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Matthew's Message of the Kingdom

6/4/2020

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Thursdays are for the New Testament
6/4/20

Gibbs, Jeffrey A. Matthew 1:1-11:1. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006.
“Matthew’s Intention:Themes” pp. 47-59

Gibbs finds three summary statements in Matthew’s Gospel, at 4:23, 9:35, and 11:1, which all describe the work of Jesus as teaching and healing (Gibbs 2006, 47). The content of Jesus’ teaching is further identified as centered around the reign of God or the reign of heaven. While specific identification of the meaning of the kingdom is a challenge, it seems clear to Gibbs that this is the central idea. Matthew identifies the news of the kingdom as “good news” (4:23, 9:35, 24:10) (Gibbs 2006, 48). Gibbs observes that the term “of heaven” or “of God” is best identified as an objective genitive, thus suggesting that it is God or his kingdom performing the acts of the reign (Gibbs 2006, 49). This reign is manifested in the life and work of Jesus, though his disciples participate in it according to Jesus’ command.

Gibbs notes also that in Jesus’ parables of the kingdom, each one describes activity such as Jesus the king does in his reign (Gibbs 2006, 49). The activity of the kingdom further suggests to Gibbs that God is moving to establish his reign. “If God the King must come to reestablish his rule in creation, that pimples that the creation is still fighting against its Creator, even though in an ultimate sense God has remained King of kings and Lord of lords (Gibbs 2006, 50). The work of the kingdom is to restore creation to wholeness. The reign of God is also necessarily eschatological as well. As God restores the world to a right relationship with himself he will usher in the end of the fallen world as we know it.

Matthew’s Gospel, then, looks forward to a fulfillment of the Christian’s eschatological hope in Jesus, who will finish his work of fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies (Gibbs 2006, 52). Gibbs sees that Matthew wants his readers to find Jesus as the goal of God’s work with Israel (Gibbs 2006, 52). Jesus is the specific fulfiller of prophecy (Gibbs 2006, 53). He particularly fulfills predictive prophecies (Gibbs 2006, 53). He also shows himself as the one who interprets Scripture rightly (Gibbs 2006, 54). Because of this role of Jesus, we see that the message of all Scripture is cohesive. It all points to Jesus and his work, not to the kingdom of Israel.

Throughout Matthew’s Gospel the mission articulated by Jesus is clear: saving the lost and placing them into fellowship with God is the paramount work of Christ (Gibbs 2006, 55). Gibbs observes that this mission is for both Jews and Gentiles, who appear again and again in Matthew (Gibbs 2006, 56). In his work of mission, Jesus draws people to himself, extends calls to all sorts of people, and shows compassion through the disciples he sends out. They are carefully instructed and bring his message to others, sometimes successfully but sometimes not (Gibbs 2006, 57). Though Jesus calls all humans, only those who respond in faith are called his disciples or his brothers. Gibbs does not make an argument for a “brotherhood of all humans” point of view (Gibbs 2006, 58).

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Matthew As Self-Contained Narrative

5/28/2020

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Thursdays are for the New Testament
5/28/20

Gibbs, Jeffrey A. Matthew 1:1-11:1. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006.
“Matthew’s Intention” pp. 8-58. “Matthew as Narrative” pp. 30-47.

Gibbs approaches Matthew as an independent narrative to be read and understood primarily “for its own sake,” i.e., without assuming a dependence on Mark’s Gospel (Gibbs 2006, 30). Gibbs observes that this means the evangelist was free to select and arrange details as he wished, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It also means that we need to be sensitive to the Gospel genre, a matter Gibbs discusses at more length (Gibbs 2006, 31).

Since the 19802, Gibbs identifies the rise of a critical method known often as “narrative criticism.” Because it has taken root in New Testament scholarship, Gibbs considers it worthy of examination (Gibbs 2006, 32). The method generally accepts interpretation of each Gospel on its own terms. Further, it is not concerned with finding or describing a community underlying the development of a gospel account. Rather, the account is considered complete enough that it can be read and accepted as a fair portrayal of the world, at least that of the particular Gospel.

A significant problem of narrative criticism is that it assumes an “implied reader.” This is the reader which the text seems to desire to have (Gibbs 2006, 33). The reader is assumed to have some certain knowledge and experience base. Discerning what that knowledge and experience base could be is a challenge. Further, and more difficult, the interpreter must discover what the narrative expects in terms of pre-existing beliefs (Gibbs 2006, 34). For this reason, Gibbs concludes, the actual personal understanding of Christianity and acceptance of it is essentially the same terms as the original readers of a Gospel account is needed to rightly understand it. Otherwise, some important principles are almost certain to be misunderstood. Gibbs has been deliberate in his attempts to read Matthew as the intended reader, and he considers this a right approach. However, he finds that there are both advantages and disadvantages in such a scholarly attempt (Gibbs 2006, 35).

A broad overview reading, required of the narrative reader, will clarify our view of many concepts. For instance, Gibbs notes that “the crowd” in Matthew is not the same as “the disciples.” The crowd generally has a minimal grasp of Jesus’ work, and is thus easily swayed. That could explain the welcome on Palm Sunday and the crisis for execution five days later (Gibbs 2006, 36). The narrative approach is helpful in finding context for passages. The smaller units do make part of a large picture, rather than serving as the picture themselves. As an example, Gibbs cites Matthew 22:15-22 and shows that Jesus’ words about paying Caesar are readlly a move to turn aside the constant and irrelevant attacks of the Pharisees, with a focus on repentance and life before God (Gibbs 2006, 37).

This strength of the narrative approach can also be a serious drawback. Application of events to the greater context of history and culture may be neglected, especially if the text does not specifically make a connection (Gibbs 2006, 37). Further, there are times when parallel accounts provide the context needed to understand a text. Gibbs sees this to be the case in our attempts to build an understanding of the events in the infancy narrative of Jesus.

Gibbs considers the structure and overall message of Matthew next (Gibbs 2006, 38). This will be important to his attempt to provide an adequate and balanced commentary based on the narrative as a whole. He initially considers whether the models based on the five main discourses reflect the actual structure adequatel. The five discourse approach may reduce the importance of the Passion and resurrection (Gibbs 2006, 39). This radically alters what most readers would see as the overall goal of Jesus’ actions.

Rather, Gibbs finds a “three-part narrative outline” (Gibbs 2006, 39), which others have also described. First, he considers 1:1-4:16, where Jesus is presented to the reader, but where Jesus does not yet begin to speak and teach. The Old Testament is cited extensively, the christological titles are introduced, and the events are presented as “in those days” (Gibbs 2006, 41). The second segment covers 4:17-16:20 beginning from the start of Jesus’ actual preaching and teaching. There is a division after Matthew 11:1, whih is used for the end of this commentary volume. 4:17-11:1 emphasizes Jesus’ authority, while 11:2-16:20 describes Jesus, identity and opponents (Gibbs 2006, 43). The third and final segment is 16:21-28:20, where Jesus deliberately moves to the cross both in is teaching and actions (Gibbs 2006, 45). Jesus’ authority returns to a place of prominence but this time it is rejected by his opponents (Gibbs 2006, 46). The goal of the Passion, resurrection, and Jesus, commission of his disciples becomes clear.

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Matthew as Its Own Thing

5/21/2020

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Thursdays are for the New Testament
5/21/20

Gibbs, Jeffrey A. Matthew 1:1-11:1. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006.
“Matthew’s Intention” pp. 8-58. “Matthew as Scripture” pp. 8-12, “Matthew as ‘Independent Narrative’: The Synoptic Problem” pp. 12-30.

Gibbs observes that Chrsitians would gather to hear the Word of God, and that Matthew was apparently read. He now asks whether the earliest Christians considered Matthew’s Gospel to be a part of Scripture like the Old Testament. We have no definitive answer from the first century, so Gibbs asks a related question. ‘Did the First Evangelist consciously set out to author a document that possessed an authority and a character that would cause it to be received and regarded as God’s Word” (Gibbs 2006, 9)? On one level, Gibbs says, Matthew’s intent is realtively unimportant but the Holy Spirit’s inspiration of the text as Scripture is. Yet it is important to consider why someone would recognize a document to be authoritative. The fact that a text would be read in churches does not make it authoritative Scripture (Gibbs 2006, 10). However, Gibbs find Matthew writing with the intention of showing the fulfilled goals of the Old Testament. “The story that claims to complete the Scriptural story is also desiring to be Scripture itself” (Gibbs 2006, 11, emphasis his). Further, Gibbs points out that Matthew as a distinctly Christological narrative intends to give an authoritative, detailed account of Jesus’ work. Finally, Gibbs observes that the earliest readers apparently accepted the canonical Gospels as having “the highest spiritual authority in the early Christian churches” (Gibbs 2006, 12).

Gibbs turns next to the Synoptic Problem, which he summarizes in simple terms. “Did the first canonical evangelist intend to write a revision of the work of the second? In terms of their origins and composition what is the relationship . . . between all three of the Synoptic Gospels” (Gibbs 2006, 12)? Gibbs considers this important as it can shed light on the intention of the author, thus leading to the ability to interpret the text fairly. To begin his evaluation, Gibbs turns to Papias, as quoted in Eusebius. Papias makes no connection between Matthew and Mark as to the composition of the Gospels.

The concept of “priority” in the composition of the Gospels is, however, more complex than that of timing. As to Matthean priority, “the modern use of that phrase carries the suppostiion that Mark used Matthew, the First Gospel, as his written source” (Gibbs 2006, 14, emphasis his). The idea of one evangelist using another evangelist’s work as a written source emerges no earlier than Augustine, and only questionably so at that time. The current ideas of “priority” are relatively recent, becoming widely accepted by the early 20th century. Gibbs observes that they are based on an assumption of direct literary dependence to explain material presented by different authors, an assumption Gibbs questions (Gibbs 2006, 17). For the sake of fairness, Gibbs does provide a brief description of the standard arguments for Markan priority, all predicated on the idea of direct literary dependence. Gibbs points out weaknesses corresponding to each argument. In the end, though, Gibbs rejects the idea of direct literary dependence, so finds the arguments of Markan priority to have no reliable foundation (Gibbs 2006, 20).

Gibbs acknowledges the need to identify a source for any composition of a factual nature. His solution is that “a combination of oral tradition, some smaller written materials, and the influence of the common teaching of the Jerusalem apostles suffices to explain the data as we have them in Matthew, Mark, and Luke” (Gibbs 2006, 21). Less than a third of the material in the Synoptic Gospels is presented in the same order and in all three Gospels. Other material, which is present in only two, normally appears in a different order and in different contexts. This so-called Q material is not used in the predictable way. Gibbs also observes that precise verbal agreements, which we might expect when a literary sources was essentially transcribed, exist  only in small clusters of words (Gibbs 2006, 22). A sample of his comparison is provided (Gibbs 2006, 23-25). The texts for which literary dependence is alleged actually have only about a 60% agreement. The textual agreement is simply not strong, though the conceptual agreement is quite strong (Gibbs 2006, 27). Gibbs concludes that “each of the Gospels should be read on its own terms, for its own message, in a holistic way” (Gibbs 2006, 28). The Gospels are not pieces of a whole but each one is a whole in itself. The material which was included in the Gospel accounts was likely discussed freely during the 30s while the apostles had not scattered from Jerusalem. They understood the same things about Jesus (Gibbs 2006, 29). Oral transmission can certainly explain the agreement in content but the relative fluidity in wording which is found (Gibbs 2006, 30).

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What Is a Gospel Account For?

5/14/2020

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Thursdays are for the New Testament
5/14/20

Gibbs, Jeffrey A. Matthew 1:1-11:1. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006.
“Introduction: Matthew’s Audience” pp. 1-8

Gibbs affirms that Matthew’s Gospel was intended to address “a broad Christian audience of Jewish and Gentile worshiping communities in Syria and Palestine” (Gibbs 2006, 1). While Gibbs brings up the frequently asked question of Markan priority and of whether there is a “Matthewan community” that had particular needs, he quickly responds that those two ideas are really not necessary to understanding of the text. Further, as to the community, “some view the community’s needs as the reasons that elicited the traditions about the words and deeds of Jesus, traditions that the evangelist invented in order to speak to those needs” (Gibbs 2006, 2). However, Gibbs rejects this idea, affirming that the Gospel account accuraely records words and actions of Jesus. 

Gibbs considers Richard Baukham’s work about the nature of the Gospels to be particularly enlightening. Gibbs reports that Baukham first considers the Gospel texts as literary biographies, therefore intended to circulate beyond narrow, particular communities. He further sees that the Gospels were written with an eye to preserving and transmitting the content through multiple generations, rather than as a literary item to be used and then abandoned (Gibbs 2006, 4). Finally, the Gospels do not appear to come from isolated communities which didn’t interact with one another. Rather, they seem to have a well connected network of different communities in mind (Gibbs 2006, 5). 

The Gospels, further, do not seem to be overtly polemical in nature. Matthew certainly makes arguments for Jesus’ identity as the one who fulfills prophetic destiny. However, the text seems more to be an affirmation of Jesus’ words and deeds, to be received and reviewed by the community at worship (Gibbs 2006, 6). While we know relatively little about the actual practices of worship in the mid first century A.D., we have reason to believe that the Gospels were read in the community and that, as time went on, they may have been divided into smaller sections which then became associated with different parts of the calendar. There is considerable speculation about this idea. However, Gibbs is “certain that the Gospel of Matthew was read, over and over again, to baptized Christians who had gathered to hear God’s Word and to receive the Lord’s Supper” (Gibbs 2006, 8). It therefore gained a place in the liturgy of the community.

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Matthew 27:11-66 - Lectionary for Sunday of the Passion

4/2/2020

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4/2/20 Read the passage here.  
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

Matthew’s Gospel does two interesting things that we might not notice immediately but which I would like to bring out a little today. 

It is relatively easy to see that from the beginning Matthew points us to Jesus’ work fulfilling prophecy. This is particularly intense near the end of the Gospel account, though Matthew mentions it less. In this week’s reading, among the many actions leading up to the crucifixion, even the Gentiles are presented with dreams and visions, make prophetic statements which accord with the Old Testament, and engage in prophetic activities. The crowd even asks that Jesus, the Son of God, should die in place of Barabbas, whose name means “son of father.” They ask that his blood should be upon them. The actions of veses 32-46 specificlly fulfill prophecies, many of which are found in Psalm 22, which Jesus refers to from the cross. The culmination of the Gospel account is that Jesus has fulfilled prophecy.

Another feature of Matthew, which doesn’t show up quite as obviously, is that Matthew almost always leaves people needing to decide for themselves how they are going to understand Jesus. In the end, Pilate seems to have concluded that he is the son of God, a king, and someone he does not wish to offend. Others have decided to revile him regardless, but they seem to have an accurate account of his claims. He claims to be the Son of God, but they are not going to believe. There are bystanders who seem eager to hear whatever he says. Maybe he is calling Elijah who will usher in the kingdom of God! The centurion understands that Jesus’ death was not normal. He concludes that Jesus is the Son of God. The rich man gives his tomb over, indicating that he doesn’t think Jesus is any common (or uncommon) criminal. The Pharisees think something is going to happen, so they ask for guards. Pilate’s orders suggest that he thinks something may just happen and that the guards won’t be of much use.

When we look at the death and burial of Christ, his rest in the tomb, how do we consider him? What conclusions do we make about life, death, and the eternal hope Jesus has promised? Matthew leaves that conclusion to us. Yet is is clear how he wants us to understand it. Jesus, God the Son, lived a life of righteousness in our place, died as an innocent man, tore the veil of separation between God and man apart from top to bottom, and rose victorious over death. He kept all the promises he made. Jesus is presented as the very real and living God, coming for us. I pray that we will all come to the same conclusion, that we will find ourselves in agreement with this good news, for the Gospel is indeed a book of good news.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 15:21-28 - Lectionary for Lent 2

3/5/2020

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3/5/20
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

“My child is severely oppressed.” Maybe we need to put this into a more current paradigm. My child is sick, discouraged, tormented, disoriented. You name it, the Scripture knows about the ways we can suffer. Perhaps the Canaanite woman’s daughter is under attack by spiritual forces. Perhaps the woman is misdiagnosing it. In the end, it doesn’t matter very much. The girl is suffering. Her mother is concerned for her well being. She is in fear that the girl’s life may be ended in one way or another. My child is in trouble. What will I do?

The answer of the disciples and then of Jesus is striking. “Go away, you Canaanite. We were only sent to heal the people of Israel.” While we can’t know what the actual nonverbal communication might have been, I’m going to suggest just one possibility. The disciples had told the woman to get lost. Jesus heard them doing that. He also knew, as did the woman, that she had come to see him, not his disciples. Maybe, just maybe, Jesus looked the woman in the eye, smiled a little, and told her again what the disciples had said. Maybe he winked at her. We don’t know. But what if she thought he was playing along with her against the idea of the disciples? There would be every reason for her to keep asking. There would be every reason for her to suggest that she should be cared for like the pet who is present at the master’s table. It is altogether possible that she is making a gentle dig at the disciples.

In the end, what we do know is that Jesus healed the woman’s daughter. Her prayer was heard and answered. She didn’t get lost, because God’s mercy was yet to be poured out on her and her family. She was in just the right place of healing.

Jesus shows himself to be the mighty God who heals all nations, not just those who are biologically related to Jacob, named Israel. Jesus cares for the outsiders, the Canaanites, those who have been separated from God’s promise by their own or their nations’ disobedience. Jesus loves and heals those who come to Him in faith. Even the crumbs from his table are enough to sustain all the nations of the world. He is that kind of master.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 4:1-11 - Lectionary for Lent 1

2/27/2020

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2/27/20
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (v. 4b, ESV). This is how Jesus endured the temptation of Satan. When he was assaulted by the devil, he responded with God’s Word. But which Word of God is this? Satan responds with quotations from Scripture, yet he is tempting Jesus to disobedience and destruction! How are normal humans like you and I supposed to deal with this temptation and with the Scripture?

I was recently having a conversation with a friend who was critical of an emotionalistic movement in Christianity. He said it was wrong, and that the corrective was that we had to hear the Scripture and understand what the Holy Spirit is saying to us. That’s a nice attempt, but it is also precisely what the people within that emotionalistic movement would say they did. Others will try to take long standing Christian tradition as the guide. That’s what people in my theological camp are alleged to do blindly. A solid tradition is a great guide. But not all traditions are solid and biblical. We can find examples of just about every erroneous understanding of Scripture prior to the year 400. 

We live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. We’re going to understand God’s Word in ways that are both historically demonstrated to be sound and that can be held in concert with all the rest of Scripture. In the time of the Lutheran Reformation, the idea was promoted that “Scripture interprets Scripture.” Specifically, the passages of Scripture which are easily understood, which speak clearly, and which have always been recognized as authoritative Scripture (i.e., not Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 or 3 John, Jude, or Revelation) will be used to guide the interpretation of other passages of Scripture. In general, we want to be very cautious about a brand new understanding of a passage that nobody has ever found before. We also want to be very hesitant to make a difficult passage of Scripture guide our interpretation of a more clear passage. 

Jesus, the living Word of God, speaking the written Word of God, stands up to the temptations of Satan himself. He finally tells Satan to get lost, which Satan does. May the Lord give us all the readiness to handle God’s Word so clearly.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 20:1-16 - Lectionary for Septuagesima Sunday

2/6/2020

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2/6/20
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

Our Gospel this week is Jesus’ parable of the workers in the vineyard. When those who worked all day realized that they were being paid the same as those who had come in just at the end of the day, they were indignant. We always want some sort of difference in rewards, specifically, a difference based on how hard we worked. The owner of the vineyard would have nothing of this. It is his money, he can “waste” it on whatever people he wants.

In Christ’s kingdom, there is no special value of those who have always been Christians as opposed to recent converts. Nobody is exalted due to coming from a long line of Christians or even of pastors. We all stand at the foot of the cross. We have all come at the Master’s invitation. None of us has a special place of honor. We have all been selected and have experienced Christ’s loving care lavished upon us. This is the love of God in Christ.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 17:1-9 - Lectionary for Sunday of the Transfiguration

1/31/2020

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1/31/20
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

An encounter with the living God is terrifying, and rightly so. We are not able to stand before the holiness and majesty of God. In Matthew 17, we should not be surprised that Peter, James and John were undone by God’s appearance.

Those who wish for an unmediated encounter with God would do well to take caution. None can stand in His presence. Rather, it is the Christ, Jesus, both God and Man, who is able to serve as our mediator. His humanity, standing in for ours, is able to stand in the presence of God. After all, Jesus possesses both a human and a divine nature. He, the perfect human, always stands in the presence of the perfect God.

This is a hard thing to comprehend. Jesus, our Mediator, makes us to stand before God without fear, as He did for His disciples in verse seven. It is by his presence as the sinless man who lives and dies for us that we can stand. So we are able to endure that encounter with the living God, only through Christ the Lord. We are rightly thankful for his presence and work on our behalf.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 11:2-11 - Lectionary for Advent 3

12/12/2019

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12/12/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

The words and deeds of Christ are controversial, as they have been since the time of John the Baptizer’s imprisonment. John’s question to Jesus in Matthew 11:2-11 is whether Jesus is really the Messiah. Jesus’ answer is that John has to make up his own mind. What are the works of Jesus? How do they compare with what John knows of the Messiah. He is healing, even raising the dead, and he is preaching good news to the poor. Are these the works of the Messiah?

These are the works of the Messiah. But Jesus is not the Messiah that some cultures want. After all, by some accounts he should have crushed the Roman government, that bunch of oppressive and hateful people. Maybe he should have given free money and food to all who wanted it. At least it would have been nice if he had healed all sicknesses forever and made it so nobody would ever sin against me again forever. If Jesus was going to usher in a new order of the ages, at least he could have done it the way my imagination would prefer. 

This is just the problem we have with all the biblical prophets and other leaders, all the way up to Christ, who showed himself to be God the Son, savior of the world, conqueror of sin, death, and the grave. They don’t do things the way we wanted them to. John was still beheaded in prison. Jesus heals people and they get sick again. They even die! The poor are still among us. For all the preaching about peace, we live in a world of war. What’s going on with all this?

Jesus points out to his listeners that they also didn’t recognize John the Baptizer for what he was. They thought he was some sort of oddball, and really he was, but he was a prophet who would point people to God. In the final analysis, when we try to understand God’s work in terms of our momentary temporal existence in a sin-cursed world, we don’t normally manage the task. This is why we need God’s perspective, as He has delivered it to us in the Scripture. We are then prepared to look through God’s eyes and see that Jesus is rescuing people from sin, death, and an eternity of penalty by grace through faith, delivering them into eternal life. We can see those around us as God sees them, as people who are laboring underneath the weight of the curse of sin and who cannot rescue themselves. We can bring the Gospel - good news of forgiveness, life, and salvation - to the least and the greatest of those surrounding us. We begin to see that Jesus is accomplishing the will of God the Father and that we are along for the ride.

We, like John, may still be imprisoned. We may sometimes lose sight of what God has done in Christ. At those times we are reminded, as was John, that Jesus is doing the work of the Messiah. He is reconciling the world to himself.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 21:1-9 - Lectionary for Advent 1

11/28/2019

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11/28/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading for Advent 1, from Matthew 21, shows a coming of Christ, as He enters Jerusalem, with a donkey, a sign of a humble and gentle king, not one coming in war. Jesus has apparently made arrangements beforehand, though they seem to be news to his disciples. The donkey and her colt are available for Jesus. Instead of leading the donkey, as a healthy man would, Jesus is seated on her. This is a sign of honor, as also are the cloaks and branches laid on the road. It was a sign of great importance for a man to walk on a rug or garments, rather than on the ground. The crowds further emphasize their reception of Jesus, shouting out, identifying him as the Son of David, not only the rightful king but also as the one who comes in God’s name. This is more than a kingly welcome. It is the welcome you would give to God.

The arrival in Jerusalem of Jesus is precisely that. God has come to dwell among His people. He has come as the humble, righteous, and merciful Son of David. He has come to rescue his people from the tyranny of the false kings. He has come in peace to overthrow worldly power. Matthew further notes that he has done it to fulfill the prophecy. As always, Matthew shows Jesus as the one who fulfills the requirements and predictions of God’s words. He is the mighty Lord who accomplishes all that has been written of him. He is the savior.

In this season of Advent, our prayer is that Jesus would show himself as the same kind of king in our lives, that he would come to us as the gentle but mighty king, and that he would rule in our hearts and lives as well. Hosanna to the King. Thanks be to God.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 11:25-30 - Lectionary for the Commemoration of Matthias

2/21/2019

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2/21/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading, from Matthew 11:25-30, shows Jesus rejoicing in the way the Father has revealed the things of eternal life to even little children. The sublime God of all is revealed through God the Son, who invites “all who labor and are heavy laden” (Matt. 11:28a, ESV) to himself.

This is a wonderful call. After all, it isn’t easy to carry on life in this sin-cursed world, where we work and toil, gaining our sustenance by sweat. Even our children, young and sheltered though they be, become frustrated. There’s always something to draw our labor and leave us burdened. Who does Jesus call? He calls us all. Follow along with him, learn from him, benefit from his willingness to humble himself, find rest, peace, hope, and finally life.

The walk of the unbeliever is not easy. Its end is death. The walk of the Christian is not easy. But we tired and heavy laden people find Jesus with us, and at last a death which passes into a glorious resurrection. This is life indeed.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 2:1-12 - Lectionary for Epiphany, Series C

1/3/2019

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1/3/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel passage for Epiphany is drawn from Matthew chapter two. Here some wise men (no number specified) came to Jerusalem to try to find the king of the Jews, a newborn. Herod, who was already the king, was bothered by this bit of information. Not only did he not have a small child who would become king after himself, these people from a foreign land seemed to have supernatural knowledge of something. Maybe they were intending to find a child and place the child on the throne under their guidance? Maybe there was some deception afoot from Rome? Maybe there was something miraculous happening, but Herod would not have generally expected that.

The chief priests and scribes were able to find the prophecy which pointed them to Bethlehem. The wise men went on to find the child. They were apparently taken in by Herod’s insistence that he wanted to know the location so he could come and worship. After all, in verse 12, the wise men were warned by God in a dream not to disclose the location to Herod.

Jesus, the newborn king of the Jews, the newborn king of all creation, was found. He was presented with noble gifts, but of the sort that could also be used to prepare someone for death and burial. Here the Scripture foreshadows the fact that Jesus is going to die for those over whom he rules. This was the plan of God from time immemorial, revealed in these last days.

The word “Epiphany” means “a revealing.” During the time of Epiphany our readings will be about the way Jesus, God the Son, is revealed to be exactly the savior we need. I invite you to read along and to join with others as we look in wonder at this newborn king of the ages.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew

4/5/2018

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Thursdays are for the New Testament
4/5/18
Carson, D.A., and Douglas Moo An Introduction to the New Testament - Second Edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. "Matthew" Carson & Moo pp. 134-168

CONTENTS
The discussion of the outline of a book of the Bible has always seemed curious to me. Carson & Moo are no exception in this chapter. They review various means of outlining the book, seeing that some authors have identified geographic frameworks, some have looked at christological development, and some have looked at a series of multiple discourses. It strikes me that we do best to observe important features of a text but not worry too much about what framework the author had in mind if it is not patently obvious.

AUTHOR
Authorship of books of the Bible is a difficult issue. After all, many of the texts in Scripture have no internal ascription. Scholars of a more liberal bent will frequently suggest that false claims to authorship were rampant in antiquity so where we have a claim to authorship in the Bible we should assume it is false. It does appear that the Gospels had the names of the evangelists attached to them prior to A.D. 140 and that the identification of authors may well have been present from very early on. After all, we don't seem to have any question about which Gospel is attributed to which author, as might have happened if there were a lengthy period of doubt. There are suggestions that Matthew may have originally been written in Hebrew or Aramaic. However, this claim may have been misplaced, as it may also be a claim made about another writing from the apostolic age. The place of authorship is not known. It would seem from the text that it was written in a place where there was both a significant Jewish cultural foundation and a substantial number of Gentiles who would not be completely familiar with Jewish customs.

DATE
Many scholars consider that Matthew was influenced by Mark, dating Matthew at A.D. 80 or later. Yet a number of scholars are now dating all the synoptics prior to 70 and suggesting that Mark may not have had primacy. The early church fathers viewed Matthew as the first of the evangelists to write.

DESTINATION
We should hesitate to assume that the gospels were written to incite conversion to Christ. They seem aimed at those who believe on Jesus and need ongoing encouragement in their faith. Matthew seems to be aimed at a predominantly Jewish audience. Yet he explains many of the Jewish customs, which may indicate that he intended the gospel to be useful to Gentiles as well.

PURPOSE
Matthew does not state why he wrote the Gospel. There are many different themes in the text. So it's difficult to say what his purpose was. We do see among the primary themes a description of events in the life of Jesus, as well as a good deal of Old Testament justification for the actions of Jesus. Jesus is clearly presented as the Messiah promised by God, the one who is rejected by Jewish leaders, and the one who is bringing in his eschatalogical kingdom, reigning over and protecting all who trust him.

TEXT
The text of Matthew is well attested. There are places where attempts to harmonize Matthew with other Gospels will be frustrating. Yet the text itself is stable and understandable.

ADOPTION INTO THE CANON
Matthew was universally accepted in antiquity except by Marcion, who rejected all things which seemed Jewish. The book's canonical status has never been seriously questioned.

MATTHEW IN RECENT STUDIES
Matthew's Gospel tended to be ingnored by English-language scholars until the latter part of the 20th Century. In recent years there have been more major commentaries. Text-critical studies have been fairly common until recently, as scholars wish to see how the text may have been pasted together from various other sources. But in recent years more commentators have been looking at the text as a cohesive whole.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF MATTHEW
Matthew contributes to the canon especially in his preservation of "large blocks of Jesus' teaching" (p. 163), by giving us the story of the incarnation from Joseph's point of view, by emphasizing Jesus' life and work as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, by viewing Jesus as the one who fulfills the law of God, by looking forward to the relationship between Israel and the Church, and by emphasizing roles of Jesus such as "Christ, the Son of David, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Servant of the Lord" (p. 164) etc.

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Matthew 25:31-46 - Lectionary for Last Sunday of the Church Year, Series A

11/23/2017

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11/23/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.


Our Gospel reading for this week, from Matthew 25:31-46, speaks of a separation of the righteous and unrighteous in the last day. God will gather his people and separate them as a shepherd would separate sheep and goats.

What is surprising here is that the identity of the sheep and goats seems to be unknown to them.  Both groups look identical. They can only be separated by God. Both groups seem to think they are doing things like feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, and visiting those who are sick and in prison. They both clearly recognize God in his glory at this time.

In the last day, God will engage in a work of separation. This is clear, not only from this passage of Scripture, but from many. He will pull out the people who have lived righteously, according to His will. Those will enter into some sort of reward. The rest will enter into condemnation.

Notice I used language which seems to expect works of some kind? What does it mean to “live righteously”? Elsewhere in Scripture we see that the heart of righteousness is to believe the LORD. We believe God is exactly who he says he is and that he has done exactly what he says he has done. Just as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness, we also believe God. Just as Abraham’s actions were influenced by his beliefs, our actions are influenced by our beliefs. Just as Abraham was moved to repentance by his sins, so we are moved to repentance by our sins.

This is heart and center of the difference between the sheep and the goats. The goats didn’t recognize their Lord’s priorities. They say they would have helped him but never noticed him in need of help. This says that God’s creation doesn’t really matter. It says that our priorities get to rule the day.

May we make no mistake. The Lord says that we care for the weak, the helpless, the hurting, the hopless. It is as we do things which will nurture them, and nurture their ability to trust in the Lord, since they see God’s provision through our hands, that we show ourselves to be the sheep. The irony is that we may well never notice that we are doing these works. They are simply habits. May the Lord raise up many sheep in this world, bringing hope, help, and comfort to all creation.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 25:14-30 - Lectionary for Pentecost 24A

11/16/2017

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11/16/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel for this week is one of the more challenging passages in the Gospels. It seems to tie a reward to our activity. The servants who are entrusted with large sums of money make investments. Apparently they are good investments. They double their master’s money before he returns. We might assume from this, also, that he was really away for quite a long time.

What of the servant who simply hid his master’s money? Certainly the master received his money back, but with no gain. He condemns that servant as evil and lazy. He takes the money from him and banishes him.

First, we need to observe that this is not speaking of how one becomes a servant of the master. It doesn’t talk about earning our salvation in any way. Second, it doesn’t tell what would have happened if one of the servants had invested the money and, rather than doubling it, had only been able to return some 80% due to bad investments. We don’t know from this passage what the master’s opinion would be about that.

What do we know? We know that the evil and lazy servant knew his master’s habits. He knew that the master was always ready to make a profit. He knew that the master invested aggressively and did all he could to make gains. The servant, on the other hand, worked in the opposite way. He didn’t even choose a very safe investment. He simply hid the money away where it would probably be safe.

While I really hestiate to make too much application, I think some is appropriate. We know that God’s nature is to invest in this world. He already owns it all, but he pours out his life in many ways. He puts his resources to work for the good of his people. He even puts his resources to work for the good of those who are not his people. We have no idea how to measure the outcomes. They seem to defy logic. But they are pleasing to God. He gathers people into his kingdom. He gives them value. He makes them holy because he is holy. As we know God’s nature, whatever gifts He has given us, we can use them as He would use them. We won’t do it entirely well. But we don’t simply receive God’s gifts and let them sit, collecting dust. We invest in His kingdom.

That investment in Christ’s kingdom will look different from person to person and from time to time. It’s not very useful to try describing it. It is certainly not a good idea to prescribe specific actions for people. We know it’s related to doing good, exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 2), evangelizing and making disciples (Matthew 28), and, in short, loving and serving our neighbors. But the individual details are going to be different for different people. We know our master. Let’s find out how to invest what He has given us.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 25:1-13 - Lectionary for Pentecost 23A

11/9/2017

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11/9/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel lesson from Matthew 25 makes some statements which, at first, appear odd. For instance, why would someone with an oil lamp bring an extra bottle of oil for such brief use? Why wouldn’t it be possible to share resources? If this is a picture of reception into heavenly places, wouldn’t you expect all who came, and especially those who went to correct their error, to be admitted?

Let’s take those issues in order. The idea of a lamp, which we normally use here, isn’t altogether accurate. The people had lights. But the description sounds much more like a planned torchlight parade. The word can indicate a torch or a lamp. The fact that the torch would be extinguished, then trimmed, re-oiled, and re-lit makes perfect sense. And we do know that people would have torchlight parades for various occasions, including weddings. This makes the extra supply of oil perfectly natural. It is the kind of supply no normal person could forget.

What about sharing those resources? Again, if having extra oil for a torch was a perfectly normal piece of preparedness, it would naturally be infuriating to those who prepared adquately when confronted by others who didn’t care enough to make minimal plans. It’s like going to a restaurant and not having any money to pay for a meal. Asking others, possibly strangers, for help is not acceptable. You are sent home hungry and told to come back with money if you want to eat. Yes, certainly, Christians are to show charity. But they are not asked to simply supply everything for others who take no care and show no initiative. That’s different from caring for someone who couldn’t have resources.

This all makes the final situation perfectly plain. God receives those who have answered the call he put forth. We are called to come as repentant sinners, accepting the forgiveness and grace given by Jesus. If we come before God as repentant sinners but without the forgiveness and grace of Jesus, it is like trying to light a torch with no fuel. What we needed was readily available. Jesus stands ready to forgive all who are believing him. If we chose to do something in another way, we are sent away to make it work on our own. We miss the call of God.

Jesus calls all people to trust him and enter into his kingdom. We come equipped with his love, his grace, his forgiveness, all gifts from him. That’s the oil we use on the torch. May we ever shine in a glorious procession.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 23:1-12 - Lectionary for Pentecost 22A

11/2/2017

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11/2/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In Matthew 23:1-12 Jesus speaks against our desire to receive accolades from others. We naturally like to be respected and honored. And while there’s nothing wrong with being recognized and honored for who and what we are, there’s something wrong with seeking out that recognition no matter what.

A pastor I respect greatly would often remind his congregation that when we insist on getting our own way we are showing our values. Essentially, we have made an idol of the thing we are willing to sin in order to get, or of the thing we will sin about because we don’t get it. Respect is a big idol.

Wait a minute. Those of my readers who know me probably are aware that I almost always wear a “pastor uniform” - one of those funny clerical shirts with a strange collar, normally in black. In fact, last week when I appeared at a meeting of some friends and was in a blue clerical shirt, one of them expressed surprise that I was out of uniform. In some circles wearing clericals is seen as a violation of this passage. After all, it looks like we’re trying to be recognized.

Another thing which happened this last week will illustrate the difference. I was walking from a meeting to the place where I park, several blocks away. A lady on a porch called to me. “Pastor, will you come pray with me?” No, I had never met her before. Because of the clothes I was wearing, I had an opportunity to meet someone, pray with her and her fiance, and tell them briefly of Jesus’ love for them.

The point of the uniform is to show someone what service you can perform. It is to identify your legitimate qualifications. It is not to hold yourself above others in any way. It’s simply to show where you can help and, maybe, where you can’t help.

In the end, whatever we are wearing, we love and serve our neighbors. We leave our idol of self-centered respect and recognition behind. We live in our community, serving Jesus. That’s enough honor for me.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 22:34-46 - Lectionary for Pentecost 21A

10/26/2017

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10/26/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

All you need is love, right? Matthew 22:34-46 refines this idea quite a bit. What is the greatest commandment of God? We are to love the Lord, God, the one revealed in the Bible, with all we are and all we have.

Many in our world want to fixate on the idea of love. But they have a warped idea of what love looks like. Maybe it’s self-love. Maybe it’s love of some sort of idea. Maybe it’s love of their family, their planet, their educational institutions, their political parties, their favorite bands, their pets. But the love God calls us to in Scripture is love of Him. And he is no figment of our imagination God. There’s no room for that “God as you view it” sort of faith. This is one, very particular God. He allows for no substitutes.

What kind of love are we to have for God? It is unconditional, perfectly trusting, 24/7/365 love. That’s what God commands. How in the world are we supposed to do that? By trying really hard? That still won’t work. There have already been times in any life when we have not loved the Lord with all our being. We are all guilty.

That’s where the second great command comes in. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. On the surface, that simply convicts us more. We haven’t loved our neighbor as ourselves. Most of the time, even the most generous and kind of us will hold back privilege for ourselves. It’s perfectly normal.

What hope is there? There’s great hope in this passage. Jesus has perfectly kept these two commands, and He has done it on our behalf. He has loved God the Father perfectly. And he has loved us, his neighbors, as himself. This means that whenever we have failed he has given us his perfect obedience. Whenever we have fallen short, he has taken our shortcomings upon himself and replaced them with his love. In all things, Jesus has loved us, his neighbors, as himself. We are presented to the Father clothed in Jesus’ perfect righteous obedience. This is the great good news of the Gospel. God has given us an unconditional, perfectly trusting, 24/7/365 love for him, through faith in Jesus the Son.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 22:15-22 - Lectionary for Pentecost 20A

10/19/2017

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10/19/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

What’s the right role of government? That’s one of those debates we will always have. Any time there are alliances of people, some sort of organization is necessary. This is shown clearly by the fact that there are anarchist organizations. Even those who wish to shun governmental authority make some sort of government of their own.

In Matthew 22:15-22 the Pharisees wish to trap Jesus with a question about the role of government. The question at hand is whether people should pay taxes. If Jesus says taxes are appropriate, he can be portrayed as a Roman sympathizer who must not be the Messiah. After all the Messiah is going to set up his own kingdom and would have nothing to do with submission to the rulers of this world. If Jesus says it isn’t appropriate to pay taxes, he commits rebellion against Roman rule and is subject to arrest and execution. The fact is, Jesus cannot answer the question they pose without a dire and unwanted consequence.

Jesus’ answer goes farther than the question. He affirms that we give God what belongs to Him. We give our government what belongs to it. The logical outcome of this statement, though, considering that God is the creator and sustainer of all, is that God receives all the glory, honor, praise, and whatever material possessions there are. Throughout the history of Israel, some of our material goods were brought to God’s priests, who were supported by them and who also used them to care for the poor, as well as any other civic projects which were needed. Giving to God includes some material possessions and all our allegiance. However, Jesus says there is nothing wrong with giving to a government. The civil authorities do need resources to accomplish peace and safety for their subjects. We read about this a good deal in Romans chapter 13. Does the state receive all our allegiance? Not really. It isn’t like God. But it does have a claim on its subjects and there is an appropriate respect to be given to the state as well.

Learning to walk appropriately on the line - allegiance to God and submission to the state - is not easy. It takes, perhaps, more lifetime than we have on this earth. But it is perfectly honorable before God.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 22:1-14 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19A

10/12/2017

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10/12/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In Jesus’ parable of the wedding dinner we find a culture of disrespect. Matthew 22:1-14 depicts a king, who is a figure of God. He is having a wedding celebration. It is a big one. There have been multiple cattle prepared. This event had plenty of advance notice and preparation. The guests had certainly been notified, and the king, as courtesy, sends someone to collect the guests. Yet, disrespecting the generosity of the king, the guests refuse to come. He calls out to others, who also refuse to come. We can easily imagine in this the work of God calling his people Israel to himself in faith. He sent Moses, he sent the prophets, and the guests would not come. They ignored him, harmed the servants, and insulted the King.

Finally an assortment of people are gathered together. There’s a feast. It’s food fit for the table of a king. And we can easily imagine that some of those guests don’t look all that great. They are peasants, workers, homeless people, maybe some criminals, maybe even the odd IRS agent or sociology professor. Yet they have been invited and they have come.

God the king has prepared a feast, a feast of life, a feast of redemption. He calls people from every part of society, from every nation, from every background to come. All they have to do is show the respect due to a fancy occasion and come. In some families from my background, they would say you wear your best and make sure it is clean. It doesn’t matter if your best doesn’t look as new or fit as well as some other people’s. It is your best.

What happens to the person who disrespects the king at this point? Someone has come in without attempting to clean up. Although all the guests are certainly dressed differently, and although there are sure to be differences in what people have and can wear, there is someone present who is noticeably not in appropriate clothing. Really? You went to the king’s son’s wedding dinner and wore the t-shirt with a picture of the king’s opponent in the last war? The person is rejected out of hand.

When God calls people to receive his blessings, he calls them according to his rules. He calls them to approach him in trust, in sorrow for their wrong, in hope that he is who he says he is, expecting that he is the one who will redeem them from all their sorrows. He openly showsh imself to be the one true God. He doesn’t put up with substitutes. Do you want to come to his dinner? Come as he has invited you. He will take care of the rest.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 21:33-46 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18A

10/5/2017

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10/5/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

In Matthew 21 Jesus plays on a parabolic prophetic statement made by Isaiah in chapter 5. Jesus tells of a man who built a vineyard, very much like the vineyard God planted in Isaiah 5. The vineyard is turned over to tenants who are responsible to care for it and share the profits with the owner.

In their greed, the tenants try to keep all the proceeds and even claim ownership of the vineyard. They are cruel and harmful.

What would the owner of such a vineyard do? He would certainly take action against his tenants and try to get responsible tenants. That goes almost entirely without saying.

Why would Jesus tell such a parable? In the text we see that the Jewish leaders know he is speaking about them. The implication is that they have been acting against the will of God, the one who planted the vineyard and owns the property. This, of course, angers the Jewish leaders.

Though this is a parable of judgment, there is a piece of obvious good news. After all, we can think of what is not stated. If the tenants are responsible, if they give the honor due to the owner of the vineyard, if the confess that all the proceeds belong to the owner and that he has shared it with them, recognizing their labor, all will be well. The owner may even reward them generously.

What is God’s reward to his people? As we look to him in faith, as we acknowledge him for who he is, the Lord gives forgiveness, life, and hope to all who trust him. This is no small reward. It is a reward we could never earn, no matter how long and hard we worked. This is great good news.

Are we angered by the parable? Maybe we are aligned more with the Jewish leaders than with the Master of the vineyard.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 21:23-27 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17A

9/28/2017

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9/28/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

We all like to cover our tracks sometimes. We don’t like to be found out as the pragmatists we are. We would prefer to ignore our inconsistencies. In Matthew 21:23-27 Jesus confronts some of the chief priests and elders who would like to trap him. Where did his authority come from? Jesus’ response tells them to come clean on their attitude about John’s baptism.

On the surface, these two issues seem unrelated. However, they are both related to God’s authority. Is God the one who is bringing repentance and forgiveness through John? Is it the same God who is healing people through Jesus’ hands? Is this kingdom of God which Jesus proclaims the very presence of the true God of Israel?

The chief priests don’t want to admit that the people are right. John seems to be a genuine prophet sent from the true God with a message of repentance which is completely in line with Moses and the prophets. Yet if they admit John they will be forced to admit Jesus. They have no desire to do this. What will they do?

Sadly, the chief priests do what most of us do. Not wanting to admit that Jesus is acting in the authority of God the Father, they choose not to pursue the question at present. It’s tabled. And it will remain tabled until it fits their pragmatic purpose to bring it out again, after Jesus has been arrested and is headed for his death sentence.

The question this passage raises for us is whether we are willing to have our attitudes changed by the truth claims of Scripture. Is Jesus really who he seems to be? Then we need to allow God to be God. Our role becomes that of a repentant sinner who looks to the Lord for mercy and grace in our time of need. We will surely find him faithful as the Lord who restores us to the right relationship with the Father.


If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 20:1-16 - Lectionary for Pentecost 16A

9/21/2017

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9/21/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Gospel reading for this week is from Matthew 20:1-16. It’s the well known parable of the laborers. In this parable, the master hires day laborers first thing in the morning. He goes out later and hires more people who weren’t there at first. He does this again several times. Eventually, the last people he hires are brought to work near the end of the work day.

Every laborer receives the same pay. There is no distinction in the reward, though there are differences in the work. Those hired first are upset because they think their work is worth more than the work of the people who came on near the end of the day. But the master persists. He is generous, paying what was agreed upon to those who he first hired, and treating the others kindly.

It would be easy to take away an attitude that says we don’t need to enter into the Christian life with any urgency. After all, the master comes back again and again. However, we notice that the people hired in each instance were those who were not present before. it appears they each received only one chance.

It would be easy to suggest that the kingdom of God is a place where it doesn’t matter how hard you work. However, the master expected and received honest work from all of his employees. They simply labored for different amounts of time.

What is a reasonable interpretation? Whenever God’s call comes to us, we accept it. He has plans for us and will reward us. We do what he has given us to do. We have a living expectation that he will in fact care for us and use us for the good of his kingdom. God calls each one of us to work in his field. Whether our job is great or small, our time long or short, it is valuable in his sight.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Matthew 18:21-35 - Lectionary for Pentecost 15A

9/14/2017

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9/14/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Forgiveness is really the central issue in the Bible. Matthew 18:21-35 describes the need for forgiveness. In this parable, Jesus describes someone who owes a master so much money he could never pay it back. The amount described is enough to supply a fleet of 100 warships for about ten years. The master forgave the servant his debt. That servant, in turn, went to someone who owed him about three months’ wages and threatened him. It’s still a significant amount of money, but at least in this instance it is an amount which is possible to pay back. When the master heard about the conflict, he put the original servant in prison. The one who owed too much to pay back was now to be held liable for every cent, and to be imprisoned until he could pay off the debt. There would be no release for this man.

The debt of sin owed by every sinful person is enormous. We could never pay the holy God back for our wrongdoing. In Jesus, our debt of sin is forgiven. We are not held liable for it. We are set free.

How, then, do we treat those who owe us something? Are we forgiving, or do we rush out and attack those who have done wrong to us? All too often we are ready to attack others because of their sin, even though we ourselves wish to be allowed to get out of prison free. This should not be. It shows that we don’t understand the size of God’s forgiveness.

By forgiving wrong we do not excuse it. We show that Jesus has dealt with it. Sin is still sin. But forgiveness is real. May the Lord pour out his forgiveness.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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    About Throwing Inkwells

    When Martin Luther was dealing with struggles in his life he once saw what appeared to be an angelic being. Not trusting that he was going to be informed by someone other than the God revealed in Scripture, he took the appearance to be untrustworthy and hurled his inkwell at it. The chipped place in the plaster wall is still visible at the Wartburg Castle, though apparently the ink stain on the wall has been refreshed periodically by the caretaker.

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