Today’s devotion is Matthew 22:15-22 which contains the story of the Pharisees plotting against Jesus, trying to trap Him in what He might say to their question whether or not it was lawful to pay tribute tax to Caesar.  The key verse is verse 21.  “They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.”  Matthew 22:21. 

 

 

Specifically, Romans 13:1-2 states:  “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.  Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.”

 

Generally, Romans 12:17-18 states:  ^“Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.  Respect what is right in the sight of all men.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”

 

Calvin in his Commentary on this verse states in part: 

 

“… In short, Christ declares that it is no violation of the authority of God, or any injury done to his service, if, in respect of outward government, the Jews obey the Romans.

He appears also to glance at their hypocrisy, because, while they carelessly permitted the service of God to be corrupted in many respects, and even wickedly deprived God of his authority, they displayed such ardent zeal about a matter of no importance; as if he had said, “You are exceedingly afraid, lest, if tribute be paid to the Romans, the honor of God may be infringed; but you ought rather to take care to yield to God that service which he demands from you, and, at the same the to render to men what is their due.  …

But this doctrine extends still farther, that every man, according to his calling, ought to perform the duty which he owes to men; that children ought willingly to submit to their parents, and servants to their masters; that they ought to be courteous and obliging towards each other, according to the law of charity, provided that God always retain the highest authority, to which every thing that can be due to men is, as we say, subordinate.”  

Today’s devotion is Matthew 22:1-14 which contains the parable of the Wedding Feast. 

 

^“1  Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 

                                                   

²  “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.

                                                  

³  “And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.

 ⁴  “Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”‘

 ⁵  “But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business,

 ⁶  and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.

 ⁷  “But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.

 ⁸  “Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

 ⁹‘  Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’

 ¹⁰  “Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.

 ¹¹  “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes,

 ¹²  and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’  And the man was speechless.

 ¹³  “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

 ¹⁴  “For many are called, but few are chosen.”  Matthew 22:1-14.  

The parable of the Wedding Feast continues the teaching of Jesus in the last three parables, as stated in the last devotion, that the people of Israel had rejected Christ as their Messiah and would mistreat and kill him as they did the prophets before him.  The people of Israel were the “invited ones” in the sense that they were God’s chosen people and had all the privileges of handling all of the religious services, or to put it in the language of this parable, they would be expected to handle the details and “attend” to the bridegroom.  But, not only did they refuse and neglect to even attend the event of the Wedding Feast, they seized, mistreated, and killed the king’s servants (the prophets). 

Another point of this parable is that “many are called”.  We are commanded to preach the Gospel (“invite to the wedding feast”) broadly and widely throughout the world to “as many as you find there”. 

But few are chosen.  God’s election, which includes providing all that the wedding guests need including clothes, governs who will be able to enjoy the Wedding Feast.  We need to be dressed in Christ’s righteousness to remain in God’s presence. 

There are those, like the man without wedding clothes, in this parable, who think that they can come to God’s presence as they are, on their own terms.  They are quite proud of their own filthy rags of righteousness.  But, we see what happened to this man.

We need to better understand the importance of being chosen.  “… God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.”  I Corinthians 1:27-29.  “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;”  I Corinthians 1:26.  “Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”  James 2:5. 

Realizing that we must be chosen is consistent with humility.  We understand that we bring nothing to the table which motivates God to choose us.  We are like children who look only to their father and who trust only their father’s love, care, and full provisions.

So, we preach and teach ”TULIP”, these doctrines of grace.  We fully realize that we are the “totally depraved”, having nothing to bring to the table.  There is no condition in us which motivates God to elect us.  His election must be unconditional in order for us to have any chance of salvation.  Because we truly understand “Total Depravity”, we exult in and embrace “Unconditional Election” and the rest of the elements of “TULIP” (which I call ”the Tulips” for the title of this devotion).

Today’s devotion is Matthew 21:33-46 which contains the parable of the landowner and the vine-growers.  I will comment on the following three verses. 

 

^“41  They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”  

 

 ⁴²  Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
         ’THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
         THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone;
         THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD,
         AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’? 

                                    

⁴³  “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.”  Matthew 21:41-43. 

                                                       

                                   

^“When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.”  Matthew 21:45.  Notice the plurality of the word “parables”, the chief priests and Pharisees also heard other parables which confirmed this same message.  In the prior parable, we read (and they may have heard):  “… but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.”  Matthew 21:32.  In the following parable, we read (and they may have heard) the parable of the Marriage Feast with the following description:  “and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.  ”But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.”  Matthew 22:6-7.

But, in sharp contrast to those unfaithful shepherds (the chief priests and the Pharisees), we have the Good Shepherd, Jesus.  Jesus proclaims:  “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.  ”He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.  ”He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.  ”I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”  John 10:11-15.  ”My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;  and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  ”My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  ”I and the Father are one.”  John 10:27-30.

Jesus is also our chief corner stone.  In addition, we have the foundation of the apostles and prophets.  We also have Augustine, Luther, and Calvin and all the other saints throughout history who gave us creeds and other sound doctrine and the examples of their lives to guide us and inspire us.  “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”  Ephesians 2:19-22.

Today’s devotion is Matthew 21:28-32. 

 

^“28  “But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ 

                                        

²⁹  “And he answered, ‘I will not’;  but afterward he regretted it and went.

                                            

³⁰  “The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go.

 ³¹  “Which of the two did the will of his father?”  They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.

 ³²  “For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him;  but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him;  and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.”  Matthew 21:28-32.  

I read somewhere that our lives are divided into halves.  Many people eagerly pursue their own desires of “success” that they measure by riches and fulfillment of their lusts with the first half of their life.   Many, like the second son, continue that pursuit through the second half of their life as well.  Others may also eagerly pursue their own desires of “success” that they measure by riches and fulfillment of their lusts with the first half of their life, but, like the first son and also like the tax collectors and prostitutes who did listen to John the Baptist, they repent and turn back to God and pursue the “significance” of following God with the second half of their life.        

This story is simple but true and important.  Most of us have two chances, two halves to our lives.  It is obviously best that we should do the will of our Father in Heaven with our first chance, in our youth, and continue to do so in both halves of our lives.  But, if we find that we are like the first son and the tax collectors and the prostitutes who has refused to work for our Father in Heaven, there is still hope.  We can repent, turn around our lives, and serve our Father in Heaven with our second chance in the second half of our lives.    

However, it should be noted that not all of us will be given two chances and two halves to our life.  Other Scripture and our observations show us that some may lose their life much earlier than what they expect.  Lamentations 3:25-28 teaches us to seek God and work for Him in our youth:

^“25  The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
         To the person who seeks Him. 
 ²⁶  It is good that he waits silently
         For the salvation of the LORD. 
 ²⁷  It is good for a man that he should bear
         The yoke in his youth. 
  ²⁸  Let him sit alone and be silent
         Since He has laid it on him.”  Lamentations 3:25-28.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 states:  “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”;”.

But, if we have not born the yoke of our Lord in our youth, there may be hope.  If we have not remembered our Creator in the days of our youth, there may be hope.  You may have second chance.  There may be a second half to your life.  But, don’t wait!  Repent!  Turn your life around!!  Work for God!!!  James 4:14 warns us:  “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.  You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

Today’s devotion is Matthew 21:23-27. 

 

^“23  When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” 

                                                                   

²⁴  Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.

 

²⁵  “The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

 ²⁶  “But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.”

 ²⁷  And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”  Matthew 21:23-27.

We may too often think that the value of Christ’s miracles is just the benefit that it gives to the sick and suffering.  But, we see here in this text as emphasized by Calvin’s Commentary below that Christ’s miracles prove His divine majesty and authority, that Christ is the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Son of God.

And the way for Christ was prepared by the Witness John the Baptist.  If the people truly honored John the Baptist who ”pointed out Christ with the finger, and had declared him to be the only Son of God”, then they should believe in Christ’s divine majesty and authority, that Christ is the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Son of God.

But, as we see, the chief priests and elders were so wicked that they chose their own plans and plots to undermine and attack Jesus over the clear evidence that should have led them to the truth.  

Calvin in his Commentary on this Scripture states in part:

“… But when the divine majesty of Christ had been attested by so many miracles, they act maliciously and wickedly in inquiring whence he came, as if they had been ignorant of all that he had done. For what could be more unreasonable than that., after seeing the hand of God openly displayed in curing the lame and blind, they should doubt if he were a private individual who had rashly assumed this authority? Besides, more than enough of evidence had been already laid before them., that Christ was sent from heaven., so that nothing was farther from their wish than to approve of the performances of Christ, after having learned that God was the Author of them.”  …

Whence was the baptism of John? Christ interrogates them about the baptism of John, not only to show that they were unworthy of any authority, because they had despised a holy prophet of God, but also to convict them, by their own reply, of having impudently pretended ignorance of a matter with which they were well acquainted. For we must bear in mind why John was sent, what was his commission, and on what subject he most of all insisted. He had been sent as Christ’s herald. He was not deficient in his duty, and claims nothing more for himself than to prepare the way of the Lord.  (Malachi 3:1; Luke 7:27.)

In short, he (John) had pointed out Christ with the finger, and had declared him to be the only Son of God. From what source then do the scribes mean that the new authority of Christ should be proved, since it had been fully attested by the preaching of John?

We now see that Christ employed no cunning stratagem in order to escape, but fully and perfectly answered the question which had been proposed; for it was impossible to acknowledge that John was a servant of God, without acknowledging that he was Himself the Lord.” …

“But they thought within themselves.  Here we perceive the impiety of the priests. They do not inquire what is true, nor do they put the question to their own conscience;  and they are so base as to choose rather to shuffle than to acknowledge what they know to be true, that their tyranny may not be impaired. In this manner, all wicked men, though they pretend to be desirous of learning, shut the gate of truth, if they feel it to be opposed to their wicked desires. So then Christ does not allow those men to go without a reply, but sends them away ashamed and confounded, and, by bringing forward the testimony of John, sufficiently proves that he is furnished with divine power.” 

In conclusion, there is a lesson here for us.  Although we certainly do not engage in plans and plots to undermine and attack Jesus, do we have our own agenda that cause us to close our eyes to the truth and to the command of Jesus’ authority?  The chief priest and elders did see Jesus’ miracles and John the Baptist’s witness.  However ,we have much more.  We have the testimony of the full Word of God.  We have the foundation of the apostles and prophets.  We also have Augustine, Luther, and Calvin and all the other saints throughout history who gave us creeds and other sound doctrine and the examples of their lives to guide us and inspire us.  “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”  Ephesians 2:19-22.      

Today’s devotion is Matthew 21:18-22. 

 

^“18  Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 

                                                                                

¹⁹  Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.     

                                                              

 ²⁰  Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?”

 ²¹  And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.

 ²²  “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Why did Jesus use a fig tree to teach the importance of faith?  Why did Jesus use a mountain to teach the importance of faith?

I think Jesus used a fig tree to represent those minor mundane problems in our life.  We almost don’t think it is worthy of our prayers to pray about minor mundane problems in our life.  However, Jesus commands us and encourages us to even pray in faith about little things.  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  ”For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  ”Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?  ”Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?  ”If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”  Matthew 7:7-11. 

Yet, there also is the duty to be diligent and work.  “He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who cares for his master will be honored.”  Proverbs 27:18

I think that Jesus used the mountain to represent the major, almost overwhelming problems in our life that tower over us and covers us in a shadow of fear.

Note the progression from the fig tree to the mountain.  If we pray in faith and see our prayer requests granted as to the minor mundane problems in our life, then, such granting of our minor prayer requests builds our faith to handle the bigger problems in our life.  “… you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.”

This Scripture teaches that we must have faith, and not doubt.  ^“But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.  For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,”  James 1:6-7.

It helps us to believe that God wants to bless us.  Remember the prior Scripture which reminds us that our Father in Heaven will give what is good to those who ask Him!  ”Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?  ”Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?  ”If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” 

I will close this devotion with one of my favorite verses which teaches us that an element of faith is that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him.  ^“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6.  

 ”And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” 

Today’s devotion is Matthew 21:12-17. 

 

^“12  And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 

                                                

¹³  And He said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”

                                     

¹⁴  And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

 ¹⁵  But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant

 ¹⁶  and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF’?”

 ¹⁷  And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.”  Matthew 21:12-17.   

Notice how Jesus did not “only” cleanse the temple of the inappropriate activities of “buying and selling”, He filled the temple with appropriate activities of healing the blind and lame and praising Himself.  

 

“For zeal for Your house has consumed me … “  Psalm 69:9

 

The lesson for us is that it is not enough for us to refrain from clearly inappropriate activities during the worship service;  we should fill our church with appropriate activities.  We should make our church sanctuary a “House of Prayer” that pleases God.  We should passionately sing and otherwise praise God.  Notice how God was pleased with “the shouting” of praise of the children in the temple.  “Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;  And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.”  Psalm 32:11. 

 

As we approach Reformation Day, we should be reminded of the Reformed Regulative Principle of Worship.  The following quote comes from material printed from the text of a Reformation Day Speech sponsored by the Lecture Committee of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America. The address was given on October 29, 1987, and was delivered by Rev. Barry Gritters, pastor of Byron Center Protestant Reformed Church.   

 

“Reformed believers teach that our worship is to be just what God commands it to be – nothing more, nothing less. This is of utmost importance for us to understand in connection with Biblical, Reformed worship. God does not leave it up to us to determine the manner of our worship of God. God’s Word regulates us in how we must worship Him.

This is the difference between the Lutheran and the Calvinistic branches of the Reformation. Followers of Luther, when reforming the extravagance of the Roman Catholic Church, held to the position that whatever was not explicitly forbidden in the Bible was permissible in church. For that reason, the Lutherans kept a good deal of Roman Catholic practices in their worship. Whether consciously taken or not, this is the position of most churches today. This is not Reformed!

The Calvinists, on the other hand, held to what is called “The Regulative Principle of Worship.” That regulative principle says, “We worship God only as He has commanded us in His Word.” For that reason, the worship services of Reformed churches historically have been limited to prayer, singing, sacraments, preaching, and offerings.”  Here is the link to the article in full – Click here: PUBLIC WORSHIP AND THE REFORMED FAITH

There is another article in the “The Puritan’s Mind” blog that may be worthy of your review, particularly because it quotes the Reformed Creed Westminister Confession, Chapter 21 paragraph 1 in the Westminster Confession:

“The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and doth good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might.[1]  But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.[2]“ 

Here is the link to the article – Click here: The Regulative Principle in Worship: A brief article.

   

In conclusion, let us review.  Jesus’ cleansing of the temple is consistent with the Regulative Principle of Worship.  However, we saw that Jesus did not “just” remove clearly inappropriate activities (“buying and selling”);  Jesus filled the temple with appropriate activities of healing the blind and lame and praising Himself for which Jesus was criticized at one time or another.  So, let us not only adhere to the Regulative Principle of Worship and refrain from clearly inappropriate activities, but let us also “do good” to our fellow man and worship God with zeal “in spirit and in truth”.  John 4:23-24.

Today’s devotion is Matthew 21:1-11 which contains the account of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  The key verses upon which I want to comment are Matthew 21:4-5.

^“This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 
        “SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION,
         ’BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU,
         GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY,
         EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’”  Matthew 21:4-5. 

The following is stated in Isaiah and Zechariah.

Isaiah 62:11:

    ”Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth,
            Say to the daughter of Zion, “Lo, your salvation comes;
            Behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.”

Zechariah 9:9:

    ”Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
            Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
            Behold, your king is coming to you;
            He is just and endowed with salvation,
            Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
            Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

I see two themes.  Jesus is King to His people and brings salvation to them.  Jesus is gentle and humble to His people. 

I will comment on this second theme.  We have seen in our last Scripture for devotion that Jesus criticized those rulers who “lord it over them” (Matthew 20:25) and how He (Jesus) “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many”.  (Matthew 20:28).

 

It was also prophesied of Jesus: 

“He will not cry out or raise His voice,
         Nor make His voice heard in the street. 
“A bruised reed He will not break
         And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
         He will faithfully bring forth justice. 
“He will not be disheartened or crushed
         Until He has established justice in the earth;
         And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”  Isaiah 42:2-4  (Emphasis added.)

 

Jesus said:  “”Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.”  Matthew 11:29    

 

But, there is the warning to those who reject Him.  ^“How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?”  Hebrews 10:29.  ^“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.  His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.  He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.  From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.  And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”  Revelation 19:11-16. 

 

^“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”  2 Corinthians 5:20.  

Today’s devotion is Matthew 20:20-28 which contains the account of the mother of two disciples requesting Jesus to ”Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.”  The key verses upon which I want to comment are Matthew 20:25-28.

 

^“25  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.

 ²⁶  “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,

 ²⁷  and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave;

 ²⁸  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  Matthew 20:25-28.

 

First, it should be noted that this “first shall be last” statement does not stand alone in the context of Scripture.  This is the third time it appears.  Here are the prior two times.  “So the last shall be first, and the first last.”  Matthew 20:16.  “But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.”  Matthew 19:30.  Thus, the repetition of it deserves this special recognition and emphasis.  It may be that Jesus was preparing us for this “hard” truth by surrounding the two prior statements with the encouragement of rewards.

 

Jesus also personally led His disciples by His personal example in the prior section.  “As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”  Matthew 20:17-19.  Jesus showed His disciples and us today that He (Jesus) “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many”.  Matthew 20:28.

 

In summary and conclusion, we have two prior Scriptures in which Jesus taught the “first shall be last” in the context of the encouragement of rewards.  The last two devotions focus on these rewards.  We also have Jesus’ personal example of service educating us that He (Jesus) ”did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many”.  We then may be more inclined to accept the “hard” truth that even contains the third encouragement within itself that although the path to greatness is service to others, we can be encouraged that there is that reward of greatness and being first.

Today’s devotion is Matthew 20:1-16.  The key verses upon which I want to comment are Matthew 20:8-16. 

 

⁸  “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’

                                                

⁹  “When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.

¹⁰  “When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.

¹¹  “When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,

¹²  saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’

¹³  “But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong;  did you not agree with me for a denarius?

¹⁴  ‘Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.

¹⁵  ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own?  Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’

¹⁶  “So the last shall be first, and the first last.”  Matthew 20:8-16.

This is the perfect Scripture to follow yesterday’s devotions titled “The Rewards”.  As we saw in yesterday’s devotions, there are various different types of rewards.  But here, there was only one reward received by all the Elect which we can infer is eternal life based on the prior Scripture (“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”  Matthew 19:29).  We can also see from other Scripture that eternal life is the one supreme reward for all the Elect. 

If you read the entire text, not copied here, you can understand that the laborers were chosen.  They are the Elect who are chosen and privileged to work in God’s vineyard. 

Notice, as the main point for this devotion, that no matter how long each laborer worked in the vineyard, they each received the same reward.  So, why does the prior Scripture and other Scriptures emphasize different rewards (See, for example, Matthew 19:27-29.) while this Scripture for today emphasizes the same reward?

I think that the answer is that in comparison to eternal life, the other rewards “pale” in comparison.  It is a blessing to receive abundant relatives and “farms” and even to sit and judge on the twelve thrones, but it is most important to “just” be in heaven and have eternal life.  ^“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.  I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”  Psalm 84:10. 

In addition, even though we do experience rewards in our earthly life, we also experience sufferings in our earthly life.  But, even considering our sufferings, they pale in comparison to eternal life.  “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”  Romans 8:18. 

This Scripture also teaches us patience for what can seem to us to be a long labor in the vineyard.  This Scripture also teaches us gratitude for what we do receive.  

Although we should ask and do receive different rewards, and they each are a blessing, we need to “treasure” eternal life the most, in a certain sense as if it is the only reward.  “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:  That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.”  Psalm 27:4  “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”  Luke 10:20.  Thank you.