Matthew 24:45

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 24:45 

“Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?” – Matthew 24:45

Today we will look at the Parable of the Faithful Servant.  Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you, that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ and shall begin to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and shall cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; weeping shall be there and the gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:45-51.

This parable differs from the typical parable form in that here Jesus illustrates two alternative, hypothetical scenarios involving the same character rather than a contrast between two different people, one good and one evil. But the focus is the same, though perhaps Jesus makes his point more forcefully this way, provoking his disciples to consider the possibility that they too might go astray.

This servant is depicted as an overseer or manager, head over other servants in the master’s household.  Among the many things that were his responsibility, he was also charged with ensuring the others were properly fed at the appropriate time.  And because he was charged to do this, this was not a deliberate choice of his own, but he was appointed this task by his master.  It was his responsibility to ensure that the members received the food they needed at the appointed times.  And this slave does what he should. He does not know when his master will return, but apparently that does not greatly concern him. He works at the task committed to him so that whenever the master chooses to come back all will be in order.  Then Jesus says, “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you, that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” Matthew 24:46-47.

However, if the servant He puts in charge does not do what he was charged with, it will not go as well. “But if that evil slave says in his heart, My master is not coming for a long time and shall begin to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know.” Matthew 24:48-50.  His fate is not as pleasant. “and shall cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; weeping shall be there and the gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:51.

This chapter about the followers of Jesus comes after the severe denunciation of the Pharisees in the previous chapter. Chapter twenty-three pronounces judgment on Pharisaic Judaism in harsh and oppressive terms, whereas chapter twenty-four pronounces judgment in equally harsh terms on the community of Jesus if they work in similar ways.  It is important to understand that Jesus does not set a high standard for people like the Pharisees and a lower one for those who have given their allegiance to him. All those who profess to serve God must accept the truth that service must be wholehearted and that in due course they will have to give account of themselves to one from whom nothing is hidden.

Now, are we giving Him wholehearted service in what we are called to do, or is it only when we have time?  Do we think we can hold off on this service for a while and do what we desire for a season?  He has told us here He wants His followers to be totally dedicated to Him and the service we render.  As He told us in this parable, “the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know” Matthew 24:50.  Let us take some time today to do some self-examination. “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5. And if you find yourself possibly falling a bit short, then make any necessary adjustments.  We do not know when He is returning.  But when He does, we all desire to hear these words directed at us. “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.” Matthew 25:34-36. And He was referring to our service to Him here on the earth. “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” Matthew 25:45.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 24:34

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 24:34 

“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” – Matthew 24:34 

Today we will look at the Parable from the Fig Tree.  These verses deal with end time events. Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:32-35.

Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives when the disciples came up to Him to point out the Temple buildings.  However, Jesus answers them in a way they did not expect.  “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here shall be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” Matthew 24:2. His statement probably surprised them, so they said, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3.

He then in Matthew 5-24 He answers them by listing and describing what is coming that points to the end (click verse to see it).  He now turns from this to describing how they are to conduct themselves as they await His coming. He uses a parable from the Fig Tree to help them understand. “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” Matthew 24:32-33.

How does a fig tree example help here?  It is said that most trees in first-century Palestine kept their leaves throughout the year, except for the fig tree. It sheds its leaves in winter, but year after year something happens in the spring. The branches become tender because the sap rises causing the tree to put forth leaves. There are other ways of knowing that the winter has come to an end, but anyone who has grown trees knows how satisfying it is to see the new leaves make their appearance. This is the proof that the harsh days of winter are gone and that summer is near. The fig tree does not bring the summer, but the appearance of its new leaves is a sure and certain indication that summer is now at hand.  

And just as the return of the leaves on the fig tree denote the end of winter, so does the events Matthew 24 denotes His return, “when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” Matthew 24:33b. The followers of Jesus are to be no less discerning than the growers of fig trees. When the things He spoke of make their appearance, they are commanded, “know that it is near” In fact, He becomes more specific when He says, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

We are already seeing many of the things mentioned in Matthew 24:5-24, such as false Christs, wars and rumors of wars, and earthquakes and various places.  Jesus tells us this is just the start. “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” Matthew 24:8.  After this He speaks of the persecution we Christians will need to endure. And then will come the anti-Christ, the abomination that causes desolation. And finally, Christ will return and do away with all the evil that was perpetrated on the earth.

Jesus assured the disciples that when these signs appeared as He foretold (the abomination of desolation, followed by great tribulation, followed by signs in the heavens), His return to the earth would follow. When a fig tree buds, there is an inevitable result – summer is near and fruit is coming. In the same way, when these signs are seen, the coming of Jesus in glory with His church to this world will inevitably follow.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 18:35

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 18:35 

“So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” – Matthew 18:35

Today we will look at the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.   Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a certain king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. And when he had begun to settle them, there was brought to him one who owed him ten thousand talents. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. The slave therefore falling down, prostrated himself before him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will repay you everything. And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, Pay back what you owe. So his fellow slave fell down and began to entreat him, saying, Have patience with me and I will repay you. He was unwilling however, but went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you entreated me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you?  And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:23-35.

This is a fairly long parable, but the meaning is rather simple. Basically, a man who has slaves wishes to settle accounts with them.  One of them was a man who owed him ten thousand talents, an extreme amount, for in todays valuation, it would be worth $18,293,025,852.00 if it was gold, and $277,041,996.00 in silver.  The basic idea is that it was an amount he could never be able to repay. And since he could not repay it, the owner commanded he be sold, along with his wife and children.  However, the slave begged for mercy. “The slave therefore falling down, prostrated himself before him, saying, have patience with me, and I will repay you everything.” Matthew 18:26. Because of this, the owner has mercy on him. “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.” Matthew 18:27. 

However, then he goes out and goes to a fellow slave. “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, pay back what you owe.” Matthew 18:28.  This man owed him far less money than what he owed his master.  In today’s dollars, a denari is worth roughly $1.94.  The value owed to his fellow slave was $194.00.  This was far less than what he had owed the slave owner. And when the fellow slave also fell down before him crying out for mercy, his response was much less merciful. “He was unwilling however but went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.” Matthew 18:30.

When his fellow slaves saw this, they went to the slave owner and told him. “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you entreated me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you? And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.” Matthew 18:32-34. 

In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Jesus is presenting a principle that is similar to what we find written by Paul. “And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32. Jesus is teaching His disciples pre-cross, and therefore in the pre-church age, but the basis for forgiveness is the same. Because God has forgiven us, we are to forgive each other. Remember, He gave His only Son to forgive us, one who never sinned. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. And because of this, we are required to forgive others who wrong us.  

Theologian Craig Blomberg puts it this way. “The following three themes emerge from the main characters and episodes of the parable: God’s boundless grace, the absurdity of spurning that grace, and the frightful fate awaiting the unforgiving.” I could not have said this better.  God’s boundless grace has been provided to us through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We deserved nothing from God because of our rebellion.  We had no hope because we could not address our sins ourselves.  We needed the grace that came from God, sending His Son to live a sinless life so that in His death, we could be forgiven if we give our lives to Him.  Unfortunately, many ‘spurn’ this grace, rejecting it due to their hardened hearts.  And as stated above, we are to love everyone such that we will forgive them for anything they do to us. This is what Jesus did for us and commands of His followers so, this is what we must do.  It is not just a request, but a command.  And if we do not follow His ways, we will be required to pay for our own sins, which is an infinite cost. “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that had been owed him.” Matthew 18:34.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 15:11

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 15:11 

“Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” – Matthew 15:11 

Today we will look at the Parable of the Defilement of the Body.   Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man. Then the disciples came and said to Him, Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” But He answered and said, Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” Matthew 15:11-14.

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and asked Him, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”  He then turns and answers their question with a question, exposing their hypocrisy. “And why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘ Honor your father and mother’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’  “But you say, ‘Whoever shall say to his father or mother, “Anything of mine you might have been helped by has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And thus you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.” Matthew 15:3b-6.

Now, these questions were no doubt asked in a public setting, with a crowd on the periphery. Then, Jesus addresses the crowd rather than the Jewish leadership. He called the people together and said, “Hear, and understand.  Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” Matthew 15:10-11. The Lord presents the Levitical idea of impurity in a deeper moral light. The question is not to be seen by the physical mouth or the use of certain meats, but by the moral mouth, the language. What is here said concerning the going into and coming out of the mouth, applies to the whole series of Levitical and moral injunctions concerning purity. In other words, what enters the mouth, i.e., food and drink, does not defile men, but it is what comes out that may defile him.

Then the disciples came and asked Him if He knew that the Pharisees were offended when they heard His statement?  Jesus answers with “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up.” Matthew 15:13. Jesus is telling them, essentially, that all those doctrines of which his Father was not the author of must be rooted up or corrected. The false doctrines of the Pharisees and scribes must be attacked and removed. Was it any wonder that they were indignant? It could not be helped. It was his duty to attack them. He was not surprised that they were enraged; but, notwithstanding their bad doctrine should be destroyed. This idea points to what is found in Isaiah, where he says of Israel, “Then all your people will be righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.” Isaiah 60:21. This verse speaks positively about what He has planted. Jesus here is alluding that the Pharisees and Scribes were not planted by God, for their teachings and actions were not of God, and therefore must be uprooted in judgement. 

Jesus then tells the crowd there to leave them alone, essentially, to have nothing to do with them. They are the blind who lead the blind.  They were knowledgeable of the Law and what God desired, but they would not apply it as God had intended.  It was Jesus’ counsel that the disciples ignore the Pharisees and Scribes or leave them alone. Jesus either regarded their opposition as so hardened that he could not spend time being concerned with it, or he was subtly alluding to the parable of the weeds, in which the weeds are to be left alone until harvest. As Jesus said earlier, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” Matthew 7:6.

Today we see similar ideas in the church. Traditions should never take precedent over what God has called us to do or be.  Many times, imagery, habits, and patterns take priority over what He wants us to do.  This was the problem of the Jewish leadership which caused Jesus to reprove them on various occasions.  If God calls us to go somewhere, go for there is no doubt a work He has for us. If God tells us not to go, then we should not, for He has a good reason why not to.  I have had opportunities to witness and encourage people in places that many Christians would never want to go. God does not want beliefs or fear of disapproval to prevent us from doing His work, wherever that may be. And in todays culture, we can reach many more younger people by putting aside traditions and instead meet them where they are which may not include the standard means within churches.  God has called us to go into the highways and byways and compel the lost to come to the truth.  And sometimes this can bring ridicule or chastisement.  However, Jesus reached out to many the Jews would never be associated with.  We should therefore be willing do the same in our world today.   

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 13:33

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 13:33 

“He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three pecks of meal, until it was all leavened.” – Matthew 13:33

Today we will look at the Parable of the Leaven.   It is one verse long, which we have as our focus verse, therefore we will not put it here again. He repeats the formula of verses 24 and 31 where He says, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like”. This time He gives us a picture of a woman at work preparing food. Bread was commonly made at home and was not purchased from a store or bakery, and therefore Jesus uses this idea, describing a woman working at home to perform this task.

This parable of Jesus is similar to the Parable of the Mustard Seed, and in fact comes right after it.  There are some who look at leaven as always describing evil or sin, however, to use the phrase “The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven” discards this idea.  In this parable it refers to the unperceived power and efficacy of the gospel, pervading, transforming, and renewing the mind, heart, and life of people. In fact, Moses refers to it as used in sacramental bread. “‘With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall present his offering with cakes of leavened bread.” Leviticus 7:13. That in some contexts it may be used as a symbol for evil forces does not mean that in others it cannot stand for what is good.

Jesus speaks of the woman as putting her piece of leaven into three measures of flour until the whole was leavened. The leaven was but a small amount, but in time it changed the large quantity of flour by causing it to rise; just as the mustard seed, which is smaller than all other seeds, “when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES.” Matthew 13:32b.  This parable, as does the parable of the mustard seed, brings out the contrast and the continuity between the small beginnings of the kingdom and its great consummation. The little group of disciples might be despised as preaching a kingdom too insignificant to be noticed, but as surely as a tiny piece of leaven had its effect on a large mass of dough, so surely would the kingdom have its effect throughout the world. The parable also makes the point that the power that effects the change comes from outside the dough; the mass of dough does not change itself.

What we can take from this parable is that the effect of God’s Kingdom will be complete, just as the leaven works until the dough has completely risen. The nature of leaven is to grow and to change whatever it contacts. When we accept Christ, We grow in the grace of God and our heart is changed from the inside out. As the gospel transforms lives, it exerts a pervasive influence in the world at large. As we reflect the Lord’s glory, we are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 13:24

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 13:24 

“He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.” –  Matthew 13:24

Today we will look at the Parable of the Weeds.   Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“He presented another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares? And he said to them,  An enemy has done this!  And the slaves  said to him, Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?  But he  said,  No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers,  First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matthew 13:24-30.

The parable of the wheat and weeds speaks of two different kinds of seed sown by two different individuals, a farmer, and his enemy.  First, the field is a picture of the world, not simply the Jewish nation.  The good seed is the children of the Kingdom of God sowed by God, essentially the true Christians, while the bad seed are those who are not of this Kingdom that were sowed by the enemy.  Now some time later both seeds sprouted.  “But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.” Matthew 13:26. Now, as they grew, the slaves of the landowner noticed that not everything that sprouted up was wheat. “And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?”  Matthew 13:27.  They were diligent servants who questioned him regarding how this could have happened.

He then answers them saying that an enemy has sowed these weeds in the field.  Then the slaves asked, “Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?” Matthew 13:28b. But the landowner says, “No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them.” Matthew 13:29. Just as the wheat and weeds were often superficially similar in appearance and if sown too close to each other were too intermingled in their root systems to be pulled up separately, so too God’s people are sometimes outwardly hard to distinguish from his enemies. They can be too interconnected with them in society for anyone to try to purify the world from evil without hurting those who are good. Unfortunately, during that time many Zealots, and at times even his disciples, were often eager for precisely this to happen. We see an example of this in the gospel of Luke.  “And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ascension, that He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him. And they went, and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make arrangements for Him. And they did not receive Him, because He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them? But He turned and rebuked them, and said, You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went on to another village.” Luke 9:51-56.  He then tells them, “Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matthew 24:30.

There are definitely bad/evil people intermixed in this world with the people of God.  However, can we really tell the difference in all cases?  It is not our place to judge people by what we see for many times we cannot see their heart, nor can we see where they will be in the future. I have known many who were looking into the Christian life before excepting Him while still living a worldly life. But also, there are people who wish us to believe they believe. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.” Matthew 7:21-23.   

In closing, it is not our place to make judgements one way or another. Our job is simply to go out and live the Christian life openly so that all can see it, while declaring the truth of the Gospel. We may be able to help them give their lives to Jesus. And we are called to disciple Christians to understand this life more clearly. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 12:24

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 12:24 

“But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” –  Matthew 12:24 

Today we will look at the Parable regarding Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit.  Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons. And knowing their thoughts He said to them, Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?  And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Consequently they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” Matthew 12:24-30.

First, it is importance to note that the Jewish leaders repeat their earlier charge; for Beelzebul, also called Beelzebub. Interestingly, this charge persisted as a common view of Jesus among Jews in the early centuries of the Christian era. They did not deny the genuineness of his miracles but ascribed his power to the devil, so that he was branded worthy of death.  Therefore, these Pharisees publicly pronounced the same charge after Jesus cast a demon out of a man. “Then there was brought to Him a demon-possessed man who was blind and dumb, and He healed him, so that the dumb man spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed, and began to say, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” Matthew 12:22-23.  Here, we see the people amazed and questioning whether Jesus could be the Messiah. The Pharisees could not allow this to happen, so they came forth with their blasphemous accusation. “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” 

Jesus, knowing their thoughts and purposes, answers them.  “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?” Matthew 12:25-26.  What He essentially was saying is that internal conflict within a country, city, or even a family will tear it apart, or leave it ruined, if left unchecked.  Jesus concludes that because demonization promotes Satan’s designs, Satan would not himself seek to cast out demons. He would be undermining his own work.

Moreover, Jesus is not the only exorcist in the area. “And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Consequently they shall be your judges.” Matthew 12:27.  Other Jews practiced exorcism as well. In the schools of the Pharisees, a so-called higher magic was taught, by which demons were to be expelled and drawn out of the noses of persons possessed, by means of certain roots, by exorcism and by magical formulas, supposed to have been derived from king Solomon. Without evaluating this state of affairs, Jesus points out that the logic of the charge against him condemns those making it. If Satan is the one who enables exorcisms, then other Jewish exorcists must also be devilish. Jesus’ accusers judge their own sons/disciples by their accusations. 

Then He adds, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Matthew 12:28.  What this implies is that the coming of the kingdom is to be discerned in Jesus’ defeat of the demons. Mostly Matthew speaks of the kingdom as future, but here it is a present reality.  He then ends this with two analogies.  “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” Matthew 12:29. One cannot attack a well-protected home without first rendering the guard powerless. So, too, Jesus must first bind Satan before he can plunder or lay hold of his house, for example cast out his demons.  And finally, He declares that “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.” Matthew 12:30.  This must be balanced by “For he who is not against us is for us.” Mark 9:40.  The point here is that Christ leaves no room for neutral ground. If people cannot accept his teaching and work, they are in danger of God’s judgment.  And the last part of this. “and he who does not gather with Me scatters” has the idea that He who does not help the true shepherd to gather his flock into the fold is, most likely, one who wishes to scatter them, that he may have the opportunity of stealing and destroying them.

The thought here is that He is explaining to the Pharisees that He casts our demons by the Holy Spirit and not by Satan, as they said to Him.  This was basically saying that the power by which He did this was Satan himself.  And by alluding to the Spirit in Him as Satan was essentially blaspheming the Holy Spirit.  And when this is done, this cannot be forgiven. “Therefore, I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come.”  Matthew 12:31-32. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 22:2

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 22:2 

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king, who gave a wedding feast for his son.” – Matthew 22:2  

Today we will look at the Parable of the Wedding Feast, the last of three parables, in sequence, that depict God’s indictment and sentence of the present Jewish Leadership, unless they realize their errors and turn to the truth. Jesus does not reject Israel as a whole, only the current leadership, which has rejected him. The contrast is not between Jews and Gentiles but rather between those who reject and those who accept Jesus.  Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king, who gave a wedding feast for his son. And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. Again he sent out other slaves saying, Tell those who have been invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.  But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. But the king was enraged and sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and set their city on fire.  Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.  And those slaves went out into the streets, and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw there a man not dressed in wedding clothes, and he *said to him, Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes? And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:2-14.

This parable regarding the Wedding Feast was given to a smaller audience than the others, but not because this was Jesus’ choice.  In Mark, just after the Parable of the Tenants, we read “And they were seeking to seize Him; and yet they feared the multitude; for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so, they left Him, and went away.” Mark 12:12.  Now, just because the audience shrunk does not mean Jesus changed the overall topic. 

As in most rabbinical parables, the king is an illustration of God.  It starts off by stating that a king was preparing to give a wedding feast for His son.  He sends out some slaves to tell those invited to come to the wedding feast.  When they get back, they tell him they were not going to come.  Then a second time, he sends out another set of slaves to tell the invited to come, for there would be a great feast, including his oxen and fattened livestock and that everything is ready. However, they refused to come and went about their business, with some of them mistreating the slaves and ultimately killing them.  Now this ticked off the King, so he sent his armies out to kill those who had done this and then destroyed their cities with fire.

“Then he said to his slaves, The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.” Matthew 22:8-9. The King cannot have a wedding feast with no guests; therefore, he tells his slaves to go out and invite all who would come to the feast. They were to go to places where the main highways go out from the city to the country, which was normally where the poorer people tended to get together.  These people could never have thought they would be invited to a banquet of this type.  But the wedding feast must go forward, so all from these regions were invited. 

But what of the man who came in his own clothes?  This requires God’s righteousness imparted on us and not our own.  This is the meaning of the man who was not dressed in wedding clothes.  He came in whatever clothes he chose to wear.  “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw there a man not dressed in wedding clothes,  and he said to him, Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes? And he was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 22:11-13. The imagery here reflects the custom of a king providing festive dress for those he invites to a banquet. So, the king is understandably amazed and he rebukes this man, asking him why he has behaved as he has. The man offers no excuse. Only imprisonment and punishment—eternal judgment—remain in store for such people who rely on their own righteousness rather than the righteousness provided by Christ.

Again, as in the prior two parables, this is a picture of Jews, especially the leadership, rejecting Christ and His gift of righteousness.  To summarize the point of the Parable of the Wedding Feast, God sent His Son into the world, and the very people who should have celebrated His coming, the Jews, for they understood that the Messiah was coming, refused to accept it was Jesus.  Therefore, they rejected Him, bringing judgment upon themselves. As a result, the kingdom of heaven was opened up to anyone who will set aside his own righteousness and by faith accept the righteousness God provides in Christ. Those who spurn the gift of salvation and cling instead to their own good works will spend eternity separated from Christ.  Jesus desires His people, the Jews to come, but unfortunately they cling to the law and refuse to see He is the way, the truth, and the life.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 21:33

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 21:33 

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey.” – Matthew 21:33

Today we will look at the Parable of the Tenants, the second of three parables, in sequence, that depict God’s indictment and sentence of the present Jewish Leadership, unless they realize their errors and turn to the truth. Jesus does not reject Israel as a whole, only the current leadership, which has rejected him. The contrast is not between Jews and Gentiles but rather between those who reject and those who accept Jesus.  Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey.   And when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce.  And the vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, They will respect my son. But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and seize his inheritance.  And they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.  Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers? They said to Him, He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.  Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the Scriptures, THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it.  And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” Matthew 21:33-44.

This parable’s image closely resembles which was written by Isaiah. “Let me sing now for my well-beloved A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.  And He dug it all around, removed its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it, And hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones.” Isaiah 5:1-2. The Hebrew expression regarding the grapes produced is that they were wild, poison grapes.  The slight difference between this verse in  Isaiah and the parable is that the parable speaks of what the Jews did, as opposed to what they were, which was essentially those who took advantage of the vineyard owner.  We also see another picture of this in Isaiah. “The LORD arises to contend and stands to judge the people. The LORD enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people, “It is you who have devoured the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing My people, and grinding the face of the poor? Declares the Lord GOD of hosts.” Isaiah 3:13-15.

The parable starts with a landowner planting a vineyard and then putting up a wall, with a pit to be used as a wine press along with a watch tower.  He then, as a landlord, rents this out as an investment. Now, we then read “And when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce.” Matthew 21:34.  First of all, it takes roughly four to five years for newly planted vineyards to produce good grapes, therefore this was not a short time period.  When these slaves arrived, they were killed. Therefore, he sent another group of slaves and they were also killed. “But afterward he sent his son to them, saying they will respect my son. But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves this is the heir; come, let us kill him, and seize his inheritance. And they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.” Matthew 21:37-39.  

Jesus then asks the audience, predominantly Jews with the leadership, a question. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” Matthew 21:40. Then they answered Jesus saying, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.” Matthew 21:41.  Next, in verses 42-43 we read something unique to Matthew. It emphasizes the transference of leadership in Israel to new individuals. But the use of ethnos, the Greek word meaning “a people”—a collective singular” suggests more than simply the appointment of new leaders; it envisages a new community of disciples who perform the works God commands. Jesus is not so much foreshadowing the shift of God’s activity from Jewish to Gentile realms as anticipating the replacement of Israel by the church, which will unite both Jew and Gentile. Those who have rejected Jesus, for whom the cornerstone has become a stumbling stone, will be broken by him. And even if one does not actively oppose Jesus, anything less than genuine discipleship will lead to judgment, the stone will fall on and crush such a person.

We can apply this parable to our lives by asking two questions; first, have we truly come to know Christ as our Lord and Savior, or have we rejected Him like the Jewish leadership did? And second, if we are a believer, what have we done with and for Jesus? Are you like the bad tenants rejecting His Word and living a life of disobedience? If there is any question, we need to study His word, and pray fervently.  He loves us and wants us to be totally committed to Him. I can tell you, life this way is totally worth it now and eternally.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Matthew 21:28

Verse of the Day Devotion Matthew 21:28  

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.'” – Matthew 21:28

Today we will look at the Parable of the Two Sons, the first of three parables, in sequence, that depict God’s indictment and sentence of the present Jewish Leadership, unless they realize their errors and turn to the truth. Jesus does not reject Israel as a whole, only the current leadership, which has rejected him. The contrast is not between Jews and Gentiles but rather between those who reject and those who accept Jesus.  Here is this parable as found in Matthew’s gospel.

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, Son, go work today in the vineyard. And he answered and said, I will, sir’; and he did not go. And he came to the second and said the same thing. But he answered and said, I will not; yet he afterward regretted it and went. Which of the two did the will of his father?  They said, The latter.  Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you that the tax-gatherers and harlots will get into the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax-gatherers and harlots did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.” Matthew 21:28-32.

This parable starts by introducing a man who has two sons. There are several things that need to be done, so he goes to one of his sons and says, “Son, go work today in the vineyard.” Matthew 21:28a. The son tells his father he will go out and work, but then does not.  He then goes to his second son and says the same thing, and he tells his father no, he would not go, but later regrets his decision and ultimately goes out and does what his father asked.  Both sons give opposite answers, but later do the contrary of what they told their father.

In this parable, Jesus is addressing the Jewish officials who continue to refuse to accept His divine authority, or to acknowledge John’s prophetic ministry.  “For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax-gatherers and harlots did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.” Matthew 21:32.  What Jesus was saying here was that the most notorious of sinners, tax collectors and harlots, will get into heaven before they will. This does not mean that ethical considerations do not apply and that the worst of sinners keep on with the worst of their sins in the kingdom. It means that sinners like outcasts could respond to the message of the kingdom much more readily than sinners whose sins were cast in the conventional mode that brought no rebuke from the religious establishment.  As long as there was no rebuke from the Jewish leadership, then they believed there was no problem.

God has called us to do His work just as the father called his sons to do his will. Are we like the son who said ‘yes’ but did not carry through, or like the one who said ‘no’ but then repents and does it?  Many times, people promise to do things for God, or have every intention of doing them at the time but fail to because something else came up and was raised to priority one, over and above what God called us to. Like the son who ultimately disobeyed, some promise but do not perform it as they promised and so are rejected by God. Like the son who ultimately obeyed, some rebel but later submit and so are accepted.  The Jewish leadership would not accept Jesus as the promised Messiah because He did not fit the mold they believed the Messiah would follow, even though John laid out clearly who Jesus was. 

I want to close this with a quote from the Theologian Adam Clarke. “It is very difficult to get a worldly minded and self-righteous man brought to Christ. Examples signify little to him. Urge the example of an eminent saint, he is discouraged at it. Show him a profligate sinner converted to God, him he is ashamed to own and follow; and, as to the conduct of the generality of the followers of Christ, it is not striking enough to impress him. John, and Christ, and the apostles preach; but, to multitudes, all is in vain.”

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.