Day 256

It continues to amaze me that we can have such evil motives hidden in our hearts. Notice that I said “we”. I am included in this group. Almost daily I am struck by the remnants of sin that seem to creep up on me in the middle of the night, and in daylight as well. Do you ever get those creepings?

In this parable, we have a rich landowner whose tenants want more than they deserve. In fact, they think they have earned the rights to steal the rightful possession of the owner. They lose everything in the end.

The religious leaders were trying to steal God’s place in society and in the human heart. They thought they were in charge. They were trying to set the rules. Preceding generations had mistreated and killed the prophets. They had been on the wrong side of field. And now Jesus points this out to them and they are not happy.

Have you ever been on the wrong side of an issue? I know I have. What did you do when you came to your senses? Did you think about killing the person who delivered the message? That is exactly the reaction of these religious leaders.

If there was one time I wish Jesus had said “No!” it is here. I don’t really like paying taxes. I know that some taxes are necessary, but the way the government wastes money! We as a government spend over $50,000 for every welfare recipient, but the individual receives far less than that. It gets gobbled up in the bureaucracy. But notice that Jesus gets to the heart of the matter. They were just trying to trap Him in his words so that they would have a legitimate excuse to have Him killed.

Give to the proper authority that which is imprinted with the authority’s image. We are imprinted with God’s image. We belong to Him. We need to give ourselves to Him.

It must be “Stump the Chump” day (a reference to NPRs Car Talk), because another section of the religious community comes with their question. I think this was one of their standard trick questions thrown at their opponents. This group doesn’t believe in the resurrection at all. I can almost see them snickering with each other like schoolboys when they finish the question. They think there is no answer to the question. But Jesus confronts their blindness. God is the God of the living, even when those living individuals have already died. There is a resurrection.

The next questioner seems to have a legitimate question, rather than the contrived traps thrown by the others. And the answer demonstrates the two prongs to the Gospel: love God, love people. Both are essential. Faith must transform our lives. If we say that God is first and foremost, then we need to be His hands extended in the world. Our eternity is not secured by these acts of reaching out, but our acts of reaching out demonstrate our eternity. This man was not far away from the truth. He understood that religious things, like burnt offerings and sacrifices, could get in the way of this upward and outward relationship.

I often wonder what trappings we allow to get in the way of the Gospel. One of these for Jesus’ hearers was their traditional understanding of the person and mission of the Messiah. They kept thinking powerful strongman. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb. David’s son would never be the master, unless their understanding of Messiah changed.

Jesus confronts the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. They want everyone to know how religious they are, but they are all words and no actions. He points that out using the offering plate. The leaders put in lots of money, but they have lots of money to spare. This one woman puts it all in. Are we putting it all in? Or do we make a show of what we give? Does our life of giving reflect this woman’s “all in” attitude and action? Or do we hold back, just in case?