Day 251–Ezekiel 15-17; Matthew 20

Ezekiel 15 is brief. In it the LORD compares Jerusalem to the wood of the vine, which was good for nothing but fuel for fire. Nothing could be made from it, not even a peg to hang things. The only purpose of the wood of the vine was to make fire. Even so, the people of Jerusalem would be subjected to the fire.

In Ezekiel 16, the LORD compares Jerusalem to an unfaithful wife, who turned from Him and became a whore.  This would be bad enough under any circumstance, but the LORD saved her from death as an infant when she was cast off by her parents. He nurtured and cared for her. He adorned her with beautiful clothing and silver and gold. The LORD indulged her and showed her great love. Yet, she rejected Him, and worshiped idols. She sacrificed her children to false gods. She not only played the prostitute with many nations, but she paid her suitors to have sex with her. The depth if Jerusalem’s sin surpassed that of Sodom and Samaria. After recording this account of Jerusalem’s sin and her deserved punishment, the LORD turns to redemption. Always. Redemption is the final word. The LORD promises the redemption of some even from Sodom and Samaria, and also Jerusalem.

In Ezekiel 17, the LORD tells the parable of two eagles and a vine. Unless, He had provided the interpretation, we would be left utterly confused, but the LORD tells us the eagles represent Babylon and Egypt, and the vine represents Judah. The point is the LORD gave Judah into the hands of Babylon, and there they would have been protected, but they turned to Egypt for help, which would only mean more destruction.

As we return to Matthew 20, Jesus tells a parable of a landowner who hired workers each hour throughout the day. The first workers hired were told they would be paid a denarius, which was a typical day’s wage for their work. Each of the other workers were told they would be paid what was right. At the end of the day, the landowner paid the workers who had only worked one hour first. He gave them a denarius. When the workers who had worked all day were paid, they also received one denarius. They were upset at the landowner, but he asked them why there were? He had agreed to pay them a denarius, which is what they were paid. Then the landowner asked whether he had the right to be generous with his own money? The first workers hadn’t seen it that way! Then Jesus closed by saying, “Many who were last will be first.” The order of the Kingdom is not the order of the earth. We will all be rewarded and we will not be jealous for what others receive. It would be good for us to learn to celebrate the blessings of others, because that will be the way in heaven!

Next, Jesus told the disciples once again that He would be arrested, convicted, crucified, and would rise from death. This time the mother of James and John asked Jesus if He would let her sons sit at His left and right when He came into His Kingdom? Jesus said those positions weren’t for Him to give. When the other ten disciples heard what happened they were angry. Why? We can conjecture it was because they had been left out of the jockeying for position in Jesus’ Kingdom. Jesus pointed out that the way of the Kingdom is not the way of the world. The greatest in the Kingdom is not the one with the “highest” position, but the one who serves.

The chapter ends with Jesus healing two blind men. The significant point of the healing is Jesus tells the men, it was according to their faith that they were healed. Sometimes Jesus tells people it was their faith that was the key. At other times, He makes it clear He heals to glorify the Father. We must be clear that our healing or lack of it is never about us, even though our faith can play a part. Jesus is the healer, not us!

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