Matthew 21:1-46
As I read this passage, I could not help but think of the second coming of Christ. What we call the "Triumphal Entry" was not really all that triumphal when you really stop to think about it. I doubt that CNN or even FOX covered the event. When He comes the second time, the donkey will be replaced with, what I picture as, a mighty white stead. I imagine flashes of lightning, trumpets blaring, the earth shaking and the sky ablaze with His glory. The cool thing is, that all of us get to ride along behind as Christ returns to this earth in His "True Triumphal Entry" and establishes His eternal kingdom. WOW, Lets Go!!!
Upon this entry into the city of Jerusalem, He found that several things were not as they should be and ended up having to clean things up and then make it very clear that God's favor was going to shift from Israel to the Gentile nations. The following four narratives describe what Christ found in His first coming. I wonder how much will be different at His second?
DEFILED TEMPLE. When Christ entered the temple He found that it had become a place of commerce where the sacrificial system was being exploited for profit. In a sense, forgiveness was being sold in the form of animals in the marketplace of what used to be a temple. This place of worship to God had become a shrine of idolatry to money. His reaction is one of righteous indignation and He cleans house. I hope that this moment was captured on the temple security cameras as I would really like to see this event. Does heaven have a video library? At any rate, I wonder how close we come to this same type of idolatry in our churches today? How often do those who can drop a large check in the offering get preferential treatment? Do we "look the other way" when the wealthy sin because we cannot afford to loose that contribution? We must be very, very careful not to let our ministry revolve around and focus on money. As Christ illustrated, the ministry is about people, caring for them and showing them the truth. The religious leaders became indignant that He would disturb the money making racket that they had going and then accept the praise the people. I guess we could sum this up by observing that when "ministry" becomes about money, worship and praise will be inhibited, if not prohibited.
DRY TREE. I, honestly, am not sure if the dried up fig tree is simply to teach the disciples about the amazing power of prayer, or if there is a symbolic meaning in this event. It seems like a double sided object lesson to me. Christ demonstrates the power of faith and prayer and lets His disciples know that this amazing resource is at their disposal. However, due to the following context, I also think that the tree is an analogy of Israel that looks like a healthy tree from a distance but is producing no spiritual fruit and is therefore about to be "dried up." Either way, I need to be reminded that when I face huge obstacles prayer is a privilege that I know I don't use nearly enough. I also need to be sure that my life is not just a bunch of leaves and strive, by God's grace and power, to produce fruit.
DISOBEDIENT SON. This parable was obviously pointed right at the Pharisees. They were the son that said he would go but didn't. The prostitutes and sinners are the son who refused to go, repented and then went. I believe that the lesson is that God prefers rebellion that is followed by repentance and restoration, to the hypocrisy of external submission followed by indifference and rejection. In short, I think God shouts from heaven: "BE REAL!" How often do we take comfort in our "christian masks?" We go through all the right motions, talk right, look right and act right on the outside, but our hearts are cold toward God and we have no passion to worship and serve Him. Our "good behavior" breeds arrogance and makes us loose sight of how depraved our hearts really are and how desperately we need God.
DEPRAVED VINE GROWER. Again, this parable is laser focused on Israel and her leaders as Christ begins to reveal that they are about to be booted from God's favor once again, suffer exile and the consequences of rebellion. God had given them all that they needed to fulfill His will. They had been given the Word of God, the temple, the prophets, the land and supernatural provision and protection. Yet with all of these blessings, they refused to honor God with their worship and spread the fame of God to the nations of the world as He had commanded. He had sent numerous judges, prophets and finally His own Son; all to no avail. They were stubborn in their own agenda and refused to do as God desired. God had provided all that they needed and given them warning after warning, but now, with the rejection of Christ, it was all going to come crashing down. It might be easy for us to shake our heads at the hard hearts of Israel. But when you consider how much more God has give us, I think that we would be better off bowing our heads than shaking them. He has given us more revelation, gifted godly men and women who teach us God's will and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Yet, we too, are so focused on our own comfort and projects that we sorely neglect the worship of God and do so little to promote the glory of God in the nations of the world that have no knowledge of Him. May God have mercy on our souls.
We have seen the state of Israel at Christ's first coming was not as it should be. Unfortunately, the state of the church and our individual lives do not seem to be much better today. May we be vigilant to do His will as we look forward to His "True Triumphal Entry."
Upon this entry into the city of Jerusalem, He found that several things were not as they should be and ended up having to clean things up and then make it very clear that God's favor was going to shift from Israel to the Gentile nations. The following four narratives describe what Christ found in His first coming. I wonder how much will be different at His second?
DEFILED TEMPLE. When Christ entered the temple He found that it had become a place of commerce where the sacrificial system was being exploited for profit. In a sense, forgiveness was being sold in the form of animals in the marketplace of what used to be a temple. This place of worship to God had become a shrine of idolatry to money. His reaction is one of righteous indignation and He cleans house. I hope that this moment was captured on the temple security cameras as I would really like to see this event. Does heaven have a video library? At any rate, I wonder how close we come to this same type of idolatry in our churches today? How often do those who can drop a large check in the offering get preferential treatment? Do we "look the other way" when the wealthy sin because we cannot afford to loose that contribution? We must be very, very careful not to let our ministry revolve around and focus on money. As Christ illustrated, the ministry is about people, caring for them and showing them the truth. The religious leaders became indignant that He would disturb the money making racket that they had going and then accept the praise the people. I guess we could sum this up by observing that when "ministry" becomes about money, worship and praise will be inhibited, if not prohibited.
DRY TREE. I, honestly, am not sure if the dried up fig tree is simply to teach the disciples about the amazing power of prayer, or if there is a symbolic meaning in this event. It seems like a double sided object lesson to me. Christ demonstrates the power of faith and prayer and lets His disciples know that this amazing resource is at their disposal. However, due to the following context, I also think that the tree is an analogy of Israel that looks like a healthy tree from a distance but is producing no spiritual fruit and is therefore about to be "dried up." Either way, I need to be reminded that when I face huge obstacles prayer is a privilege that I know I don't use nearly enough. I also need to be sure that my life is not just a bunch of leaves and strive, by God's grace and power, to produce fruit.
DISOBEDIENT SON. This parable was obviously pointed right at the Pharisees. They were the son that said he would go but didn't. The prostitutes and sinners are the son who refused to go, repented and then went. I believe that the lesson is that God prefers rebellion that is followed by repentance and restoration, to the hypocrisy of external submission followed by indifference and rejection. In short, I think God shouts from heaven: "BE REAL!" How often do we take comfort in our "christian masks?" We go through all the right motions, talk right, look right and act right on the outside, but our hearts are cold toward God and we have no passion to worship and serve Him. Our "good behavior" breeds arrogance and makes us loose sight of how depraved our hearts really are and how desperately we need God.
DEPRAVED VINE GROWER. Again, this parable is laser focused on Israel and her leaders as Christ begins to reveal that they are about to be booted from God's favor once again, suffer exile and the consequences of rebellion. God had given them all that they needed to fulfill His will. They had been given the Word of God, the temple, the prophets, the land and supernatural provision and protection. Yet with all of these blessings, they refused to honor God with their worship and spread the fame of God to the nations of the world as He had commanded. He had sent numerous judges, prophets and finally His own Son; all to no avail. They were stubborn in their own agenda and refused to do as God desired. God had provided all that they needed and given them warning after warning, but now, with the rejection of Christ, it was all going to come crashing down. It might be easy for us to shake our heads at the hard hearts of Israel. But when you consider how much more God has give us, I think that we would be better off bowing our heads than shaking them. He has given us more revelation, gifted godly men and women who teach us God's will and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Yet, we too, are so focused on our own comfort and projects that we sorely neglect the worship of God and do so little to promote the glory of God in the nations of the world that have no knowledge of Him. May God have mercy on our souls.
We have seen the state of Israel at Christ's first coming was not as it should be. Unfortunately, the state of the church and our individual lives do not seem to be much better today. May we be vigilant to do His will as we look forward to His "True Triumphal Entry."
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