Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.  “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.  “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”  “The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.  For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Matthew 21:28 – 32

Jesus used this opportunity on the holiest of Jewish weeks to reflect on what is happening.  As he so often did, he used a parable that all could understand to explain the coming of His Kingdom.

I love this story of the two sons, and find myself wondering about myself, which am I most like?  Jesus asked, which son did what his father wanted him to do?  Obviously, it was the one who did not want to go at first but repented and then went to the vineyard to work.  His listeners understood that.

But Jesus went further, explaining that they were like the son who did not enter the vineyard.  He reminded them that John the Baptist, now dead, preached the way of righteousness that only people like tax collectors and prostitutes understood because it gave them hope.  Jesus is implying that those who claimed to be righteous by the law never did enter God’s vineyard to serve Him.  In other words, by rejecting Jesus Christ they were turning their backs on true righteousness.  While sinners who needed salvation badly repented of their pride and believed in the salvation that Jesus offered.

So, Jesus was not at all surprised that the clear majority of the Jews will reject him because they have no need for him.  They obey the Law!  Of what could they repent?

The Blood that Jesus was to spill soon was to cleanse, not those who had no need to be cleansed because they were sure that their obedience pleases God, but for sinners.

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Matthew 21:23 – 27

This is probably what we would call the second day of the week, like our Tuesday.  The central question is, “Who is this Jesus?  Who gave him authority to do what he is doing in the Temple, upsetting everything?”  No one ever did what he did – upsetting a busy day of trade on the profitable days leading up to the Day of Atonement.  Those whose business was harmed by Jesus were horrified.  They could not imagine that the rulers of the Temple would do such a thing. The people who had come to change their money to get Temple money could not understand why anyone would find fault with what they were doing, they were changing Roman money for Temple money that was used for the affairs of the Temple, including payment for sacrifices to be offered in worship and for forgiveness.

So, the question was not “Why are you doing this?”  It was, rather, “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”  Their question was, “Who gave you authority to interrupt our usual business?”  They knew that the rulers of the Temple had authority over Temple affairs.  Had Jesus told them then and there that He was doing what He is doing because he is Lord of the Temple they would have stoned him, probably.  The money changers knew they were there because the temple authorities gave them official permission.  Where is this Jesus getting authority that is greater than the rulers of the Temple?  The answer to that is, of course, Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, the Redeemer and Lord, greater than the Temple in Jerusalem.  They were certainly not ready to even consider that.

The only question that matters is, “Who is this Jesus?”  He is not to dismissed as a miracle worker or a good man.  He is King of kings and Lord of lords!  There is no other.  I rest in that and know in my heart that Jesus Christ is my Lord, forever and ever.

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matthew 21:21, 22

To tell the truth, I have read these two verses many times, but, finding them a bit difficult, passed over Jesus’ statement about faith with the proviso that when I get time I will try to figure out what the Lord is saying and whether it has any meaning for me now.

Let me try.  It begins with the faith that Jesus had when he cursed the fig tree that should have fruit, but did not.  The tree withered at once.

I do not use this word, curse, at all or very little.  In this setting, Jesus tells his disciples, and us believers, that if we have faith in God, and believe in his wisdom and power, then we can pray as confidently as Jesus did as he cursed the fig tree.  “If you believe,” is the key.  To believe is to surrender completely our unbelief or doubt and to throw ourselves into the hands of Jesus Christ without reservation, knowing that the Jesus who saves us hears our prayers.  We relinquish all control and submit to the Lord Jesus without reservation. It is certainly not that our prayers are so strong that they overpower Jesus.  Faith implies yielding, not gaining control.  That, for me, gives faith a fresh meaning.  My ego wants to control, even God.  Faith relinquishes all control.  Then the will of God takes precedence, not our own demands.

So, prayer is essentially seeking to align my heart with that of Jesus.  The agony of prayer is admitting that God knows better than I do and to rest entirely on him.  That agony is the ecstasy of the soul.

This is a Lenten thought I was not expecting.

Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.  “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.  “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?’”

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

Matthew 21:12 – 17

Picture this, the promised Messiah enters Jerusalem to establish the Kingdom of God that he spoke of  more often than any other subject about his reign.  The hour has come.

Many surprises – neither the rulers of the Jews nor the teachers of the Law are with him as he makes his entry.  Instead, children and ordinary Jews cheer him on his way.  No one who has any authority at all is with the noisy people.  Where are the leaders of the Jews?  Jesus is coming as King of kings, right?  If so, where is the Sanhedrin?  Where are the rulers of the grand Temple, the priests and teachers?  This is not going to work.  No Jewish party is promoting Him.  He is surrounded by his 12 disciples, also bewildered by what is happening.  This is not the way they expected King Jesus to establish his throne to rule Israel.  At times I wonder what they were thinking was going to happen.

Another surprise, Jesus went to the Temple, not to the rulers of the Jews, the Sanhedrin.  The Jewish rulers dreaded Him.  They probably feared that he was going to complicate their cozy relationship with Rome.  I cannot think of one Jewish party that thought that Jesus of Nazareth should be their ruler.  He was not a priest.  He was not a recognized Rabbi.  He represented no political party, nor was he leading one. He was obviously not a king in the usual sense of the word.

Jesus went straight to the Temple where he had absolutely no civil authority.  He did not come with a sacrifice as required.  Instead of worshiping as was the custom, he railed out about turning the Temple into a place of questionable business, displeasing to God.  The people were perplexed even more about Jesus.  He was more interested in cleansing the Temple than establishing himself as the savior of the Jews.  Even the Twelve were astounded by it all.

Again, the question demands an answer, “Who is this?”  Jesus does not announce that he is King.  In any case, if he is king, what is he king of?

We are left with that question.  Jesus simply left the Temple that first day.  He slept in nearby Bethany.

It is Lent, a time of mystery and discovery.  I find myself asking if I know this man who saved me and restored me and has lived in my heart for most of my life.  I love Him, but do I really understand Him?

Elizabeth will celebrated her 12th birthday, yesterday, in a snow day!

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

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”  “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Matthew 21:6 – 11

Somehow the Jerusalem crowd got excited as the disciples, lacking a saddle, took off their lovely robes and placed them on the back of this bewildered but obedient donkey.  Jesus climbed onto the back of the donkey and proceeded to enter Jerusalem.  The crowd got so enthusiastic that they took off their robes and spread them before the feet of the donkey as their deed of homage. Some cut branches from palms that grew along the way and spread them.  This was an unexpected scene on the streets of Jerusalem leading up to the day of Atonement.

As they passed through the gates of the city they shouted ancient scriptures and hopes that promised such a day, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”  This was not an organized choir but a crowd that felt it was the song to sing.  I do not think any prominent priests or rabbis were among them, it was just an outburst of hope – the hope of children, women, workers, all who looked forward to the promised coming of the Messiah.

This unplanned procession caught the attention of Jerusalem.  They were astonished and asked, “Who is this?”  The crowd around Jesus knew, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”   They knew him as prophet, but he was much more, he was the Messiah that all Israel hoped would someday come.

So, the drama heightens.  It was not long before the Jewish leaders pled for the Romans to arrest this man who claimed to be the Messiah and put him to death.  In four days Jesus hung dying on a Roman cross.  That should be the end of the story, but it was, in fact, just the beginning, with much, much to follow.

It is hard to believe.  Is Jesus of Nazareth the promised Messiah? Maybe children might believe that, but not us skeptics.

Whether people believe or not, the ultimate, the eternal, question remains and all destiny rests on the answer, “Who is this?”  I answer it with all my heart, it is Jesus!   Look and live!  Jesus is alive, he is Savior, Son of God Almighty, the promised Messiah.  Bow with me in adoration and praise.

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

 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

Matthew 21:1 – 5

Jesus’ hour had come, his entrance into Jerusalem at the time of the Passover, the time to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God on the earth.  It was no longer a prediction but a current event, the Kingdom was being established.  Jesus is about to enter Jerusalem as the promised Messiah, the very Son of God.  Jerusalem, receive your King!!  Hold on.

His little group came over the brow of the hill above the Mount of Olives where the glistening dome of the newly built Temple shone in all its brilliance.  It was built by the Romans who occupied the Land.  The Jews loved it.  Even though they were not an independent nation they enjoyed much freedom within the bounds set by Rome.  The Temple dominated the Jerusalem skyline.

Then strange things happened, first, Jesus did not seek for a great war-horse upon which he would ride into the City, the way of all kings of the earth. What kind of a kingdom is he hoping to set up without an army, without soldiers, without shining weapons, without fanfare, without bugles blaring, announcing the appearance of the king?  So, it must have been a shock to the disciples to understand what was going on.

It was customary for a king to ride into the city in all his splendor and power, on a war-horse!  But he did not.  He told his disciples to go into the city and find a quite ordinary donkey that he could ride, legs dangling.  Who ever heard of a king entering the city like that?  No one would pay any attention to such a person. Was this not the King of kings, the Cocreator of the universe, the son of God?  Who would have guessed?

The disciples recalled the prophetic word, “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”  We leave it at that.  I stand with the onlookers who see the faces of the disciples darken.  What is happening?  This never happened before!  What kind of king is this?  And what kind of a kingdom?

Join me in pondering this extraordinary event.  What happened is so shocking that we admit that we need the Holy Spirit of God to even begin to understand.  Lord, open my heart as Lent moves forward that I might truly worship aright.