Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Part II

Verses 5-7: “But when the servants invited the people to come, they refused to listen. They all got busy doing other things. One went to work in his field, and another went to his business. Some of the other people grabbed the servants, beat them, and killed them.”

The reaction of these specially invited guests may seem somewhat overt and exaggerated. but it was not. Because, as the parable was meant to point out, the invitation for the king’s subjects to come celebrate with him and his son who was getting married, met with a severe lack of enthusiasm and with people putting their self-interests first. They had what we might call an “Esau Attitude.” This is clearly defined in Genesis: “Esau showed that he did not care about his rights as the firstborn son.”¹ One Jewish translator renders it: “Esau spurned the birthright,”² while another translates: “Esau despised the birthright.”³ In other words, the only thing Esau cared about was his personal desires for the moment. By doing so, he willingly gave up something great that awaited him in the future for something small that could satisfy him here and now in the present.

Another interesting explanation is that of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra who says: Esau despised his birthright because by this time his father Isaac had lost all the wealth bequeathed to him by Abraham. Therefore, Esau had no reason to covet his inheritance since there wasn’t any. Some scholars point to the fact although Jacob stole the birthright from Esau, he still had to go work for his uncle Laban. However, Rabbi Nachmanides strongly disagrees with this view. If that were so, he says, why did Jacob desire it so badly, and why did his mother Rebekah help him gain it?⁴

From a Christian perspective, we can see that a spiritual birthright was made possible by the sacrifice Christ on the cross and rose from the dead, giving everyone who the right to be invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb of God. That’s why it is so important not to become so preoccupied with the things we want now that we lose sight of what awaits us when our Lord returns.

However, as we can see, many have spurned and despised the promised blessings of things to come and do not care about them because they’d rather have the porridge of this world that satisfies only for a moment, and give away what can satisfy for eternity. This attitude was repeated in the wilderness when the children of Israel passed up their first opportunity to enter the Promised Land because of fear.⁵ Solomon encapsulates this by describing wisdom’s lament for such foolish people: “I tried to help, but you refused to listen. I offered my hand, but you turned away from me. You ignored my advice and refused to be corrected..”⁶

Very few pastors have escaped having such people in their congregations. The more they try to help, the more these people get suspicious of their real motives. Then when they back away so as not to offend them, these kind accuse them of really not caring. But there is another aspect for us to contemplate in this parable. If the Jews in Jesus’ day are those who refused the first invitation, then it is obviously the non-Jews are represented by those who came off the street corners to accept the invitation. Why did the Jews disregard the invite? Perhaps because they too had waited a long time for the Messiah to appear and weren’t sure of getting to the King’s heavenly palace by way of what Jesus was teaching, so they decided to stick with all the obligations and duties of the Law as their way of getting there. But there is bad news for them.

Verse 7: The king was very angry. He sent his troops to kill those who murdered his servants. And the troops burned their city.”

Many scholars believe that this was Jesus’ first warning about the coming destruction of Jerusalem to fulfill prophecy and to remind them of what happened under King Nebuchadnezzar. As Isaiah recalls: “Those people refused to obey the teachings of the LORD All-Powerful. They hated the message from the Holy One of Israel. So the Lord became angry with His people, and He raised His hand to punish them. Even the mountains shook with fear. Dead bodies were left in the streets like garbage. And He is not finished yet. He is still angry, and His arm is raised to continue punishing His people.”⁷

It also served as an omen for Jesus’ disciples and all of those who would become followers up to this day. The forces of evil and demons of Satan are not satisfied to sit by and watch as the world runs to Jesus for salvation, while they already know their destiny in the fiery pit. They want to vent their anger by getting as many as they can to become despisers of the Messiah as they are. Put in that context, then the punishment of the serpent, the false prophet, and beast’s city as outlined in John’s Revelation comes to mind.⁸

Verses 8-9: After that, the king said to his servants, “The wedding feast is ready. I invited those people, but they were not good enough to come to my feast. So go to the street corners and invite everyone you see. Tell them to come to my feast.”

We know from the parable Jesus told concerning the vineyard owner who went into town and offered employment to those standing around in the marketplace, that this was a common sight in those days. As such, the people now being invited to the wedding of the king’s son were those with little to call their own in this world. They were, in fact, the kind that the original invitees would despise and look down on.

The early church bishop of Laodicea had this to say on how grace was squandered on the unworthy in this parable. He writes: “This wedding pictures the marriage of the church to the Word. The donation of the gifts of the wealthy provide for the wedding preparation and is compared here with bulls and fattened calves prepared for lavish feasting. For Paul says that ‘in every way’ we have been ‘enriched’ in Christ, in our ‘speaking and knowledge.”⁹ The first and second are called servants. The first are those who run ahead in light of the coming of the Lord, fellow laborers and successors of the apostles. But a failure to watch carefully prevents those who are invited from attending. For they ‘who live their lives according to the flesh’¹⁰ do not follow the divine call which is according to Christ. In the case of the rest, with the calling of the nations, there is no longer a separation of a people nor a special honor accorded to Israel. But grace is even [given] to the rejected and outcasts, ‘to the wise and to the foolish,^‘11 as Paul says, to the evil and to the good, as the parable teaches… if it is that they really obey the calling to do good, ‘having clothed themselves with the new humanity.’¹² If this proves not to be true, though they were called, they were not chosen. Rather, their calling is even rejected.”¹³

Verse 10: So the servants went into the streets. They gathered all the people they could find, good and bad alike, and brought them to where the wedding feast was ready. And the place was filled with guests.

Can you imagine the looks on the faces of those individuals previously invited to the king’s wedding reception for his son? Like some on street corners today, they might say to those passing out the invitations to such an elite wedding, “You’ve got to be kidding!” “I didn’t know that person even knew about me; I’m a nobody!” “There’s got to be some catch, you don’t get something like this for nothing!” That’s why it is no surprised that not even one of them turned down the invitation. But as John says about this invitation: “But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.”¹⁴

And as servants passing out invitations to the kingdom of God, we must be like-minded. The king did not tell his servants to force these people to come to the wedding banquet, he only said that they should find and invite as many as they could to come. So again, the key words in John 3:16 are emphasized: “that whosoever believes” will be the ones to benefit from this invitation. Jesus did not come to make us slaves of some religion, but sons and daughters of the living God.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Part I

Verses 1-2: Jesus used some more parables to teach the people. He said, “God’s kingdom is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son.”

Jesus was not through illustrating for the Jewish leaders the great error of their not accepting Him or John the Baptizer as messengers sent by God to usher in the Kingdom of God. As Matthew reminisces about this occasion, he points out that this was the primary method our Lord used in teaching the people, where as when He sat with His disciples He was more direct and went straight to the point. This can be a cue to any minister, Bible teacher, or layman. When you share the Gospel with those who are unconverted and unfamiliar with Scripture, it is permissible to do as Jesus did and give them the good news in anecdotal form. But when expounding on the Bible to believers, it should be more expository and to the point. However, it is certainly allowable to use illustrations to show how the message in the Biblical text is applied to everyday life.

The important part of this parable is its connection between the father and his son’s wedding. It was every man’s dream that he have sons who would then have sons to keep the family tree alive and growing. In the Psalms we find this advocated: “The children born to a man when he is young are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.”¹ So this was an important day in the life of a Jewish family, especially if the son getting married is the first born to whom the birthright was given. If the father was an elder, a wealthy person, a tribal leader, or a king, it was crucial that those who served him would continue to serve his son. Therefore, in order for his son to know who to trust and who he could rely on, it was often demonstrated by those who accepted the wedding invitation and who brought the most desirable gifts.

Verse 3: “He invited some people to the feast. When it was ready, the king sent his servants to tell the people to come. But they refused to come to the king’s feast.”

The wording here sounds somewhat familiar to what Laban did for Jacob’s wedding, except with a different outcome.² We find this same parable repeated in one of the non-canonical Gospels. However, in one case these words are added: “Buyers and merchants will not enter the places of my Father.”³ Those are obviously not the words of Jesus, but those of the writer of that Gospel. We also find out from Jewish writings, that this was done at the expense of the father.⁴ This certainly helps us understand why the king was so interested in getting people to come so as not to waste the time and money he spent for preparations and food.

This parable is designed to teach more than just a mere comparison between an earthly kingdom and God’s kingdom. It is quite plain that a certain number from a distinct group were first invited to the wedding. We also find a similar parable in the Zohar, a highly respected Jewish book of enlightenment, that goes like this: “There was a king who ordered all the inhabitants of the city to appear in his presence on a certain day, at a certain place. While the people were preparing themselves, one came early to that location. Meanwhile, the king came and found the person who has arrived early. He said, ‘You! Where are all my subjects?’ He answered, ‘My Lord, I have come early, but they are coming behind me, according to the command of the king.’ The king was pleased and sat down with him and conversed with him, and he became the king’s good friend. Meanwhile, all the people arrived. The king was satisfied and quietly had them seated. But had they not shown up, and if one had not come early to represent them, to inform the king that all of them were on their way, then the king would have instantly become very angry.”⁵

Unfortunately, the guests in Jesus’ parable had no one who went to represent them. In fact, their response was less than courteous. And herein lies the critical issue: since the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, priests, elders and other religious leaders refused to respond to Jesus invitation to be part of the coming wedding of the Messiah, this led to their being excluded and prompted an open invitation to be issued to whosoever will, regardless of race, color, or social status. Underlying this conspicuous twist in the protocol is the fact that God’s sovereignty in the election of individuals into His kingdom is by His own choice and for His own reasons. God is preparing the church to be the bride of His Son. He alone knows when the number He is looking to invite will be complete. Those who have been invited and refused to go should be aware that someone else will be chosen to replace them. Their refusal to respond will not keep the bridal party from being at full membership. Furthermore, if God is still seeking to complete this number before the wedding takes place, then enough time will still have to pass in order for these people to be born, receive the invitation to salvation, and accept.

The invitation here echoes a similar sentiment we find in Jewish Wisdom Literature: “Wisdom has built her house; she has made it strong with seven columns. She has cooked meat, mixed wine, and put food on the table. She has sent her servant girls to announce from the highest hill in the city, ‘Whoever needs instruction, come.’ She invites all the simple people and says, ‘Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have prepared. Leave your old, foolish ways and live! Advance along the path of understanding.‘”⁶ Many Jewish scholars see this bread and wine as a reference to the Torah – the Word of God.⁷ For the Christian, it can provide a metaphor of Communion where our Lord said that the bread was His body and the wine was His blood. Therefore, Jesus may have had a clear subliminal message here of why in the future those who refuse to come and commune with Him in this world will have no place in the Kingdom of God in the world to come.

And the outcome also mirrors what Wisdom says elsewhere: “I wanted to tell you everything I knew and give you all my knowledge, but you didn’t listen to my advice and teaching. I tried to help, but you refused to listen. I offered my hand, but you turned away from me. You ignored my advice and refused to be corrected.”⁸ Therefore, the return of Christ may not be tied to chronology or some point in time, but rather linked to all the invitations being returned that would meet the number decided by God Himself. That certainly is something to think about!

There are several clear inferences in this verse which help our understanding of the entire parable. It is obvious that the wedding had been long expected and previously announced with only the exact date for the nuptials pending. Therefore, the guests had prior knowledge and had been told they would be invited when the time came, so they knew that as time went by, the wedding feast was becoming more and more imminent. No doubt, when the invitation was first sent out it was thought that these expected guests would feel so strongly about it that they would drop everything when the proclamation was announced and go immediately. However, since no specific date had been chosen, they needed to remain alerted and ready when the final notice was received. As time went by, however, some became involved with other matters, making commitments, while others simply lost interest because of the long wait.

Perhaps, Jesus told this parable, the words of Nehemiah came to mind, “But our ancestors became proud and stubborn. They refused to obey your commands. They refused to listen. They forgot the amazing things you did with them. They became stubborn. They decided to return to Egypt and become slaves again.”⁹ The parable further indicates that there was a certain amount of elapse time between the final announcement and when the marriage feast actually began, to give the messengers enough time to spread the word. During this time, some of the messengers were mistreated by those who felt that the call was not real this time. As a result, more time was taken for a new invite to be given to those previously not invited to attend.

In other parables, Jesus told where there was a son involved, and Jesus identified with that son, He too was maltreated and even killed. But in this parable, the king had no intentions of sending out his son to make personal invites after it was learned that his servants had been mistreated. Rather, when the son’s great day arrived, the marriage feast was ready and there could be no further delay. In that sense, this places the mass invitations to the wedding feast still in our future. God forbid that when the trumpet sounds, that we are tied up in things that will cause us to miss the wedding.

Verse 4: Then the king sent some more servants. He said to them, “I have already invited the people. So tell them that my feast is ready. I have killed my finest bulls and calves to be eaten. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”

It would be more difficult to understand the refusal and disdain of the king’s invitation by these potential guests if we failed to consider what led up to it. These were people who had received many invitations from this king and had been present at many of the gatherings He sponsored. It was this familiarity with being in his presence that bred lukewarmness in their hearts. Consequently, they failed to prioritize this invitation properly.

That brings up a question for the believing community today. How many have warmed the pew and heard the message “He’s Coming Soon” so often, they have grown lax and brush off the warnings to be ready for the call when it comes. Jesus infuses this danger into another of His parables later when He tells about ten bridesmaids, five of which were wise and five of which were foolish. It’s the same folly that He is alluding to here in this parable. In reading the king’s response, it is highly likely that very few earthly kings would have shown such tolerance and discipline. It is obvious that our Lord was making it very clear here that He was speaking of a divine King.

Early church theologian Augustine gives his interpretation of this parable as it relates to the church. He says: “All the faithful know the story of the marriage of the king’s son, and his feast. They know that the Lord’s table is open to all who are willing correctly to receive it. But it is important that each one examines how he approaches, even when he is not forbidden to approach. The holy Scriptures teach us that there are two feasts of the Lord: one to which the good and evil come, the other to which the evil do not come.¹⁰⁵ So then the feast of which we have just now heard when the gospel was being read has both good and evil guests. All who excused themselves from this feast are evil, but not all those who entered in are good. I now address you, therefore, who are the good guests at this feast. You are taking careful note of the words ‘For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.’¹¹ It is to you I speak. I plead with you not to look vainly for the good apart from the church but to bear with the evil within it.”¹²

In the parable about the vineyard owner who leased out his land to tenants and then sent servant after servant before finally sending his son, can be seen as applying to all the prophets who came to the Israelites before the Messiah. Finally, the Son of God came to settle with them on their inheritance as part of God’s promise to Abraham and covenant through Moses. But here we have a different time-frame. Many Bible scholars feel that Jesus picks up the line from the last parable and carries it on to speak of the time following His first advent up to the second one. This then would include Gentiles, which were not included in the first parable.

Like any good communicator, Jesus builds suspense into the narrative that makes wanting to know the outcome of this story even more exciting. Not only that, but I’m certain the tone in His voice became more intense as He nears the end of His life here on earth. He knows that the time is short and His disciples and followers must be persuaded that there will never be another Messiah for people to rally around. This is it! God has only one Son, and He is it! The fullness of time has come,¹³ and now mankind begins their final trek toward the end of time.

Some 200 years ago, a British clergyman named Charles C. Colton, who was known for his wit and satirical sayings, wrote this line in one of his books: “True friendship is like sound health, the value of it is seldom known until it is lost.”¹

How true that is. So often we go through life accepting those around us, we call friends, as though it is normal and to be expected. And just like our health, when all of a sudden we find ourselves having to deal with some illness or health issue, it’s then we realize and appreciate how valuable good health is. The same is true with our closest and best friends.

So don’t take those who love and appreciate your friendship for granted. Don’t wait until they are gone before you start telling everyone how much you love and miss them. And don’t delay letting them know how valuable they are to you. Remember, once they are gone, there’s no way for them to hear you tell others how precious they were to you, and what a difference they made in your life. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

GETTING THINGS STRAIGHT

Often times we label something a “mistake” when in fact it may be just a miscalculation or a misfortune. The reason knowing the difference becomes so important is that we should respond to mistakes, miscalculations, and misfortunes differently.

For instance, if you are driving down the highway and get to an intersection where you need to turn right to get to your destination but you turn left instead; you’ve made a mistake. If you continue to drive in the wrong direction you cannot correct your mistake; and the further you go the worse the consequences of your mistake will be. The only way to deal with your mistake is to admit it, turn around, and go back the other way.

By the same token, if you go out to buy an item that you need and you locate a store that sells that item, but after getting there you discover that you do not have sufficient funds in your pocket to purchase that item, you have not made a mistake, you’ve made a miscalculation. This does not mean that you suddenly decide that this item is not for you or the one you really don’t want to buy and that it was a mistake on your part to even consider purchasing it. No! No! You let the cashier know you’ll be back with the right amount of money, or if possible, look for a similar item on sale.

In the same vein, if you were to select a cell phone or laptop computer to help you in your business or profession, but once you started using it you found out it doesn’t perform all the tasks as advertised; that it is not as fast in producing the results you want; or that it requires too many steps in order to acquire the information you need. You did not make a mistake in buying it, nor was it a miscalculation; instead, you’ve suffered a misfortune in that it did not live up to the claims the manufacturer made based on your expectations. In other words, it didn’t do what you were told it was capable of doing.

Therefore, you don’t throw it away and go back and get another one because you made a mistake, you don’t have the funds for that. Nor do you ask if you can get an upgrade to improve its performance, as you would for a miscalculation because you would be putting a burden on it that it might not be able to bear. Rather, you either decide to deal with it and use your skills to get the most out of it as possible, or you take it back and look for another product. The worse thing you can do is to settle for less than what you need and feel miserable the longer you hold on to it.

It’s the same way in life when we have to deal with someone we have chosen to be a friend or companion. If you are not getting along with someone or have difficulties with that individual, first learn whether or not your meeting them and getting to know them and letting them into your life was a mistake, a miscalculation, or a misfortune. Choosing the wrong response can often make the relationship more complicated and end up causing you more hurt and harm than it’s worth.

If you find out that having this person in your life was a mistake, there’s only one way to handle it; turn around and go the other way; politely and kindly distance yourself from them and close the door to their getting back in. If, however, you realize that it was a miscalculation because they do not have the required talent or necessary skills to get the job done; thereby causing you more time and effort to make things work, then devise a plan on how to use their abilities and expertise so they can do a better job than they could if left to cope on their own.

On the other hand, if there’s someone in your life that hasn’t lived up to your expectations and has fallen short of giving you what they promised, and make no effort to be all they can be; don’t walk off and leave them or reject them from your life like a mistake, or try and help them improve their performance like you would with a miscalculation, rather, let them know that they are not in your life because you made a mistake; you chose them on purpose and selected them out of many based on how they impressed you. At the same time, be open about the fact you were aware of some things they did or didn’t do that left you wondering if they could change, yet they are worth holding on to.

But most of all, let them know that your heart is pained because they have it in them to do better; that they could make things work if they just tried; that you have lost your trust in them through misfortune, but they can restore that trust by being what you know they can be. But always keep this squarely in the front of your mind, Jesus said, Do to others what you would want them to do to you. In other words, the misfortune may not be just yours, it may be theirs also. In that case, look in the mirror and tell the person staring back at you, “I’m disappointed that you have not delivered on what you promised, but I know you can do better. So, with God’s help let’s start learning right now by asking the other person what they want most out of you, then do your best to provide it.” – Dr. Robert R Seyda

IMPORTANT UPDATE SUMMARY

We just finished an intriguing Chapter 21 in Matthew’s Gospel. It was an eventful and contentious time in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. At the opening we find Jesus riding toward the capital city Jerusalem on the back of a donkey’s colt, in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah.  Jubilant crowds were waving palm and willow branches and some had placed their cloaks and shawls on the ground for Him to walk over. There was an air of celebration as both adults and children hailed Him, calling out “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!”

For a moment it looked like all Jerusalem and then Israel would proclaim Him the new King of the Jews, and rally behind Him as their Messiah. But then things took a sudden turn that left people scrambling and confused. Jesus went straight to the Temple where He began to turn over the tables of the money changers, accusing them of taking God’s House of Prayer and turning it into a den of thieves. Even though what Jesus said was true, it incensed the priests and keepers of the Temple who saw their enterprise was in danger of being dismantled and their power of the people eradicated.

But not all saw this move as disruptive and overdone. Before the dust settled, the sick, the blind, and the lame began streaming to the Temple courts where Jesus began to heal them. The children began shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” But not everyone was enthused about this maverick prophet from Nazareth tearing up the fabric of the Jewish religious elite. The chief priests and the teachers of the law began to complain. Some of them went to Jesus and confronted Him, asking Him if he knew what these children meant by their cheering Him as the Son of David. In His calm yet direct manner, Jesus reminded them of another prophecy in the Psalms that told how God would ordain praise from the mouths of children for the Messiah. Then our Lord turned abruptly, walked out of the city over to the village of Bethany where He spent the night.

The next morning, Jesus wanted to illustrate to His disciples what had just happened the day before when He came to Jerusalem in accordance with the Word of God that spoke of the Messiah’s appearance riding on a donkey, yet the chief priests and teachers of the law rejected Him. He came looking for those who would believe in Him but found only doubters and skeptics. So He spotted a fig tree along the road out of Bethany. It was early morning and He had not eaten breakfast. So He went to the fig tree, hoping to find some fresh fruit to satisfy His hunger. Although the tree was full of leaves, there was no fruit on its branches. So Jesus looked at the tree and said, “You will never bear fruit again!” Immediately, the tree started withering and its leaves began falling to the ground.

Apparently, the disciples were more amazed at  how quickly the tree withered than they were about the message Jesus was demonstrating for them. So when they asked Jesus for an explanation, He simply told them to have faith and not allow doubt to cloud their minds. Little did they know that it would not be long before they would see their Messiah wilt on a cross, just like this tree, but within three days He would rise to life again.

As soon as Jesus returned to Jerusalem that morning, the chief priests and elders were waiting for Him. They challenged Him to explain by what authority He had overturned the tables and accused them of making God’s House a den of thieves. But Jesus was also ready for them. His response was clear: “You tell me if John the Baptizer was sent by God or by man, and I’ll tell you if I was sent by God or by man.” His question stunned and baffled them. If they said that John was sent by God, He will then asked them why they didn’t believe in him. And if they said he was endorsed by men, then the crowd who saw John as an anointed prophet would rally against them. So they told Jesus, “We have no answer for you.” Then Jesus responded in kind, “Then I have no reason to answer your question.”

But Jesus wasn’t through. Just as He used the fig tree to teach His disciples a lesson on faith, He now asked the chief priests and elders what they thought of a story He was about to tell them concerning a man with two sons. He asked one son to go out and work the vineyard but the son said no, then changed his mind and went. When he asked the other son to go, the son said yes, then decided not to go. So which one do you think obeyed his father, asked Jesus? “The first son!” they responded. Jesus then looked at them with piercing eyes and said: “John the Baptizer came to show you the path God wanted you to follow but you rejected him. However, the prostitutes and tax collectors did believe and left the road of sinful living to walk in the light of God’s word. But even after you saw them turning from sin, you still refused to believe.

Before they could recover from this condemnation, Jesus told them another story about a man who leased his vineyard to tenant farmers who agreed to pay rent by sharing a portion of the fruit from their harvest. But when the owner sent emissaries to collect the rent, they beat, killed, and stoned them. Finally, he sent his son and they dragged him out of the vineyard and killed him. So what do you think this owner will do when he returns? They all quickly said that he will get rid of such wretched people and lease out his vineyard to more deserving people.

Then Jesus looked straight at them again and said that this is exactly what God was going to do to them. He told them that they were indicted by the Scripture that spoke of builders who rejected a stone that God had ordained to be the cornerstone to His kingdom here on earth. But instead of immediately repenting and asking forgiveness, the chief priests, elders, and Pharisees began to plot on ways to get rid of this prophet from Nazareth, just like those in the parable. But they were afraid the adoring crowds might attack them.

But Jesus was not yet finished. He had another story to tell them. That will be the opening in Chapter 22 of Matthew’s Gospel. I pray that you have been blessed by what you discovered in God’s Word through this study. I have no doubt that God will bless you for your dedication and love for His Son and His Word. I am so proud and happy for all of you who have taken the time to study this wonderful story of His Son.

We will begin Chapter 22 on Monday. See you then! – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Part XII

Verse 43: “So I tell you that God’s kingdom will be taken away from you. It will be given to people who do what God wants to be done in His kingdom.”

I’m sure, these are not the words these Jewish skeptics of Jesus’ claim to the Messiahship wanted to hear. When reading this statement, let us envision what Jesus was talking about. Those who stumble over the cornerstone by not recognizing its rightful place in God’s kingdom will end up being broken, they will come to a fruitless end because the cornerstone was never placed in the spiritual house they were building. And those who would try to remove the cornerstone from its honored place in the belief, doctrine and practice of God’s house, will bring down the whole building on themselves and end up being crushed by the very thing they are trying to get rid of. Only those who embrace this Cornerstone and acknowledge His rightful place in their lives, city, nation, and world, will be able to stand when the winds and storms come.

An examination of these parables of the two sons and the tenant farmers will reveal some striking similarities. First, in both stories, there were sons involved. Secondly, both times the Father owned the vineyard. In the first case, the sons were asked to go work the vineyard themselves, while in the second the son was sent to collect, for the Father, fruit from the vineyard he owned. In the first parable, the two brothers were at odds with their father, while in the second parable, the tenants were against both the father and his son. In the first case one son repented and became obedient, while in the second the tenants never repented of their disobedience.

When putting these two parables side by side we can also see a possible correlation between the two sons in the first parable as representing all of Israel where some rejected Jesus at first but then came to believe in Him, while those who welcomed Him at first then turned against Him and called for His crucifixion. In the second parable, the vineyard stands for all of Israel but the tenants represent the religious leaders. The servants who were sent first represent the prophets who came but were rejected, some even beaten and killed, whereas the son represents Jesus whom they also rejected and then plotted to kill so they could have full control over the vineyard.

Here we sense an echo of a sentiment expressed in Scripture once before: “Listen and pay attention; don’t be proud! For Adonai has spoken. Give glory to Adonai your God before the darkness falls, before your feet stumble on the mountains in the twilight, and, while you are seeking light, he turns it into deathlike shadows and makes it completely dark. But if you will not hear this warning, I will weep secretly because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, streaming with tears, because ADONAI’S flock is carried away captive.”¹ One Jewish commentator went so far as to say, that this means the pride of the kingdom of Heaven will be exchanged for idolatry.² Another scholarly Rabbi says, it is a warning: “O my children, did I not say to you, ‘Give glory to Adonai your God before the darkness falls, before your feet stumble,’³ – before words of Torah grow dark for you, before words of prophecy grow dark, and you are brought to the fate that has now befallen you.”⁴ It’s a shame that these opponents of Jesus could not sense this warning was for them, to open their eyes before they end up stumbling in the darkness of their ignorance that God was holding out His hand to guide them to the light.

While Jesus did not tell these parables to be taken as actual historical events, He did intend that they teach a moral truth. So let us not be like these leading priests and elders, who missed the spiritual point by looking for historical correlation. Jesus is trying to explain that even if He is not accepted at first but then acknowledged later, is better than accepting Him, to begin with, but then never following Him in obedience. The song we find in Isaiah expresses what Jesus was saying about the future, “Open the gates for the good people to enter. They are God’s faithful followers.”⁵ Jesus goes on to say, that for some this cornerstone will become a stumbling block, but for others, it will be a stepping stone.

Verse 44: “Whoever falls on this stone will be broken. And it will crush anyone it falls on.”

We are told by scholars that some Greek manuscripts do not have this verse. However, it is included in the Aramaic Version, the oldest Hebrew version of Matthew, and the translators of the NIV include it as well. This echoes what Isaiah says: “If you people would respect Him, He would be a safe place for you. But you don’t respect Him, so He is like a stone that you stumble over. He is a rock that makes both families of Israel fall. He has become a trap that all the people of Jerusalem will fall into. (Many people will trip over this Rock. They will fall and be broken. They will be caught in the trap.)”⁶

Of course, the idea of taking Jerusalem away from the Jews and giving it to the Gentiles was fighting words. And the Jewish leaders reacted by trying to arrest Jesus. But they knew any overt action on their part would stir up the crowd, and then the Romans would step in and they could be charged with inciting a riot, and that was something the Romans crucified people for. They didn’t want to take that risk. They knew there would be another day, and when that time came, they planned to make it work.

The early church scholar we’ve quoted before has this to say about the historical implications of this parable and its outcome: “The priests of the old covenant who had already ceased to have any hope in God because they were filled with every evil raised their hands against God Himself, inasmuch as they knew Christ to be the Son of God, because they had given up on abstaining from evil. Does this astonish you? Truly every evil man, insofar as his will is concerned, raises his hand against God and kills Him, for whoever does not hesitate to provoke God’s wrath, or despises His commandments, or treats His name with contempt, or utters blasphemies against Him, or murmurs against Him, or looks toward heaven with an angry countenance or raises his arrogant hand against God in anger, would certainly also kill Him if it were possible, just in order to be able to sin with impunity.”⁷

Verses 45-46: When the leading priests and the Pharisees heard these stories, they knew that Jesus was talking about them. So they sought ways to arrest Jesus. But they were afraid to do anything because the people believed that Jesus was a prophet.

Finally, it dawned on them! The Messiah, the Son of God, was pointing out to them the folly of their thinking. By denying Him and not returning to God what was already His they were in effect trying to seize the vineyard for themselves. Jerome gives us his impression on this revelation: “Although [the chief priests and the Pharisees] were hard of heart and on account of their unbelief and wickedness were blunted in their understanding against the Son of God, nevertheless, they were unable to deny Jesus’ straightforward statements and understood that all the judgments of the Lord were directed against themselves. So they determined indeed to kill Him but feared ‘the crowd, for they considered Jesus to be a prophet.’ A crowd is always easily moved when not persisting with their will in their resolution. Additionally, they are like waves and opposite winds blown to and fro. The one they now honor and revere as a prophet they later shouted against: ‘Crucify, crucify’ such a man.”⁸

Whether or not it is historically documented that these same people were the ones who later would join the chorus in demanding Jesus’ execution, there is every reason to believe that some of these very same leading priests and elders did participate. I wonder if, during the crucifixion of Christ on the cross, some of them may have thought back to this encounter and realized that Jesus had correctly identified them, and that would make them eligible for the retribution that God intended to exact as punishment on all those who refused to accept His Son. They may or may not have felt that conviction. But if they had, like the thief on the cross Jesus would have welcomed them to join Him in paradise one day.

The same holds true today. That’s the good news we can share with all those who currently deny Him for who He is, what He is, and all that He has done for them, and even those who once believed but have been lead astray by misinformation or selfish greed. The one big difference is that the Jews were in line to accept Him before He was crucified, but only after being crucified was the rest of the world given the opportunity to accept Him as the Son of God their Lord and Savior. So any fault that He is still not recognized and accepted by the Jews as their Messiah belongs to them, not to Him. So it will be for any sinner who hears the Gospel and is left behind when Jesus comes.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Part XI

Verse 38b-39: ‘This vineyard will be his. If we kill him, it will be ours.’ So the tenant-farmers took the son, dragged him out of the vineyard and killed him.”

It was hard back then, when Jesus told this story, and it is just as hard today to find any reason or make any sense out of the horrible conduct of these tenant farmers in their murderous treatment of the owner’s son. We note that they dragged the son out of the vineyard before killing him. This may have been a clear indication that the vineyard, in this case, was Jerusalem, not Israel as a whole. Because when Jesus was crucified, it was outside the walls of Jerusalem, not outside the borders of Israel.

Chrysostom has this to say about the outcome of this story and how it applied to Christ: “And where do they wish to kill Him? ‘Outside the vineyard.’ Do you see how He prophesies even the place where He was to be slain? Well, they did throw Him out, and then killed Him. And Luke indeed says, ‘He declared what they must suffer.’ When they heard this, they said, ‘God forbid!’¹ He then asks them to remember the testimony of Scripture: ‘He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head cornerstone.” Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces.^‘2 Matthew’s account does not contradict Luke’s. They passed the sentence against themselves, as Matthew says, and again, when they perceived what they had said, they added, ‘God forbid.’ Using the words of the prophet against them, Jesus sought to persuade them that this certainly would come to pass. He signified only in a hidden way that He would ‘give the vineyard to others,’ not mentioning the Gentiles and not affording His opponents a handle to use to attack Him. It was for this reason that He spoke in parables, that they themselves might pass the sentence.”³

Verse 40: “So what will the owner of the vineyard do to these farmers when he comes?”

One thing I learned in guidance and counseling studies was to guide the individual seeking advice into answering their own questions. This way, by asking open-ended questions they become convinced from within, not from without. Jesus practiced this many times during His ministry, and it certainly worked here. These religious leaders had several options to choose from, just like those any counselor today will give. But they did not have to think long and hard, they came up with an immediate answer. But little did they know that they had just indicted themselves. That realization would come shortly.

It is easy to see the symbolism here of the Master who planted the vineyard being indicative of God leading the Israelites out of Egypt and planting them in the Promised Land as His own vineyard.⁴ But the real tragedy is the refusal of those running the vineyard to give the Master what was rightfully His; not only to those servants He sent earlier but now to His own Son. This pernicious attitude led them to kill the Son. Consequently, forty years later they would lose the whole vineyard to a Roman general named Titus. It is no wonder that Christ would one day weep over this city for killing the prophets, knowing they were about to kill the Son also.

How clearly this points out to anyone that a constant refusal of the emissaries sent by God to man’s heart will one day result in a final refusal, which will then lead to their rejection and a final sentence to everlasting punishment. Jesus could not have told a more insightful story that illustrated the same conditions that the prophet Hosea faced: “People of Israel, listen to the LORD’s message. The LORD has something to say against those who live in this land: ‘The people in this land are not honest or loyal. They don’t really know God. They are always cursing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery. They murder one person after another.’”⁵

According to Jewish history, the commander of Nebuchadnezzar’s main guard was an officer named Nebuzaradan. He was the one who set fire to the city of Jerusalem and leveled its walls.⁶ Some Jewish scholars identify him in history with Arioch.⁷ When he saw the blood of the murdered Zechariah boiling,⁸ he put to death in revenge the scholars, young priests, and 14,000 of the people. Then, according to Jewish tradition, Nebuzaradan took 80,000 young priests and murdered them one by one over Zechariah’s blood until the stream of their blood reached Zechariah’s grave. For evidence, they then point God’s words in Hosea.⁹

Verse 41: The Jewish priests and leaders said, “He will surely kill those evil men. Then he will lease the land to other farmers, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

Why could their own words not convict them? But no sooner had Christ pointed out the error of their unrepentant ways than these religious leaders did exactly what Jesus said they were already guilty of by implication. If it were not for the omniscient plan of God, they would have done to Jesus what was done to the son of the vineyard owner in the parable the Lord had just cited to them earlier. Think about this: when the prophet Nathan came to King David and told him the parable about the man with the one lone sheep being robbed by a man with herds of sheep, to use that one sheep for a banquet. What if, as soon as David realized that he was that robber who took Bathsheba away from Uriah; instead of repenting and calling on God for forgiveness David ordered Nathan taken away and stoned to death? Such action would have mirrored what the leading priests and elders were attempting to do right here to Jesus.

Why is it that some people cannot see their wrong even when it is shown to them so clearly? We notice that the servants first carried the son out of the vineyard before they killed him. It is quite clear that Christ was the personification of that son in this parable. His reference to being thrown out depends on how large or small we interpret the vineyard to be. If Jesus was alluding to the city of Jerusalem, then it was fulfilled. Likewise, if He meant the vineyard as the Jewish nation, we can say that the religious hierarchy was trying to make this same thing happen as well. Since the son in this parable was identified as the heir to the vineyard, it would appear that Christ was indicating that He came not only to the people of Jerusalem but to all of Israel, God’s chosen children.

Thus, we see the rejection of Jesus portrayed in the parable served not only to mean Jerusalem but the nation of Israel as a whole. As John said it in his gospel, “He came unto His own and His own refused to accept Him.” Without knowing it, the Jews were passing sentence on their own behavior. It would only be about 40 years after this day that the Romans would encircle Jerusalem and then the terrible end would come. Up until 1948, this city and the surrounding land was in fact leased out to the Egyptians and Palestinians.

Verse 42: Jesus said to them, “Surely you have read this in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders refused to accept became the cornerstone. The Lord made this happen, and it is wonderful to us.’”

Then Jesus once again points back to the Scriptures to challenge their thinking. He quotes from Psalms about the cornerstone,¹⁰ but did they catch the inference He was making to Himself? Did they see that this cornerstone was now standing right in front of them? Jesus did not use this Psalm out of context, it was already understood by many Rabbis and Jewish teachers as referring to the Messiah. There is an interesting Targum of this Psalm that renders these verses this way: “The child the builders abandoned was among the sons of Jesse; he was worthy to be appointed king and ruler. This has come from the presence of the Lord, said the builders; “it is wonderful before us, said the sons of Jesse.”¹¹

This is an obvious paraphrase, but it shows that few say this reference is anything other than Messianic. Although in this psalm, the builders are, no doubt, thought to be those working on the Temple. However, the term “builders” was also applied to others. We read further: “Who are ‘builders’? These are scholars who are engaged in the building of the world, which is the Torah, all their lives, for it states, ‘If not for my covenant both day and night would not continue.’ ¹² Who are ‘builders’? These are scholars who are engaged in the building of the world all their lives.”¹³ So in this case, Jesus was pointing to the leading priests and elders as builders of the Temple designed to worship God in spirit and in truth.

One early church writer puts this into his perspective of Christ as the great cornerstone. He writes: “Christ is called a stone for two reasons. First, because His foundation is solid and no one who stands upon Him will fall victim to deceitful charms or be moved by the storms of persecution. Second, Christ is called a stone because in Him is the ultimate destruction of the wicked, for just as everything which collides with a stone is shattered while the stone itself remains intact, so also everyone who opposes the Christian faith will himself be ruined, but Christianity will remain untouched. This is the sense in which Christ is the great stone. ‘Whoever falls on it will be broken to pieces, but it will crush those upon whom it falls.’¹⁴ It is one thing to be broken but something else again to be crushed, for sizable pieces of whatever is broken remain, but whatever gets crushed is reduced to dust and utterly eliminated. The stone does not break those who fall because of it, but they break themselves who fall on the stone. Their destruction, therefore, is not attributable to the stone’s strength but to the violence with which they fall upon it.”¹⁵

When seen in this light, then Jesus was talking more about the Jewish leaders self-destructing rather than God destroying them. Furthermore, if it is by God’s Word that they destroy themselves, then the result will be everlasting. That’s why we say today, that God will send no sinner to hell, they will send themselves. If the Stone charges into you, it will change you, but if you charge into the Stone, it will crush you.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Part X

Verse 34: “When the time came for the grapes to be harvested, the man sent his servants to the farmers to get his share of the grapes.”

We are not told how long the owner was gone, but taking a cue from Scripture we may get a better idea. It says: “When you enter the land and plant various kinds of fruit trees, you are to regard its fruit as forbidden — for three years it will be forbidden to you and not eaten. In the fourth year, all its fruit will be holy, for praising Adonai. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit so that it will produce even more for you; I am Adonai your God.”¹

Then we are given the harvesting instructions relating to a vineyard: “Our Sages ordained that grapes from a vineyard in its fourth year from a radius of a one-day journey from Jerusalem should be brought there to embellish the marketplaces of Jerusalem with fruit.”² So we can reckon the owner sent his envoys to collect his portion some four years after leasing the property.

Verses 35-36: “But the tenant-farmers grabbed the servants and beat one. They killed another one and then stoned to death a third servant. So the man sent some other servants to the farmers. He sent more servants than he sent the first time. But the farmers did the same thing to them that they did the first time.”

Such conduct was not totally unheard of in Jewish history. After all, look what happened to Jeremiah,³ and what the prophet Zedekiah did to the prophet Micaiah,⁴ the prophet Zechariah,⁵ and other prophets,⁶ including John the Baptizer. So it shouldn’t have taken long for these religious leaders to figure out that Jesus was talking about Israel being God’s vineyard and these servants as being the prophets sent by God. But I’m sure that Jesus wanted them to also notice the grace and patience of the vineyard owner.

Chrysostom gives us his spiritual interpretation of what this parable was intended to teach: “God sent His servants, that is, the prophets, ‘to receive the fruit.’ By fruit, Jesus referred to their obedience, demonstrated through their works. But even here they exhibited their wickedness. They not only failed to give the fruit, after having enjoyed so much care, thus displaying their laziness, but also were angry with the servants who came. For those who did not repay what they owed should hardly have been indignant or angry. Rather, they should have asked for the vineyard owner’s forgiveness. But they not only were indignant; they even bloodied their hands. While deserving punishment, they themselves inflicted punishment. Therefore He sent a second and a third company of servants both to show their wickedness and the love toward humanity of the One who sent them. Why didn’t He immediately send His Son? In order that they might repent and condemn themselves for the things they had done to the others. He hoped they would set aside their anger and reverence Him when He came.”⁷ So in other words, after all these years of God being patient with their hardheartedness, instead producing gratefulness and a willingness to give Him what He deserved, they refused to surrender their obedience to Him. I’m sorry to say, but this indictment applies to many living today.

Verse 37: “So the man finally decided to send his son to the farmers. He said, ‘The farmers will respect my son.’”

I can imagine that those listening to Jesus tell this parable were by now shaking their heads in disbelief at the conduct of these tenants of the owner’s vineyard. How irresponsible and ill-mannered they were in showing total disrespect for the generosity of the owner that allowed them to make a living off of his land. So it seemed logical then that if they would not honor his emissaries because they saw them as hired-hands, then certainly they would be respectful to his son who came with the full authority of his father.

Chrysostom continues sharing his thoughts: “What does it mean that ‘it may be that they will have reverence for my son?’ This is not the language of an ignorant man. Away with the thought! Rather, it is the language of one desiring to show the sin to be great and inexcusable. For though God Himself knew that they would slay His Son, yet He sent Him. When He says ‘they will respect,’ He states what ought to have been done, that it was their duty to have reverenced Him. Elsewhere He says similarly: ‘whether they hear or refuse to hear.’⁸ He is not ignorant of their motives. But lest any of the obstinate should say that His prediction was the thing that necessitated their disobedience, therefore He frames His expressions in a particular way, using indeterminate terms like ‘whether they will’ and ‘it may be.’ For though they had been obstinate towards His servants, yet they ought to have reverenced the dignity of the Son.”⁹ Yes, while they may be excused for not honoring the prophets as they should, there was no excuse for not honoring God’s only Son.

Verse 38a: “But when the farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the owner’s son.’”

In Jewish literature, there is an interesting mention of Jesus that seems very close to what happened here in this parable. It reads: “On the eve of the Passover, Yeshua¹⁰ was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went out and proclaimed: ‘He is going to be stoned because He has practiced sorcery¹¹ and enticed Israel to apostasy. Anyone who can say anything in His favor, let him come forward and plead on His behalf.’ But nothing was brought forward in His favor, so He was hanged¹² on the eve of the Passover! — ‘Rabbi Ulla retorted: Do you suppose that He was a person for whom a defense could be made? Was He not an enticer, concerning whom Scripture says, Neither will you spare, neither will you conceal Him?¹³ With Yeshua, however, it was different, for He was connected with royalty.”¹⁴ In other words, Yeshua of Nazareth was touted and claimed to be the Son of God, the King of the Jews. The Jewish leaders felt they had full control over the Jewish people and the Promised Land, and they resented this outsider coming in, claiming to be the Son of the Owner, and came to collect His Father’s share of the harvest.

Chrysostom gives us his interpretation of what Jesus was trying to say to the Jews in His day and their possible reaction to Him as God’s Son. He writes: “What then do they do? While they had time to ask for pardon for their offenses and whereas they ought to have run to Him to do so, they persist even more strongly in their former sins. They proceed to add even more to their previous impurity. They always surpass their former offenses by their later ones. This is what He Himself declared when He said, ‘Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.’¹⁵ For from the first the prophets used to charge them with these things, saying, ‘Your hands are full of blood,’¹⁶ and ‘They mingle blood with blood,’¹⁷ and ‘They build up Zion with blood.’¹⁸”¹⁹ But now, God would have the right to charge them with having the blood of His only Son on their hands. Yet, it did not seem to frighten them.

The question we might ask at this point is this: Could not those listening to Jesus have begun to get the picture He was painting for them? Was it not possible for them to grasp that He was talking about the vineyard owner as God, and He Himself as the Son, and they as the irresponsible and ungrateful tenants of the promise of Abraham, the covenant given to them through Moses, and the attempts by all the past prophets to get them to surrender to God the gratitude and faithfulness they owed Him?

Chrysostom continues: “But they failed to learn self-control. They had already received the commandment: ‘You shall not murder.’ They had already had been commanded to abstain from countless other offenses. They had already been urged by many and various means to keep these commandments. Yet, for all that, they did not put aside their evil ways. What did they say when they saw Him? ‘Come, let us kill Him.’ With what motive and for what reason? What possible charge could they lay against Him, either small or great? Is it that He honored you, and being God became a human being for your sake and worked His countless miracles? Or that He pardoned your sins? Or that He called you into a kingdom? But observe that their disregard for bad was accompanied by great folly, and the cause of His murder was filled with madness. ‘For let us kill Him,’ it says, ‘and His inheritance will be ours.’”²⁰

The question now for us today is: Are we doing the same? It has not yet dawned on so many millions of people that everything we have here on earth belongs to God. He created the heavens and the earth; He created mankind, and provided them with everything they would need to survive, including the only life-sustaining atmosphere on any planet in the universe, all the fauna and flora needed to feed and clothe themselves, and all the minerals to use in developing and inventing tools and instruments to render and supply themselves with healthy and comfortable living. And all that He has asked is that His creation honor Him by showing Him reverence and respect in return. But what do they do daily, they crucify Him with their profanity, their immorality, and their stubborn disregard for His existence.

And look at what they have done to those servants He sent into His vineyard to inform them of His wishes. They too have been ridiculed, beaten and in many cases, martyred for being His ambassadors. Yet His love and grace continue to abound so that they may somehow, someway, someday see the light of His mercy. But woe to all those who insist on treating the Father and His Son this way, because He is coming back to reap the harvest that belongs to Him, and they will be the ones thrown out of the vineyard like discarded vines and branches that bore no fruit, to be burned in the fire. God help all of us who read these words not to be that number.

Having taught and ministered in Asia for nine years, I became interested in Chinese sayings and proverbs. One that I found goes like this: “A thorn defends the rose, harming only those who would steal the blossom.” I read where one person explained what they thought after being asked what does this proverb mean? They said: “The rose, someone or something who is happy, satisfied and/or beautiful, is protected by something, and only those who seek to steal the happiness, knowledge or radiance from that person/thing will be in trouble.”

So it doesn’t take a genius to see the moral teaching of this proverb. But it does allow for various ways to apply this virtuous saying. For instance, there is such a thing as responding to disrespect with dignity. That means, even though someone is treating you disrespectfully, don’t respond in the same manner. Too often, the urge to be right can generate a degrading response.

It is natural to fight back when we encounter verbal abuse coming our way. But we must train ourselves to set limits so that we don’t go overboard in our response, thereby become as undignified as the person verbally attacking us. We all know, that sometimes in the heat of the debate there is a compelling desire to win. As adults, we want to be treated like adults.

Yet, we all must acknowledge there is often room for improvement in our attitude and action. We cannot automatically assume that we are always right. Many times, people see things in us that we are not willing to admit are there. It may come from the fact that we are not prepared, to be honest with ourselves. So before you strike back, ask yourself, “What is their goal? Are they trying to tell me something I need to know about myself?” Remember, no matter what response immediately pops into your mind, look for a more gentle way of saying the same thing.

There were many times when Jesus sharply criticized His disciples for having too little faith and lack of trust. But He did so because He wanted their faith to increase and their trust to grow. And He was very successful because He Himself served as the best example of doing things right. Keep in mind, unless they are given a reason to respect you, as soon as you point to their wrongs they will point to yours. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD

On Sunday morning, February 9, 1986, I drove over to the Rizal Theater located in the center of the business district of Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines, having been invited to preach to a congregation of about 900 members. The Lord laid it on my heart to preach on the text from 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, and call it the “Power of Reconciliation.” I had two reactions when the Holy Spirit urged me to preach on that subject. One: that it may appear that I was getting involved in the contested Presidential election that was going on, which I didn’t want to do. Or two: that since I didn’t understand how deep the feelings ran either for or against the incumbent President, it might make them feel that as an uninformed outsider I was trying to tell the people what to do.

But I took a deep breath and preached the message that God gave me. The service was great, the people responded with great enthusiasm, and a good number of people came forward to be born again. I left the Rizal Theater thanking God that He had used me to deliver His word and prayed that it would have a positive effect. But I wasn’t expecting what I was about to hear. As I crossed the parking lot to my car, I heard a voice calling, “Brother Bob! Brother Bob!” I turned around to see a young man and his wife hurrying toward me. I stopped to greet them, and then my heart began to beat fast as I heard the young man’s story.

He was a member of the Philippine Army and had just come down from the mountains in the south where they were fighting the Communist Party’s New People’s Army (NPA). With tears welling up in his eyes, he told me that just a few weeks ago his brother, also a soldier with the Philippine Rangers, had been killed by the NPA. But that wasn’t all; they shot him three times point blank, and then used their rifle butts to smash in his face until he was almost unrecognizable. As soon as he was told of his brother’s death and torture, he vowed in his heart to go back and revenge his brother’s killing no matter how long it took. He wanted to do the same thing to them they did to his brother.

That’s when he paused for a moment, then looking into my eyes he said with great emotion, “But since I heard what you had to say this morning and went forward to be born again and receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I’ve made a new pledge. I want to go back to the mountains and find the NPA soldiers who killed my brother and tell them about Jesus and His love. Thank you, Brother Bob, for bringing your message of reconciliation.” After we hugged and shook hands they left. As I turned around to continue on to my car with my family, my heart burned inside me and I looked up and thanked the Lord for His guidance. I also made a vow on that day that I would never again doubt or hesitate to follow the Spirit’s leading, or ever underestimate the power of God’s Word.