Perspective

I was an active participant in one of Jesus’ parables. In Matthew 20: 1-16, He gave the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’
“So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

I say I was a living participant because a similar thing happened to me. On Christmas Eve, my job allowed all workers to leave at 3:00pm. Though some came in at 9 and other at 11:00, we each left at 3:00 yet were paid for a full day. To those like me, who came in at 8:00am, it might seem unfair that those who came in at 11:00 got the same privileges and pay. In fact, the thought has originally passed through my mind. Then, the Lord brought this passage to my mind. He helped me to understand its true meaning.

The passage is not about how much who gets paid for what work. Instead it is about grace. When we read the passage, we look at it from the same standpoint as the Pharisees did, from the perspective of the workers. However, Jesus meant for the passage to be looked at from the perspective of the landowner. As the landowner pointed out, the workers were not cheated because they got what was agreed upon. Because he paid the same to those who did less work was not an affront to the workers, but actually to the landowner. He paid the same wage for less work. In fairness to himself, he should have paid the workers who came in later on a sliding scale. Instead, he paid them all equally. The landowner lost out not the workers. The first workers would have gotten paid the same regardless because it the agreement. The other being paid the same was only grace on the part of the landowner.

Jesus spoke this parable to stress to the Jews that though the Gentiles (us) came (or will come) into a relationship with God late, we will receive the same reward as they would. This is not a slight to the Jews who followed God earnestly all their lives, but grace to the Gentiles. It is God who takes the loss of rewarding equally those who did not serve Him as He does those who did.

Things look different when you see them through another’s eyes. It’s all a matter of perspective.

Religion and Christ

Here's a preview of a chapter in my next book...if I ever get a chance to sit down and write it.

Religion and Christ



Religion is destructive. It is no wonder that people don’t like religion. Religion divides homes. Religion puts people in bondage. Religion steals people’s joy and peace. Religion kills. Why? Religion is about people trying to perform good enough to please their gods. The problem with religion is that it is based on a person’s interpretation of what it takes to please that god.



Rules and Rituals

To be a good follower of any religion, one has to jump through a number of hoops in order that he or she might please their god. These hoops, or rituals, restrict the freedom God desires for his people to enjoy. It is also the fear of these hoops that keep many people from coming to a relationship with Christ. Rituals come in different forms and not all rituals are bad. Just the ones that someone says must be done or God won’t accept you or be pleased with you. These are the ones that add to the law of God. A good example is the Sinner’s Prayer. This is the prayer that someone who trusts Christ as Lord and Savior prays. In the prayer, the sinner asks God to come into his or her heart and to forgive them of their sins. It is a good idea and a good practice, but it is not biblical. Not one time in the New Testament when someone ask, “What must I do to be saved?” did Peter, John, or Andrew reply, “Say this prayer after me.” Instead the answer was “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Afterwards, they were baptized. Not any place in the narrative is it mentioned that a prayer was ever said. As Bill Cosby said, “Get yourself a thick Bible.”

What are the benefits of rules and rituals? They lead people into legalism. Legalism is a strict interpretation and adherence to the letter of the law. Legalism is following the do’s and the don’ts, the thou shall’s and the thou shall not’s. The problem with legalism is that if you fail to cross a T or dot an I, you might be in trouble. With legalism one never knows when he or she has done enough to please God. That goes back to the concept of religion is man’s way of trying to get himself back to God.

Another issue with rules and religion is that bad teaching can lead people to do all sorts of things. Religious indoctrination can get people to do things they normally wouldn’t do. In order to please their god or to gain some semblance of assurance of salvation, people will steal and kill. Jesus warned His followers that it will be religious people who will be their greatest enemy not lost people. In John 16:2, Jesus said, “They (religious people) will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.”

The errors of legalism and religion are that they will always fall short because man is imperfect. He can never do enough to satisfy a holy God. The Psalmist said, “There is none righteous, no not one. There is none who understands. There is none that seeks after God; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no not one. Isaiah went on to say that all our righteousness were as filthy rags before God. As a result, no one has assurance of Salvation. They can’t even be sure when and if things are ok between them and their God. To do all this work and still not know is not freedom; it is bondage.

God is Ultimately Responsible for All Suffering

Last week, I was listening to a sermon by Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church, Dallas. The sermon was titled “God is Ultimately Responsible for All Suffering.” It was part of a sermon series he is preaching, called “Politically Incorrect.” The sermon title got me to thinking. As I thought about the title and listened to the sermon, I realized that, as Baptists, we essentially say the same thing only in a different way.

Like some of you, initially, when I read the sermon title, I took it to mean that God brought about or caused all suffering in the world. But that was not the case. Pastor Jeffress’ sermon essentially said that if God is all powerful and is the Sovereign of His universe, then He is ultimately responsible for everything that happens in it. God doesn’t cause the suffering but He does allow it to happen. As Baptist, we certainly say that God is All-powerful and All-knowing. Therefore, if He knows what’s going to happen and is able to stop it but don’t He is ultimately responsible for the consequences it brings.

Job is the prime example. God was aware of what Satan was going to do and even put limitations on how far he could go. Therefore, He was ultimately responsible for the tragedies in Job’s life. Even Job did not discount this. For he said:

God has delivered me to the ungodly,
And turned me over to the hands of the wicked. (Job 16:11)

He also said,

What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? (Job 2:10)

As I begin to think over what I was listening to, it came to me that it was God who sent calamity upon the Israelites. God testified that it was He who raised up the Babylonians who would later lead Judah into captivity (see Ezek. 23:22-24). It was God who sent the flood over the world. Therefore, God is ultimately responsible for all suffering whether He caused it or allowed it.

Think about this: if you allowed your child to touch a hot stove because you wanted to teach them that stoves are hot, you will be ultimately responsible for any suffering that child goes through as a result of their touching the hot stove. Likewise, God is ultimately responsible for any suffering we go through because He allowed it.

Here’s the good news. Since God is ultimately responsible for all suffering, He is also responsible for how much suffering we have to endure. Perhaps you’ve heard the old saying, “God will never put more on us than we are able to bear.” Although it is not in the Bible, there is some truth to it. God may put more on us than we think we are able to bear, but I don’t believe He allows situations to crush us. We may not know the full council of God, we do know that He allows us to undergo some situations to draw us closer to Him. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11-28-.30).”

He also allows suffering because it is through suffering that we learn obedience (Heb. 5:8). I think He also allows suffering to remind us that we live in a fallen world that is governed by a fallen angel and co-inhabited by fallen people. In short, we live in a sin-filled world. Someone once said, we don’t learn anything when times are good. It is in difficult times that we grow and are shaken from our comfort zones.

Therefore, take courage. In the world, we shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer for Jesus has overcome the world. He that is with you is greater than he who is with them. And finally, if God be for you, no one can be against you. For like Paul, I am convinced that there is nothing, no trial, tribulation, or calamity that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.