For the Joy Awaiting – Faith, Parables, and Controversy (Tuesday)

Mount of Olives

Hebrews 12:2 “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Tuesday – On the Mount of Olives

On Monday night Jesus went to Bethany to spend the night.   The next morning, as he was returning to the city, he was hungry, “and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ And immediately the fig tree withered up.” (Matthew 21:19) 

The disciples were amazed by this miracle.  Jesus told them that if they had faith and didn't

doubt they could do what was done to the tree, in fact, they could say to the mountain “May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,” and it would happen. 

When Jesus entered the temple and began teaching on Tuesday, the religious leaders challenged his authority.  They demanded to know by what authority he was teaching (Matthew 21:23).  Instead of giving an answer, Jesus did what he often did, and asked them a question.  The religious leaders, being afraid of the crowd’s reaction, couldn't answer. 

Jesus then began teaching by telling the Parable of the Two Sons.  He followed this up with the Parable of the Evil Farmers. Matthew 21:45-46 “When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.”

Jesus also told the Parable of the Great Feast in which a king prepared a great wedding feast for his son.  When everything was ready, he sent his servants to call all those who were invited. But they all refused to come!

He sent other servants to implore them to come, but the guests he had invited ignored them and went about their business. Others invited guests grabbed his messengers and insulted some and killed them.

Matthew 22:7-10 “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.”

When the king went in to greet his guests, he saw a man who was not wearing the wedding clothes his servants had given each guest upon their arrival.  He asked him why he was not wearing the offered clothes but the man refused to answer.  The king told his servants to bind his hands and feet and throw him out into the darkness, “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  He said that many are called but few respond to the invitation (“are chosen”).  

With every parable he told, the religious leaders became more agitated.  They were watching for a chance to trick or stump Jesus. They sent spies pretending to be honest men, to try to trap him in something he said. 

Matthew 22:21-22 “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

Jesus saw through their deceit.  He asked for a Roman coin to be given to him.  After looking at it he asked whose picture was on it.  The replied, “Caesar’s.”  He told them to then give to Caesar what belonged to him and to God what belonged to God.  They failed to trap him and were amazed into silence by his answer.

Some Sadducees came to Jesus and asked him the following question: “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.’ Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow. But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them. Last of all, the woman also died. So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.” (Matthew 22:24-28)

Again, Jesus shuts them down with his answer.  The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead and Jesus quoted Exodus 3:6, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” He then pointed out that God is the God of the living and not the dead. 

When the Pharisees heard that the Sadducees had been shut down they came back for another go at Jesus.  They asked him what the greatest commandment was. His reply; “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ’The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40) 

Jesus criticized the religious leaders and warned the people to be careful of them.  He said they practiced religion but didn't know God.  He pointed out that they followed rituals and rules, but required things of the Jewish people that they couldn't even obey themselves.  They were leading their disciples to be more “sons of Satan” than they were themselves. 

Jesus used many other parables that day to give last minute teaching to his disciples.  Following all this he wept over Jerusalem because they failed to understand and accept the message of salvation he and the prophets before him were trying to teach.  They rejected the message and even killed many who came in the Name of the Lord.  His heart ached because he knew his purpose and the plan for the salvation of his people and all mankind, yet he knew also that he was going to be rejected to the point of death in just a few short days. 

Tuesday was a full day for Jesus and his disciples.  He taught his followers all day on the Mount of Olives as well as facing multiple confrontations with the religious leaders.  

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.