​Shine!
 
    Do you shine like a light in darkness? Are we like a city on a hill, a shinning city that is so bright and desirable that others are drawn into the light? I often reflect on this, did I shine today, did I shine while I was talking to so and so? When I went shopping today, did I shine? This is important, we need to check ourselves against what is being asked of us. Am I asked to shine? Yes! We are asked to shine by Jesus, and the apostle Paul.
 
Matthew 5:14-16 NRSV
"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
 
    Jesus, as he gives the sermon on the mount, does more than ask us to be lights, I believe Jesus is telling us, as a command, to shine. A city on a hill can not help but be seen at night as the collective light from each home and business are shinning as one. Flying at night was always fascinating to me because at 25,000 feet in the air it is dark. But as you look down and see some dark patches, mostly you will see were cities, towns, and villages are because the are very bright. If you fly over the ocean at night this is even more spectacular. In Jesus day it was even darker away from a city making the city even brighter. Jesus wants his hearers to shine. What is it like in the Kingdom of God? It is bright!
 
    There is something more to shinning. Jesus might have said shine so you can spread my message of repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. We might say Paul tells to shine as lights in the world to magnify Jesus, the savior of the world. Some might say we shine with good works, brining light to sin or immoral works of the world. All of these are correct but there is more.
 
John 1:3-5,9 NRSV
All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.…The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
 
    Jesus life was the light. His life is what was shining. When Peter, James, and John saw Jesus glorified, shining incredibly bright, they were seeing more than bright light, they were seeing his life as it was beyond the fleshly body. Remember when Paul says later that we do not remember Jesus in the flesh any longer? I believe that Paul is recalling his own encounter with Jesus as a light so bright that he was blinded. That was the Lord Jesus Christ! This is the true light that came into the world, so bright that darkness could not wrap it up. Jonathan Mitchell’s New Testament translation brings out a wonderful idea about what this light was.
 
“Furthermore, the Light progressively came to be the life known as "humanity," and was for human beings…” -JMNT
 
    In Genesis 2, a man was created. That man, Adam, should have stayed around the garden a little longer. If he had, eventually, I believe, he would have been able to show us what being a human was all about. Instead, Adam and Eve chose to try and skip ahead of God and missed the rest of their growth. The results were staggering. Jesus came as a light to the world. Jesus light did not become progressively brighter. What is progressively revealed is that Jesus life was true humanity. I say “is” rather than “was” because I believe this progressive revelation is on-going, even today. Jesus came to show what it meant to be human, all the way to the cross. All of us arrive to this conclusion at various times in our lives, and we show it, shining bright, in various ways.
 
    The life of the cross was the pinnacle of what human existence should look like, perfectly self-giving.   

Psalms 46:8-11 Brenton LXX 
(8) Come, and behold the works of the Lord, what wonders he has achieved on the earth.  (9)  Putting an end to wars as for the ends of the earth; he will crush the bow, and break in pieces the weapon, and burn the bucklers with fire.  (10)  Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.  (11)  The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our helper.
 
    Be still and know. The Psalm is praising God for all that He is and has done. God is our fortress, a theme that recalls war and conquering armies of heaven. To the ancient Israelites God was called on for help in battling enemies and protecting their lands. This is what I find so amazing about this Psalm, it begins with God as a powerful protector against angry waves and shaking mountains, and nations in chaos. In most English translations God is said to have wrought great scenes of desolation and at his voice the earth melts. The scene is different in the Septuagint, the selection I chose. In this translation God has achieved wonders, miracles, things to look on and make the heart glad and still. Be still, have peace and comfort in who God is. God put an end to wars and broke the weapons used to sow chaos.
 
    God has taken the chaos surrounding Israel and brought peace to their hearts. This is a miracle. The word “miracle”, as used in the Septuagint, is found many other times, and was often used to describe the wonders that Moses and Aaron did before the Pharaoh in Egypt. God performed these miracles through two faithful men. Moses was in constant contact with God and expressed worry and self-doubt. Moses made it through with God’s mighty help, a refuge for Moses to get him through. Hebrews 11 tells us that Moses was faithful, he followed his Savior, he communicated with his Savior for strength and peace.
 
    When I read such passages I stop and wonder, at times, why I do not do the same? God is with me, always and yet I do not always call on Him for peace. Things around us are often chaotic and seem hopeless, strained, and impossible. It seems there is so much going on around us and it is too easy to forget that God is with us. The world takes over and we slip into the frenzy. God can do miracles. This is what Israel found out and what the Psalmist reflects on. Did the mountains literally shake? Was the water in an uproar and foaming? Did God cause them to cease their roaring and rumbling? No, this is all poetic prose. Israel had real enemies and fought very real battles. They suffered casualties and death, and lost land, and homes. But they sought help from their LORD, and according to Psalm 46, he brought them peace.
 
    Be still and know that God is with us. No matter what we are going through, God is our refuge. For us, the miracle might not be a dissolution of our situation, it might be as simple as finding a little peace and confidence. The Message Bible by Eugene Peterson offers a different take on verse 10; "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything." This is perfect, “step out of the traffic”. Sometimes stepping out of the traffic is exactly what we need. Step out and pray, for anything, just talk with your savior, your refuge that is within you, the bringer of peace. There is some terribly busy traffic in the world today and rather than letting the traffic overwhelm us, we should take some time and shut it off, or shut it out. Rather than merging with the traffic or opening a new path for it to flow, stand against it and stand firmly, with the peace of God. This is what we are called to do as believers today. The Kingdom of God asks us to stand in peace against the tides of chaos. So, not only should we get out of the traffic and pray for our own sanity, we should do it because it is our responsibility, and the way God wants us to conduct ourselves in the world. A people who shine bright in the traffic, full of joy and peace. 

"What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him. 
(Matthew 21:28-32 NRSV)

I love the two parables in Matthew 21 regarding vineyards. Vineyards are a also used in the prophets as allegory or parable. A similar use by Jesus can be used beyond theological beliefs and opinions. There are simple truths to be gleaned from these parables, reminders of who we are as believers or followers of Jesus, whether in the context of Israel and the coming and present kingdom, or as we are in Christ. 

Jesus is addressing the religious leadership, those who are actually keeping people out of the kingdom. I would like to think at least some of them did so ignorantly, but I am sure others did so with intention. That is what is told here, in the parable of the two sons. The first says no, I will not work in the vineyard today, but later has a change of heart, a repentance. The second, I used to see as a liar, says yes but then also has a change of heart. Where the second was a liar, to me, I now can also see as one who truly desired to do the right thing but was swayed either by others or by the daunting task ahead. We could view both as believers, both see the suffering and sacrifice of the labor. One has some personal issues, taken from how Jesus answers with prostitutes and tax collectors, the lowest sinners, whether or not they are followers of Christ. The second seems to be in good standing.

I am sure in Jesus' day there were sinful followers. Today we are sure of it, though washed clean, we still have our faults. I have come to believe on principle that I can not say some faults are worse than others, in general sense. We all have them. I think this is one area we get in trouble as those who are suppose to manifesting the grace of God. In this first parable the point seems to be clearly made. The ones who first said no I believe to equated with the sinners. They went and worked to bring the harvest. Is sin important? Of course it is, but I see Jesus saying that in this case, it is the labor of the harvest that he is looking for, not the personal failings of the laborers. There is grace here. The second son, or group, is called out simply for not laboring. The apparent 'goodness' is left out of consideration. This no doubt angered the hearers. Jesus is saying that the sinner who labored go in ahead of the 'righteous', or more properly, the 'self-righteous'.

Unfortunately this is a common scene today, as it was then. We have all heard stories of those who are not followers that see the poor witness of a proclaimed follower and therefor are turned away due to hypocrisy. Can you see this parable from inside the fellowship as well? Paul warns of both behaviors as being detrimental to our calling throughout his letters. Jesus is looking to the inside, and warning, hoping for repentance. 

As there was grace towards the sinning laborers, we can find grace towards other biblical people as well. Abraham is mentioned in Romans 4, Galatians 3, and Hebrews 11 with praise for his faithfulness, his belief in God and his willingness to follow God. No mention is made of Abraham's failings, of which there were at least a few. God remembers Abraham for his faithful labor. This is the testimony we ought to follow. We should not be questioning others faithfulness based on outward appearances. There is no 'unfairness' involved. The evidence Jesus sought against the religious leadership was self-incriminating, not a position we should ever find ourselves to be in. Serve God as you are able and be thankful for the service of others, no matter your view of outward perceptions. 

Jesus mentions John the Baptist as having told both groups, all of the people, as such there is no excuse. I think this statement worsens the entire outlook for the religious and self-righteous. Here, they are told that they saw the others working. This in itself was a indication of what was being called for, the call of the kingdom looked for labor. These folks watched the labor of the first, the sinners, yet did nothing. They were still relying on their supposed righteousness to speak for them. Even though Jesus still calls the first sinners, I wonder if they had changed as they labored, as they grew in their purpose. The growth was not due to rules and regulation, but to experience through labor. Jesus uses their formerly known associations as further evidence of faithfulness and to drive home the parable. Jesus had more to say...