Saturday, September 27, 2014

LET THE SUNSHINE IN (Matthew 21:33-46)

LET THE SUNSHINE IN

Matthew 21:33-46





IN JEWISH PHILOSOPHY
SINCE GOD IS THE CREATOR
ALL PROPERTY IS HIS
MAN ONLY LEASES IT

THE RULES OF PROPERTY
ARE SACRED
AN EXAMPLE

YOU OR YOUR NEIGHBOR
CANNOT BUILD A FENCE
THAT WOULD BLOCK THE OTHER’S LIGHT

NOR A CONSTRUCTION SO HIGH
THE SUN CANNOT REACH THE OTHER’S CROPS


OWNERSHIP
BY INDIVIDUAL
FAMILY
 TRIBE
OR NATION
WAS HELD UNDER STRICT RULES

IN THIS PARABLE OF THE EVIL TENANTS
JESUS STARTS OUT TELLING A NORMAL STORY
THEN STARTS TO TALK GIBBERISH
ABOUT EVIL TENANTS
PLOTTING TO STEAL THE PROPERTY
WITH THE OWNER STILL ALIVE

IT’S A FAVORITE TRICK OF JESUS
TALKING GIBBERISH TO PEOPLE WHO KNOW BETTER

LIKE A MUSTARD TREE IN A GARDEN
WHEN FARMERS KNOW IT GROWS IN THE WILD
AS A SHRUB

OR WHEN HE SAYS
THERE WAS A FARM OWNER
WHO PAID HIS HIRED HANDS A PENNY
NO MATTER HOW LONG THEY WORKED

YOU COULD HEAR THE DAY LABORERS SAY

YAH
RIGHT
I’D LIKE TO SEE THAT
IF IT HAPPENED
SOMETHING MUST BE FROZEN OVER

IF JESUS HAD TOLD THE STORY STRAIGHT OUT
THEY’D FORGET IT
BUT IF HE PUZZLED THEM
THEY’D REMEMBER
AND THINK

SINCE CREATION
MAN HAS WRESTLED GOD
FOR OWNERSHIP OF THE GARDEN

ALL OF US ARE GUILTY
BUT ESPECIALLY IN THE TALE
THE LEADERS ARE TRYING TO REPLACE GOD
WITH SOMEONE OR SOMETHING
IN THEIR OWN IMAGE

BUT IN THEIR OWN LAW
THEY CANNOT BLOCK THE SUN
IT WILL PREVAIL


FRANK A VOLLMER

Friday, September 19, 2014

TWO SONS (MATT 21:23-32)


The Story of Two Sons (MATT 21:23-32)

28 “Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, ‘Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.’
29 “The son answered, ‘I don’t want to.’ Later on he thought better of it and went.
30 “The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, ‘Sure, glad to.’ But he never went.




TWO SONS

ONE SON HAD REGRETS
A CHANGE OF HEART
I WILL NOT GO
BUT THEN THAT LITTLE VOICE
THAT GOD HAS PUT IN US
WORKS ON US
TELLS US TO BE FAIR

THE OTHER SON HAD STIFLED
HAD STIFLED THAT VOICE
HAD NO QUALMS
ABOUT SAYING YES I WILL
THEN DOING NOTHING
NO REMORSE

LIKE ALL OF US
SAYING OUR PRAYERS
PROMISING AMENDMENT
BUT NO DRIVE TO CHANGE

WE CONDEMN THE NEGATIVE SON
AT OUR OWN PERIL
HE’S JUST LIKE US

WE NEED TO LOOK
AT THE LANDSCAPE OF OUR LIVES
SEE THE GROOVES
HABIT HAS MADE
THE SAYING YES
DOING NO

WE NEED LIKE A PLOW IN SPRING
BREAK THE HABITS OF OUR LIVES
SO WHEN WE SAY YES
WE MEAN YES
AND ACT ACCORDINGLY


.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

HEAR YE HEAR YE (EZEKIEL 33:10-11)

HEAR YE HEAR YE


EZEKIEL 33:10-11


THOSE WHO THINK GOD IS AN AVENGING SPIRIT
WHOSE MAIN TASK IS TRACKING FAULTS
FOR PUNISHMENT
SHOULD READ HIS BIO
WHERE HE IS RECORDED IN EZEKIEL
AS SAYING

10 “EZEKIEL, SPEAK TO ISRAEL. TELL THEM, ‘YOU’VE SAID, “OUR REBELLIONS AND SINS ARE WEIGHING US DOWN. WE’RE WASTING AWAY. HOW CAN WE GO ON LIVING?”’
11 “TELL THEM, ‘AS SURE AS I AM THE LIVING GOD, I TAKE NO PLEASURE FROM THE DEATH OF THE WICKED. I WANT THE WICKED TO CHANGE THEIR WAYS AND LIVE. TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND! REVERSE YOUR EVIL WAYS! WHY DIE, ISRAEL?’

WE DIE UNFORGIVEN
BECAUSE OF OUR PRIDE
PRIDE IN OUR OWN SELF SUFFICIENCY


WE HEAR THE THUNDER
OF YOUR WARNINGS
BUT HEED NOT THE LIGHTNING
OF ILLUMINATION

THE SHEER BRILLIANCE
IN WHICH THERE IS NO SHADOW

James 4:10.

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up

NOT TROD YOU DOWN
IT’S NOT HIS WAY

Monday, September 8, 2014

MATHEW 18;15-19

Matthew 18:15-19New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
 

 
Reproving Another Who Sins
15 “If another member of the church[a]sins against you,[b] go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.[c] 16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.17 If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
 
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
 
I THINK THE PROBLEM
STARTS WITH ME
WHEN WE USE A CHURCH CONDUCT MEMORANDUM
FOR SOLVING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS
 
THE WORDS
IF THEY REFUSE TO LISTEN
EVEN TO THE CHURCH
TREAT THEM AS YOU WOULD A PAGAN
OR A TAX COLLECTOR
 
ARE HARDLY AN ECHO
OF CHRIST’S WORDS
FORGIVE YOUR BROTHER
SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN
WHICH TRANSLATES INNUMERABLE
 
TOO OFTEN THE CHURCH IS QUICK
TO BANISH
THE CHURCH IS WELL KNOWN
FOR WHAT IT HATES
SADLY NOT BALANCED
BY WHAT IT LOVES
 
THE CHURCH
HAS TREMENDOUS POWER
IT SHOULD USE IT
WITH GENTLENESS
AND WISDOM