Christ’s final week - what would he have us know?
When a man knows the end is near - only the important surfaces. Impending death seems to distil the vital. The trivial is bypassed and the unnecessary is overlooked. Only the important things remain. This is what it was like for Christ in the last week of his life. He knew that he was heading to Jerusalem to die and he had just a single week to reinforce and recap the last 3 years of teaching to his disciples. What did he say to his disciples, what examples did he model? We can only touch on some of these today briefly, but I would encourage you to read Matt 20 - 26 through this next week and examine the emphases that Christ had in his last week because these perhaps hold the keys to his message to us.
THE PARABLE OF THE ECCENTRIC EMPLOYER - THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST
Jesus starts the last week with a parable of the workers in the vineyard. Mt 20:1-16
The picture is of a hire yard where every day, people who did not have a steady job would gather in the hope of getting work for the day. Prospective employers would come and choose the workers they would like to work for them. You could imagine the scene - the fit and strong with callused hands would be chosen first. Those that were not deemed suitable or worthy would be left behind. It was an honour to be chosen and what is more, it put food on the table. Two interesting things in this parable are that
1) The owner went back again and again at 6:00am. 9:00am, 12 noon, 3:00pm and 5:00pm to hire more men. This is not the interesting thing, the interesting thing is that they each received the same wage for the work they gave, whether it be 12 hours, 9 hours, 6 hours, 3 hours or 1 hour. Many see this as an illustration of the rewards that await us when we are saved, but this is not the primary point of the story. But the point of the story is not to do with salvation as it is with God’s grace. It may seem unfair that the same amount was paid for different amounts of work, but the amount paid was more than fair wages even for a full day’s work. There was nothing unfair about the money paid. What it does show is God’s mercy and generosity towards all people and particularly the poor and downtrodden. And this leads us to the second point of the story.
Imagine the scene - Who is picked first? The strong, the young, the fit, the physically whole, the handsome, the blond? (not!). Who was left behind at the first pick? The sick, the old, the disabled, the poor, the strangers, the dirty. Remember the school hard days when teams were being picked - the captains would pick the best players first and then their friends. So it would go on down the pecking order until the last couple of people who no-one really wanted at all. These were the no-hopers of society who no-one would give the time of day, let alone a job.
2) The Vineyard owner had mercy on the hopeless & helpless. He hired them and showed them mercy - something they were un-used to being shown. Jesus had given time to these people right the way through his ministry and was still now promoting their cause. Show them mercy, look after them he was saying.
THE TWO BLIND MEN - A WORTHWHILE DISTRACTION
That same day as they were leaving Jericho on their way to Jerusalem, Jesus and his band of merry disciples were accosted by two blind men (Matt 20:29-34). Couldn’t they see that Jesus was on a mission which was far more important than their petty needs. He was the Messiah who was going to save all of Israel - an important man on a crucial task. His time is precious, far too precious to spend on dirty, loud, obnoxious and embarrassing creatures. But despite the condemnation and the commands to be quiet the blind men just got louder and louder.
To the disciples these two beggars were a nuisance, to God, they were important and worthy of the time spent helping them.
“A mentally impaired youngster seated himself on the floor in a chemist’s store and began to play with some bottles he had taken from the shelves. The chemist ordered him to stop, then scolded him with an even sharper tone. Just then the boy’s sister came up, put her arms around him and whispered something in his ear. Right away, he put the bottles back in place. “You see, “ his sister explained, “ he doesn’t understand when you talk to him like that. I just love it into him.”
The demonstration of love is powerful and needed to be noted by the goal orientated disciples and by us goal orientated people. God is not goal orientated as much as people orientated which is a lesson we need to learn.
If you are anything like me, you know what God requires of you from day to day. You know that you should stop and help the little old lady struggling with the groceries, or go and be with your workmate who had just suffered a major life trauma. We know what we should do, but our conscience has a hard time overcoming our rational. We are good at coming up with excuses why we can’t help others, just like the disciples were - we are too busy, we have a long day’s journey ahead and need to leave soon, Jesus has more important things to do today than to be distracted by two blind beggars. But in the end of the day, the excuses are no excuse for not helping people as Christ did and continues to do every day.
The lesson of looking after people in need was one that was a slow one to learn to the disciples and to us.
Jesus approached Jerusalem, and we all know the story of his triumphant entry into the city on a colt. In Jerusalem, he went to the temple, presumably to worship. Instead he found it filled with traders and thieves. They were here profiting off the roaring trade leading up to the Passover when every family had to offer a sacrifice in the temple.
JESUS’ TEMPLE MINISTRY - TO THE NEEDY
Jesus’ rage at this was evident and after cleansing the temple we read in Matthew that ”the blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them” (Matt 21:14).
Surprise, surprise - here is Jesus again, caring for the poor and disabled in the temple. There is probably no better place to do this than in the temple, God’s house, but this was significant in itself because since David’s time, the blind and the lame were barred from entering the temple. Here Jesus was breaking all the rules in an attempt to show the importance of compassion and concern in God’s economy.
We think of God’s house as a place of worship, teaching and prayer. We don’t too often associate it with a place of helping societies’ needy.
A few questions? Had these people who were being healed ever met Jesus before? How did they know about Jesus? ... By word of mouth. They heard that in Jesus, was a man who showed empathy and would give them the time of day. They needed no other introduction. We often justify our relation to the poor and needy in society by rationalising that we don’t know anyone in that situation. We probably don’t, but this isn’t an excuse. Jesus helped those in need where he was - as he was walking down the street. He didn’t seek them out, they sought him out because of the person he was. If we were more like Christ, we wouldn’t need to be seeking the poor and needy in order to help them, they would be lining up at our door.
I’m a practical person and like to be able to have goals and be able to put things into practice, so here is one for next week - look around for one person in need and give them a hand. It may be helping a work mate who is carrying a cumbersome load through a door, it may be helping your husband wash up the dishes at night, it may be mowing the lawn for an elderly neighbour. It may be out of your way, but think - What Would Jesus Do.
What were the chief priests and teachers of the law thinking about all this? They were indignant, yet they were not game to touch him because of the popular support he had. This man was encroaching on their comfort zone and they didn’t like it.
THE FIG TREE - FRUITLESS = WORTHLESS
This is perhaps a confusing even disturbing episode in Christ’s last week Matt 21:18-19.
Some observations to begin with are that
1) the tree from all outward observances looked to be healthy and promised a good crop of fruit.
2) Christ was hungry and approached the tree with the intention of eating from it.
The episode follows immediately after the temple cleansing and is representative of outward health masking inward rot. The Jews were outwardly religious, but had no concern for the things of God. It was laws rather than love, restrictions rather than relevance. Micah uses the same illustration of a barren fig tree to speak of Israel’s moral and spiritual failure and both condemn the lukewarm faith which puts on a show but ignores the service.
If we are the best “Christian”, but our lives don’t have fruit, we are no better than the fig tree in God’s eyes.
Jesus went on to share another parable. Matthew 21: 28-31. The religious leaders had good intentions just like the son who promised to go to the field, but they disappointed when it came to action. Good intention is never enough, what matters most is action. Good intentions are a bit like crying babies and disruptive children - they should be carried out immediately. Action is what brings about fruit.
But what fruit are we expected to bear? The story was told about a surgeon who was discussing a case with medical students: “The muscle in the patient’s right leg has contracted until it is shorter than the left. “Therefore he limps. What would you do in such a circumstance?” A student raised his hand and said “I’d limp too.”
We are to follow the example of Christ and so model our lives on him that the fruit that we bear is the same as his. Even in his last week on earth, one of Christ’s main emphases was helping other people. This is the fruit he desires to see in our lives - a servant heart ready to serve.
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENTS
It is the middle of the last week and Jesus is asked what is the greatest commandment. Christ answered correctly “Love the Lord your God with all your hear and with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind.” On their report card, the Pharisees and Saducees probably looked okay in this department, but they had neglected the second commandment “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Christ exhauted that they live a servant’s life for in serving others, they serve God. This example Christ modelled right up to the cross which was the ultimate illustration.
So what have we seen?
There is a common thread through Christ’s last week showing the importance of loving and serving others. It is not just the right thing to do, it is the Christ like thing to do. If we take the name of Christ, we need to take on board his character also for it comes as one package.
A man once caught another in the very act of picking his pocket. The thief excused himself by saying that he was unemployed and starving, and how, after he had served a term of imprisonment, nobody would empty him. Whenever he gave his name his reputation became known, and no one would trust him.
“Well,” said the other, “take my name, which I have never yet sullied. I give it to you. Take it and keep it clean.” He then took steps to find the man employment.
Fifteen years later he was told that a gentleman was waiting to see him. A glance at his visiting card revealed that he bore the same name as himself, and when he opened his lounge door to see his visitor, he was confronted by a man of fine and noble appearance, who said, “I have called to tell you that today I have been made a partner in the firm to which you recommended me fifteen years ago, and all you see me to be, I owe to your noble generosity, and above all to the gift of your name which is still unsullied. God bless you, Sir, and reward you.”
God offers us his name, but with it comes the responsibility to life a life which befits that name. Part of this works itself out in our actions to others around us. By their fruit you shall know them and by their actions shall God know them. The challenge I leave with you in this week leading up to Easter is two fold.
1) read the events of the last week of Christ’s life and ask him to show you his priorities.
2) look for someone to help this week and to show Christ’s love to.
I want to finish by reading another parable Christ told in this last week. Sit and meditate on what Christ is saying to you today. Matt 25:31-46.
