LESSON 7
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
CHPTRS. 20-24
Chapter 21 Cont.’:
Matt. 21:28-32 The Parable of the Two Sons 28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward [f]repent and believe him.
21:28-32 THE PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS And what see you? One man has two sons: and he approaches the first and words to him, Son, go this day and labor in my vineyard.
And he answers, wording, I will not! — and finally he repents and goes. And he approaches unto the other, and words likewise to him. And he answers wording, I, my lord: and goes not. Who of the two works the will of his father? They word to him, The first. Yah Shua words to them, Amen! I word to you, That the customs agents and the whores precede you into the sovereigndom of God. For Yah Chanan came to you in the way of justness, and you trusted him not: and the customs agents and the whores trust him: and you, not even when you see, finally repent to trust in him. Aramaic NC
2. (28-32) The parable of the two sons.
a. A man had two sons: This parable shows us two different kinds of sons. They were in the same house, and we could say that the father had a right to the services of both his sons. Perhaps they wished that the father would just leave them alone, but he did not. It was good and right for the father to expect that the sons would work for him.
b. Son, go work today in my vineyard: There is much to see in these simple words of the father to the son.
· The father spoke to this son individually; he did not speak to the sons together. Though the same invitation was given to both sons (he came to the second and said likewise), it was an individual call to work.
· The father appealed to him first as a son. Knowing he was the son of his father should have made him willing to do his will.
· The father asked the son to work; to participate together in the family business. Yet it was work and not play.
· The father asked the son to work today, not in some distant time.
· The father asked the son to work in “my vineyard.” It belonged to the father, so it should have mattered to the son.
c. He answered and said, “I will not,” but afterward he regretted it and went: The first son refused to work for his father. He didn’t want to bend to the father’s will. Yet later he regretted it and went. He spoke wrong, but did right.
d. He answered and said, “I go, sir,” but he did not go: The second son said the right thing and he said it with respect (sir), but he did not do what he said he would.
1). There are many people that imitate the second son.
· They admit that the Word of God is true.
· They intend to get serious about it someday.
· They talk about doing the Father’s work.
· They keep up the external appearance of religion, but their heart is not right with God.
· They think that words and promises are enough.
e. Which of the two did the will of his father? The point of this parable is clear. What matters is living for God, not saying the right words. The religious leaders were good at talking righteous talk, but their stubbornly unrepentant hearts showed that repentant sinners would enter the kingdom before them.
Matt. 21:33-46 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.34 “Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.35 “And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.36 “Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.37 “Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’38 “But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’39 “So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected , Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.44 “And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.
21:33-46 THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD Hear another parable: One man, having been lord of the house, plants a vineyard and a surrounding hedge and digs a press therein and builds a tower and leases it to laborers and he journeys: and when the time of the fruit arrives he apostolizes his servants to the laborers to apostalize of the fruit of the vineyard.
And the laborers take his servants: and having wounded and having stoned and having slaughtered. Again, he apostolizes other servants more than at first: and they work likewise to them: And finally, he apostolizes his son to them, when wording, They be shamed by my son. And when the laborers see the son, word among themselves, This is the inheritor! Come! Slaughter him and seize his inheritance! — and they eject him outside of the vineyard and slaughter him. So, when the Lord of the vineyard comes, what works he to those laborers? They word to him, In vilifying, he vilifies and destroys those men, and leases his vineyard to other laborers who give him the fruits in their time. Yah Shua words to them, Recall you not — never ever in the scriptures, The stone the builders reject, it becomes the head of the corner: this be from Yah Vah having been a marvel in our eyes? Because of this I word to you, The sovereigndom of God is taken from you and given to a peoples working the fruit. And whoever falls upon this stone crushes: and upon all whom it falls, pulverize. And when the Rabbi Priests and Pherisas hear his parables, they know he is wording concerning them: and they seek to take him, but they are frightened of the congregation because they hold him as a prophet. Aramaic NC
3. (33-41) The parable of the wicked servants.
a. There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it: Jesus told of a landowner who prepared his vineyard carefully and hired men to manage it (the vinedressers). The men who were supposed to manage his vineyard mistreated and killed the messengers sent by the landowner. Finally he sent his son, and they killed him also – foolishly believing they would take control of the vineyard. Yet the response of the landowner was not to yield to the vinedressers but to judge and destroy them.
1). The Old Testament often used the picture of a vineyard to speak of Israel (Deuteronomy 32:32, Psalm 80:8, Jeremiah 2:21, and especially Isaiah 5:1-7).
b. They will respect my son. This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance: Jesus portrayed the madness of the chief priests and elders who plotted to kill the Father’s Son sent to the rebellious leaders of Israel.
1). The husbandmen treat the messengers in the most barbarous and truculent manner: beating, killing, stoning to death; highly improbable in the natural sphere, but another instance in which parables have to violate the natural probability in order to describe truly men’s conduct in the spiritual sphere.
c. He will destroy those wicked men miserably: The message of this parable is clear enough. With this answer, the chief priests and elders understood what the wicked servants deserved. Truly, those who rebel against their master this way deserve judgment/justice.
1). They knew the owner of the vineyard had the right to expect the fruits in their seasons. In the same way, God looked for fruit from Israel’s leadership, but found little (as shown in the fig tree incident).
d. And lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons: The leaders of Israel were so corrupt that God was transferring leadership to others – specifically, to the apostles and then to the Jewish/Gentile church they would lead.
4. (42-46) Jesus warns the religious leaders of the result of their rejection.
a. Have you never read the Scriptures: This manner of speaking to the chief priests and elders of Israel must have angered them. Jesus speaks to the leading theologians of Israel and asks them if they have ever read their Scriptures.
b. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone: Jesus quoted this from Psalm 118 to remind them that their rejection of Him said more about their guilt and coming judgment than it said about Jesus Himself. Though they reject Him, He is still the chief cornerstone, fulfilling the great Messianic Psalm 118.
1). Clearly, Jesus claimed to be the rejected stone of Psalm 118:22-24 that God appointed to become the chief cornerstone. He is also the stone of Isaiah 8:13-15 that people stumble over, the foundation stone and precious cornerstone of Isaiah 28:16, and the stone of Daniel 2:34, 44-45 that destroys the world in rebellion to God.
c. The kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it: Jesus warned the religious leaders that if they continued their rejection of God and His Messiah, they could expect that God would pass the leadership of His work on earth to others.
d. Whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder: The choice before the religious leaders is the choice before every person. We can be broken in humble surrender before God or be completely broken in judgment.
e. They sought to lay hands on Him: Instead of repenting, the religious leaders responded with anger, continuing to increase the greatness of their sin of rejecting Jesus.
1). They perceived that He was speaking of them: “Who told them so, but their own guilty consciences?
5.. Would God bring such judgments/justices against His church or people today if they abuse their privileges?
a. Consider the words of Jesus – John 15:1-2,6; Rev. 2:4-5, 16; 3:1-3
b. Consider what was written to the Hebrew Christians – Heb. 10: 26-31
3. Clearly, if we do not utilize our special privileges.
a. We shall no longer be a light to the world. Rev. 2:5
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. Rev. 2:5. Remember what repent means. (change your mind back to the Mind of Christ). Operate and walk on the Spirit not in the flesh (mind, will and emotions). Gal. 5:16
A Word about Judgment:
ALWAYS RESTORATIVE
JUDGMENT/JUSTICE—discernment or separation between good and evil. The essence of the idea of judgment/justice is that by this means God delivered—overthrowing evil.
Settle this one and for all. Believers have already been judged in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ/ Yeshua Ha’ Mashiach.
The enemy has been judged.
As Judge, God judges among people and their actions according to the standards of His law. Judgment can refer either to this process of discernment or to the punishment meted out to those who fall under His wrath and condemnation (John 5:24). Judgment is against sin not against people.
In the Bible the most important judgment/justice is the final judgment, the ultimate separation of good and evil at the end of history. The precise time of this judgment is appointed by God (Acts 17:31), but it remains unknown to man (Matt. 24:36).
From earliest times it has been recognized that God Himself is the Judge of mankind (Gen. 18:25), and that He has the power and wisdom to judge with righteousness, truth, and justice (Ps. 96:13; 98:9). The final judgment is a task given specifically to God’s Son (John 5:22; Acts 17:31) to conclude His work as mediator, deliver His people from sin, and destroy all God’s enemies. God’s people are associated with Christ in the exercise of this judgment/justice/ retribution. (1 Cor. 6:2-3; Rev. 20:4).
The final judgment/justice will be comprehensive in scope, it will include all people and nations from the beginning of the world to the end of history (Matt. 25:31-46; Rom. 14:10-12), as well as fallen angels (2 Pet. 2:4).
The death of Jesus Christ is unique among these judgments of history. The death and resurrection of Jesus are the foundations on which people are saved (Is. 53:5) through their trust in Him as Lord and Savior. They come to the realization that they were “born from above” in the beginning and acknowledge that.
God’s role as judge is reflected in the leadership functions of the church and political officials, who uphold order in society and execute judgment on evildoers (Rom. 13:1-7). The rulers of Israel bore special responsibility in this respect (Deut. 16:18-19), as do the leaders of the church today (Matt. 18:17-18). Believers also have a responsibility to judge, bring justice on matters of wrongdoing among themselves (Matt. 18:15), but this should always be done fairly and with love and compassion. Believers are never to take over the task of judgment /justice that belongs to God alone (Heb. 10:30).
God will reconcile all things and bring all back to the Garden of Eden. Jesus is held in the heavenlies until the restoration of all thiongs.
Acts 3:21 For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets. NLT
We will continue with Chapter 22 and Les.7 next week.
The blessings of the Lord are upon you whether by blood, adoption/sonship or assignment. The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. Prov. 10:22
David & Mary Sue