Biggest Party Ever

A Series on the parables of Jesus – Part 2
Parable of the wedding banquet
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Matthew 22:1-14 

[During the first century, it was common for a rabbi to use parables when teaching their disciples. The parables of Jesus were stories that he told to illustrate spiritual truth using some element from everyday life. Jesus used seeds, fish, trees, bread - things people could easily relate to – for a “teachable moment”.]

  

When was the last really fun party that you went to? Normally, parties are planned to celebrate a milestone. It might be for a wedding or a birthday or a retirement or maybe even an anniversary.

Next year, my wife and I will be celebrating our fiftieth anniversary. Even though our anniversary date isn’t until September, I’m planning to celebrate all year long. Officially, it will be the “year of the party”!

 

Leading up to today’s parable, Jesus has kept a relatively low profile. There were many times when he told a person not to say anything about his miracles. But now there seems to be a shift. He’s going out of his way to embrace public recognition, like his entry into Jerusalem and turning over tables in the temple.

 

Also, although Jesus never shied away from conflict with the Pharisees and other religious leaders, he now seems intent on picking a fight with them. It’s as if he is trying to provoke them to action.

 

The parable of the wedding banquet is the fourth in a series of parables that pronounces judgement on Israel’s religious leaders. In this parable, a king is hosting a great wedding banquet for his son and has invited many guests. However, when everything is ready, the guests reject the king’s invitation.

 

Angered, the king punishes them and instructs his servants to make other plans.

 

^9 ‘Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ ¹⁰ So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.           NLT

 

In the Gospel of Luke version, he puts it like this.

 

^21b ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’            NIV

 

It’s not too difficult to figure out who is who in the parable. Even though this parable appears to be only about judgement, there’s another hidden gem that you don’t want to miss.

 

¹ Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.  NIV

 

The kingdom of heaven is like a wedding banquet. You could even say, it’s like a party. The religious leaders were invited to the party, but they rejected the king. So, he invited everyone else.

 

This invitation to the party still stands today. It doesn’t matter whether you’re good or bad; poor, crippled, blind or lame. You’re invited to the biggest party ever with your loving Father and his only Son. This is a party that you don’t want to miss.

 

¹⁵ Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”          NLT

                                                                        Luke 14

 

***

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

Mark 4:23 NLT

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

Oreo Cookies

A Series on the parables of Jesus – Part 2
Parable of the fig tree
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Mark 11:12-25 

[During the first century, it was common for a rabbi to use parables when teaching their disciples. The parables of Jesus were stories that he told to illustrate spiritual truth using some element from everyday life. Jesus used seeds, fish, trees, bread - things people could easily relate to – for a “teachable moment”.]

  

Do you like Oreo cookies? They’re the best! And there’s several ways to enjoy them. You can just pop one in your mouth. Or you can dip one in a glass of milk. Or you can take the Oreo apart, eat the inside cream filling and then the outside cookie. Kids don’t seem to care which method they use, as long as it involves an Oreo.

 

Like an Oreo cookie, the parable of the fig tree has two sides with a story in the middle. At the time of the parable, there were lots of exciting things happening. With Passover just a few days away, Jerusalem was jammed with pilgrims. On Sunday, with great anticipation of a Messiah, Jesus made his triumphant entry.

 

The next morning, as he and the disciples are returning to the city, Jesus is hungry. Seeing a fig tree, he goes over, only to find that there aren’t any figs. Jesus says to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”  He seems kind of cranky. Like he got up on the wrong side of the bed. But he gets worse.

 

When they arrive in the temple, because of Passover, it is full of people buying and selling and exchanging money. Imagine being one of the disciples. Everything is normal when all of sudden, Jesus, your trusted rabbi who you’ve followed for the last three years, goes off!

 

He flips tables scattering money, birds and animals. Then he starts teaching, and quotes two Old Testament verses which are pointedly aimed at the chief priests. He is judging them for betraying their faith. Humiliated by Jesus’ public criticism, the chief priests immediately begin planning how to kill him.

 

The next day, as Jesus and the disciples are going back into Jerusalem, they pass the same fig tree. This time though, it is completely dead. Even the roots are dead.

 

Everything described above… cursing the fig tree, clearing the temple and the teaching… was judgement of the chief priests. In light of this, do you think the disciples might have wondered, “If the righteous and powerful chief priests are judged unworthy, what chance do we have”?

 

But Jesus wasn’t done with the parable. It wasn’t just about judgement.

 

²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.      NIV

 

Have you ever seen a mountain throw itself into the sea? This is hyperbole; an exaggeration to make a point. And the point is, that nothing is impossible for the person who trusts God.

 

Jesus is telling his disciples that “faith and prayer” can overcome anything. In the face of judgement, they bring hope. In the shadow of a mountain, they bring courage. In the fear of the future, they bring strength.

 

Jesus is telling us… this same message.

 

***

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

Mark 4:23 NLT

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

The Cornerstone

A Series on the parables of Jesus – Part 2
Parable of the tenant farmers
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Matthew 21:33-46 

[During the first century, it was common for a rabbi to use parables when teaching their disciples. The parables of Jesus were stories that he told to illustrate spiritual truth using some element from everyday life. Jesus used seeds, fish, trees, bread - things people could easily relate to – for a “teachable moment”.]

  

Can you imagine traveling without your GPS nowadays?

 

Recently, my wife and I were discussing a western vacation that we had taken thirty years ago. We went everywhere: Pikes Peak, Yellowstone NP, the Tetons, Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower and Wall Drug just to name a few.

 

As I thought about all the places that we went, I couldn’t imagine how we made our plans without the internet and Google Maps. We must have used AAA books and those darn foldable road maps that you can never get back to their original shape.

 

For sure, we needed something to guide us. You can imagine that if we had taken a couple of wrong turns here or there, we could have ended up in Texas or Oklahoma. It doesn’t take much to miss by a lot. Just ask the chief priests.

 

Preceding today’s parable, Jesus had a confrontation with the chief priests. They questioned his authority. In no uncertain terms, Jesus told them that he had authority over the kingdom of God. But wait, there’s more.

 

Following this, he told a parable about a landowner who rented his vineyard to some tenant farmers. However, when it was time to collect his rent, the tenants beat and killed his servants who he had sent. Later, they killed his son too.

 

He finished by tightening the noose around the chief priest’s neck by asking, “When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants”. They responded, “He will kill them and rent his vineyard to others who will pay what he is due”.

 

⁴² Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?

‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
    and it is wonderful to see.’

⁴³ I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit.        NLT

 

Over the years, decades and centuries, the Jewish religious leaders had missed the mark. It was probably one little decision after another that lead them down the wrong road; that lead them to reject the cornerstone.

 

And who is the cornerstone?

 

¹⁹ So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. ²⁰ Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.          Ephesians 2    NLT

 

Despite using those antiquated travel tools of AAA books and foldable maps, we got to our destination. But life is a lot more complicated than a two week vacation. We need a cornerstone in our life to give us direction; to keep us on track.

 

What is the cornerstone of your life?

 

***

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

Mark 4:23 NLT

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

Hook, Line and Sinker

A Series on the parables of Jesus – Part 2
Parable of the two sons
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Matthew 21:23-32 

 

[During the first century, it was common for a rabbi to use parables when teaching their disciples. The parables of Jesus were stories that he told to illustrate spiritual truth using some element from everyday life. Jesus used seeds, fish, trees, bread - things people could easily relate to – for a “teachable moment”.]

  

On Tuesdays, I’ve been picking up my five-year-old granddaughter from preschool, taking her home for lunch and then dropping her off at her afternoon school. She’s kind of a character and does things to be funny that actually are funny.

 

Today, she was running late, so I told her to hurry up and finish her lunch. She responded by saying that she wanted an apple sauce packet. Her Mom said that she could take it with her in the car with Grandpa.

 

About half way to school she said, “Here Grandpa. You can have my apple sauce”. I declined and told her that it was hers; that she should eat it. But she said, “No. It’s for you Grandpa. It’s a gift”. Taking the container, I thanked her and told her how thoughtful she was.

 

After dropping her off at school, I got back in the car and looked down at the gift. What a sweet granddaughter to share her lunch with me like that. Not every five year old would be so thoughtful. But, then I picked it up. It was empty! She got me… hook, line and sinker.

 

On the Sunday before Passover, Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem as king. Shortly after arriving, he violently drove the merchants out of the temple. Following these events, the religious leaders confronted him.

 

^23b “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”   NIV

 

Responding to their attack, Jesus framed his counter-question so that no matter how they answered, they would look bad. In doing this, Jesus provided himself with the perfect opportunity for a teachable moment… a parable.

 

Like an expert fisherman, he cast his line out by setting the story. It was about a father who told his two sons to go work in his vineyard. The first son said no, but then thought better of it and went to work. The second son said yes, but then decided to ignore his father, and disobeyed him.

 

Asking a simple question, Jesus hooked the fish.

 

³¹ “Which of the two obeyed his father?”
They replied, “The first.”
Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.  NLT

 

How do you and I question Jesus’ authority in our life? Do we say yes, but then just go do whatever we want? Does our pride get in the way of humility and obedience? Does our desire for control help us to justify and rationalize sinful behavior? Is there an area of our life that we haven’t given over to Jesus’ authority?

 

Hook, line and sinker… can you feel the hook?

 

***

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

Mark 4:23 NLT

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

The Disclaimer

A Series on the parables of Jesus – Part 2

Workers in the vineyard

 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Matthew 19:16-20:16 

 

[During the first century, it was common for a rabbi to use parables when teaching their disciples. The parables of Jesus were stories that he told to illustrate spiritual truth using some element from everyday life. Jesus used seeds, fish, trees, bread - things people could easily relate to – for a “teachable moment”.]

  

Don’t you just love those TV commercials about prescriptions that show people laughing and smiling and having a wonderful life? Then at the end of the commercial, the narrator - speaking faster than you can understand - rattles off all the possible side effects ending the list with the big one… “Possible death”.

 

Disclaimers are common in advertising. Jesus was familiar with disclaimers and actually used one once… today’s parable. But before we get into the parable, we need to look at what happened just before it.

 

A rich young ruler asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Following a brief conversation, Jesus told the young man to sell all that he had, give it to the poor and follow him. “At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth”.

 

Jesus then turned to his disciples and told them, “It is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven… but with God all things are possible”.

 

Not seeming to hear what Jesus had just said, Peter asked, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” Unfazed, Jesus told him the rewards that he and other followers would receive, but then made this ominous statement.

 

³⁰ But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.             NLT

 

Jesus proceeded to tell the disciples a parable by saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like”… a landowner who hired workers for his vineyard at different times throughout the day. But at the end of the day, he paid all of them the same amount.

 

Of course, those who had been working all day didn’t like that. It wasn’t fair. After all, they had worked through the heat of the day, doing the bulk of the work. In their opinion,
they deserved to be paid more than those who only worked half a day, or even just an hour.

 

Jesus completes his parable by repeating what he had said before to Peter’s question. The Message puts it this way.

 

¹⁶ “Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”  MSG

 

Peter felt entitled, and tried to make his relationship with Jesus transactional. His thinking was, “If I do something for you, then you owe me”. Those thoughts, and that justification, are as old as the Garden of Eden. But that isn’t how Jesus works.

 

Jesus turned the world upside down – “the Great Reversal”. He did it time after time after time. He didn’t do things the way the Pharisees thought it should be, or even his disciples. He did it the way his Heavenly Father told him to.

 

So, what is the message of Jesus’ parable/disclaimer?” It is to correct the thinking and the priorities of those of us who follow him. And, to show that the kingdom of heaven is a gift based on the generosity and grace of our Heavenly Father.

 

***

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

Mark 4:23 NLT

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

Wash Your Hands

A Series on the parables of Jesus – Part 2
The heart of a man
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Mark 7:1-23 

[During the first century, it was common for a rabbi to use parables when teaching their disciples. The parables of Jesus were stories that he told to illustrate spiritual truth using some element from everyday life. Jesus used seeds, fish, trees, bread - things people could easily relate to – for a “teachable moment”.]

 

“Wash your hands before you come to the dinner table”! How many times did you hear that when you were growing up?

 

For me, it was a daily ritual that truthfully, I didn’t understand, but instinctively obeyed. Looking back on it, I suppose the idea was that it would clean the germs off my hands.  By doing this, I wouldn’t get sick or spread disease.

 

This is a similar concept to the ceremonial washing that the Jews did. Only without the religious connotation.

 

The law that the Israelites received from Moses at Mount Sinai is recorded in the book of Leviticus. The key word in the book is holiness. It appears in Leviticus more than in any other book of the Bible. Leviticus explains how the Israelites were to be the Lord’s holy people in the Promised Land of pagans.

 

Unfortunately, over the centuries, the law was perverted. Instead of helping the Israelites to become holy, the religious leaders became holy terrors who were more interested in legalism than relationship.

 

Jesus made this point in the passage today. The Pharisees observed that Jesus’ disciples weren’t following the tradition of ceremonial washing before eating. Here’s the interaction between them as recorded in Matthew.

 

² “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

³ Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?   NLT

 

Game on! Jesus continued to confront the Pharisees by giving them a specific example of how they used their traditions to violate God’s law. Following this, he called the crowd over to clarify what he was saying about the hand washing.

 

^14-15 “Listen now, all of you—take this to heart. It’s not what you swallow that pollutes your life; it’s what you vomit—that’s the real pollution.”          MSG

 

Still not understanding, the disciples asked Jesus to explain his parable.

 

²⁰ And then he (Jesus) added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. ²¹ For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts…     NLT

 

Washing my hands before dinner was definitely a healthy habit to get into. But it didn’t clean me on the inside. Only Jesus can do that. Then, with a clean heart, I can love and serve Him by loving others.

 

***

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

Mark 4:23 NLT

 Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

 

 

Piano Man

A Series on the parables of Jesus – Part 2
A divided kingdom – the 2^nd of 2 blogs
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 11:14-23

 

[During the first century, it was common for a rabbi to use parables when teaching their disciples. The parables of Jesus were stories that he told to illustrate spiritual truth using some element from everyday life. Jesus used seeds, fish, trees, bread - things people could easily relate to – for a “teachable moment”.]

 

 

Growing up, my three older siblings all took piano. For some reason, when it was my turn, my parents never made me take it. Even though I never learned, I’ve always loved piano music. So, when I retired, it seemed like the perfect time to become the "Piano Man". Look out Billy Joel!

 

However, it’s been a slow process that requires discipline and work. (Thought I was done with that.) For the past nine months, I’ve practiced for thirty minutes or more, five days a week after lunch. Keeping this schedule helps me to make sure that I don’t get distracted by other activities.

 

In other words, to reach my goal of playing the piano, I have to be single minded.

 

The topic of being single minded came up early in Jesus’ ministry when he healed a demon possessed man. Some suggested that Jesus might be the Son of David. But the Pharisees, most likely out of jealousy and wanting to discredit Jesus, accused him of being possessed and driving out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons.

 

Speaking to the Pharisees in parables, Jesus made this point.

 

¹⁷ He knew their thoughts, so he said, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart. ¹⁸ You say I am empowered by Satan. But if Satan is divided and fighting against himself, how can his kingdom survive?    NLT

 

Like a court room attorney, Jesus logically argues that what he’s being accused of doesn’t make sense. Because even Satan is single minded in his mission to “lie, steal and destroy”.

 

Then Jesus adds this parable.

 

²¹ “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. ²² But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.    NIV

 

In other words, Satan may be single minded, but even at his strongest, Jesus is stronger. This is why Jesus was able to drive out the demon. Plus it’s good news for you and me that Jesus is still stronger than the devil himself.

 

Speaking to the crowds, Jesus then draws his final conclusion.

 

²³ “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.       NLT

 

Like learning to play the piano, “working with Jesus” takes discipline and work. And to do that, we must be single minded.

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

 

The Rock

A Series on the parables of Jesus – Part 2
A divided kingdom - 1st of 2 blogs on this
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Mark 3:20-29 

[During the first century, it was common for a rabbi to use parables when teaching their disciples. The parables of Jesus were stories that he told to illustrate spiritual truth using some element from everyday life. Jesus used seeds, fish, trees, bread - things people could easily relate to – for a “teachable moment”.]

 

Dwayne Johnson, also known as “The Rock”, is truly a physical specimen. 

He started his career as a professional wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation. For twenty-three years he fought in the ring winning numerous championships and reaching stardom. Today, he has over 360 million followers on Instagram!

 

Having recently started his ministry as an itinerant rabbi, Jesus also had a huge following. People from Galilee to Jerusalem to the other side of the Jordan, traveled to hear him and to be healed.

 

In the passage today, Jesus heals a demon possessed man. Some suggest that he might be the Son of David. But the teachers of the law, most likely out of jealousy and wanting to discredit Jesus, accuse him of being possessed and driving out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons.

 

Speaking to them in parables, Jesus made these points.

 

²⁴ “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. ²⁵ Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. ²⁶ And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive.” ²⁷ Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.             NLT

 

Like a court room attorney, Jesus argues that what he is being accused of doesn’t even make sense. Then, as if he was challenging “The Rock” to a big-time wrestling match, Jesus proclaims that he is stronger than Satan.

 

Jesus may not have been in a ring with Satan, but he was in a battle.

 

We are in a battle too. It’s a battle where we need to be focused; to be prepared; to be strong. But sometimes during our battle, we don’t do all these things. We’re like a divided kingdom that cannot stand.

 

And when that happens, we need to be reminded that Jesus is stronger than Satan. That he forgives us. That he is faithful and will not fail us.

 

Jesus is THE ROCK!

 

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.   NIV                                                Psalm 18:2

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

 Keep reading as the next blog is about the same parable only using the Gospel of Luke and with a unique application.