109. Beginner Bible Course: Jesus goes off on the religious bullies in Jerusalem

EPISODE 109     A simple Bible overview of...JESUS GOES OFF ON THE RELIGIOUS BULLIES OF JERUSALEM

There was a long line

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Road that went to the high school. I attended it curved past the hockey rink, then the football field, and then the baseball field before ending up at the high school, I had just walked from the high school and it reached the main road. I think I was in 10th grade. Maybe I heard a car honking and turn to look way back at the high school. I saw a car slowly moving with, with several guys hanging out the passenger side window. And they were having a conversation with someone walking next to the car along the road. And they just kept hanging out the windows and yelling. I stood there and watched this as they went by the baseball field, along that winding road. By the time the car and the Walker got to the football field, I recognized who that Walker was.

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We'll call her Vicky. Vicky lived in a house just up the street from where that long winding high school road met the main road. I could tell it was Vicky because she was walking with a distinct limp. She was also carrying a large arm load of books. Vicky had come from a really poor home. And from what I had been told, she had rickets that had caused that limp that day I witnessed with the honking horn and guys hanging out the window. The worst case of bullying I've ever seen that may well have been one of the most formative events of my entire life. I've often wondered what would Jesus have done as a 10th grader standing down on that main road.

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Next to me, Isaiah answers that for us. Speaking of the coming Messiah, Isaiah prophesies, this is my servant, my chosen one in whom I delight. I'll put my spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised Reed. He will not break and a smoldering wick. He will not snuff out, but Isaiah adds in faithfulness. He will bring forth justice. He will not falter or be discouraged until he establishes justice on earth for the Vicky's of this earth. If you've been following along with us, you can't help.

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But notice how tender Jesus has been to the bruised reeds and smoldering wicks in Galilee and Judea to the Jews, the Gentiles and those Samaritan half-breeds. In this episode, we get to the gospel writers account of Jesus going face to face with those bullies on the long winding streets of Jerusalem, Jesus returns to Jerusalem from Bethany for another day's ministry. During the week of Passover. In episode 90, we talked about the two times Jesus clears the temple. The second time is this very morning. This clearing of the temple is quite similar to what he did at the very beginning of his ministry.

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He overturns the tables of the money changers and those selling livestock. He them for turning his father's house into a den of thieves. But this time he adds what God had intended for his temple. My house shall be a house of prayer for all nations. After his house cleaning Jesus, doesn't depart. He settles in and begins. Teaching soon broken people come to him, needing his healing touch and he heals them and children start to sing and dance again. They start their Hosanna in the highest chants and songs. Again, the priests and scribes are incensed. Do you hear what they're saying? Jesus says, Oh my yes.

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Have you never read out of the mouths of infants and babes? You have ordained praise for yourself. There's some irony in there. He's speaking to the priests and scribes. Not only have they read that from Psalm eight, they've copied it down. Maybe 200 times. Jesus tells them David's words in Psalm eight are talking about today. Right here. Jesus continues to teach and preach the good news it's here. Jesus encounters wave. After wave of the religious bullies of Jerusalem. The first group comes up to him and challenges him with who gave you a 30 to do these things. Now, remember the crowds are surrounding Jesus and the bullies as they speak.

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Jesus replies, tell you what. I'll ask you a question. And if you answer me, I'll answer that question, John. The baptizer was he sent from God or was he just a man on his own mission? Tell me the bullies confer. They realize the crowd believed John. The baptizer was a great prophet. Maybe even the one coming in the spirit of Elijah, the 4runner to the Messiah. If we say he's from man, it isn't going to end well for us today, here with these people. But if we say from God, this Jesus guy is going to challenge us. Why we aren't following him and listening to him that Jesus is the Messiah trapped. They respond.

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We don't know. Jesus looks at them as if to say, you mean you won't say, and neither will I say where I get the authority to do these things. Jesus then inserts the parable of the two sons. We looked at this one in episode 99, the son who said to his father, I won't go to the vineyard, but changed his mind and did, and the son who said, yes, sir, I will. But didn't then Jesus weighs in on these bullies with this parable, the parable of the vineyard, there was a vineyard owner that had a beautiful vineyard. I mean, he'd done everything to it. He put a fence around it and a tower in it to protect it. He'd built a wine press in it to process the grapes.

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He leased it out to some tenants. At the end of the season, he sent his representative to get his share of the vintage wine, the rent, but the tenants beat up his representative. So he sent back another representative. They beat stoned and wounded. That guy, he sent wave after wave of representatives. Some they beat others. They killed finally, the vineyard owner said, I know what I'll do. I'll send my only beloved son. Certainly they will respect him and pay me the rent. But when that son came, the tenant said, Hey, this is the air. Come let's kill him. And we'll take the vineyard over for ourself. Jesus ends the parable by asking what will that vineyard owner do to those tenets?

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The bully is listening fall right into his hand with righteous indignation. They reply. He will destroy those wicked men with a miserable death and lease out the vineyard to others who will give him the rent when it's due. Now remember large crowds are surrounding Jesus in these bullies, listening to this parable, Jesus replies. So what you're saying is he'll come and destroy those vineyard renters and give the vineyard to others right now, listen to this truth. The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and shall be given to a nation that brings forth fruit. They suddenly get it and gasp God for bid, never Jesus.

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Then stared them down and said the stone, which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. And not only that God is doing this, and this is marvelous to see those scribes listening had also copied that some down several hundred times, that's from Psalm one 18 to the same places. The Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord passage. Jesus tells them that passage is being fulfilled in front of you today to the bullies. Want to arrest him right there. But again, they're surrounded by the people and they're just amazed at Jesus. They've been bullied by these religious leaders too.

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I picture those bullies trying to exit, but Jesus won't let them leave. He's got another parable to tell them the kingdom of heaven is like a King who threw a wedding feast for his son. When the feast was ready, he sent messengers to all his guests, tell them it's ready come. But the guests made light of it. They went about their business. They even roughed up and killed some of the messengers. The King was furious and sent soldiers to retaliate. He killed these wicked men and burned their cities. Then the King said, what do I do with all this wedding food? I know what I'll do. He said, go get whoever you can. I don't care if they're riff-raff bring whoever you can find. I want the reception hall full.

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So they go and find whoever they can get. They fill up the banquet hall, but Jesus continues as parable, but there's a guy in the banquet hall. Who's not wearing wedding attire. The implication is they grab these people off the street. So the King supplied the necessary attire. But this guy didn't seem to think it was necessary to follow the King's orders and put it on. Jesus finishes his parable. That guy throw him out way out, out where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth out. You're invited to the King's banquet, but you got to follow the King's rules to be chosen, to stay. I don't think the bullies missed the meaning of that parable.

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They were the ones initially invited to this big party, but they won't come. So God's going to fill this big party up with the people. They would have never thought to invite, but even those people, the riff-raff have to come the King's way. Another wave of bullies comes Pharisees and Herodians those loyal to Herod. They start by schmoozing Jesus. Then they try to put them in a box with a very difficult question. Jesus, tell us, is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? Should we pay the tax or shouldn't we, this is a lose lose. If Jesus says, no, you shouldn't pay it.

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He's seditious. And the Herodians will report him to Caesar. If he says, yes, he's a trader to the Jews in the crowd, listening, Jesus responds. Who's got a coin. Let me see a coin. Jesus holds the coin up and says, tell me whose images on this coin, Caesars the crowd replies give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, but give to God the things that belong to God, the crowd is amazed and the Pharisees slink away humiliated. But the sad Jessie bullies are right behind them with their own question. Teacher Moses wrote for us that if a man dies without a child, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.

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A man had seven brothers. He died and his widow married the next brother. He also died without a child and she married the next, the widow married all seven brothers and had no children. Then she too died in the resurrection whose wife will she be? Anyway. They all had her as wife in asking this question, the sad, just these tongues were nearly coming through their cheeks. They didn't believe in a resurrection. This life is all you had. And when you were dead, it was over no resurrection. And these are the people responsible as the chief priests of the Jewish religion. They justified that position because they only found the first five books of the old Testament.

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Authoritative gentlemen, you are so wrong. You don't know your scriptures or the power of God. Jesus then gives them a lecture about why there won't be marriage in heaven. I've got a great word picture about that, but I'm going to save it for another episode someday. Jesus challenges them. You reject the resurrection, but you accept Moses, right? The arms folded grumpy guys, not in agreement. You've heard about Moses in the burning Bush, right? Don't be stupid. Of course. So how did God identify himself to Moses at the burning Bush? One of them replies. I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob.

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Repeat that again for me. Would you? I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That's right. I am the guide. Abraham Isaac and Jacob died 400 years earlier. But God at the burning Bush says, I am their God. He's not the God of the dead, but of the living. You're really messed up. God said, they're living. The next challenge comes directly from a scribe. They're also called lawyers in the Bible law experts. You get that way when you copy the law over and over and over, he asked what appears to be an honest question. Teacher, which commandment in the law is the great one.

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Jesus repeats the Shema from Deuteronomy six. The Lord is one God. And you shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And the second is this. Love your neighbor as yourself on these two, hang all the law and the prophets. There is no greater commandment than these. The lawyer replies. You are right teacher and Jesus replies to him. You are not far from the kingdom of God. It's interesting to note Jesus added a word to the Shema. We are to love the Lord, our God, with all our mind, Jesus is tiring of these challenges by the bully authorities.

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He asked the bullies who is the Messiah, a Pharisee answers the son of David. So tell me if Messiah is David's son, how come David calls him my Lord? How could Messiah be a descendant of David? But David call him his master. One greater than him. They had no answers. And from now on, they had no more questions or interrogations. The religious bullies have been put to shame by the rabbi. Jesus, but Jesus, isn't finished with them. Looking around at the Vicky's in the crowd, the ones they had bullied, Jesus just goes off on them.

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He says to the crowd, these guys wear the long robes. They seek the places of honor the best seats in the temple. And they make long showy prayers, but they devour you widows in your homes. These bullies pile, religious burdens and duties on you until you're ready to break, but they won't lift a finger to help notice the fancy tassels on their garments listened to their fancy greetings in the marketplace. Hello teacher, hello father. How are you today master? But God is your father and your teacher and master is to be the Messiah. The Christ. Then Jesus speaks to the bullies, woe to you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites.

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You shut up the kingdom of heaven. So these dear people can't get in woe to you. Scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, you travel land and sea to make one convert. Then you make them twice the hell bound person. And you are what, what do you scribes? Pharisees, hiphop, but crits. You tie the nitpicky. Things like the herbs from your garden, but you ignore justice and mercy and faithfulness. You strain gnats out of your cups, but you swallow camels, woe to you. Scribes, Pharisees, HIPAA grits, your shiny clean cups on the outside full of filthy contents.

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You're whitewashed tombs with death and rod inside. You set up monument tombs to the profits and visit them. It's your father's who killed those profits and you'll kill and scourge and persecute the prophets and wise men and scribes I send to you. You're hopeless and you're doomed. And with those words, Jesus gets the last word. Maybe that day in the temple or in the streets on his way out or even outside the city, the gospel writers record Jesus saying this Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you killer of profits. Who've been sent to you. How I've longed to gather you like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you won't have it one day.

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You'll say, bless it. As he, you comes in the name of the Lord and through this entire day, the disciples are hanging on his, every word. They've got some questions for rabbi Jesus. One of those questions is rabbi Jesus. What do you mean by one day? You'll say bless it. As he who comes in the name of the Lord, I thought that was now. Jesus is going to help give an answer to that question. When is the day Jesus will be received as King in our next wordpicture.