They are new to the violence of the world.  They have not learned the ways of the adults.  They are inexperienced with unrighteousness, the lifestyle of adults.  But to be perfect as they grow up, they will need the perfect man, Jesus, to intercede for them before a righteous God.  No human will cross the threshold of the eternal kingdom without the cloak of perfect, complete holiness.  Jesus said, be perfect as God is perfect.  If you want to be known as CHILDREN of God, you must be perfect.  No other characterization will be acceptable in the household of God: only perfection.  We can eliminate all we want from the Bible.  We can write our own bible as Thomas Jefferson, the third United States president, did.  He chose to eliminate all supernatural events from the Bible.  But the Bible still holds true, we must be holy and righteous to meet God, to be in right standing with him.  The kingdom of God belongs to God’s children, not the children of the earth, but to God’s children.  But the little ones, the babies of humans, best express what God desires adults should be like.  Do not hinder them, allow them to come close to me is Jesus’ request to his disciples.  They are like the ones that the Father will accept in his household.  They have not been contaminated yet by the works of the flesh.  Let them come close to me so that I can bless their lives.  The thief on the cross stepped into God’s presence as a little child, pristine, holy, uncontaminated.  Why?  Because the person next to him, on his own cross, was dying for the thief’s sins, taking the full penalty of the thief’s lifestyle on himself.  Let us not be clothed in our righteousness when we meet God, but let us be clothed in Christ’s righteousness.  For the call of perfection is still the necessary qualification on our lives to meet God.  Only Christ is perfect.  No human has ever been perfect, for we are children of Adam.  Sin contaminates everyone, even little ones.  But children of his own in the likeness of his SON have always been in the heart of God from the beginning of time.  Paul refers to this plan as a mystery that God has revealed in the last days—a plan so great that it escapes the imaginations of men.  We cannot perceive in any way what it will be like to be in the household of the galaxy Creator.  No way can we imagine eternity, and no way can we imagine what it will be like to be children in the household of God.  But, Jesus points to the human child and uses him or her as illustrative of what God intends for his own who have been made perfect in his Son, Jesus Christ, for the kingdom of heaven belongs TO SUCH as these.  AMEN!