OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS SON AS A RANSOM FOR MANY

The mother of the Zebedee brothers, the disciples James and John, had approached Jesus with her sons and lobbied Him for high positions for her sons in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew chapter 20 verses 24 - 28 records the aftermath of that effort and Jesusˋ subsequent corrective teaching on the subject of jockying for positions of prestige.

24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

When word got out that the Zebedee family had discreetly tried to press Jesus for preeminent positions in the kingdom of heaven, the remaining ten disciples were offended and a rift could have established itself in the midst of the disciples on the strength of that incident but the Lord Jesus called a meeting and gave them some perspective on the nature of rulership in the kingdom of God that humbled the Zebedee brothers and assuaged the rest of the disciples.

For contrast, Jesus help up an example of the Gentile societies where positions of power wielded by the rulers were gained and maintained by asserting forceful dominance over the rest of the people in their societies but Jesus told the disciples that in the kingdom of heaven, this would not be the operating model.

Those who would rule in the kingdom of heaven would be servants instead of lords and they would be slaves instead of masters. 

If any of them aspired to greatness in the kingdom of heaven, they would have to follow in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus who did not come to earth to be served but to serve and not to demand the lives of others be given for Him but to give His life for others.

Have mercy on us O God.

4

OUR FATHER WHO WILL DETERMINE THOSE WHO WILL SIT IN AUTHORITY IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD

In the book of Matthew chapter 20 verses 20 - 23, an encounter between the mother of two of the Lord Jesusˋ disciples occured.

Mrs. Zebedee, having recieved some revelation into the identity of Jesus and the importance of His ministry and His eternal kingship, calculated that her early perception of the truth about Jesus could gain her sons, who were already His disciples, prominent positions in the kingdom that Jesus was proclaiming if she lobbied Him before anyone else did.

Mrs. Zebedee approached Jesus respectfully, knelt before Him and asked for a favour.

20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”

Jesus listened to her wish which was basically a request to post her two sons in the number two and number three positions in the hierachy of the kingdom of God.

A few verses earlier, in Matthew chapter 20 verse 16, the Lord had laid out the protocols of attaining greatness in the kingdom of God,

16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” 

The kingdom of heaven placed people in high positions of authority based on their voluntary self-relegation to the lowest positions of service. Likewise, the people who assigned themselves to elevated positions, were moved to lower placements.

These mechanisms bypass the channels of lobbying or back-room dealing and rely on the Fatherˋs final decisions as to whom to place where.

The Lord Jesus responded to the womanˋs petition by letting her know that even though she had gained insight into Jesusˋ identity and how exalted He truly was, she was not privy to the processes that attaining those elevated positions would require.

22 But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.”

23 So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”

Jesus asked the two disciples if they were capable of drinking the cup of suffering He was about to drink from and be baptized in the brook of death that he was about to be baptized in and they replied that they were able. 

The Lord Jesus assured them that they would partake in those things but nonetheless, the posting to positions of authority in the kingdom of God were not up to Him but were in the purview of the Father who had prepared these roles for those He had determined would fill them.

Have mercy on us O God.

2

OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS BELOVED SON TO DIE ON OUR BEHALF

Matthew chapter 20  verses 17 - 19 captures a moment where the Lord Jesus paused privately with His disciples and told them plainly that there was going to be a sequence of events that would take place when they got to Jerusalem that would result in His trial, scourging and crucifixion. 

17 Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, 18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”

This revelation was given to the disciples as they travelled to Jerusalem to prepare them for the imminent culmination of Jesus ministry as a servant on the earth.

The events that Jesus mentioned would happen to him are in this order;

• Arrival at Jerusalem
• Betrayal to the chief priests
• Betrayal to the scribes
• Condemned to death
• Delivered to the Gentiles to mock
• Delivered to the Gentile to scourge
• Delivered to the Gentiles to Crucify
• Rise again on the third day

The disciples, having been given a concise agenda, did not fully understand that it was going to actually happen and that they were headed towards the end of life as they knew it.

Even though the disciples understood that going to Jerusalem was dangerous for them for example in John 11 verse 8 which says “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”, they could not imagine that the Lord would let Himself be entrapped and killed.

They also did not understand the last event on the list which was the ressurection, would also be happening and this would change the history and open eternity of mankind.

The kingdom of heaven that Jesus had painstakingly been teaching His disciples about was going to become accessible to them and the rest of the world when they believed that Jesus, having died on a cross to pay the debt of their sins, rose from the dead.

The ressurection of Jesus was the certificate of the success of the transaction and innaugurated the kingdom of heaven being available to us.

Amen and thank you Lord Jesus.

24

OUR FATHER WHO IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE WITHOUT FAITH

The Lord Jesus, in Matthew chapter 20 verses 1 - 16, gave His disciples a view into the administration, hiring practices and compensation policies of the kingdom of heaven by using a parable.

A landowner, needing work to be done in His vineyard, went out first thing in the morning to the labor pool and made an agreement with a batch of the workers that they would work for the whole day in the vineyard in exchange for a denarius which if converted to todayˋs currency, would about 60 USD.

1 “For the kingdom of heavens like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

So far, we see a number of workers on standby and from this pool, at the crack of dawn, the administrator selects those he would use for the day. He formally agrees to the wage for the day and then sends them into his fields.

3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’

After a few hours, the adminstrator, having seen the work progressing satisfactorily in his field, goes back to the labor pool at 9:00 AM and sees workers lingering around so he instructed them to go into his fields in exchange for a wage that was right. 

Seeing that the additions to his labor force were doing well, he left them and brought additional unemployed workers at noon and then again at 3:00 PM. He then made one more trip to the labor pool at 5:00 PM and found some stragglers and he hired them for the final hour of the work day.

At quitting time, some of the workers had done 12 hours of work, other had done 9, others 6, others 3 and the final group had done 1 hour of work.

8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’

When the time came to give everyone their dayˋs wages, the administrator got his assistant to summon everyone and starting with the ones who came last, pay them what was owed.

The workers who had worked for the last hour of the day got a denarius for their wage which was 60 USD for the hour of work they did. 

The men who worked all day thought that their own wages would be bumped up because they had sweated through the tough part of the day but when they got paid, they recieved the wage of a denarius to which they had agreed in the morning.

The men felt it was unfair and complained to the landowner that they had been short-changed  having worked for so long only to recieve the same wage as the ones who showed up in the last hour.

The landowner pointed out to the complainants that he was paying them exactly what they had agreed to that morning and so they were not being short-changed. He told them that being the landowner, he had the right to do with his own property what he wanted and in this case, he wanted to give the last worker a denarius.

13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ 

The amplified version translates verse 15 in a way that is a easier to understand because the word ˋenviousˋ is more specific than the word ˋevilˋ ;  

15 Am I not lawfully permitted to do what I choose with what is mine? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’

The landowner asked the complainants to judge between them to conclude who was contravening the law. On his part, the money was his and there was no law that prevented him from giving it to whomever he chose. On the other hand, those who complained were being motivated by envy which was definitely a contravention of the 10th commandment found in the book of Exodus chapter 20 verse 17;

 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

There are two conclusions to the parable listed by the Lord in verse 16;

16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

The first is that in the kingdom of heaven, everything is inverted from the systems of this world. Those who would lead must be the lowest servants. Those who would be at the table of honor must go to the childrenˋs table. Those who would be at the front of the line must go to the end of the line. Those who are last, will be first.

The second is that in the kingdom of heaven, a large number of people are called to be in the pool of workers but few are chosen out of that pool to be actual workers in the fields of the Lord. Those who donˋt give up and stay in the pool even when most of the day is done are rewarded with a full days wage. The ability to be tenatious and wait in the face of being passed up over and over again is the ticket that is being looked for in the kingdom of heaven. 

Faith (which the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen), is what the waiting workers are operating on. They hope for wages on which to live and they are waiting at dawn with the rest of the workers but they are passed up. They remain waiting through the 3rd, 6th, and 9th hour and they are assured of things that are not visible from the perspective of the natural realm and so they linger on till the 11th hour when they are finally hired.

This faith is the valuable commodity that the Lord is seeking and compensates those who lived by it and developed it to highest degree.

Just as the landowner used his own discretionary authority to pay the people who clung on to the end of the day a full days wage because he was pleased by their tenacity, the Lord, pleased by the faith of those who are on the sidelines but remain in the hope of being hired, will reward them out of His own goodness.

The Lord mentions this faith that He is seeking in Luke chapter 18 verse 8 Amp;

8 I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?”

Have mercy on us O God.

4

OUR FATHER WHOSE KINGDOM IS A PEARL OF GREAT PRICE TO THOSE WHO CAN DISCERN IT

After the rich young ruler had left having asked about eternal life and not getting the answer he wanted, Jesus in Matthew chapter 19 verses 23 - 30 commented on the difficulty of entering the kingdom of heaven when a person was wealthy in this world. He compared the attempt to bring a rich man into the kingdom of heaven with the effort needed to push a camel through the eye of the needle. 

Some people have suggested that the eye of a needle was a reference to a narrow gate in the city wall. The idea is that the narrow gate was like a turnstile through which people could enter the city one at a time with the cityˋs security officers being able to easily track who was accessing the city. This security gate, designed for human pedestrians in single file, would not be easily accessed by a larger creature like a camel but if it was going to be tried, the camel would have to be stripped of all its baggage and saddlery and be physically contorted before being squeezed through into the city

Whether the eye of the needle being referenced by Jesus was a narrow gate or the slot of an actual needle, the concept is that a rich man is often attached to many things that act as hinderances to entry into the kingdom of heaven. 

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The disciples, having perhaps themselves perceived wealth as desirable to have, were taken aback at these words. If those who were rich and those who aspired to be rich were excluded from entry into the kingdom of heaven, who then remained as possible candidates?

The apostle Peter, realising that he and the other disciples were already were like the camels who had been stripped of their baggage when they gave up their careers and their family lives to follow Jesus, asked Him what they would be entitled to based on their sacrifice.

27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

 The Lord Jesus assured Peter and the other disciples that their sacrifices would not be in vain and in fact would be renumerated at a 10,000% interest rate.

At the event called the regeneration with Jesus on the throne of His glory, the disciples who followed Him would be ruling the twelve tribes of Israel alongside Him from their own thrones.

28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

The Lord, in His assurance, included all of the other people who gave up their lives and treasure to follow Him. 

What they gave up would be returned to them a hundred fold and they would inherit eternal life.

Sadly, had the rich young ruler surrendered his earthly wealth and followed Jesus, he would have been compensated for his exchange at a rate of 10,000% and he would have attained the eternal life he had been seeking all his life but he passed on the trade because he could not give up what he could see to gain what he could not see.

We can contrast the rich young ruler to the merchant described in the parable of the pearl of great price in Matthew chapter 13 verses 45 - 46.  In the case of the merchant, after discovering a pearl of extremely high value (representing the kingdom of heaven), he dissolved all his holdings in order to lay hold of the prize.

Amen.

8

 OUR FATHER WHO MADE A WAY TO ETERNAL LIFE FOR THOSE WHO SEEK

The young man, having heard of Jesusˋ spiritual teaching about the kingdom of heaven, recognized that Jesus was an authority on a question that he had pondered all his life so he took an opportunity that arose and he approached Jesus with an honorific of  ˋGood Teacherˋ.

Matthew chapter 19 verses 16 - 22 records this encounter that the Lord Jesus had with the young man who approached Him to ask what righteous actions he could take to gain eternal life for himself.

The Lord Jesus replied to the young manˋ question by first rectifying the error He had made in calling a person whom he thought was a teacher, ˋGoodˋ. Jesus reminded the man that only God is good and so he should not have used the term unless He knew that Jesus was God.

Jesus then explained that to enter into life, he only needed to keep the commandments.

The man responded to Jesusˋ  answer by asking which specific commandments of the one written in the scriptures he needed to keep. 

16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

Jesus narrowed it down for the young man by listing five of the ten commandments and then he summarized this list with the one primal law, ˋYou shall love your neighbor as yourselfˋ. 

The earnest man responded by saying that from when he was a child he had never broken any of those commandments but he knew in his heart that he was still short of the standard and so he pressed Jesus further by asking him what was still missing from the equation that made him feel perpetually unassured of eternal life.

20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

The Lord Jesus diagnosed the young manˋs uncertainty problem. He had kept the commandments with the understanding that doing so would acquire the standing to enter eternal life but he had also retained confidence in the material world.

He failed to undertsand that to ascend to the eternal realm, one had to trade away the advantages one had in temporal the realm to gain eternal treasure. 

The Lord then revealed to him that the pathway he had been seeking to find eternal life was actually in Jesus Himself.  To gain eternal life, he would have to follow Jesus to gain salvation.

The young man did indeed have great confidence in his good conduct and great wealth and when he heard that eternal life was gained by abandoning oneˋs stake in the coporeal realm and following Jesus, he went away in sorrow because he had reckoned that eternal could be assured while everything in his present life remained the same.

Have mercy on us O God.

8

OUR FATHER WHOSE KINGDOM IS OPTIMIZED FOR THOSE WHO ARE CHILDLIKE

The Lord Jesus encountered a situation in Matthew chapter 19 verses 13 - 15 where parents were bringing their children to Him to pray over them but the disciples, trying to minimize unnecessary or trivial interactions with Jesus, rebuffed the prarents of the children. 

13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

The Lord, however, reassured the disciples that it was OK to let the little children be brought to Him for blessings.

He told the disciples that the kingdom of heaven was designed and optimized for the little ones like the ones being brought to Him.

This interpretation in attested to in Matthew chapter 18 verse 2 - 4 which says,

2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

The unassuming innocence and trust that children have is what believers must humble themselves to have in order to be partakers of the kingdom of God.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHOSE KINGDOM IS A PEARL OF GREAT PRICE

The Lord Jesus continued in Matthew chapter 19 verses 11 ~ 12 to teach about the standard of conduct in the kingdom of God. In verse 10, the disciples had commented that the standards of divorce in the kingdom of God were so stringent that  it would be better not to marry to begin with.

Jesus responded to this comment by saying that some people were indeed given the ability to accept the conditions of a celibate life. The celibate life is a reality faced by a percentage of the people. Some are involuntarily celibate having been born without sexual function while others are made celibate by accidental or deliberate intervention by other people. 

For those who are able forfeit sexual activity for the sake of the kingdom of God and impose on themselves a celibate lifestyle in the service of God, the Lord Jesus counsels them to accept that path.

11 But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: 12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”

This teaching runs parallel to the parable Jesus gave in Matthew chapter 13 verses 45 - 46 where a person seeking a treasure of value found a pearl that he estimated to be of a high price and in response, sold everything he had to acquire it.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

A person who gains an understanding of the value of the kingdom of God would trade everything he had for it and in the case of some people who are able, they can trade a life of celibacy for the opportunity to pursue the kingdom of God unhindered.

The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verses 28 - 35, writes that even though it is not a sin to marry, it is profitable to believers who are able to accept (or withstand) a life of celibacy to remain single. The apostle stresses that this is especially pertinent when the time we have alloted to us on the earth to spend seeking the things of the kingdom of God is so fleeting.

28 But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.

29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, 30 those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, 31 and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.

32 But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. 33 But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. 34 There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. 35 And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.

Lord have mercy on us.

4

OUR FATHER WHO MADE HUMAN BEINGS MALE AND FEMALE

Matthew chapter 19 verses 1 ~ 10 records Jesus leaving Galilee and travelling south east to a portion of Judah on the east side of the Jordan river. Here, He healed the crowds of people who had followed Him. The religious leaders, still looking to discredit Him because He was becoming an importer center of gravity on spiritual matters, took the opportunity to question Him on the contentious issue of divorce.

1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.

3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

7 They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

 In response to their question about the acceptability of divorce in the law of God, Jesus explained that even though the law of Moses permitted divorce, it was not in the original design specifications of human beings set by the creator of mankind.

Male and female beings, though born separate, are designed by God to become one flesh upon upon marriage and as such, there is no permissisable grounds for divorce except for sexual immorality by one  the partners.

For those who would be citizens of the kingdom of God, Jesus instructs that the original specifications for human beings are in force and as such divorce is disallowed and those who are divorced must stay celibate in order not to commit adultery.

10 His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

The disciples, hearing this high standard being reestablished, concluded that it was better not marry in the first place to avoid the hazards of being so permanently joined to someone in an intolerable partnership.

Have mercy on us O God.

8

 OUR FATHER WHO FORGIVES THOSE WHO FORGIVE OTHERS

Matthew chapter 18 verses 21 - 35, in the context of the expected conduct of the citizens of the kingdom of God, the disciple Peter approached Jesus with a question related to how many times a person needed to forgive an offending  brother in Christ before giving up and striking him with retribution. The prevailng culture had set that number at seven.

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 

30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

The Lord Jesus responded with a different standard and He set the number at 490 ( 7 x 70 ) which was in effect an endless number of times that a person who offends us and asks for forgiveness should be forgiven.

The parable given by Jesus ( about a servant who has a huge debt forgiven yet refused to forgive a small debt ), illustrated the view that our Heavenly Father had of people who had been forgiven of much debt and yet showed no mercy towards others.

The heavenly Father will readily forgive those who forgive and for those who refuse to forgive, everything they owe will be required of them.

Have mercy on us o God.

Amen.

4

 OUR FATHER WHO DOES WHAT WE AGREE TO ASK FOR IN JESUSˋ NAME

Continuing on the theme of the collective power the citizens of the kingdom of God, the Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter 18 verses 19 - 20, said this;

19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Strongly emphasising what He was telling them by prefacing it with ˋtrulyˋ, Jesus said that if even a quorum of two people collected together and reached a consensus of what to ask for and asked for it in prayer, it would be done for them by our Father in heaven.

The principle established here is that the authority of Jesus is operational where even a small group of two or three people gather in His name.

This dynamic should encourage citizens of the kingdom of God to form associations with each other that can readily gather to seek  the face of God on any matter facing them or affecting their families or communities.

Amen.

1

 OUR FATHER WHO GAVE AUTHORITY TO HIS PEOPLE

The Lord Jesus, in Matthew chapter 18 verses 15 - 18,  speaking of the protocols of the kingdom of God that would be applicable to the earthly church, said this;

15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 

16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 

17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or 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.

This model of corrective action demonstrates a systems of checks and balances that preserves the standing and privacy of individual members while allowing for an escalation process that makes it possible to screen out the most agriegous conduct.

Starting with interpersonal intervention, people can bring up concerns that they have with each other in a private setting and here, much grace is provided to call back a brother or sister into the fold with no fanfare and no humiliation.

If this level is ignored and an escalation is warranted, two or three others can be called in to consider the matter. Here, the other participants are checks on the opinion of the one bringing the concerns and if they agree that there is merit to the concerns, they can approach the offending person. 

If this is rebuffed, then the matter can be refered to their local church to weigh in on the matter and establish the validity of the concerns or the defensive arguments of the one being corrected.

At this point, refusal to respect the considered and final  ruling of the local  church can righfully result in expulsion of the person.

At each level, the process is fully authoritive in the spirit realm.

If the person responds positively at the first aproach, that person is reinstated into the fold on earth and in heaven as well and this is true of the second level as well where a person can be reinstated.

If, however, the person rejects councel all the way up to the church level,  they can be expelled from the church and they are expelled in the realm of the spirit as well. Only a counter-ruling on earth by an authoritative person can reverse that judgement. 

An example of this is where Moses, in Deutronomy chapter 33 verses 4 - 6 is recorded to have reversed the judgement on Rueben that was cast upon him by his father Jacob;

4 Moses commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob.

5 And He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together.

6 “Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.”

As such, whereas even an individual can reinstate a person into the fold on earth and in the spirit, only a church council can expell a person and even that can be reversed by a single person of authority.

The kingdom of God heavily favors reinstatement and expulsion is only narrowly possible.

Have mercy on us o Lord.

8

 OUR FATHER IS NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH

Matthew chapter 18 verses 12 - 14,  recording the Jesus teaching His disciples more about the value of Godˋs little ones, says this;

12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 

14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

The scene painted here by Jesus is that of a sheep owner in the hills tending his hundred sheep.

One of the sheep, maybe seeking greener pasture, wanders away and finds itself separated from the flock and lost.

The man, keen on recovering his lost sheep, leaves the other sheep and scours the hills looking for the lost one and IF he finds it, he is more thrilled about finding the lost one than he is about the ones that were never lost.

The implication is that there is a chance that the man would be unable to find the missing sheep and this translates back to mean that if we, little ones get lost, there is a chance that we may never be found. 

If we get lost and entangle ourselves out of sight and out of reach and refuse entreaties to return to the flock, we could be left behind to fend for ourselves.

The Father is not willing that any of His little ones get lost and He expends much time and treasure to retrieve them but if by their own will, refuse to return, He will not forcefully compel anyone to be part of His Kingdom.

Have mercy on us O Lord.

4

OUR FATHER WHO IS READILY ACCESSIBLE TO THE ANGELS OF THE LITTLE ONES

Continuing in the context of the citizens of the kingdom of heaven being innocent and trusting as little children, the Lord Jesus issues a caution to His disciples (and to us) not to look down on them. To demean or to devalue the Lord's humble servants is a dangerous practice because their angels (their spirits) have continous access to the Father who is in heaven and to bring injury or discouragement to them could invite retribution from God.

If a little one of God is put to grief and the matter comes up before the Father, He will involve Himself and it is inadvisable to be in the position of facing the inquiry of God regarding our conduct towards His little ones.

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 

It is because of this dynamic that the Lord Jesus gives the counsel found in Matthew chapter 5 verse 40 which reads as follows;

If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.

As little ones, if someone takes you to court to deprive you of your tunic, surrender your cloak as well. This act of weakness and dependence on the Father will involve Him in the case and His response is what the Lord Jesus was speaking of in Matthew chapter 18 verse 10.

The angels spoken of in this passage  are most likely the spirits of the little ones in the same way that Genesis chapter 16 verse 10 speaks of the Angel of the LORD in reference to the Spirit of God. 

10 Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.” 

Matthew chapter 18  verse 11 exists only in some manuscripts with the words from Luke chapter 19 verse 10 which reads;

11? for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

This verse, if read into the context,  indicates that because a very high price has been paid for the little ones, when they are found and saved, they are highly valuable to the Father and He fiercely concerns Himself with their welfare.

Thus the Lord Jesusˋ stern warning.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHOSE KINGDOM WE MUST PRIORITIZE

In the context of the little child who was brought among the disciples to illustrate that they should change to be more like children to be eligible for the kingdom of God, the Lord Jesus gave a dire warning to those who would make it their preoccupation to cause believers in Him to stumble or fall away from their belief.

6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 

7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 

This warning,  pertaining to those people who are used by the kingdom of darkness to derail the faith of people, should give pause to those who find themselves engaged in missions to discourage people from their faith in Jesus or to prevent the pure gospel of salvation from reaching the ears of people who would otherwise believe if they heard and thus enter the kingdom of God.

8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

The urgency of  salvation is starkly empahsized here where each person is advised to remove any element in their lives that would prevent them from acquiring and retaining citizenship in the kingdom of God. 

The Lord Jesus gave the analogy of the removal of body parts that impede us from being able to gain the kingdom of God. The point made is that the is no loss of earthly things that can be more grievious than the failure to enter the kingdom of God. 

We must gladly give up any and all things in our lives whether it be wealth, famillial or romantic bonds, social participation or position or any form of attachment to worldly living or sinful conduct that would undermine our faith in Christ and lead us away from the pursuit of the kingdom of God.

The value of the kingdom of God far exceeds any percieved advantage that we may have in this world and so, when it comes to making the trade, Jesus counsels us to discard all the parts of our lives that would keep us attached to the systems of this world and instead reach for the kingdom of God in faith.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHOSE SON IS THE KING OF KINGS

Matthew chapter 18 verses 1 - 5 records a debate question that the disciples of Jesus raised and the counterintuituve answer that the Lord Jesus responded to the question with.

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

The disciples were trying to understand their place in the heirarchy of the kingdom of God and as such, wanted to establish who was at the top of the pyramid and thus would have the most authority and power in the coming kingdom that Jesus had been unfurling for them.

In the most cynical reading, one could infer that the disciples, given the name of the person who was at the top, could then begin currying favor with that person by being obsequious towards them. 

In the most generous reading, the disciples may have wanted to know who was going to be at the top so that they could emulate that personˋs conduct because it was the currency of the new realm. If, for example, the person chosen to be at the top was extremely organized and well-spoken, they would try to develop and showcase their own organizational skill and practice their diction and speech making abilities.

Either way, the understanding of the kingdom of God being structured as a top-down command and control system in which gaining the favour of men or personal merit was the means of advancement, was incorrect.

The Lord Jesus cut through the false understanding of the kingdom of God by calling a random child and placing the child among them. Jesus said to them that unless they changed their machiavelian self-seeking ways and become like the innocent non-descript, unassuming child, they would never even enter the kingdom of God let alone being great in the kingdom.

Once prideful and selfish ambition was eliminated and the humble innocence of a child was adopted, a person could enter the kingdom of God and become great in the kingdom.

Jesus chose a child as the standard template for citizenship in His kingdom because a child is small, dependent and trusting and thus those who would be able to enter the kingdom of God would need to see themselves as small and insignificant, see themselves as dependent on God and be trusting towards God to care for them.

In that posture, a citizen of the kingdom of God is able to be taught by God (through service towards the Lord and others), to grow into faithful and responsible servants who are great in the kingdom of heaven.

Further to that, the Lord Jesus added an injuction that linked His humble servants (who unambitiously made themselves lowely) to Himself such that any person who welcomed these servants was in effect welcoming the Lord Himself.

The citizens of the kingdom of God can understood to be peculiar servant / king hybrids who are at once lowly servants and also mighty kings under the kingship of the Lord Jesus.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS OWN SON TO ISRAEL

The Lord and His disciples, returning from the mountain of the transfiguration, arrived back in their main operating base of the town of Capernaum, a  contingency of tax collectors approached Peter and asked him if Jesus his rabbi paid the temple tax of two drachmas to which Peter replied answered in the affirmative. Matthew chapter 17 verses 24 - 27 capture this interaction.

24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

25 “Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”

When Peter entered the house, Jesus, knowing about Peterˋs  conversation with the tax collectors, asked Peter a question regarding whom the rulers of the kingdoms of the earth collected taxes from.  The question was whether the administrators collected taxes from their own children or from other people.

26 “From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

This question, treated as a parable, has these elements and what they correspond to;

• Revenue collections as taxes  -   Financial obligations to support the temple 
• Kings of the earth  -   The God of Israel
• The kingˋs children  -  The Lord Jesus the Son of God
• Others (subjects of the king)  - Regular parishoners of the religious system

When Peter replied that kings did not collect taxes from their own chidren, the Lord Jesus made the point to Peter that as the Son of the God of the temple, He was rightfully exempt from paying the taxes for the temple.

However, to avoid offending the administrators of the jurisdiction they were in, Jesus instructed Peter to go to the lake and throw out his fishing line and in the mouth of the first fish he caught, he would find a four drachma coin which would exactly pay Jesusˋ tax bill as well as Peterˋs.

This event gives us a view into the position that Jesus held in the spirit but shows us the accomodations that He made to allow His ministry to continue to the fullness of time.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR THE SALVATION OF MEN

Matthew chapter 17 verses 22 - 23 records the return of Jesus and His Disciples back to their home region of Galilee and at this time, the Lord Jesus told them explicitly what was goingto happen to Him in the near future.

22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

The disciples reacted with grief because they could not reconcile the two points that Jesus had mentioned pertaining to being killed and then being raised to life after three days.

They were witnessing His dynamic ministry of healing and teaching which, to them, was a harbinger of the restoration of the kingdom of Israel and they were having a difficult time comprehending the antithetical timeline that the Lord was introducing to them.

The Lord, speaking of Himself in the third person using the title of Son of Man, gives them a sequence of three events.

The Son of Man was going to be;

1. Delivered into the hands of men
2. Be killed by men
3. Be raised to life three days after He was killed

The timeline given should have mystified the disciples and filled them with questions about Jesus being raised from the dead but they seemed not to have heard that part and only heard that He was going to be killed and thus they were filled with grief.

Interestingly, it appears that the kingdom of darkness could not hear what Jesus was telling His disciples either because He had the power to keep the information from being overheard in the spiritual realm even as He spoke to His disciples.  1 Corinthians chapter 2 verses 7 - 8 tells us that the spiritual rulers of the age did not comprehend the mystery of the resurrection because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The book of John Chapter 1 verses 4 - 5 tells us that the incomprehension of the kingdom of darkness was what the plan of salvation was going to hinge on.

 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The life that was in Jesus was the light of men and even as He explained what was to occur for the plan of salvation to be completed, His light shone in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS SON TO HEAL AND TO SAVE

Matthew chapter 17 verses 14 - 21 records an event when Jesus descended the mountain after the transfiguration and they came up to the crowd of people who had been waiting below. One of the people came up to Jesus and asked the Lord to help his son who had suffered from seizures. He had brought the young man to the disciples but they had been unable to heal him.

14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

Upon getting this report, Jesus reacted with indignation and asked how long He would have to put up with being among a faithless and perverse generation. He commanded that the boy be brought to Him and He evicted the demon with a rebuke and the boy was healed.

17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  

(verse 21 ? - Mark chapter 9 verse 29; This kind can only come out by prayer and fasting)

Later, in private, the disciples asked the Lord Jesus why they were unable to cast the demon out themselves. They had done what they had seen Jesus doing but they were foiled by the particular demon in the epileptic boy.

Jesus told them that their faith was too small. He taught them that if their faith was even the size of a mustand seed, they would be able to say to the mountain (that they had just descended) to move from one location to another location and it would move. 

If they had been able to generate even a little faith, they would have been able to heal the epileptic boy.

Matthew 17 verse 21 is missing from the text but some manuscripts insert the verse from Mark chapter 9 verse 29.  This verse reads a little out of synch in the context but indicates that evicting  the type of demon in question requires prayer and fasting.

This corollary points to prayer and fasting as the ingredients needed in order to grow the required level of faith. Support for this inference can be found in Jude verses 20 - 21;

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Amen.

24

OUR FATHER WHO IS UNSEEN, SEES IN SECRET

The Lord and His three closest disciples returned down the mountain after the revealing of Jesus in His glory. Mathew chapter 17 verses 9 - 13 continues the narrative this way;

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

The Lord told the three men to be silent about what they had seen and only to reveal it to other people when He was raised from the dead. This request revealed the discreet nature of the kingdom of God. Many of the spiritual experiences that are part of the kingdom of God are to be kept in secret and only if explicitly instructed to reveal them should  they be described to other people. This is a mirror of what is said in Matthew chapter 6 verse which describes God as one who operates in the unseen and sees in secret.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Thus the interactions that we have with our Father in heaven should be held close to our hearts unless instructed otherwise.

10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

As they walked, the disciples, curious and puzzled about what had just happened, tried reconcile their vision of Elijah with what the religious teachers  had been teaching them about him.

Jesus clarified for them that the Elijah did come first and they saw him in the person of John the Baptist but the establishment had him eliminated by killing him and that is why they saw him standing with Moses and Jesus.

Ominously, the Lord told them that He too would suffer at the hands of the religious and political establishment.

Lord have mercy on us.

Amen.

1

OUR FATHER INTRODUCED HIS SON AS ONE IN WHOM HE WAS WELL PLEASED

Nearly a week after talking to His disciples about the prudent path of transacting the temporal world for the eternal kingdom, the Lord Jesus gave His close followers a glimpse into the eternal reality that He was from.

 Matthew chapter 17 verses 1 - 8 records the event known as the transfiguration where the veil over Jesus that concealed His glory was temporarily lifted so that His refulgent glory was visible to mortal men.

1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

The transfiguration is decribed as a display of brilliant white light where Jesusˋ face shone like the sun and His garments gleamed as radiant white as the light itself.

As the three disciples looked on, Moses and Elija who were talking to the Lord, suddenly became visible to them. 

As Jesus stood in His Father's glory, these two men at His side can be understood to be the Father's angels and this appearance to Peter, James and John was due to their giving up of their lives to follow Jesus and serve His kingdom.

This was in keeping with His promise in the previous chapter in verse 27 where he said He would come in His Father's glory with His angels.

The disciple Peter, awed by the astonishing sight, immediately wanted to spring into action and build a shelter or shrine to each of them but He was interupted when a cloud covered them and  the voice of the Father spoke to introduce them anew to Jesus in the revealed glory. 

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

This caused Peter, James and John to fall to the groud in terror and the Lord had to touch them to revive them out of their petrifaction and reassure them not be be afraid after the vision of His glory had passed.

Thus the Lord Jesus was shown to be the One of whom the law (represented by Moses) and the prophets (represented by Elijah) were written.

Amen.

12