HEART CONDITION

 I just finished reading 'The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard' from Matthew 20:1-16.  

In this parable a landowner hired men to work for the day in his vineyard for a denarius.

Then he goes back out and finds more men at 9:00 and hires them.  

Again at noon and 3:00, he hires even more men.

Finally, at 5:00, he hires still more men.

Max Lucado describes these last men:

"They had been sitting in the square all day, shifting their weight from foot to foot, scuffing their sandals in the dust, waiting.

Unless someone came along soon with even the smallest request for work, they would have no money - and no food - to bring home to hungry families. 

When a prosperous farmer came into view, spirits lifted.

He would put the lot of them to work for the rest of the day.  They couldn't hope to earn much in these last few hours - a few sheckles at best - but it was better than nothing.  Gratefully, they joined the other workers in the field.   

 At day's end, they filed out of the fields past the owner with his money purse.  It was then that each man experienced an astonishing kindness.

A full day's wage was placed in each hand.

Though they had arrived late and accomplished little, they experienced the fullness of grace."   [Experiencing the Heart of Jesus, p.66] 

Max puts the emphasis on the needs and desperation of the last men hired.  They were surely overwhelmed with the kindness of this wealthy farmer!

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Yet, I must confess that when I read this parable, I almost always identify with the first men hired.  I find myself thinking how unfair it was that they worked so much longer in the heat of the day and received the same pay as those who worked only for an hour.  I find myself thinking about hiding out the next day and only being "discovered" toward the end of the day.  

I know - that's sick!  But I have a high standard of fairness and this passage seems to violate that standard.  

Ah, but what if one of those workers was my brother?  I know he isn't feeling well.  I'm aware of how much he needs money and work.  His children haven't had new shoes in over a year.  His wife faithfully makes the best meals she can with their limited resources.  

I'm excited when I see him show up toward the end of the day!  I'm happy for him!  When he receives a full day's wage, I'm ecstatic for him!  How wonderful!  Praise the Lord!  What a generous and good farmer!  

Why can't I feel the same for all of the men hired later than I was hired?  

Kind and Gracious God,

I'm ashamed of myself.  I am stingy and vengeful.  I need spiritual heart surgery!  

I don't like the way I am.  I want to have the genuine interests of all people in my heart.    I want to really care about them and cheer for them when good things happen.  I don't want all my thoughts to be about me and just my family.  I want to be that guy who congratulates others on their good fortune;  who claps them on the back with real joy at the favorable turn of events in their lives!  I don't want to fake this, I want it to be the real overflow of my heart!   

Help me to view my neighbors, those who ride in my Lyft car, those who serve me at stores and restaurants, those I meet through the course of any given day, those who share a seat with me on the bus, at the doctor's office, or in church - with compassion and caring.   Help me to celebrate their victories and bear their burdens, for Jesus' and His Kingdom's sake.  Amen  

 

 

REAL COMMITMENT

I grew up in the New Brighton Free Methodist Church during the 1960's.  It was a large church for its time with an average attendance of between two and three hundred.  I am just old enough to remember worshipping in the old building on Third Avenue.  Then, they got a vision for a new structure at the corner of 10th Street and 11th Avenue.  This was a significant undertaking for the congregation during the late 1950's.  It called for a deep financial commitment on the part of the congregants.  Although a healthy congregation at this point, they had not yet grown to the size they would see in the 1960's.  

Later, they would again embrace a financial challenge to build an educational facility onto the side of the newer church structure.  I remember Clair Smeltzer stepping up repeatedly on Sundays and challenging the people to eradicate the accrued debt on this addition.  The people responded and the church became debt-free!

During the initial building program, a number of families in the church actually mortgaged their homes to help provide the needed funds for the new church!  My wife, Debbie, remembers hearing this talked about in her Free Methodist Church in the neighboring town of Rochester.  I only know about this because my father named one of those contributors to me.

I had a TV Guide route when I was a young teenager.  They cost $.15 at that time;  I made $.04 per copy.  I had about fifty customers.  Many of my customers were family or members of our church.  Once a week, I would ride my bike through town delivering the guides.

One of my customers was Joe and Anna DeChico.  They lived a couple of blocks down from the old high school.  On one occasion, my father told me a little of their story.  Being Italian, they had attended the local Catholic Church.  When Joe's mother died, they refused to hold a service for her for some reason.  Somehow, Joe contacted the Free Methodist pastor, who conducted the service.  

Joe and Anna began attending the church and eventually became members.  They were kind and loving people.  Anna would interview me every week when I delivered her TV Guide.  Joe was a big man, but kind as could be.  He always spoke to me and showed an interest in what was going on in my life.  

They were not leaders at the church.  They were not outspoken people.  They were quiet, gentle folks - the kind who pull their weight, but don't clamor for attention.  My word for them would be 'sweet'.  

You've probably guessed it by now, but they were one of the families that mortgaged their home to help the congregation build their new church!  These names were never published.  I don't know any of the others.  I don't know how many did this.  Maybe my Dad was wrong for telling me this story - but I'm glad he did!  The only person I've ever told it to (until now) is Debbie - and she didn't know Joe and Anna.  

Consider this a late tribute to a wonderful couple who made a difference by the way they honored their God!  Thank you, Joe and Anna, I'm looking forward to seeing you again and catching up!  

FRESH BEGINNINGS

 Revelation 21:5  (ESV)

“And He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’”

Out of His limitless grace and mercy, God gives us a multitude of fresh starts:

• 12 new months every year! 
• 52 new weeks every year!
• 365 new days every year!
• a birthday once a year. 
• New Year’s Day every January 1st!  

We could break it down further, but you get the picture...

God understands our continual need for fresh starts!  He knows that we periodically need to have our slate cleaned. 

The Bible gives us a multitude of examples of this. 

• Moses murdered a man, but then was cleaned up by God - by spending forty years shepherding sheep.  Then God called him to lead His sheep (people) out of Egyptian bondage. 
• Jonah rebelled against God’s will - don’t we all? But after spending three days in the belly of a whale, he obeyed God’s Call to be an evangelist to ungodly Nineveh!  The result:  120,000 converts!
• The Apostle Paul persecuted the NewTestament Church severely - even overseeing the deaths of many Christians!  But God intervened in his life and turned him into the greatest church planter of all time. 
• Peter denied his Lord in His hour of greatest trial!  Yet, Jesus restored him over breakfast on the shore of Galilee. He became the cornerstone of the fledgling new movement!  
• Augustine was a spoiled rich young man who lived life in the fast lane.  Even when he acknowledged Christ, he prayed, “Lord make me pure, but not yet.”  His writings of faith have encouraged generations. 

In Jeremiah 18, God sent him to watch a potter work with his clay on the potter’s wheel. Jeremiah noticed that when the clay became an imperfect vessel, the potter wetted his hands, pushed the clay down and produced a beautiful piece of work. The message was clear to the prophet:  God does not discard wasted lives;  He remakes them for His service. 

FRESH BEGINNINGS!  For young and old, for people of any nation or race, for those in and outside of the church, for those who are pretty good and those who are very bad!  He does not discriminate!  

English evangelical preacher and martyr, John Bradford (circa 1510–1555) is said to have uttered the expression - "There but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford", when seeing criminals being led to the scaffold. He recognized that it was only by God’s grace and mercy that he had achieved any degree of faithfulness. 

I’m thankful on this New Year’s Day for fresh beginnings!  So thankful!  God never wearies forgiving me!  He is FULL of mercy!  God repeatedly wipes my slate clean!  He removes my shame. He forgives my indiscretions. He gives me unlimited fresh starts!

And He’ll do the same for you!  For anyone!  

II Peter 3:9  (ESV)

The Lord...is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Kind and Gracious God,

Thank You for this New Year's Day!

You know how desperately we needed it.

We want to draw a line between our past and our future!

You make it possible for us to do that.

We want to honor you with our lives.

We want to do better!

Allow Your Holy Spirit to enter us so fully that we will turn from destructive patterns 

and seek to follow You with all our hearts, minds and strength!

May this new year be a year of stellar obedience and greater works for Your Kingdom.

And may You receive ALL the praise!

For Jesus' sake.  Amen!