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One Love
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2003
Total Posts : 13888
| Posted 5/16/2010 11:33 AM (GMT -6) |   | | “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”
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And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Post Edited (One Love) : 5/16/2010 11:41:22 AM (GMT-5) | | Back to Top | | |
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One Love
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2003
Total Posts : 13888
| Posted 5/17/2010 4:14 PM (GMT -6) | | Saw something.
Think about this.
1) If the servant of the master truly had the master's interests above his own, would the complaining of "This ain't fair!" have ever arisen?
2) If the elder brother truly had his father's interests above his own, would he have ever refused to celebrate his father's happiness on behalf of himself, also saying "This ain't fair!" ?
I think there is a theme here: "Murmuring and complaining" against God is rooted in having one's own interests as supreme rather that God the Father' interest. And if God's interest in is "scandalous", overwhelming love, what happens when we don't have that interest above our own? Just what if?
Wow. Actually, did God ever like murmuring and complaing against His generosity in the Old Testament? Hmm...don't think so. See Jonah.
Just a thought.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Post Edited (One Love) : 5/17/2010 4:28:18 PM (GMT-5) | | Back to Top | | |
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One Love
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2003
Total Posts : 13888
| Posted 5/17/2010 4:22 PM (GMT -6) | | And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.
WHY were Jesus' words considered "GRACIOUS" by the people?
Tom. Take it away! 
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Post Edited (One Love) : 5/17/2010 4:26:14 PM (GMT-5) | | Back to Top | | |
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One Love
Registered Member
Date Joined Jan 2003
Total Posts : 13888
| Posted 5/18/2010 12:08 AM (GMT -6) | | Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay...
Hint.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God...
It seems that Jesus left out a part of Isaiah that was important to his hearers for some reason...
As I see it, it would have been equivalent to someone singing the Star-Spangled Banner at an American baseball game and then stopping right after "Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave..." and sitting down.
It's like "what"?
Everyone's WAITING for the next part. It's not felt as COMPLETE without the last part ("For the land of the free, and the home of the brave!" ) , regardless of HOW MUCH of the song had been sung already. Not saying that part is completely obvious, striking...and would be problematic for a whole bunch of baseball fans as well.
And I think that's how Jesus' hearers felt, when he left out the "day of vengeance" part of talking about God's good news bringing. Gracious. Maybe a little TOO gracious.
Feel me?
Surely Jesus couldn't have been EXTENDING God's liberation and jubilation to the Gentiles, right? God COULDN'T be so gracious as to want to bless the ROMANS of all people, right? Well...
“Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.
Both Sidon and Syria were GENTILE OPPRESSORS of God's people...and Jesus references God BYPASSING his Chosen People to HEAL the OPPRESORS of Israel, His People.
The point Jesus makes is clear (so clear it almost gets him killed): YES, God IS that gracious. He's shown it his Word ALREADY. The Romans are just more "gentile oppressors" that God can be gracious to, as he chooses.
And what did the "church folk" of his day wanna do to him for proclaiming God's gracious generosity to His People's "enemies" ?
Ummmm hmm. 
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Post Edited (One Love) : 5/18/2010 12:41:09 AM (GMT-5) | | Back to Top | | |
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