E-pistle for October 16, 2009
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E-pistle
Dr. Dan Hite, President FreeWay Foundation October 16, 2009
Truths As Big As Camels
(Matthew 19:1-30)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Jesus taught about marriage, divorce, and celibacy, vv. 1-12.
2. Jesus blesses the little children, vv. 13-15.
3. Jesus counseled the rich young ruler to give away everything in
order to have treasure in heaven; Jesus invited him to become a
disciple, but the young man went away sorrowful, vv. 16-22.
4. Jesus used a camel to illustrate that salvation is impossible without
God; He promised rich rewards to those who followed Him, and He
stated: "Many who are first will be last, and the last first," vv. 23-30.
II. Meditation: on two "big as camel" truths in Scripture
"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich
man to enter the kingdom of God," Matthew 19:24.
"Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel," Matthew 23:24.
1. Dependence upon material possessions, rather than upon God, prevents
rich persons (and poor persons) from entering the kingdom.
2. Riches are not necessarily a sign of God's approval and blessing.
3. Jesus' illustration of the camel and the eye of the needle taught the
utter impossibility of a man's saving himself.
4. Legalistic good works, without a genuine heart conversion, are fruitless . . .
impossible to swallow; blind persons do not perceive the difference between
major and minor things (gnats/camels) in God's sight.
III. Revelation: on the spiritual implications seen in verse 24
1. A Jerusalem gate named "Eye of a Needle" is interpretive fiction; no such
gate exists.
2. Liberal scholars here translate "camel" as "rope," and/or they translate
"needle's eye" as "gate" . . . greatly dulling the impact of Jesus' teaching,
that salvation is impossible through a man's good works.
3. If the "needle" were a gate, the camel could unburden itself, get down on
its knees, and squeeze through the narrow door into the city of God.
This is a false picture; salvation is not by works, but by faith!
4. Only God's miraculous power can save a sinner, v. 26.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Put my faith in God, not in physical things.
2. Accept as truth Jesus' plain, unmistakable word in Scripture.
3. Perceive the difference between minor, physical (gnat-sized) things and
major, spiritual (camel-sized) things.
4. Worship Almighty God as the one and only source of my salvation.
A Day's Pay For A Day's Work
(Matthew 20:1-34)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Jesus told the parable of the workers in the vineyard, vv. 1-16.
2. Jesus again predicted His coming death and resurrection, vv. 17-19.
3. When the mother of James and John asked Jesus to make her sons
high officials in His kingdom, Jesus taught that true greatness is
found in serving others, vv. 20-28.
4. Jesus healed two blind men on the road to Jericho, vv. 29-34.
II. Meditation: on the parable about workers in the vineyard
1. God is the "landowner" and He sets the wages, v. 1.
2. Christians are the laborers who agree to God's terms, v. 2.
3. Laborers were not paid on the basis of the total hours they worked,
but on their faithfulness to their opportunity, vv. 8-12.
4. "Denarius" was a typical day's wage . . . so the landowner paid each
laborer the amount needed to sustain his life for that one day.
Salvation is equally offered to all . . . to the early workers (children) and
the later workers (senior adults) . . . to the worthy and the unworthy;
all person are recipients of God's amazing grace.
III. Observations: on some spiritual implications seen here
1. Why does God call some early in life and some others late in life?
He has a purpose that we often do not see.
2. Persons seldom volunteer to work; most wait until someone asks them
and assigns them tasks to accomplish.
3. This lesson is about God's grace extended not only to the Jews (12-hour
workers) but also to the Gentiles (other workers).
4. "First and last" . . . "many called but few chosen" . . . these phrases refer
to Jesus' ministry to both Jews and Gentiles . . . and to the responses of
these groups.
IV. Revelation: on God's call and His character
1. God has a purpose for every life; for every stage (hour) of life.
2. God does call workers into His service, and the choice is His.
3. His "payday" is fair: "Whatever is right, I will give you,: vv. 4, 7.
We must not be jealous of God's blessings upon another person!
4. The bottom line is God's sovereignty; He does what He pleases, when He
pleases, and how He pleases, v. 15.
V. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Recognize that God has a divine purpose/destiny for my life.
2. Respond immediately to His call and assignment.
3. Rely upon His goodness, grace, justice, and mercy in rewarding my service
to Him . . . on the basis of my faithfulness to his call.
4. Rest in the knowledge that God my Father is in control of everything.
"Truth is the property of no individual but is the treasure of all men."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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