Matthew 22:33
When the crowds heard this they were astonished at his teaching.
We are getting very close to the most holy season of the year! The Jews call it Passover and remember how God brought the Jews out of slavery in Egypt. Christians call it Lent. A time of reflection and sacrifice focused on Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. For the next 20 days I would like to focus on what we can learn from the life of Christ. Of course, this is only a minuscule part, but, I will do my best.
We know Jesus often used parables when he taught, but why? I was thinking back at my school career and the teachers that made the most impact on me often connected their teaching to a story, a parable of sorts. We know with the teaching Jesus was doing he tried to teach them Kingdom principles. These lessons Jesus was teaching were very hard for the unlearned ‘blue-collar’ workers of that day. Parables often related to something that was already familiar to them. That made it more understandable, and more memorable. Yet, he often used these parables to get the more learned priests and Pharisees thinking about their own lives and rules.
For example, the teaching about the two sons. In Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus tells a story about 2 sons (seen in photo above). Their father asked them to go out in the field and do some work. One said flat out…NO. He thought better of it and went later. The other said ok, but, never went. Jesus asks the Priests about what son was obedient. While it is an obvious answer for them, ‘the one that did the work’, there was an underlying truth Jesus wanted to teach them. All their righteousness by following the rules was not worth anything if their hearts were not in the right place. He told them, even tax collectors and prostitutes will get to Heaven before them. They were stunned.
They tried again. In Chapter 22 Jesus was given a challenge by the Pharisees, they were trying to trick him. They asked if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar? They tried to set him up by saying he was a man of integrity, and of course the implication was, that by giving the tax to Caesar, he would be participating in a cruel and deadly government. Jesus was able to see right through them. He asked them; ‘whose inscription is on the coin? ‘Caesar’ came the response. Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. The Pharisees were dumbfounded. I could almost see them scratching their heads under their huge holy hats trying to figure Jesus out.
These types of conversations with Jesus made the Pharisees very angry. They began to plan a plot to get rid of him, using his own people, the Jews.
They tried yet again. One of them asked Jesus; ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Since the Pharisees were teaching people they must live by the letter of the law, this was somewhat of a contradiction to their teachings. They continued to mull over a plot.
When we think about these parables in context of today, I believe we can get the basic truth Jesus was impressing on us. Be obedient. Do the work. As we go about our day today, keep these thoughts uppermost in your mind. Jehovah is the name describing our independent, self-complete being. He is WE are NOT! Therefore our goal as believers should be to seek Him untin we find Him. One way is to do what He asks-the first time!
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