THE PARABLE OF THE TENANTS (Luke 20: 9-19)

THE PARABLE OF THE TENANTS

(Luke 20: 9-19)

Significance of Text

The Parable of the Tenants is one of many parables that Jesus told his followers during his time in ministry. It is found in all of the synoptic Gospels; however, it is not found in the Gospel according to John. Jesus always put so much meaning and theology into His parables, and this one is no exception. At the time when Jesus told this parable He had already warned the disciples three times that He would be killed. On three separate days He entered the city in so-called triumphal entries (He never spent a night there); He wept over the city; then He cleansed the temple for the second time(McGee 231).

Jesus had seen first hand how low the people had fallen. The leaders had refused to accept Jesus’ authority in the verses leading up to this parable that not only clearly affirms that authority but also alludes to Jesus’ death and his subsequent vindication. The imagery of this parable is drawn from the Song of the Vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-7). Through the parable of the tenants Jesus is explaining so desperately to the people of Jerusalem that God has sent many servants and they have been rebuked and turned back empty-handed. The significance of this text is more than just a story. It is almost a plea from Jesus that these people would listen to what He is saying. He knows that in the past they have rebuked God’s messengers, but who were the messengers He was referring to? Also through telling this parable Jesus could possibly be telling them that He is their last chance.

Historical and Social Setting

When reading any of the four Gospels it is important to know that none of them explicitly say who the author was. However, through similarities in writing styles, references made to other people and books, and through church tradition we can come close to knowing. Although not all scholars agree on who wrote the Gospel according to Luke, church tradition tells us that the author was Luke the Evangelist, a Syrian from Antioch, and a doctor by profession. This tradition can be traced back as far as a prefatory note to the Gospel written in the second half of the second century A.D. The note was intended to counteract the influence of Marcoin, who wanted Christians to discard the Old Testament and prune the New testament of its influence. This source also goes on to say that the same author who wrote Luke, was the author of Acts as well. The relation between Luke and Acts is what sets the Gospel according to Luke apart from the problem of the authorship of the other Gospels.

There are four things that link Luke and Acts together: (1) both Luke and Acts are addressed to an individual named Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1); (2) Acts refers to a previous work (1:1), probably Luke; (3) there are structural characteristics, such as the author focusing on particular individuals, these characteristics of both books point to a single author; and (4) not only do the two volumes have a number of themes in common, but some of these receive a distinctive emphasis in this third Gospel that are not found elsewhere in the New Testament.(Liefeld, Luke 798)

The dating of Luke depends largely on the date of Mark. However, the date of Mark is only relevant if Luke used Mark as one of his sources. The probability of this is strong enough to assume. Scholars today hold that Mark was written about A.D. 70(Liefeld, Luke 807). However, some scholars suggest that Luke was written later (even as late as the early second century) because they believe Acts reflects a theological climate nonexistent in the 60s and 70s.

There are some definite distinctions of Luke’s Gospel when compared to the other three. These are Jesus’ concern for all people, especially those who were outcasts—the poor, women, and those who were known as “sinners.”

Some have called Luke the first Christian socialist. While those of other political persuasions might wish to debate that statement, Luke does present a Christ who is concerned with all classes of society. Luke provides pen portraits of neglected groups upon which even the other Gospels do not focus their lenses. (Townsend 65)

Luke’s sense of purpose, accomplishment and sense of joy and praise to God for his saving grace are among these distinctions as well. The Gospel according to Luke was written to be read by newly converted Christians. They reason I can say this for sure is because of what Luke said in the introduction to his Gospel. “With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught”(Luke 1:3,4 NIV). Although we don’t know for sure that Theophilus was a believer we can safely assume this because he had defiantly been given some instructions in the faith as Luke said. He could have been troubled by the denials of the Resurrection, the Gnostic beliefs of the time were definitely challenging. In addition to the Gentiles that would read his Gospel, Luke’s purpose in writing was to assure Theophilus of the “certainty” of the Gospel tradition.

Literary Context

It is difficult for us today to know with what literary genre, if any, the first-century reader would have identified the Gospels as a whole. The very meaning of the word Gospel is “good news,” this is appropriate because the Gospels tell the good news of Jesus Christ. The Gospels are biographical accounts of the life of Jesus. Luke 20: 9-19 is considered to be an allegorical parable, spoken by Jesus to His followers. Jim Townsend in his book  Gospel Themes: Four Portraits of Christ’s Life states six characteristics of parables.

1. Parables involve comparison of earthly and heavenly. Jesus’ parables “become Jacob’s ladder by which those from heaven come down to earth, and those from earth ascend to heaven.
2. Parables are clothed in lifelike color.
3. Parables are curiosity rousers. Parables are the candy wrapper that bids the imagination enter.
4. Parables are conscience provokers.
5. Parables serve as a covering to protect truth from the careless and calloused (Mt. 13:10-15).
6. Parables are like a lens, which gathers many of the sun’s rays and brings them to focus upon a single point. (51-2)

As I have previously mentioned, Jesus upon giving this parable had already prophesied to the disciples three times of his death. Prior to Jesus telling the parable Luke records a time at which Jesus was questioned of His authority. “‘Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,’ they said. ‘Who gave you this authority’”(Luke 20:2 NIV)? The chief priests and the teachers of the law would not answer Him either way. For they feared his response and their punishment. To them Jesus replied with this, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things”(Luke 20:8). However, even though they didn’t realize it, Jesus did give them and answer through His parable of the tenants. Immediately after His delivery of the parable the teachers of the law and the chief priest looked for a way to arrest Him. But they were afraid of what the people would do to them. However, they soon came up with a plan on how to convict Jesus of wrong doing. Luke tells us that they sent spies to “dig up dirt” on Jesus; however, they were unsuccessful. They tried to “trick” Jesus by asking if they should pay taxes to Caesar. After an illustration done by Jesus, He told them to give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s(Luke 20:20-26).

Scripture Passage

Luke 20: 9“He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants
beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.” 13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’

14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’” 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!” 17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” 19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. (NIV)

Text Critical Notes

The variants which are evident in this text are of very little importance when it comes to the significance of the text. In Luke 20:10,11 we find the word bondservant in the original Greek text; however, within the NIV translation we find this word as servant.

Through some adequate research I have come to the conclusion that the only difference between these two is the level of commitment put forth. Secondly we find in the Greek text for Luke 20:17b “The stone that the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.” Instead of cornerstone which is how the NIV reads.

Outline of Passage

I. God’s Plea With His People (vv. 9-12)
A. 3 Servants were sent to collect the owners share
B. Each servant was beaten. But the owner showed mercy
II. The Final Chance (vv. 13-15)
A. Owner sends his son as a last resort
B. The tenants kill the son
III. The Results of Sinful Ways (vv. 15b-19)
A. The tenants will be stripped of their land
B. Jesus is the Cornerstone

GOD’S PLEA WITH HIS PEOPLE

The refusal of the leaders to accept Jesus’ authority(20:1-8) leads to this parable. This parable clearly affirms Jesus’ authority, and it also gives a sneak peak of Jesus’ death and later vindication. Matthew and Mark include a quotation from the “Song of the Vineyard”(Isaiah 5:1-7); however, Luke omits this account. Unlike in Isaiah chapter 5, in which the vineyard was destroyed, in this parable the tenants are the one who will be judged.
Jesus starts out by saying, “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time”(Luke 20:9b). Just looking at this verse by itself, with no context, it might be “empty” in terms of its meaning. Since we Christians in the 21st century have the bible as a whole and know of and read about God’s work, it might be easier for us to unpack this verse. Clearly, Jesus is talking about God being the man who planted the vineyard. The vineyard is to represent Israel, and the tenants are to represent the leaders of Israel.
The text tells us that God, the owner of the vineyard, sent three different servants. Each servant sent to the tenants was sent back in worse shape than the previous servant before him.

In the Complete Word Study Dictionary we find the definition for the term slave as Jesus mentioned. Or the bondservant. The Greek word douloß(doulos) which means a slave, or one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another. His well being altogether consumed in the will of the other(Zodhiates 483-4). After reading this there are three very important prophets from the Old Testament that come to mind; Moses, Elijah, and John the Baptist. Moses was responsible for leading the Israelites out of exile in Egypt. He tried to get the people to trust in God, and that He would always provide for them. However, even after time and time again of being supplied of their needs, they still grumbled about what they did not have. Then we have Elijah, whose special work was to arouse the consciences, and comfort the hearts of God’s people in a day of ruin. Elijah pleaded with the King to cease worship of Baal, and he tried to warn him of God’s judgement. “We may well enquire, What was the secret of Elijah’s boldness in the presence of the king — the assurance with which he foretells the coming judgment, and his confident assertion that all will take place according to his word”(Smith). Lastly, we have John the Baptist. He was the one who prepared the way for Jesus, and baptized people in preparedness of our coming Lord. The reason I have gone to the extent of mentioning a brief description of theses prophets, is not to say that Jesus was referring to these three prophets exclusively. There were many prophets whom God sent and each was despised of and rejected, some became martyrs for His sake. The very point of me telling you about these three was only to give sufficient evidence that many prophets were sent to God’s people, yet all were rejected. Each prophet was a servant of God. Their very being was altogether consumed in the will of the God, which fulfills the definition of our greek work douloß, which is found in verse 10.

God (the owner of the vineyard) continued to show mercy to the Israelite’s (the vineyard). He sent three servants (the prophets) in an attempt to get them to worship Him and give Him credit where credit was due. But they did not listen, they continued to beat each servant and send them away empty handed.

THE FINAL CHANCE

Jesus continued on with His parable, telling us what the owner of the vineyard was going to do now that he had received each servant empty handed and beaten. The owner said, “…What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him”(Luke 20:13 NKJV). We have come to the conclusion here that the owner was indeed God. In light of this I find it very interesting how Jesus said “my beloved son.” In the Gospel according to Matthew we find two occasions when a voice appeared once from heaven and once from a cloud. This voice in both occasions were presumed to be God, and He was talking about His son Jesus. The first, in Matthew 3:17 “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”(NKJV). Next in Matthew 17:5b, the exact same words, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”(NKJV). Notice the words in the center of these quotes, beloved Son. I am convinced that this is the very evidence that the owner was God, because he said the same words in Luke 20:13. The Greek phrase υἱός ἀγαπητός (huios agapétos) means the only son is the object of peculiar love. In the New Testament this phrase is used only when referring to Christ, the beloved Son of God(Zodhiates 67). 

Through Luke we learn that the owner was wrong when he said, “Probably they will respect him when they see him”(Luke 20:13 NKJV). Because the tenants did not at all respect him. They said, “This is the heir… Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours”(Luke 20:14 NIV). What is this inheritance they were talking about? Was it simply the land they wanted? Because if so, I don’t believe they couldn’t have obtained it by simply killing the son. Because even though the son was the heir, the actual owner was still alive and in possession of the vineyard. The Greek word for the inheritance Jesus was talking about is κληρονομία (kléronomia). κληρονομία means divine salvation, considered both promised and already bestowed, it is designated as an inheritance in the New Testament so far as man, the heir, obtains possession of it(Zodhiates 867).

Inheritance is also mentioned by Peter in 1 Peter 1:4, “…and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you…”(NIV). “The concept of ‘inheritance (κληρονομία) is important in the covenantal history of Israel. It is tied to the promise of the land (Ge 12; 15:7, Ex 15:17; Dt 21:23; Isa 49:8), and in later writings Israel becomes God’s own inheritance (Ps 33:12;78:62)”(Liefeld, Luke Revised 428).
The tenants have now beaten and sent all of the three servants back empty handed. But they didn’t stop there. We are told about how they threw the son out of the vineyard and killed him. All to become the heirs of the inheritance. I believe that the owner wanted to send his son to maybe try to “civilize” the tenants. Bud Robinson talks about a preacher of the Gospel civilizing a country. Although Robinson wasn’t talking about Christ explicitly, I believe it can apply. “Beloved reader, no country is civilized or settled until the preacher of the gospel appears on the scene”(23). After the son tried to “civilize” the tenants, we get to the part of the parable where the owner of the vineyard finally stops showing mercy, he has given the tenants a final chance. But his actions are about to take a violent turn.

THE RESULT OF SINFUL WAYS

The owners anger has now escalated. He has seen three servants sent back beaten and empty-handed. And his last resort ended in the death of his beloved son. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. When the people heard this, they said, ‘God forbid!’”(Luke 20:15b NIV). Since the crime committed by the tenants was so extreme, so too would be the punishment to them. The owner will come personally and kill the tenants, and the vineyard would be given to others. Leon Morris in his commentary on Luke says this in regards to the vineyard being given to others.

In the application this must refer to the Gentiles. But to Jesus’ enemies it was unthinkable that the privileges of the Jews as God’s chosen people could under any circumstances be given to the Gentiles. They interject, God forbid! (the only occurrence of this strong expression anywhere in the New Testament outside the Pauline writings). The words express their sense of outrage and horror as they break in, in the manner of the listeners in 19:25. (286)

The teachers of the law and the chief priests, agreeably, were upset that they would loose out on their inheritance. But unlike the Song of the Vineyard (Isaiah 5) where the vineyard was destroyed, the tenants are the ones destroyed. And the inheritance would belong to someone else. The teachers of the law and the chief priests did not like this outcome at all. Evidence of that come later in verse 19, when we see them plotting for a way to arrest him, and even sending spies (Luke 20:20).
Jesus talks about, in the latter half of verse 17, a cornerstone, or the head of the corner. Now this head of the corner was clearly an important stone. Jesus says this about it, “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed”(Luke 20:18). The head of the corner, which means the upper cornerstone, not only unites and strengthens the whole building but is also at the very summit of it(Zodhiates, γωνία 389). Being so high, in falling it is able to grind people to powder. Although the imagery of Jesus being the cornerstone has a lot of meaning, it is the very destructive power of that stone that we need to realize. For someone to fall on the stone or have the stone fall on them in either case means destruction. Even though the people reject and oppose Jesus it is they, not He, who will suffer.

SUMMATION

The tenants in the Parable of the Vineyard were given an adequate amount of chances to give the owner of the vineyard his small portion. The owner gave them 3 chances as a matter of fact. Jesus’ message was very clear in explaining to them that God had sent prophet after prophet to warn the Israelites of their coming judgment. But did the Israelites listen? No. They treated each prophet shamefully and sent him away. The teachers of the law and the chief priests knew exactly who these prophets were that Jesus was referring to.
Jesus with his final plea hidden in the message of the parable, told them about the tenants killing the son of the owner. They went to the final extreme, and became greedy and wanted to kill for their inheritance. Jesus’ point was made even clearer when He told them about how the cornerstone would crush and destroy those upon whom it falls.

At this point it becomes very clear, the true colors of the teachers of the law and the chief priests. Anger arose from them as they shouted God forbid! as to what Jesus was telling them. They knew for a fact that Jesus was indeed directing this at them. And for that reason they began to find a way to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, but they were scared of the people, of whom they were surrounded with.

APPLICATION

We know that this parable was spoken to the teachers of the law and the chief priests, by Jesus, a very long time ago. Does this mean that it should simply serve as a story in which we should read at our leisure? Since it was not written for us personally? No! This parable serves us with just as much magnitude as it did in the day when Jesus told it. Granted, we tend to see more false prophets then any other now-a-days, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any out there.
I believe there are two main points that we should consider when applying this parable to our own lives. First we must realize that God’s beloved Son was killed for us! He was falsely acquitted and died a shameful death, next to two thieves, as if He was a thief himself. The very reason that Jesus died on that cross was so that you and I may have our inheritance (κληρονομία). That very salvation that we earned, was given to us by Jesus’ sacrifice. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

However, we must realize that this is a double-edged sword. We can lose our inheritance to someone else. Meaning that God will take away that privilege and give it to someone else. The cornerstone that Jesus was referring to, even though it is what holds things together, it is also God’s judgement. And upon whom ever God’s judgement falls will be crushed! Brothers and Sisters, it is so important that we realize our chance here. If we reject Jesus in our lives, we may as well be crucifying Him a second time. Because just like in the parable, those who rejected and killed God’s son will be denied of his inheritance and will be destroyed. My very prayer is that this parable can take on a new meaning in your life, as it has mine.

WORKS CITED

Liefeld, Walter L. Luke. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984. Print. Expositor’s Bible Commentary 8.

Liefeld, Walter L., and David W. Pao. Luke. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007. Print. Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised Edition 10.

McGee, J. Vernon. Luke. LaVerne: El Camino Press, 1975. Print.

Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to St. Luke. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974. Print. The Tyndale new Testament Commentaries 3.

Townsend, Jim. Gospel Themes: Four Portraits of Christ’s Life. Elgin: David C. Cook Publishing Co., 1987. Print.

Robinson, Bud. My Life’s Story. Kansas City: Nazarene Publishing House, 1928. Print.

Smith, Hamilton. “Elijah: A Prophet Of The Lord.” STEM Publishing. N.d. Web. 4 May 2014.

Zodhiates, Spiros. “ἀγαπητός.” The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Ed. Spiros Zodhiates. Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1992. Print.

Zodhiates, Spiros. “douloß.” The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Ed. Spiros Zodhiates. Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1992. Print.

Zodhiates, Spiros. “κληρονομία.” The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Ed. Spiros Zodhiates. Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1992. Print. 

Zodhiates, Spiros. “γωνία.” The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Ed. Spiros Zodhiates. Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1992. Print. 

 

The Days of Old

The Days of Old.

The Days of Old

As a very young boy I vividly remember being in church on Sunday morning, and we would be singing those powerful hymns. At the age of five I remember watching as the pastor then would be completely red in the face, and wiping the perspiration from his forehead as he almost shouted his message. I can remember sitting there and watching him pace the isles as people around me would shout “Amen,” “hallelujah,” “preach it.” And yes I also remember how it seemed that no matter how far I managed to squirm away from my parents, that my fathers arm was still long enough to reach the tender part of my ear and “encourage” me with a swift flick of his fingers when I was doing wrong.

There is so much of that, that I miss nowadays. Although I am young, I somewhat feel old at heart. Yes, these songs that are being sung in Church nowadays have some good meaning to them, but is there a connection with them? What I mean is that when you sing a contemporary worship song does it imbed into your mind with a certain memory? For me when I hear There Is Power In The Blood I cannot help but picture Sister Mary Hanner so joyfully singing “There is pow’r pow’r pow’r in the Blood” or so many other Hymns that are connected with a great memory of singing them. I remember as if it were yesterday, the time when I went to the alter and gave my life to God. The song Where He Leads Me was being sung and it wasn’t until the last verse that I got the courage to go and pray. It felt as if someone had turned the valve on and tears came rushing down my face, while this song was being sung. Another memory that I hold dear is knowing that my grandfather’s favorite song is Because He Lives, and I get to see his face light up every time I or someone else led this Hymn. It is so many memories that I have mentioned only a few of that make me cherish the Nazarene Hymnal. However, I do remember about the time that my church started to incorporate contemporary songs, but I have not a single memory linked with any of these songs.

I believe it’s time that we pull these great books out, wipe the dust away and begin to use them more. What happens when these old timers that love and cherish these Hymns are gone? Yes, there are still young people such as I that love them too, but not as much as there are older folk. There is so much theology packed in each and everyone of those Hymns that if our young people would pay attention they could learn something wonderful. What can you say about these contemporary songs? Where is the theology? Instead, they are songs about, as one of my professors once said, Jesus as my lover. Although it is important to know that Jesus loves us, it is all the more important to know that He bled and died for us, to Justify us, and then He sanctifies us. Yes there needs to be songs about His love, but what about the whole point that if we don’t fully repent that we will pay?

Furthermore, this brings me to my next point of revival. Lord knows, and so does everyone else, that this land needs a revival. What happened to the days where at least once and maybe twice a year there was a revival held? Starting on Wednesday evening you would go to church from about 6:30 till 9 o’clock and come back each night following until on Sunday. What we so desperately need is to be revived and renewed. We need our heart to be re-kindled so that they burn red hot with eagerness to witness.

Lastly, we who claim to belong to the Holiness denominations need to come back to what we were founded on. What happened to sermons that taught us that there is a way to reach Christian Perfection? Instead there are people who live there lives in constant fear of judgement day, instead of having the ability to be sanctified and know for a fact that they are free! There can be a point in each of our lives where we no longer have a desire to sin. That doesn’t mean that we cannot sin, but it simply means that we have no desire. Justification removes our personal sin, and Sanctification removes the carnal sin, or the sin that we inherited from Adam and Eve. If you can imagine planting a tree into a pot and putting it into a room where there is only one window, that tree will grow with a bend toward the sun. Its very nature and need is to point toward the sun. But if you were to plant that outside where it has access to sun from all directions it will grow straight. Our lives are like that tree, we are born with a sinful nature. We always lean toward the sinful path; however, through Christian Perfection God removes that “bent” (our tendency to lean toward sin) and allows us to grow straight and only desire Him.

I whole heartedly believe that if there were more hymns sung, more revivals held, and more Holiness messages preached, that we once again can set this nation a-blaze with a passion to serve Christ.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV 

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

Legalism, and the Pharisees

Jesus made an incredible impact on the ancient and modern world.  During the last two thousand years, there have been people that have both appreciated and hated the impact that Jesus had on the world.  The Pharisees, according to Josephus, were people who were an attractive, popular and powerful faction. They were ascetic in lifestyle, only concerned to present themselves as rigorists for the Torah (D.R. de Lacey 914).  The Pharisees were a legalistic group that placed a strong emphasis on following the law.  The Pharisees would follow the law to incredible extremes.  In Mark 3 Jesus had taken the time on the Sabbath to heal a crippled man’s hand; but when the Pharisees saw what Jesus did they plotted to kill him.  This example from Mark is one that shows the extremes that the Pharisees took to avoid breaking the law.  The man was crippled and needed healing.  Jesus asked, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (Mark 3:4).  I think Jesus was trying to teach the Pharisees that while they did need to honor the Sabbath, people’s needs were more important.  If somebody desperately needs something, there should be no law keeping a man from helping his neighbor.

Another example of the Pharisees’ legalism was in Mark 2:23-27.  Jesus’ disciples were hungry after a full day of following their rabbi.  As the group was walking through a field of wheat, they were picking the heads and eating them.  The Pharisees came to Jesus and asked why they were plucking the grain on the Sabbath.  Jesus explained to the Pharisees that his disciples were hungry and there was no reason not to supply their own needs on the Sabbath.  Jesus then explained the idea behind the Sabbath.  The Pharisees were so legalistic that they thought they were made to follow the law.  In actuality, the law was made for the people.

It is important to understand the social background behind the Pharisees because we need to know what was motivating them to take a stand against Jesus.  It is so easy for us to look back on the times and see Jesus as he was; a kind, generous, and loving Savior.  There were several things motivating the Pharisees to prove Jesus wrong or remove him as a problem.  The Pharisees were the leading Jewish religious group of their day.  They held the majority in the Sanhedrin and had the greatest influence on the people.  When Jesus began to preach and teach, the Pharisees realized that He was about to turn their world upside down.  The Pharisees were also attached to their doctrine.  They believed what they believed with all of their hearts.  This religious group held fast to the belief that if they followed the law to the letter, they would gain their salvation.

To the Pharisees, it seemed as though every step Jesus took was in the opposite direction of everything they stood for.  Jesus claimed to be the messiah, touched lepers, ate with tax collectors, forgave sins, claimed to be a rabbi but did not make his disciples fast, and did “work” on the Sabbath.  To top it all off, Jesus spoke with authority and gained the support of the common people.  As people began to listen to Jesus, they began to leave the teachings of the Pharisees behind.  Also I think the Pharisees might have been jealous that Jesus had been ordained, or סְמִיכָה. Semikaha (סְמִיכָה) meaning laying, or “leaning” of the hands (Levitats, Rothkoff, Nadell 274). In Mathew 3:17 it says, “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’” This is where Jesus receives his סְמִיכָה.

Because of the emphasis the Pharisees placed on the law, they could not develop an understanding for the way Jesus operated.  When Jesus ate with tax collectors, the Pharisees knew that he was eating with sinners.  The Pharisees were so selfishly focused on their own salvation that they could see no benefit in spending time with sinners.  Pharisees would have been afraid of the influence that a tax collector could have had on their lives.  The Pharisees were upset with Jesus and his teachings.  Jesus often answered to the Pharisees with harsh replies.  Despite the distaste the Pharisees had for Jesus, he still loved them and wanted them to be saved as well.

Bibliography

Lacey, D.R. de. “Pharisees.” New Bible Dictionary. Ed. I. Howard Marshal, et al, eds. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996. Print.

Levitats, Isaac, Aaron Rothkoff, and Pamela S. Nadell. “Semikhah.” Encyclopaedia Judaica. Ed. Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik. 2nd ed. Vol. 18. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. 274-279. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

Modern Day Church Goers

Unfortunately there is a subject that is too often left out in the church today, that is sanctification. I think most people don’t talk about it because maybe they don’t understand it. I can’t say that I am a master when it comes to the topic of sanctification. However, through the help of the Lord and working on an exegetical these past 11 weeks I have learned a lot.

Throughout chapter 6 in the book of Romans, Paul is talking about being dead to sin, and being alive to God. He is explaining that since we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we also was baptized into his death. And we were also buried with Him; just as He rose from the dead, we too might walk in newness of life.

In verses 14 Paul tells us that we are not under law but under grace. Then, he asks a powerful question, “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means”(Rom. 6:15 ESV). Yes, it is important to know that all of our sins have been paid for, and we are forgiven. But let us not continue sinning because we know that the Merciful God will forgive us! Every time we repent, and then continue sinning we loose a certain reverence with God. Just as a child whom makes a mistake over and over again, and then apologizes to their parents. Over time the parent begins to wonder if they truly mean what they say.

Paul goes on to further talk about sanctification in verses 19-23. “For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:19-23 ESV).

In his book called Conversations on Holiness, Keith Davenport explains sanctification:

Sanctification is like the kingdom of God coming in the life of an individual. At the moment it does so, the rule and reign of God are established in the Christian’s life. The kingdom of God has invaded and conquered the power of sin and death. Being freed from sin enables us to live out the Kingdom in our world. We, too, can bring healing, life, and restoration to our world by the power of the Holy Spirit. (29)

It is important to understand the fact that once we are entirely sanctified that we are not perfect, we still have the ability to sin. However, what we then lack is the urge to sin. Some people become a bit misconstrued on this subject, because they don’t understand how we can have a sinful nature without acting on that sinful nature.

One particular authour points out that Jesus did not die fro us only to forgive our sinning over and over again. By grace He will always forgive, thanks be to God. But our Lord Jesus died and rose again to change our lives and to free us from “the sin that so easily entangles” (Heb. 12:1)( Rowell 73).

I think Romans 6:5-7 is a great verse to bring this conclusion to an end. “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in  resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin” (ESV).

Davenport, Keith M. “Sanctification As Prescription.” Conversations on Holiness. Ed. Keith M. Davenport. Kansas       City: Beacon Hill Press, 2013. 15-20. Print.

Rowell, Jeren. “Glorious Freedom.” Conversations on Holiness. Ed. Keith M. Davenport. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2013. 69-73. Print.

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The Road to The Rocky Mountains

It all started my senior year in high school. That was the year I had always waited for. I couldn’t wait to graduate and start working in a factory just like every other “well rounded” person did. I knew that I had to work hard, but boy could I roll in the dough.

God has a sense of humor, thats for sure. It was an ordinary Sunday morning in good ole Kurtz Indiana, that I first felt the Lord calling me to preach. I sternly said NO! There isn’t any money in that. However, God kept nudging me about His plan and finally I agreed to it, but on some conditions. You see, I told God that I liked my factory job so I would keep it and take online classes from Nazarene Bible College. So God seemed to humor me… for a while.

Spring of 2010 I had finally graduated Brownstown Central High School, and began taking online classes from NBC. I cannot remember the exact name of the class I started, but I do know it had to do with Ethics. I bet it didn’t take me but one week and I was fed up with it. I think by this point God was laughing and may have been thinking “really?” So I got discouraged and basically told God it was not for me.

I continued working at the factory, on night shift might I add. It was two years after I had slammed the door in God’s face that He returned to me in an overwhelming presence. I had been working 12 hour shifts for months, and was getting of work at 4:30 a.m. Since I lived about 30 minutes from work, I often would stop and take “power naps,” which were about 5 mins in length. I would always stop at the halfway point, which happened to be a little church, which I can’t recall the name of, in the town of Acme. It was a warm night in June that I stopped here for the usual power nap that God overwhelmed me. All of the sudden I was reminded of His calling, and my rejection of it. I immediately felt God telling me that the only way for me to be successful was if I went where He led me. And he said, “remember that place called NBC?” “I want you to go there, not online, but in person.” And for once in my life I said yes Lord, and I stuck to it.

I started the paper work and begin to make plans to move to Colorado Springs, CO. However, I was so determined that I wasn’t going to back out on my deal with God, that I didn’t tell anyone. I finally told my parents, I think about a month before I was to leave. And I had about a month to sell all my “toys.”

God showed me right from the get-go that this was His Divine Plan. I had a big diesel truck, a motorcycle, and a bass boat that needed to be sold A.S.A.P. I would use this money to move out there and support myself till I could find a job. I told a friend that I was selling my truck and he bought it right away for exactly what I needed from it. I posted my motorcycle for sale at work and it sold for exactly what I wanted. I posted my boat on craigslist, and it sold for exactly what I payed for it, and it didn’t even run! Now tell me that this wasn’t God’s plan! I knew from that very moment that this was what God wanted.

So I packed up my dad’s Toyota Tacoma from front to back, and my mom and I headed west! From the moment I got here I could feel God working in my life. There were some tough trials at first, but I prayed through. In Dr. Lambright’s class on night he was telling us freshmen that we needed to unpack. No, not just unpack our moving boxes, but we needed to “mentally” unpack. It wasn’t till this moment that I had true peace. Living 1200 miles away from Kurtz Indiana where I had lived all my life was not easy. But it wasn’t until I had “unpacked,” and started calling this place my home I wasn’t at peace.

This is where God wants me, so this is my home. Once I made this breakthrough God started opening up doors left and right. And unbeknownst to me, behind one of those doors was my bride to be! Yes, not only did God call me out here to study to be a pastor, but he blessed me with and AMAZING girl. We got engaged over the summer and are planning a wedding for July 11, 2015.

So for those who know they are being called, by God…DO IT! Don’t ever say no, because as soon as you do, He will start saying no to things you want in life.

The road to the Rockies has been an awesome journey, and I have learned so much.