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

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

.

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

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.

 

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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