Day 32 Bible Readings – Matthew 20: 28-31 (ESV)

Job 22-24, Matthew 21: 18-32, Psalm 20

Matthew 20: 28-31 (ESV)

“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.”

In verses 28 through 31 from Matthew 20, Jesus explains to the chief priests and elder the parable of the Two Sons. In this parable, a man had two sons whom he asked to go work in the vineyard. The first said No but then changed his mind and went to work. The second son said the same, but did not go to work. Jesus asks the chief priests and elders which son did the will of the father, and they respond to Jesus and say the first son. Jesus then tells them that the first son are like the tax collectors and prostitutes who listened to John the Baptist and believed him and changed their lives. I’m sure the chief priests and elders thought they were like the first son. But Jesus told them No, because even though they say they are doing the work of God they have not changed their behavior. Jesus  explained to them that they cannot just say they are obeying God but not change their behavior. The sinners who listened to John the Baptist and changed their behavior are the ones who have really obeyed God. Jesus called out the chief priests and elders for being hypocrites, because they said to the people they were obeying God, and yet in private they were disobeying God.

Day 31 Bible Readings – Matthew 21: 12-13 (ESV)

Job 19-21, Matthew 21: 1-17, Psalm 19: 7-14

Matthew 21: 12-13 (ESV)

“And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

In verses 12 and 13 from Matthew 21, we read about the famous scene where Jesus drove out all of the money-changers in the Temple. Many people have interpreted these verses to mean that the church cannot ask people for money or something about Jesus not like money. But the people who write Bible commentaries have written that the money-changers were located in the outer courts of the Temple, which was the only place that the Gentiles could pray. It must have been hard for the Gentiles to pray since their whole space had been essentially turned into a market. I love how Jesus had compassion for Gentiles as well as Jews. Jesus wanted the Temple to be somewhere where all could pray, and not just Jews. The message of Jesus Christ spread very rapidly among the Gentiles first, so we in these verses how the God’s plan to include the Gentiles started with the compassionate act of Christ demanding that the prayer space for the Gentiles be as holy as the prayer space for the Jews.

Day 30 Bible Readings – Matthew 20: 21-22 (ESV)

Job 15-18, Matthew 20: 20-34, Psalm 19: 1-6

Matthew 20: 21-22 (ESV)

“And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”

In verses 21 and 22 from Matthew 20, we see Jesus’ response when the mother of the disciples James and John asks if her son can sign on the right and left hand of Jesus. From reading Jesus’ response, I can imagine he must have been horrified by this request. Although Jesus had been dropping hints to his disciples about what would happen to him, they did not understand him. I think if they did understand how Jesus would die, James and John would have been horrified as well by their mother’s request. When Jesus asked the brothers if they were able to follow him, they answered yes. I think Jesus knew their future, and knew that James would die for being his follower. Although John did not die in the same way as James, he would suffer because he was a follower of Christ. I do feel sorry for the mother of James and John. She loved Jesus but she did not understand that his kingdom would be in heaven and not on earth. But they will all find out soon and I feel so much sympathy for mother of James and John, as she will realize just exactly what she was asking for when she made this request and will be fulfilled when James dies later after Christ was crucified and resurrected.

Day 29 Bible Readings – Job 12: 7-10 (ESV)

Job 11-14, Matthew 20: 1-19, Psalm 18: 43-50

Job 12: 7-10 (ESV)

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.”

In verses 7 through 10 from Job 12, Job explains to his friend Zophar that all of God’s creatures know the power of God. They know that God made them and that he knows all about them, and that their whole life is overseen by God. I find Job’s response interesting since he seems to have forgotten that God made him as well, and that God has a hand in everything he does. Job doesn’t see his present difficulties as coming from God or a testing from God, at not yet. Job wonders why God allowed such difficulties to come into his life, and he starts to doubt in his faith in God. Job ask later what sin he committed because he knew he had committed no sins.

Job shows us that our faith in God can be shaken when we are facing great difficulties. But if Job had not gone through the suffering he did, his faith would not have been strengthened. God was testing Job and knew that Job would eventually reason through all of his doubts and come back to his faith.