March 2, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in our Lenten readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Day 13 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Year of Growing Opposition
Read Sections 4.72 through 4.73 (pages 127-129)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
4.72 A Rich Man Refuses to Follow Jesus (Mark 10:17-31) It always confused me when Jesus responded with “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” It made no sense to me, because Jesus knew who He was, and He never suggested that He was not good. That would be a lie, so he would not suggest it. So, it made no sense to me that this was some statement of humility. Jesus made many statements that revealed His humility, but he never denied his deity. So, it didn’t make sense to me that He would be denying it here. But the study bible’s note on this helped immensely. “Jesus challenged the ruler to think through the implications of ascribing to him the title “good”. Since only God is intrinsically good, was he prepared to acknowledge Jesus’ deity? By this query, Jesus did not deny his deity; on the contrary, he affirmed it.” Another study bible offers this helpful commentary: “No one is completely good except God alone, therefore it is not proper for the young man to address Jesus as “Good Teacher” until he is ready to acknowledge that Jesus is God.” These were great helps to me as it makes far more sense to see Jesus as affirming His goodness here, rather than denying it. But He is in fact challenging the young ruler to consider just who he believed Jesus was.
I also love how Jesus responds after the young man attests to upholding the law since his youth. Jesus didn’t resist him, as he did the Pharisees, but rather, the Word tells us that Jesus loved him. Jesus loved him, and then cut straight to the heart of what was keeping this young man from Jesus…in this case, place his hope in his great material possessions. Jesus, knowing what is in the heart of man, knew that this young man would be discouraged by this word of truth…but we do not know the rest of the story. Did this man come to faith? Perhaps! But Jesus did not hold back the Truth, but rather, cut straight to his heart…in love.
4.73 The Story About Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) Another wonderful illustration of the generous and merciful grace of God, and the petty, jealous, sinful nature of man. “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” Reminds me a bit of the older son in the Prodigal Son.
Lenten Day 13
A clear message in these two passages: those who are first will be last and those who are last will be first. Why is this not so easy in this complicated world? If we have much, we should be more generous.
Day 13
The story of the workers in the vineyard made me think of Romans 9, which many interpret as God choosing specific people to salvation, but rather it is the argument that it is God’s prerogative to choose how He will choose. He chose those who come by faith.
”What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.“
Romans 9:30-32 NKJV
Likewise the owner of the vineyard chose to pay those who came last, the same as those who came first. Like God had a plan for the Gentiles to come to Him, even though the Jews were His first.
~The Life of Jesus 4.72-4.73
~ Romans 9-10
Reading The Workers in The Vineyard I felt was a good message on even though things of life aren’t always fair it’s better to remain humble in Christ and understand at times we are the workers at 9AM, doing more work for the same reward or maybe even less reward in some cases. But rather allowing that sinful nature or jealous thinking to take over; to just have joy that we have something far greater in the goodness of Jesus to be excited about. Regardless of the work and pay. Really driving home the first and last analogies Jesus talks about in serving, and that it does flip every now and again.
Jesus saw right through this man as he couldn’t wait to tell Jesus what a great person he was. Jesus would rather have him called him messiah then master or teacher. The law cannot bring salvation only Jesus. Go and sell all that you have brings this man’s heart to the surface. The parable of the owner of the vineyard always reminds me of a huge privilege I had many years ago to lead a study in an over 55 community. One of the men who had sisters for siblings. Claimed he was very miss treated by his father and the sisters could do know wrong. We read this parable and a huge smile came to his face. Actually this man read Isiah’s ch. 53. And came to the Lord.
Our loyalty and allegiance to God must come before all else. He is priority!
With that, we can know and believe that we will be rewarded with Gods gift of eternal life. Whether we are babies in the faith or seasoned followers, the day will come when all will experience that same reward. One is not rewarded anymore than the other.
Well said all of you. Whenever I think of this story of the rich man saying to Jesus { good teacher} I am reminded of how people think of themselves for every man will proclaim his own goodness. And I think that Jesus was revealing to this rich man that he fell far short. He needed to come to Christ in faith only and not from anything that he could do. Even though he thought he was good Jesus had to show him that he wasn`t. Jesus Himself says that only God is good. Proverbs 20: 6 { Most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?} Titus 3: 5 { Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; {6] Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.} {7} That being justified by grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.} Notice that Jesus uses the Ten Commandments to show to man his sin. If you were to ask the question to someone : If when you die will you go to Heaven or hell? Most people will say that they will go to Heaven. Then the second question would be: Why do you think you will go to Heaven? Their answer would most likely be that their good works would out weigh their bad. But Jesus says that if you fail in one thing you will be guilty of all. Thank God our salvation isn`t based on what we can do but on what Christ has already done on the cross. This is when we would show them God`s standard by only mentioning only a few of the Ten Commandments. And then telling them the gospel. God has given mankind a conscience so whatever they say they are an atheist, agnostic, or anything else God has placed this conscience in them. They are without excuse. Once were we doing our own thing before we came to Christ. Blessed be everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord.
What a juxtaposition these two accounts are. On one hand we have the rich young ruler who thought he had it made because of his righteousness and his wealth. He is like the ones who started working at the beginning of the day. But when you try to earn salvation with works, Jesus will give you a work that you cannot do…because that is not the right way anyway. And that is where we have on the other hand the parable of the workers for the field that shows the gracious nature of how God’s economy works. It is the giving nature of God that makes salvation possible not the work of man. And the only thing we can do in response to what God gives is to receive it. Now that does not mean that our works won’t be rewarded. God will honor the works of faith with blessing in His kingdom. And the reason why the disciples were baffled by what Jesus said to the rich young man is they thought wealth was an indication of God’s hand on a person, so if a rich person can’t be saved, then who can be. But Jesus brings a completely different reality to bear that rejects the offer of self righteousness and yet graciously gives His righteousness to those who come to Him by faith!
The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Not a way of thinking man adopts. For us it is a selfish way, always looking at what we have, what we are owed, and keeping our stuff. In both these stories Jesus shows that it is only through humility that we can come to God. All we have is from His hand and therefore we are not owed anything. In God’s economy our heart is what is important not our stuff and as Jesus reminds us we can not serve two masters.
Interesting that the knowledge of Jesus’ coming death was kept from the disciples. Maybe this was for their own good as it may have greatly effected the way they would interact with Him or His followers. Maybe it was that we don’t hear what we don’t want to hear and they were not ready to accept His impending death.
Jesus said “The Son of Man did not come for people to serve Him. He came to serve others and to give His life to save many people” We are not here for selfish reasons. We follow Christ’s example to put others first, to live humbly, and to bring glory to God in everything we do. We do this because of the work He did on our behalf out of love and gratitude for the forgiveness we didn’t deserve and could never earn on our own!
Lenten 13