Matthew 22 (résumé): The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

Matthew 22 starts with the Parable of the Wedding Banquet in which a king prepares a wedding banquet for his son. This Jesus compares to the kingdom of heaven with the invited guests refusing to come to the banquet so random people were called to make up the number "and so the wedding hall was filled with guests". However one guest was "not wearing wedding clothes" so he was tied "hand and foot" and thrown out! "For many are called but few are chosen!" (or as Jean-Jacques Zbinden used to say: "many are cold but few are frozen!")

Then the Pharisees tried to catch Jesus over whether people should pay tax to Caesar or not? Jesus stumped them with a brilliant and famous answer: "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what us God's!" After this the Sadducees questioned the matter of marriage in eternity by presenting a hypothetical case of a woman of multiple marriages asking who would be her husband in eternity? Jesus replied that "at the resurrection people will neither marry or be given in marriage; they will be like the angels". Then they asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment and Jesus replied that it was love God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself. Finally Jesus asked the Pharisees who the Christ would be the son of? They answer the son of David. So Jesus asks how can the answer just be David's son if Psalm 110 sees the Messiah being called Lord? 

Another earthquake

Yesterday a further earthquake occurred in another of Brazil's South American neighbours. After the recent occurrences in Venezuela yesterday saw a 7.4 earthquake in western Columbia. The death toll thus far is 224 with 2,700 missing.   

Last night Philip and Gylmara went to a rural service at Nega and Netinho's farmstead and it was blessed of God. Philip preached the Gospel there.

Last night Liz and I had a meeting with Caetano and Dedé about the progress of the building of the new church at Ipueira which is going well, and we planned the next stages of the work.

I have now completed 3/4 of Matthew's 28 chapters so 7 more to go. 

Matthew 21 (résumé): The Triumphal Entry

This chapter opens with the Palm Sunday scene of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey in fulfilment of Zechariah 9:9. The crowd spread their cloaks and branches on the road and shouted: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" When Jesus got to the temple he "drove out all who were buying and selling there"... and said to them "My house will be called a house of prayer but you are making it a den of robbers!" Jesus then curses a fig tree because it had no fruit. The disciples were amazed at how quickly the tree withered and Jesus said it was a matter of faith saying: "If you believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer". Then the priests and elders questioned Jesus's authority so Jesus asked them a question about John the Baptist's authority but they dodged the question, so Jesus dodged theirs too! Then Jesus told the Parable of 2 sons in which he sent his son to work in the vineyard and he refused, but later changed his mind and went. Then the father sent the other son who readily said he would go but never did! So Jesus linked this to the tax collectors and prostitutes entering the kingdom. They got it wrong at first but put it right. Finally came the Parable of the Tenants in which a landowner rented out his vineyard but when he sent his servants to receive fruits the tenants seized his servants - beat one, killed another and stoned a third. When he sent another group of servants the same thing happened. So he sent his own son to sort it out and they killed him! So I tell you, said Jesus, that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to those who produce fruit. 

Matthew 20 (résumé): The parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

 Matthew 20 starts with the Parable of the workers in the vineyard who were employed at different times in the day but all received the same wage independent of hours worked. Those who worked longer hours moaned and grumbled but the owner said he could do what he liked with his money. So God's grace is given to each one independent of human merit. God gives freely according to his goodness. Then Jesus again predicts his coming betrayal, condemnation, crucification and resurrection. Then Zebedee's wife asked for a privileged place for her sons in Jesus kingdom. Jesus questioned whether they could drink the cup he was going to drink, and anyway the pathway to progress in the kingdom was service. For "the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many".

Matthew 19 (résumé): Divorce

 The Pharisees asked Jesus if divorce was alright for any reason? Jesus said that divorce was not God's perfect will, but that he had permitted it because of man's hardness of heart. But "anyone that divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery". Then little children were brought to Jesus for a blessing, but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. However Jesus said "let the little children come to me because of such is the kingdom of heaven". Finally a rich young man came to Jesus and enquired as to how he could get eternal life? Obey the commandments was Jesus' answer and the man said he did that, so what else did he lack? Jesus said go sell your possessions and give to the poor. The young man withdrew sad because he was very wealthy. Jesus then commented how hard it was for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God... "but with God all things are possible". And at the end times God will especially reward a hundred-fold those who left family and belongings for his sake and give them eternal life. "But the first will be last and the last will be first".

Matthew 18 (résumé): More parables

 Matthew 18 starts with a question by the disciples as to "who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven"? Jesus said it was someone who was as humble as a child because greatness in the kingdom stemmed from humility and not from wealth or status. Jesus then told the parable of the lost sheep expressing the joy the owner has upon finding a sheep that got lost. "In the same way your father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost". Then Jesus gives a formula for dealing with a fellow believers who sin: go and talk to him, but if he will not listen go with somebody else, but if he still will not change then take it before the church, and if he still remains immovable then excommunicate him. Jesus promises to be with them throughout the process: "where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them". Finally Peter asks how many times should he forgive a brother in sin as if 7 times would be right? Jesus answers that seventy-seven times would be better. And from here Jesus went into the parable of the unmerciful servant. A servant's master forgave him a massive debt, but he himself went on to meet up with a fellow-servant who owed him a pittance, but he refused to forgive him! When the master realized what had happened he threw the unforgiving servant into jail and Jesus said: "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart".                                                                                                          

Matthew 17 (résumé): The Transfiguration

The first part of Matthew 17 relates the extraordinary experience of the transfiguration when Jesus took Peter, James and John up into a high mountain where "his face shone like the sun... and his clothes became as white as the light... and Moses and Elijah joined them and talked with Jesus... then a bright cloud enveloped them and a voice from the cloud said 'This is my son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased. Listen to him'!" Then they came down from the mountain and a man with an epileptic son brought him to Jesus and he healed him. The disciples questioned why they had earlier not been successful in healing the boy and he says it was lack of faith. Jesus then told them that he would be betrayed, be killed but rise again on the third day. Finally it was questioned whether Jesus paid the temple tax and he did, not because he had to as son of God, but so as to not cause unnecessary offence. So they caught a fish which had a 4-dracma coin in its mouth which was the right amount to pay Jesus' tax and that of Peter.