Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’”
My Thoughts
This is one of those quotes from Jesus that doesn’t preach well to a congregation that only wants a loving Savior and not a Lord with expectations. Jesus is clearly expressing in story form what He not only desires of every follower but demands. Jesus talks about fruit (or fruitlessness) a lot. He says that we know a tree by its fruit (Matthew 7:16-20), that we can’t bear fruit without Him (John 15:5), bearing much fruit glorifies the Father (John 15:8), and He sent us to bear fruit (John 15:16). And I think He even gives us an object lesson before His entry into Jerusalem when He curses the fig tree (Matthew 21:18–22). The writers of the rest of the New Testament have some things to say about bearing fruit as well. Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The writer of Hebrews describes praise and worship as “the fruit of lips that confess His name” (Hebrews 13:15). James says righteousness is “sown in peace by those who make peace.” Peace-making produces righteous fruit (James 3:17-18). And Peter teaches that growing in Christian virtues keeps believers from being “unfruitful” in the knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8). Just to name a few.
So what is the fruit Jesus and His Apostles are talking about? It can be several things:
Repentance
Christlike character
Obedience
Holiness
Good works
Perseverance
Worship and praise
Generosity
Disciple-making
Kingdom impact
Righteous living
Spiritual maturity
But if we spend all our time just defining what spiritual fruit looks like without actually bearing it, we miss the heart of Jesus’ parable. The Master expects a harvest. He is incredibly patient with us, graciously supplying the soil, the water, fertilizer, and the time we need to grow. But as we see in Luke 13:6-9, that patience isn’t a pass for endless stagnation. A tree that continually refuses to yield fruit is eventually “cut down.”
When it comes to discipleship, our responsibility doesn’t stop at our own personal growth. We are called to instruct, encourage, and boldly exhort those we are discipling to step into that same fruitful reality. We have to be willing to pass on both the gracious, high expectations of the Master, as well as His sobering warnings.
My Story
For a few years, Deb and I spent our summers in New York. We rented a small one-bedroom apartment with a beautiful private entryway — stone walls on either side, and neglected garden plots lining the walkway. You could tell someone had tended them once, but the beds had long since been overtaken by weeds. The one conspicuous exception was a single type of flower — Impatiens — a single color, scattered sporadically throughout the overgrowth, quietly thriving despite being nearly hidden from view.
I’m no green thumb — quite the opposite, really — but we decided to clean the beds up and plant more of what was already doing well. Impatiens it was.
We headed to the local Home Depot and bought three dozen little planters. It wouldn’t come close to filling all the space we’d cleared, but it was a start — more of an experiment than anything else. We got them in the ground, added a little fertilizer, and kept them watered. If you know anything about Impatiens, you know they have little seedling pods that pop when you touch them. They literally explode with seeds and can cover a pretty good area in no time. By the end of that summer both sides of the walkway were filled with color. The neighbors even started commenting on our horticultural expertise. Ha!
We were so pleased with those little flowers that we’d sit out on the stoop just to admire them. There was something wonderful about watching something so simple become something so beautiful — the seedlings dropping and spreading until the whole walkway was covered in blooms.
I’m sure God feels the same way about our fruitfulness.
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some ideas:
Conduct a focused Bible study specifically on “fruit.”
Discuss with those you are discipling what it truly means to bear fruit in their lives.
Identify the categories of spiritual fruit present in your life and pinpoint areas for improvement.
The Master’s expectation is clear: our lives must produce fruit. The challenge lies in identifying what that Biblical fruit is, and actively producing it. Let’s commit to being fruitful disciples of Jesus and help those we disciple do the same, moving beyond definition to demonstration.
Esta es una de esas citas de Jesús que no resulta fácil de predicar ante una congregación que solo desea un Salvador amoroso, y no un Señor con expectativas. Jesús expresa claramente, a través de una historia, aquello que no solo desea de cada seguidor, sino que también exige. Jesús habla mucho acerca del fruto (o de la falta de fruto). Él dice que conocemos al árbol por sus frutos (Mateo 7:16-20), que no podemos dar fruto sin Él (Juan 15:5), que dar mucho fruto glorifica al Padre (Juan 15:8), y que Él nos envió para dar fruto (Juan 15:16). Y creo que incluso nos ofrece una lección práctica, justo antes de su entrada en Jerusalén, cuando maldice la higuera (Mateo 21:18–22). Los autores del resto del Nuevo Testamento también tienen algo que decir sobre el dar fruto. Pablo habla del fruto del Espíritu (Gálatas 5:22-23). El autor de Hebreos describe la alabanza y la adoración como «el fruto de labios que confiesan su nombre» (Hebreos 13:15). Santiago afirma que la justicia es «sembrada en paz por aquellos que hacen la paz». El hacer la paz produce un fruto de justicia (Santiago 3:17-18). Y Pedro enseña que crecer en las virtudes cristianas evita que los creyentes sean «infructuosos» en el conocimiento de Cristo (2 Pedro 1:5-8). Por nombrar solo algunos ejemplos.
Entonces, ¿a qué fruto se refieren Jesús y sus apóstoles? Puede tratarse de varias cosas:
Arrepentimiento
Carácter semejante al de Cristo
Obediencia
Santidad
Buenas obras
Perseverancia
Adoración y alabanza
Generosidad
Hacer discípulos
Impacto en el Reino
Vida justa
Madurez espiritual
Pero si pasamos todo nuestro tiempo simplemente definiendo cómo es el fruto espiritual sin llegar a producirlo realmente, nos perdemos el corazón de la parábola de Jesús. El Maestro espera una cosecha. Él es increíblemente paciente con nosotros, proveyendo con gracia la tierra, el agua, el abono y el tiempo que necesitamos para crecer. Pero, como vemos en Lucas 13:6-9, esa paciencia no constituye un permiso para una inactividad perpetua. Un árbol que se niega continuamente a dar fruto termina siendo «cortado». En lo que respecta al discipulado, nuestra responsabilidad no se limita a nuestro propio crecimiento personal. Estamos llamados a instruir, alentar y exhortar con valentía a aquellos a quienes discipulamos, para que entren en esa misma realidad fructífera. Debemos estar dispuestos a transmitir tanto las benévolas y elevadas expectativas del Maestro, como sus serias advertencias.
Mi Historia
Durante unos años, Deb y yo pasamos nuestros veranos en Nueva York. Alquilamos un pequeño apartamento de un dormitorio con una hermosa entrada privada: muros de piedra a ambos lados y unos parterres descuidados que bordeaban el sendero. Se notaba que alguien los había cuidado en el pasado, pero hacía mucho tiempo que la maleza se había apoderado de ellos. La única excepción notable eran los pensamientos: de un solo color, dispersos esporádicamente entre la vegetación silvestre, prosperando silenciosamente a pesar de estar casi ocultos a la vista.
No tengo mano para la jardinería —más bien todo lo contrario, a decir verdad—, pero decidimos limpiar los parterres y plantar más de aquello que ya estaba prosperando. Y así, nos decidimos por los pensamientos.
Fuimos al Home Depot local y compramos tres docenas de pequeñas macetas. Aquello no bastaría ni de lejos para llenar todo el espacio que habíamos despejado, pero era un comienzo; más que nada, un experimento. Los plantamos en la tierra, añadimos un poco de fertilizante, los regamos con regularidad y, para el final de aquel verano, ambos lados del sendero estaban rebosantes de color. Los vecinos incluso empezaron a comentar nuestra pericia en la jardinería.
Quedamos tan complacidos con aquellas florecillas que solíamos sentarnos en el porche solo para admirarlas. Había algo maravilloso en ver cómo algo tan sencillo se transformaba en algo tan hermoso: las plantitas echando raíces y extendiéndose hasta que todo el sendero quedaba cubierto de flores.
Estoy seguro de que Dios siente lo mismo respecto a nuestra propia fecundidad.
Nuestro Plan de Acción
Ahora es el momento de la aplicación. Aquí tienes algunas ideas:
Realiza un estudio bíblico enfocado específicamente en el «fruto».
Conversa con aquellos a quienes estás discipulando sobre lo que significa verdaderamente dar fruto en sus vidas.
Identifica las categorías de fruto espiritual presentes en tu propia vida y señala las áreas que requieren mejora.
La expectativa del Maestro es clara: nuestras vidas deben producir fruto. El desafío radica en identificar cuál es ese fruto bíblico y producirlo activamente. Comprometámonos a ser discípulos fructíferos de Jesús y ayudemos a quienes discipulamos a hacer lo mismo, pasando de la definición a la demostración.
Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)
Introduction
In this essay we will look at a set of evaluation criteria the King uses for entrance into His eternal kingdom and for those who will enter into eternal punishment. We will also look at other Biblical criteria for the same. We will define eternal life and eternal punishment.
Key Words and Phrases
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. – Jesus acknowledges that not only do we enter into His kingdom, we also co-reign with Him. This has been established for us before the beginning of time. (Ephesians 1:4, 2:6-7, 2:4-10, Hebrews 12:28)
You did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me. & You did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. – Jesus and the Apostles taught that one could not love God without loving people. (Matthew 22:37-40; 1 John 4:20-21; John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:7-8)
Eternal punishment – Hell is a very real place for very real people. If you believe in Jesus, you must believe what He said (and He said a lot about Hell). (Matthew 5:22, 29-30; 7:19; 8:12; 10:28; 13:40-42, 49-50; 18:8-9; 22:13; 23:33; 24:51; 25:30, 41, 46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 12:5; Luke 16:23-26)
Eternal life – Jesus clearly defines eternal life; “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3) This is not intellectual assent. It is experiential by following His example and living out our image of God. Eternal life is being in and with Him for all eternity starting the moment one repents and believes. (Romans 6:23)
Messianic Model – Focus on Jesus’ example
Jesus did not just come to earth as God although He was and is 100% God from eternity past to eternity future. (John 1:1-2, Revelation 22:13) But Jesus also came as a man and took on flesh and lived as we do. (John 1:14, Hebrews 2:17) He modeled what it looks like to be a kingdom citizen and lived out the values of loving as He is directing us to live by in this passage. (John 3:16; 13:34-35; 15:13) Jesus showed us what eternal life looks like on this side of heaven.
Key Theological Implications
We have been given a kingdom – We were created and commanded to have dominion, to rule. (Genesis 1:26–28) Many of the parables Jesus taught were about God’s expectations of our rulership. (Matthew 21:33-46; 25:14-30, Luke 16:1-13, 19:11-27) And we will co-reign with Him. (Matthew 19:28; 25:34, 1 Peter 2:9)
Salvation by Works? – As stated earlier in our study of the kingdom we have seen Jesus intimate that salvation or entering the kingdom comes through the merit of good deeds. This can be confusing when compared to His other statements of entrance through grace and the rest of the New Testament’s focus. That is why context is so important. Context meaning the whole of what is intended for understanding and not just snippets or sound bites that could lead to false interpretations. We have three levels of Biblical context;
Immediate Context – within the chapter in which the verse is found
Book Context – the entire book written by a particular author
Biblical Context – the whole of Scripture inspired by God
When Matthew 25:31-46 is tested with these three elements, we will see that salvation is by grace and not merit.
Immediate Context –
Verse 34 says, “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” These are people who are blessed by God indicating His grace upon them. The kingdom is inherited, it is a gift, not earned, pointing to God’s prior work and grace. The kingdom is described as prepared…before the foundation of the world. This pre-existence of the kingdom emphasizes God’s initiative, purpose, and grace apart from human achievement.
The “righteous” are surprised by the evaluation of their actions (vv. 37-39), suggesting they weren’t acting to earn salvation, but out of identity and relationship. Their righteousness appears as fruit rather than the basis of their standing before God.
Context in the book of Matthew –
Matthew 20:1–16 – Parable of the Vineyard Workers – We have already studied this parable where the workers in the vineyard are paid the same wages, no matter how long or hard they worked. The parable points to the grace and generosity of God.
Matthew 19:25–26 – “Who Then Can Be Saved?” – When Jesus is explaining the tragic dilemma of wealthy people trying to make it into heaven He says “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.” The disciples respond with this question, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus’ answer clearly points to the grace of God, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Biblical Context –
In the Gospel of John, when Jesus is asked about the “work of God” that leads to eternal life, He says, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” In Ephesians the Apostle Paul clearly states that salvation is an act of grace by God based on our faith and is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). And in Titus he writes; “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5) We could go to many other such passages to make this case.
Works are a result of the grace of God in people by their faith. Even our faith is a gift from God (Romans 12:3). Therefore, when sizing up Jesus’ apparent “salvation by merit” in this passage we can safely assume that it was by grace that they were able to do such good works.
Contemporary Spiritual Significance
As one reads this passage of the judgement the result should lead to introspection. “Am I doing the kind of things Jesus is talking about?” If the answer is yes, then we must thank God that He has blessed us with the energy and where with all to perform such acts of love. If the answer is no, we should follow the Apostle Paul’s advice to the Corinthians;
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5)
The Transformative Power of Loving People
Jesus commands His disciples;
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Loving people the way Jesus loves us transforms us into people who are becoming like Him. We are following His example. We are also learning who He is by obeying His command and His disclosure of Himself to us. We have assurance that the grace of God is working in us and that our inheritance of the kingdom is secure. This makes for loving, secure, and confident people living out their identity and purpose as image bearers of God.
Conclusion
Jesus’ list of loving people which is translated into actually loving Him is not a prerequisite for entrance into His kingdom as much as these are the fruits of faith in the King. They are the natural by-product of one’s faith in an all loving, gracious God who has chosen them before the foundation of the world. As disciples of Jesus we are simply walking in the good works by the grace of God set before us. (Ephesians 2:10)
Disciple-Maker’s Short Story
Above the Clouds
The Boeing 737 MAX climbed through twenty-three thousand feet, Atlanta still two hours away. Captain Don Mercer watched the autopilot hold the climb rate steady while his hands rested loosely on his thighs—present but uninvolved, the way a parent watches a teenager parallel park.
“Dallas Departure, Skyward 447, leveling two-four-zero,” Ben Castellano said into his headset, his voice carrying that fresh precision of a pilot still in love with every transmission.
“Skyward 447, roger. Contact Atlanta Center on one-two-four-point-eight-five.”
Ben acknowledged and made the frequency change. Through the windscreen, cumulus clouds drifted past like thoughts that couldn’t quite form themselves into rain. Don stretched, felt his spine crack, and pressed the call button for the flight attendant.
“Coffee?” he asked Ben.
“Always.”
They’d been flying together for eight months now—long enough for Don to recognize the weight behind Ben’s silences, the way questions brewed in him like those clouds outside, building density before they finally broke open.
Sarah appeared in the doorway with the coffee pot already in hand. “Thought you might be ready,” she said, pouring into Don’s cup first, then Ben’s. The aroma filled the cockpit—rich, slightly burned, perfect.
“You’re a mind reader,” Don said.
“Twenty-two years doing this, I better be.” She disappeared back into the cabin.
Ben wrapped both hands around his cup, staring at the steam. The engines hummed their constant song, that white noise that made the cockpit feel like a confessional booth at thirty-eight thousand feet.
“So I’ve been reading,” Ben finally said.
Don waited. He’d learned that with Ben, you didn’t rush. The kid—though at thirty-two he wasn’t really a kid—processed things deeply, turned them over like stones looking for what lived underneath.
“Matthew 25. The sheep and goats thing.”
“Ah.” Don took a sip, let the heat spread through his chest. “That’s a heavy one for a Tuesday morning.”
“It’s Wednesday.”
“Is it?” Don smiled. “See, this is why I need a co-pilot.”
Ben didn’t smile back. His jaw worked like he was chewing on something bitter. “It’s messing with my head, Don. Jesus is literally saying—feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting prisoners—that’s how you get into heaven. Or don’t. It’s right there. ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire.’ Because they didn’t do those things.”
The TCAS display showed clear air ahead. Atlanta Center came through with a heading change for traffic. Ben acknowledged mechanically, adjusted course two degrees, then looked back at Don.
“That’s works-based salvation,” Ben continued. “That’s everything I thought Christianity wasn’t. I thought we were saved by grace, through faith. Not by checking boxes on some cosmic to-do list.”
Don set his cup in the holder and reached for his tablet, pulling up his Bible app. The screen glowed in the dim cockpit lighting. He’d had this conversation before—with himself, with other pilots, with his own son who was now flying C-130s for the Air Force.
“Can I show you something?” Don asked.
Ben nodded, leaning over.
Don found Matthew 25 and zoomed in on verse 34. “Look at this. ‘Come, you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'”
“Okay?”
“‘Prepared for you from the foundation of the world,'” Don repeated. “Before creation. Before you did anything good or bad, before you existed—the kingdom was already prepared. You inherit it. You don’t earn an inheritance, Ben. You receive it.”
Ben’s forehead creased. Outside, they punched through a thin layer of cirrus, and for a moment the sun flared directly into the cockpit before the auto-dimming windscreen compensated.
“And look at their reaction,” Don continued, scrolling down. “Verses 37 through 39. The righteous are completely surprised. ‘When did we see you hungry? When did we visit you in prison?’ They’re genuinely confused. These aren’t people who kept a spreadsheet of good deeds hoping to score points. They didn’t even realize they were doing anything special.”
“But Jesus still judges them based on what they did.”
“Or what they did reveals what they were.” Don paused, searching for the right words. “Think about flying. When did you know you wanted to be a pilot?”
The question caught Ben off-guard. “I don’t know. Seven? Eight? My dad took me to an air show.”
“And from then on, everything you did pointed that direction. Flight simulator games, aviation books, model planes, getting your private license at seventeen. You weren’t trying to become someone who loved flying. You were someone who loved flying, and everything flowed from that.”
Ben’s eyes narrowed, following the logic.
“The sheep in this passage—they’re people who’ve been transformed by grace. They’ve encountered the living God, and it’s changed them at the root level. So when they see someone hungry, they don’t calculate whether feeding them will improve their salvation score. They just… feed them. It’s who they’ve become.”
Don scrolled back up. “Look at verse 34 again. ‘Blessed of my Father.’ They’re already blessed. The blessing came first. Everything else is fruit.”
“But the goats—”
“Same thing, opposite direction. They call Him ‘Lord,’ notice that? Verse 44. They use the right religious language. But their hearts are unchanged. Grace hasn’t penetrated. So when they see suffering, they step over it because they’ve never been broken by their own need for mercy.”
Ben sat back, processing. Don watched him the way he’d watch a student pilot processing a complex approach—letting the information settle, waiting for the connection to form.
“So it’s not that doing good works saves you,” Ben said slowly. “It’s that being saved produces good works.”
“As inevitably as thrust produces forward motion.” Don tapped the throttles. “We don’t sit here wondering if these engines will work. They work because they’re functioning engines. When they stop working, we know something’s broken internally.”
“James chapter 2,” Ben murmured. “Faith without works is dead.”
“Not because works make faith alive. Because living faith can’t help but produce works. Dead faith produces nothing, which reveals it was never actually faith at all—just intellectual agreement.”
The radio crackled with another handoff. Ben took it, his voice steady, professional. When he clicked off, he said, “But Paul says in Ephesians—what is it, 2:8?—that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works.”
“Verse 9, yeah. ‘Not by works, so that no one can boast.'” Don pulled up Ephesians on the tablet. “But look at verse 10. Nobody ever quotes verse 10.”
Ben leaned in.
“‘For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.’ The works were prepared. Past tense. Before you got there. You’re walking into works that God already laid out. You’re not earning anything—you’re living out your identity.”
Ben was quiet for a long moment. Below them, the landscape unfolded—tiny towns, roads like veins, a river catching sunlight. From up here, you could see patterns invisible from the ground.
“It’s like…” Ben struggled for words. “It’s like the judgment in Matthew 25 isn’t really about the works themselves. It’s about what the works reveal about whether grace has actually done its work inside you.”
“Exactly.” Don felt the satisfaction of watching someone break through. “The sheep don’t even recognize themselves as righteous. They’re surprised by the King’s assessment. They were just being who they’d become. The goats don’t recognize themselves as unrighteous either—they thought their religious vocabulary was enough.”
“So when Jesus says, ‘Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me’—that’s not a threat. That’s an invitation to see Him everywhere.”
“In every face twisted by hunger or loneliness or suffering. Yeah.” Don’s voice softened. “That’s what stops me cold, Ben. When I drive past a homeless guy, am I seeing Jesus and choosing to ignore Him? When I’m too busy for my wife, too distracted for my kids—am I too busy for Christ?”
The weight of it settled between them. The engines hummed. Somewhere in the cabin behind them, 147 passengers were reading, sleeping, arguing, dreaming—each one carrying their own complexity, their own dignities and wounds.
“The thing that gets me,” Don said after a while, “is how Jesus lived it. He wasn’t running around trying to qualify for heaven. He was heaven, walking on dirt roads, and everywhere He went—the hungry got fed, the sick got healed, the outcasts got invited in. Not as a program. As the natural overflow of who He was.”
“He showed us what eternal life looks like before we die,” Ben said quietly.
“That’s good. That’s really good.” Don nodded. “Eternal life isn’t just duration—living forever. It’s quality. It’s knowing God. Jesus says that explicitly in John 17: ‘This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.’ Not know about. Know. Intimately. Experientially.”
“And if you know Him—really know Him—you become like Him.”
“You can’t help but become like Him. Love stops being an obligation and becomes an instinct.” Don paused. “Most days I fail at it spectacularly. But the grace is, even my failures don’t disqualify me. They drive me back to the cross, where the whole thing started anyway.”
Ben stared out at the clouds. “I think I’ve been scared,” he admitted. “Scared that I’m not doing enough. That when I stand before Him, He’s going to tally it all up and I’ll fall short.”
“You will fall short. So will I. That’s why we needed Jesus in the first place.” Don’s voice was gentle. “But falling short doesn’t mean falling away. The sheep in Matthew 25—they’re not perfect. They’re His. There’s a difference.”
“His,” Ben repeated, tasting the word.
“Listen,” Don said, pulling up one more passage. “Second Corinthians 13:5. Paul tells people, ‘Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.’ Notice he doesn’t say, ‘Count your good works.’ He says, ‘Is Christ in you?'”
“And if Christ is in you—”
“His life flows through you. Sometimes in ways you don’t even notice until He points them out on the last day, and you’re standing there surprised, saying, ‘When did we see you hungry?'”
The sun had climbed higher now, and the quality of light changed—harder, clearer. Don checked the fuel, the weather ahead, all the small rituals that kept them safe at this speed and altitude.
“You know what scares me more than the judgment?” Don said. “The idea that I could go through my whole life with Jesus-vocabulary and church-attendance and theological correctness, but never be transformed. Never have my heart broken for what breaks His. Never learn to see Him in ‘the least of these.'”
“The goats,” Ben said.
“Yeah. They’re not atheists. They call Him Lord. But they never learned to love.” Don turned to look at Ben fully. “That’s what this passage should do to us. Not terrify us into performing, but wreck us with the realization that we’re called to something so much deeper than religion. We’re called to be like Him.”
Ben’s throat worked. “I want that. God help me, I want to be like Him.”
“Then you’re already on the path, brother. Because that desire? That’s not self-generated. That’s the Spirit at work. And what He starts, He finishes.”
The radio called for another frequency change. They were beginning their descent now, the long gradual slope toward Atlanta. Ben took the call, then reached forward to begin the pre-descent checklist. But his movements were different now—less mechanical, more thoughtful.
“Don?” he said after a moment.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“Anytime. That’s what the kingdom looks like—people helping each other see Jesus more clearly.”
As they descended through layers of atmosphere, Ben found himself praying silently—a wordless offering that took in Don, the passengers behind them, the broken world spinning below, and his own stumbling attempts to love well. He thought about Matthew 25, about sheep and goats, about mercy and judgment.
But mostly he thought about the King who came not to be served but to serve, who touched lepers and washed feet and died for his enemies. The one who said, “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me,” not as a test to pass but as an invitation to a life so saturated with grace that love became inevitable.
The kingdom prepared before the foundation of the world.
The inheritance already secured.
The works already laid out, waiting to be walked into.
Outside the cockpit windows, Atlanta rose up to meet them—a sprawl of humanity, millions of stories intersecting in the Georgia clay. And somewhere down there, people were hungry, lonely, imprisoned by a thousand different chains.
Ben prayed he would have eyes to see them.
And hands willing to serve.
“Atlanta Center, Skyward 447, descending to one-zero-thousand,” Ben said.
At that time some of those present told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. To this He replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered this fate? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam collapsed on them: Do you think that they were more sinful than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
My Thoughts
When we hear about horrific tragedies like those described in this passage, we often jump to the conclusion that the victims did something to deserve it. This is exactly the assumption the people were bringing to Jesus.
Was Jesus confirming their suspicions, saying, “They deserved it!” or was He saying, “They didn’t”? I don’t believe He was trying to distinguish between justice and fate. Instead, He was leveling the playing field, addressing the universal reality of sin. In essence, He was making the same point Paul would later articulate in Romans:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
In truth, we all probably deserve far worse fates. Jesus is addressing a deeper issue here, drawing a sharp line between real spiritual consequences and mere superstition.
Mixing superstition with truth is dangerous. It distorts our understanding of God’s true character and blurs our own identities. Jesus wanted His listeners to grapple with the truth that we are all sinners—and ultimately, to understand the nature of God’s grace and justice.
As disciple-makers, we will inevitably face this same challenge. People come to us with a “theological cocktail”—a blend of world religions, cultural myths, and self-manufactured ideas about God. It is our task to dive into the Word of God to separate truth from fiction, reality from myth. We have to help them cut away the baggage of superstition.
My Story
I was recently explaining a friend’s medical condition to my respiratory therapist. As I was describing the dire details, he kept knocking on the wooden chair beside him. He was “knocking on wood,” practicing a superstitious act to prevent jinxing himself. I couldn’t tell if he was just playing around or genuinely trying to ward off bad luck, but I wanted him to know that I wouldn’t trust my friend’s fate to the “god of luck” or any other substitute for the One True God. I told him that I believe in the Great Physician, and I choose to place my friend’s future in His capable and trustworthy hands. Let’s draw a clear line of distinction between superstition and the One who is the Truth.
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas:
What superstitious practices have we borrowed from the world and need to jettison?
Listen carefully to those you are discipling. What superstitions do you need to address?
Do a Bible study on what God thinks about superstitions.
We are all swimming in a world of half truths and flat out lies from the enemy. Our culture will explain circumstance, good and bad, through alternatives to anything but the truth. Let’s be careful to make a clear distinction between Biblical truth and worldly superstition.
Cuando oímos hablar de tragedias horribles, como las descritas en este pasaje, a menudo nos apresuramos a concluir que las víctimas hicieron algo para merecerlas. Esta es exactamente la suposición que la gente planteaba ante Jesús.
¿Estaba Jesús confirmando sus sospechas al decir: «¡Se lo merecían!»?, ¿o estaba diciendo: «No se lo merecían»? No creo que Él estuviera intentando distinguir entre la justicia y el destino. Más bien, estaba nivelando el terreno de juego, abordando la realidad universal del pecado. En esencia, estaba planteando el mismo argumento que Pablo articularía más tarde en Romanos:
«Por cuanto todos pecaron y están destituidos de la gloria de Dios». (Romanos 3:23)
En verdad, es probable que todos nosotros merezcamos destinos mucho peores. Aquí, Jesús aborda una cuestión más profunda, trazando una línea clara entre las verdaderas consecuencias espirituales y la mera superstición.
Mezclar la superstición con la verdad es peligroso. Distorsiona nuestra comprensión del verdadero carácter de Dios y desdibuja nuestras propias identidades. Jesús quería que sus oyentes se confrontaran con la verdad de que todos somos pecadores y, en última instancia, que comprendieran la naturaleza de la gracia y la justicia de Dios.
Como formadores de discípulos, inevitablemente nos enfrentaremos a este mismo desafío. La gente acude a nosotros con un «cóctel teológico»: una mezcla de religiones mundiales, mitos culturales e ideas sobre Dios fabricadas por ellos mismos. Nuestra tarea consiste en sumergirnos en la Palabra de Dios para separar la verdad de la ficción, la realidad del mito. Debemos ayudarles a desprenderse de la carga de la superstición.
Mi Historia
Recientemente le estaba explicando la condición médica de un amigo a mi terapeuta respiratorio. Mientras describía los sombríos detalles, él no dejaba de golpear la silla de madera que tenía a su lado. Estaba «tocando madera», realizando un acto supersticioso para evitar echarse la mala suerte encima. No lograba discernir si simplemente estaba bromeando o si realmente intentaba ahuyentar la mala fortuna; sin embargo, quería que supiera que yo no confiaría el destino de mi amigo al «dios de la suerte» ni a ningún otro sustituto del Único Dios Verdadero. Le dije que creo en el Gran Médico y que elijo depositar el futuro de mi amigo en Sus manos capaces y dignas de confianza. Tracemos una clara línea divisoria entre la superstición y Aquel que es la Verdad.
Nuestro Plan de Acción
Ahora es el momento de la aplicación práctica. Aquí tienen algunas preguntas e ideas:
¿Qué prácticas supersticiosas hemos adoptado del mundo y necesitamos desechar?
Escuchen atentamente a aquellos a quienes están discipulando. ¿Qué supersticiones necesitan abordar?
Realicen un estudio bíblico sobre lo que Dios piensa acerca de las supersticiones.
Todos navegamos en un mundo repleto de verdades a medias y mentiras descaradas provenientes del enemigo. Nuestra cultura tiende a explicar las circunstancias —tanto las buenas como las malas— recurriendo a cualquier alternativa, salvo a la verdad misma. Tengamos el cuidado de establecer una clara distinción entre la verdad bíblica y la superstición mundana.
Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com
I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
My Thoughts
Make no mistake about it, Jesus is divisive. He is the most polarizing figure in all of history. You are either with Him or against Him. Oh, there are those who try to find the middle and call Him a good man, one with a great moral compass, a kind figure in the annals of the past, but certainly not someone to be exclusively worshiped as the One and only true God. Those trying to stand on the “middle ground” are in just as much danger as the outright rebellious. There is no middle ground with Jesus. Jesus said, ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16).
But you may say, “Chuck, what does this have to do with us? We are disciple makers. We are all in. How does this apply to us?” I’m glad you asked. 🙂 Have you noticed where most of our culture stands, especially here in the West? No one wants to be exclusive or appear divisive. Everyone wants to take the middle ground on religion. And as you are sharing the gospel you’ve heard it a million times, “I believe in Jesus.” But when you press in a little deeper, universalism is the flavor of the day.
Part of our task as disciple makers is to “fill in the gaps.” I was recently studying Acts 18. The Apostle Paul finds twelve disciples of John the Baptist. They don’t know about Jesus so Paul fills in the gaps and they are baptized and receive the Holy Spirit. Then Paul enters the synagogue and tries to “fill in some gaps” and gets the boot. So what’s the difference between the two groups of people? Receptivity. The twelve received the truth and responded in obedience to the gospel and the folks in the synagogue rejected the message, the messenger, and the Master.
Notice Paul didn’t try to soften the blow or candy coat the truth of the gospel in either case. And that is the key lesson for us as disciple makers. Some have unwittingly changed the gospel to make it more palatable to be “Seeker Friendly.” Some are preaching discipleship with no cost. Some are minimizing obedience for the sake of corrupted grace. Jesus (nor Paul) didn’t do that. They told it like it is. Now this doesn’t give us license to be a jerk but we dare not water down the truth either.
My Story
Lately, we’ve been trying a new approach to sharing the gospel. It focuses on four simple questions about the kingdom of God, stepping away from older illustrations and starting right where Jesus began His ministry.
We usually open by reading Mark 1:15 together: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Then, we ask the first question: “What does it mean that the kingdom of God is at hand?”
It sometimes takes a little friendly prompting, but people almost always land on the core truth: Jesus the King has arrived as the ruler of His kingdom.
From there, we move to question two: “What are the three components of a kingdom?”
Most of the time, folks don’t need much help with this one. They quickly piece together the trio: a King, His domain, and His people.
Question three is where the gears really start turning: “What are the three ways people can respond to a King?”
The first two usually come out immediately: allegiance or rebellion. The third option can be a bit of a head-scratcher. But when we ask, “What sits right in the middle of allegiance and rebellion?” the lightbulb goes on. “Indifference!” Exactly.
This sets up the fourth and final question: “Of those three responses to King Jesus, which one describes you?”
It is eye-opening how many people—probably 95% of those we talk to—honestly identify as indifferent. That vulnerability opens the door perfectly.
From there, we’ll often share Revelation 3:15-16—the passage about being lukewarm—and let that lead us right into a genuine conversation about what real, active faith actually looks like.
We are trying to get closer to “filling in the gaps” like Jesus and Paul.
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas.
Are you trying to “soften the blow of the truth” in any way?
Do a study on how Jesus shared the truth in love.
Do an assessment on the way you share the gospel compared to Jesus or the Apostles.
As disciple makers we are filling in the gaps for people. In order for us to do this in an effective way we are going to have to go places that may make us and those we are talking to feel uncomfortable. But this truth telling is the most loving thing we can do for those who are in jeopardy of losing their souls.
Que no quepa duda alguna: Jesús es una figura divisiva. Es la figura más polarizante de toda la historia. O estás con Él o estás contra Él. Oh, ciertamente hay quienes intentan buscar un punto medio y lo califican como un buen hombre, alguien con una gran brújula moral, una figura bondadosa en los anales del pasado, pero, sin duda alguna, no alguien a quien se deba adorar exclusivamente como el Único y verdadero Dios. Aquellos que intentan mantenerse en el «punto medio» corren tanto peligro como los que son abiertamente rebeldes. Con Jesús no existe el punto medio. Jesús dijo: «Conozco tus obras: que ni eres frío ni caliente. ¡Ojalá fueras frío o caliente! Así que, por cuanto eres tibio, y no frío ni caliente, te vomitaré de mi boca» (Apocalipsis 3:15-16).
Pero tal vez te preguntes: «Chuck, ¿qué tiene que ver esto con nosotros? Nosotros somos hacedores de discípulos. Estamos comprometidos al cien por cien. ¿Cómo se aplica esto a nuestra labor?». Me alegra que lo preguntes. 🙂 ¿Te has percatado de cuál es la postura de la mayor parte de nuestra cultura, especialmente aquí en Occidente? Nadie quiere ser excluyente ni parecer divisivo. Todo el mundo prefiere adoptar una postura intermedia en lo que respecta a la religión. Y, a medida que compartes el evangelio, habrás escuchado esa frase un millón de veces: «Yo creo en Jesús». Pero cuando indagas un poco más a fondo, te das cuenta de que el universalismo es la tendencia del momento.
Parte de nuestra tarea como hacedores de discípulos consiste en «llenar los vacíos». Recientemente estuve estudiando el capítulo 18 del libro de los Hechos. El apóstol Pablo se encuentra con doce discípulos de Juan el Bautista. Ellos no tienen conocimiento acerca de Jesús, así que Pablo «llena esos vacíos»; como resultado, ellos son bautizados y reciben el Espíritu Santo. Luego, Pablo entra en la sinagoga e intenta «llenar algunos vacíos» allí también, pero termina siendo expulsado. Entonces, ¿cuál es la diferencia entre estos dos grupos de personas? La receptividad. Los doce recibieron la verdad y respondieron con obediencia al evangelio; en cambio, la gente de la sinagoga rechazó el mensaje, al mensajero y al Maestro.
Observa que Pablo no intentó suavizar el golpe ni «edulcorar» la verdad del evangelio en ninguno de los dos casos. Y esa es la lección clave para nosotros como hacedores de discípulos. Algunos han modificado el evangelio —quizás sin darse cuenta— para hacerlo más «digerible» y así lograr que resulte más «amigable para los buscadores». Algunos predican un discipulado sin costo alguno. Otros minimizan la obediencia en aras de una gracia adulterada. Jesús (ni tampoco Pablo) actuaron así; ellos decían las cosas tal como son. Ahora bien, esto no nos da licencia para comportarnos como patanes, pero tampoco debemos atrevernos a diluir la verdad.
Mi Historia
Últimamente, hemos estado probando un nuevo enfoque para compartir el evangelio. Se centra en cuatro preguntas sencillas sobre el reino de Dios, dejando de lado las ilustraciones más antiguas y comenzando justo donde Jesús inició su ministerio.
Por lo general, comenzamos leyendo juntos Marcos 1:15: «El tiempo se ha cumplido y el reino de Dios se ha acercado; arrepiéntanse y crean en el evangelio».
Luego, planteamos la primera pregunta: «¿Qué significa que el reino de Dios se ha acercado?».
A veces hace falta un pequeño estímulo amistoso, pero casi siempre la gente llega a la verdad fundamental: Jesús, el Rey, ha llegado como el gobernante de su reino.
A partir de ahí, pasamos a la segunda pregunta: «¿Cuáles son los tres componentes de un reino?».
La mayoría de las veces, la gente no necesita mucha ayuda con esta. Rápidamente identifican el trío: un Rey, su dominio y su pueblo.
La tercera pregunta es donde realmente empiezan a funcionar los engranajes: «¿Cuáles son las tres formas en que las personas pueden responder a un Rey?».
Las dos primeras suelen surgir de inmediato: lealtad o rebelión. La tercera opción puede resultar un tanto desconcertante. Pero cuando preguntamos: «¿Qué se sitúa justo entre la lealtad y la rebelión?», se les enciende la bombilla. «¡Indiferencia!». Exacto.
Esto da pie a la cuarta y última pregunta: «De esas tres respuestas ante el Rey Jesús, ¿cuál te describe a ti?».
Resulta revelador ver cuántas personas —probablemente el 95 % de aquellas con las que hablamos— se identifican honestamente como indiferentes. Esa vulnerabilidad abre la puerta de manera perfecta.
A partir de ahí, a menudo compartimos Apocalipsis 3:15-16 —el pasaje sobre ser tibios— y dejamos que eso nos conduzca directamente a una conversación genuina sobre cómo es realmente una fe auténtica y activa.
Estamos intentando acercarnos más a «llenar los vacíos», tal como lo hacían Jesús y Pablo.
Nuestro Plan de Acción
Ahora es el momento de la aplicación práctica. Aquí tienes algunas preguntas e ideas:
¿Estás intentando, de alguna manera, «suavizar el golpe de la verdad»?
Realiza un estudio sobre cómo Jesús comunicaba la verdad con amor.
Haz una evaluación de la forma en que compartes el evangelio, comparándola con la manera en que lo hacían Jesús o los apóstoles.
Como formadores de discípulos, estamos supliendo las carencias de las personas. Para poder hacerlo de manera eficaz, tendremos que adentrarnos en terrenos que tal vez nos hagan sentir incómodos —tanto a nosotros como a aquellos con quienes hablamos—. Sin embargo, decir la verdad de este modo es el acto de amor más grande que podemos realizar por aquellos que corren el riesgo de perder sus almas.
Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13)
Introduction
This essay will explore the huge error the religious leaders of Jesus’ day made when they did not enter God’s kingdom and even worse, tried to prevent others from entering it. We will discover the failure to grasp the meaning of the Scriptures, misguided traditions, and character flaws that led to this indictment of hypocrisy. We will also look at ways we may unwittingly commit the same sin Jesus points out in the religious leaders. We will study the example of Jesus in facilitating entrance into the kingdom and our responsibilities in these modern times.
Key Words and Phrases
Hypocrites – ὑποκριτής (hypokritēs – Strong’s G5273) – one who answers, an interpreter, an actor, stage player, a dissembler, pretender, fraud, fake
“Shut off the kingdom of heaven…” – Essentially the religious leaders through their teaching, life-style, and lack of character led people astray. Although they were very “religious” people, they did not possess or teach the truth about Jesus as Messiah. They led people astray and therefore “blocked” the entrance to the kingdom.
“You do not enter [the kingdom] yourselves…” – This started with John the Baptist when the religious leaders refused to believe he was a true prophet. Their error continued to deteriorate when they failed to embrace the promised Messiah, Jesus.
Messianic Model – Focus on Jesus’ Example
It may seem counterintuitive to say Jesus entered the kingdom of God and thereby giving us an example to follow. But we must remember Jesus was given the kingdom by His Father and it was obtained through His supreme obedience to the Father’s will. (Psalm 2:6-8, Luke 22:29-30, Philippians 2:8-9) Furthermore, He is an example of One who does not prevent people from entering God’s kingdom. In fact, He is the quintessential model for ushering them into the kingdom. (Mark 1:14-15, Luke 9:1-2, Acts 1:3)
Key Theological Implications
The Religious Leader’s Failure
When we look at the role of religious leaders the word “priest” comes to mind. The Hebrew word כֹּהֵן – kōhēn (Strong’s H3548) meaning priest, one who mediates and the Greek word ἱερεύς – hiereus (Strong’s G2409) meaning a priest, one who offers sacrifices and in general is busied with sacred rites, referring to priests of Gentiles or the Jews. Put simply, one who brings man to God and God to man. The religious leaders were supposed to inform the people about God’s kingdom and usher them into it. But as Jesus and the Scriptures point out, they failed miserably in their mission. There are many reasons a spiritual leader may fail to point people in the right direction. The religious leaders of Jesus’ time didn’t understand the Scriptures. (Matthew 22:29, John 5:39) They elevated their traditions above the commands of God. (Matthew 15:3-9, Mark 7:7-9) They were unwilling to practice the basic principles of justice and mercy. (Matthew 9:13, 23:23) And they had huge character flaws.
Flaw
Description
Example Verse
Hypocrisy
Preach but don’t practice
Matthew 23:3
Pride and self-righteousness
Comparing to themselves to others, lacking humility
Luke 18:9-14
Envious and Jealous
Pilate knew they were envious and jealous of Jesus’ influence
Matthew 27:18
Lack of mercy
Ignoring justice, mercy, and faithfulness
Matthew 23:23
Greed and exploitation
Taking advantage of people, devouring widows’ houses
Matthew 23:14
People Pleasers and fear of People
They wouldn’t follow their own convictions for fear of the people
John 12:42-43
Can a Leader Actually “Shut a person out of the kingdom?”
Once again Jesus is using hyperbole to make His point. Hyperbole uses language that is exaggerated to emphasize the severity of people’s actions or attitudes. It is important to note that God is sovereign and no human frailty or stupidity could thwart the sovereign call of God. As we have discussed in previous essays, man has free agency and God is totally sovereign. Although we can’t reconcile these two with human logic, the Bible speaks of both. Religious leaders will be held accountable for their failure to usher or even efforts to block people from entering the kingdom of God. However, it is impossible to deter the elect. Those who really want to submit to Jesus’ rulership and enter, are those whom God has chosen. Jesus is simply calling out the ineptitude of the spiritual leaders. (John 3:5,10:28-29, Romans 8:28-30, Ephesians 1:4-5)
Contemporary Spiritual Significance
Jesus’ warning to the religious leaders in His time is just as applicable to spiritual leaders today. We will be held accountable for both action and inactions that counter the kingdom message. We have already reviewed some of the errors and defects Jesus directly addressed in His day but there is another in the present that is just as dangerous; failure to recognize the priesthood of the believer. (1 Peter 2:9) Leaders who cause a “bottleneck” to the gospel and ministry are placing unnecessary roadblocks in the path of kingdom advancement. As already stated, the leaders can’t actually keep a person from entering the kingdom but they will be held accountable for beliefs and actions that try to, intentionally or unintentionally, thwart its expansion. Unbiblical restrictions like; You’re not qualified to share the gospel, make disciples, administer the Lord’s Supper, baptize someone, or even be the church are all hindrances to the spread of Christianity. Restrictions are not the answer. Training every believer is.
The Transformative Power of Freeing Kingdom Citizens
When disciples are unleashed to understand authority, responsibility, and rewards of functioning as healthy kingdom citizens, growth is inevitable. Individual disciples will grow in their relationship with their King and take on the stewardship they’ve been entrusted with. The church will be more than a gathering to practice religious rites. It will be a kingdom outpost poised to minister to its own but also press into the darkness and win more souls. And the kingdom, like leaven, will spread across the globe. But in order for this to happen we must make disciples of Jesus as He commanded. Jesus said “the harvest is great but the laborers are few.” (Luke 10:2) Not only should we pray for more laborers as Jesus instructed, we should train and deploy more laborers as He did.
Conclusion
Jesus has harsh words for the religious leaders who get in the way of kingdom expansion. His warning carries with it the reality that they themselves will not enter. As disciple-makers of Jesus we dare not make the same mistake. We need to roll up our sleeves and make disciples who can make disciples. Artificial constraints and roadblocks must be knocked down and the kingdom citizens must be set free.
Disciple-Maker’s Short Story
Locker Room for the Kingdom
Collin’s voice rose just enough to carry over the low hum of showers and closing lockers. “Alright, last rep, fellas. Knees down, hearts up.”
Thursday’s walk-through had left a thin sheen of sweat but not the bone-deep ache of Friday night. Shoulder pads hung like empty armor, jerseys draped over hooks, and a faint haze of Icy Hot floated in the warm air. The Bible study circle formed slowly along the far wall, where rubber flooring was scuffed white from cleats and a fluorescent tube flickered. Helmets became stools. Linemen sat on duffel bags.
Collin sat cross-legged, back against a dented blue locker with 72 stenciled in flaking white. His Bible lay open on his thigh, a strip of athletic tape scribbled with “Audience of One” clinging to the back cover.
“Who’s got Matthew 18?” he asked.
Tyrese, their wiry slot receiver, read about becoming like children to enter the kingdom of heaven, about not despising the little ones. His voice was softer than on the field, where he chirped at cornerbacks all game long.
When he stopped, the locker room exhaled. In their circle, a silence settled that felt like the quiet in the huddle right before a trick play.
Mason, the sophomore linebacker, broke it. “I was reading ahead—where Jesus is roasting the Pharisees and says they ‘shut off the kingdom of heaven from people.'” His forehead tightened. “How do you even do that? Block somebody from the kingdom? Jesus sounds like He’s saying you can actually get in people’s way with God.”
He looked straight at Collin, and behind the bravado was something like fear. “What if we’re doing that?”
The question hung heavy. Collin felt his heartbeat kick faster. Every eye in the circle had shifted to him.
“That’s a legit question,” he said. “Before we answer it, let’s back up. In Matthew 18, how does Jesus say you enter the kingdom?”
Tyrese glanced down. “He says unless you’re converted and become like children, you won’t enter.”
“What does that mean to you?” Collin asked. “When you think of a kid, what do you actually see?”
“Honest mess,” Jordan said. “They don’t fake it.”
“Dependence,” said Lucas, a quiet junior safety whose dad had left the year before. “Little kids need you for everything.”
Collin nodded. “So… humble, honest, dependent. Not pretending to be big when you aren’t. Not walking around like you own the field, but like you know Who actually does.”
He felt a gentle conviction paint the edges of his own ego—his love of being captain, the guy the coach trusted, the guy freshmen watched.
“If Jesus says that’s how you enter the kingdom,” he said, “what kind of person would make it harder for someone else to get there?”
“An opposite kid,” Mason said. “Proud. Fake. In control.”
“So, like my uncle,” Tyrese muttered, then winced.
Collin caught that. “Yeah. Jesus calls the religious leaders ‘hypocrites’—like actors. They were supposed to bring people to God, but instead of opening the door, they stood in the doorway and blocked it.”
“But how do you block it?” Austin pressed.
“Think about people you know,” Collin said. “When do you feel more drawn to Jesus because of them, and when do you feel like He’s farther away?”
Tyrese stared at the floor. “When they actually live it. Coach Reed doesn’t shove God down our throats, but when he prays, you can tell it’s real. That makes me want to pray.” He swallowed. “My uncle posts Bible verses every day but talks trash about everybody. Makes me think, ‘If that’s what following Jesus looks like, I’m out.'”
Heads nodded.
“That,” Collin said softly, “is what it looks like to block the kingdom. You can make Jesus look smaller, meaner, more fake than He is. And you can make yourself look like the main point.”
He let that sit.
“Jesus isn’t just talking to ‘those guys back then.’ His warning is for anybody who leads. Captains. Seniors. That’s us.”
“Dude, I’m a backup QB,” Austin said. “My platform is the bench.”
“Freshmen still watch you,” Jordan said. “When you clown on somebody, the whole locker room follows.”
Austin’s grin faded.
“Jesus gave the kingdom to His church—He calls all His people a ‘royal priesthood,'” Collin said. “Every believer carries the job of pointing people to God. So when we act like we’re the only ones qualified, or make following Jesus look like a members-only club, we’re jamming up the doorway.”
Mason frowned. “But we’re just high schoolers.”
“Who led you here?” Collin asked.
“You invited me. You kept asking.”
“Exactly. You’re being discipled and you’re already discipling. You bring your little brother to church workouts. If you bow your head over your pregame meal, he probably will too. If you mock it, he’ll mock it twice as hard.”
A muscle jumped in Mason’s jaw.
“So maybe the better question is: Who’s watching our lives—and what are we showing them about the King?”
Lucas spoke again, words careful. “When you guys came to the house after my dad left and just sat on the porch with me and didn’t say a bunch of religious stuff… that made me think maybe Jesus wasn’t like my dad. Like He wouldn’t bounce when it got ugly. That kinda opened a door.”
Collin’s throat tightened. He and Jordan had just felt a weight in their chests and got in the truck. They’d brought pizza and played Madden until midnight and prayed once, haltingly.
“That’s the opposite of blocking the kingdom,” he managed. “Jesus came close, especially when things were messy, and kept pointing people to His Father.”
He uncapped a marker and turned to the whiteboard, writing over ghostly route trees:
HOW COULD I BLOCK? | HOW COULD I OPEN?
“What are some ways guys like us could accidentally block people from wanting Jesus? And what are some opposite plays we could run?”
The answers came slowly but surely.
“Talking big about God here, but cussing out refs on Friday,” Jordan said.
“Only inviting people to church if they’re already our kind of people,” Tyrese added.
“Acting like you gotta be perfect before you come to God,” Lucas said.
They filled the left side: making fun of non-athletes, acting like only the youth pastor could pray, hoarding attention.
Then the right side.
“Admitting when we’re wrong. Actually apologizing to freshmen,” Mason said.
“Letting younger guys lead something small,” Austin offered.
“Being the same at school as we are here,” Tyrese said.
“Listening more, preaching less,” Lucas added.
Collin stepped back. The board looked like a scouting report on their own souls.
“We’re not doing this in our own strength,” he said. “Jesus gave His life to open the kingdom, then shares His Spirit so we can live like Him. If we’re going to stop blocking and start ushering people in, we’ll have to ask Him to change us—not just our behavior, but our hearts.”
He paused. “And that starts with wanting to become like Him more than we want to be anything else. More than all-district, or popular, or respected.”
The room went still. Football ambitions lived thick in this air—scholarship dreams, highlight reels, rumors of scouts.
Mason broke the quiet. “So if I’m more worried about being ‘that dude’ than looking like Jesus, I’m already blocking the kingdom. ‘Cause I’m telling people my glory is bigger than His.”
Collin’s lips twitched. “You said it, not me.”
“Then I don’t want that,” Mason said. “I wanna hit like me but live like Him. Use the respect to point people up.”
Tyrese leaned back. “My little cousins copy everything I do. If I keep being halfway with Jesus, I’m telling them He’s only worth halftime. I wanna go all-in. Not just so I don’t block them, but ’cause He actually deserves it.”
“If Jesus could obey all the way, even when it cost Him everything,” Lucas said, “why wouldn’t I want to live under a King like that? I want that kind of obedience. So when people look at me, they don’t see the guy whose dad left; they see a different kind of Father.”
Their words washed over Collin like a warm wave and a weight. This was why he’d said yes to leading the study. They weren’t just learning plays; they were being formed into men who could carry a kingdom.
“Last question,” Collin said. “What’s one concrete thing you’re going to do before next Thursday?”
“I’ll apologize to Micah, the freshman corner,” Austin said. “I lit him up in film room. That’s not what Jesus would’ve done.”
“I’ll invite my cousin to the game and to this study,” Tyrese said.
“I’ll ask my little brother what he thinks God is like,” Mason said. “Then try to show him that.”
“I’ll talk to Coach about letting a freshman lead pregame prayer,” Jordan added.
“I’ll read Matthew 18 again with my mom,” Lucas said.
Each answer felt like a hand reaching for a door handle.
“Let’s take a knee.”
They dropped down, helmets beside them like surrendered crowns. In the half-circle of bowed heads, the fluorescent flicker softened.
“Jesus,” Collin began, “You didn’t shut us out. You opened the kingdom with Your own body and blood. We want to become like You. Not just for us, but for the guys watching us.”
He swallowed. “Save us from being actors. From loving our image more than Your name. Break anything in us that blocks people from seeing how good You are. Make us like kids—humble, honest, dependent. Teach this team how to use every bit of influence to open the way for others to come to You.”
Around him, boys whispered “Amen,” some barely audible, some strong.
When they stood, something felt subtly rearranged. There was a new awareness in their eyes—that their tackles, their jokes, their quiet porch visits were all part of a much larger field.
Collin caught Mason’s shoulder. “Next week, you lead the questions.”
Mason blinked. “Me?”
“You’re already thinking like a leader. Time to step into it. Not as a gatekeeper. As a guy holding the door wide open.”
A slow grin spread across Mason’s face. “Knees down, hearts up.”
“Exactly.”
They walked out into the cooling evening, the setting sun painting the practice field gold. In the lingering light, their shadows stretched long—small figures on a big canvas, following a King whose kingdom no one could shut.
“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ “And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. “The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, 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 say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. (Matthew 21:28-31 NASB95)
Introduction
In this parable Jesus is shining a light on the characteristics of a kingdom citizen. The true citizen of the kingdom of God is not just verbally compliant. They take action and ultimately do what the King has ordered. This essay will discuss verbal acknowledgements, thought processes and motives, and behavioral responses. We will also see how Jesus actually applied this in His own life with the Father.
Key Words and Phrases
“I will not” and “I will, sir” – Notice the second son even adds the word “sir” (κύριος – Lord – Strong’s G2962) to his response feigning respect.
Regretted – μεταμέλομαι – metamelomai – Strong’s G3338 – Meaning “a care to one afterwards,” repent.
“Which of the two did the will of his father?” – Notice Jesus puts credibility on action, not verbal acknowledgement or intellectual ascent.
Messianic Model – Focus on Jesus’ Example
We know that Jesus always did His Father’s will both with verbal acknowledgement and in action. (John 5:19, 12:49) So how does Jesus illuminate and model the principles of this parable? First, we must acknowledge that Jesus had a choice. In the wilderness being tempted by Satan the temptations were real. He had the choice to renege on his statements and commitments, and choose to do His own will. The choice was His to make. Second, Jesus was cognizant of the cost of obeying the Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane He appealed to the Father to “take this cup away” and yet He yielded to the Father’s will at the price of His own life, by taking on the sins of the world and incurring the wrath of God. Jesus was an example of a son who not only verbally acknowledged his father’s desires and commands but fulfilled them trusting him.
Had He not lived out a relationship with the Father in perfect compliance in mind, spirit, and body, He would have failed to be the perfect sacrifice for sin. He could not have paid the substitutionary payment for man. He would not have satisfied the just punishment we all deserve which is death. (John 1:29, Hebrews 10:12-14, 1 Peter 1:19)
Key Theological Implications
We all know that salvation is by grace and not our works (Ephesians 2:8-9) and we are very careful to stay away from even a hint that it is. But Jesus isn’t afraid to dance on the edge of being misunderstood that salvation is based on what we do. He makes it clear that repentance is a requirement to enter the kingdom of God. Oftentimes people shy away from repentance for fear of presenting a “works based gospel.” It would do us well to 1.) Preach what Jesus preached. 2.) Understand repentance from a Biblical stand point of view. The Seven Stories of Hope (Repentance) are very helpful in this pursuit.
In the parable the first son shows repentance through the “regret” he felt afterwards and does the will of the father. The second son gives verbal acknowledgement to his father but does not do his will. Notice the second son even called him “sir”. This word in the Greek is κύριος which is normally translated “lord.” It is not enough. This brings to mind the statement from Jesus,
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.” (Matthew 7:21-23)
Action will always follow the heart. The first son had a change of heart which motivated him to do his father’s bidding. It’s not that the Jews failed to be religious and do “good things.” It was their hearts that had yet to be changed. They were very opposed to Jesus, His way of life and His teachings. Jesus makes it very clear what the “work” is and the change that it will take to do it.
“Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” (John 6:28-29)
Now remember, this is not just verbal acknowledgement or intellectual assent. This is fully embracing Jesus for who He is as the Messiah, the King. The change of heart being made, the repentance, is to turn from one’s own ways and submit to Christ the King’s authority. This change of heart not only ushers one into the kingdom but appropriates all the grace necessary to live under the King’s authority and be forgiven when we fall short. Faith receives grace and grace produces action.
I love Dallas Willard’s quote on this;
“Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action. Grace, you know, does not just have to do with forgiveness of sins alone.”
“The true saint burns grace like a 747 jet burns fuel on takeoff. Become the kind of person who routinely does what Jesus did and said. You will consume much more grace by leading a holy life than you will by sinning, because every holy act you do will have to be upheld by the grace of God.”
(The Great Omission, Dallas Willard)
Contemporary Spiritual Significance
Many times the gospel is proclaimed as data to acknowledge as true and a professional prayer of that acknowledgement. And although some have come into the kingdom through this act many are still “dead in their trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1) One of the reasons people are believing they are saved and are not is because a gospel without repentance is being taught. (Which is a false gospel). The disciple presenting the gospel must preach it as Jesus did.
Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)
Notice Jesus is not only preaching the good news but how to appropriate it. There is a kingdom at hand and therefore there is a King with authority at hand. In light of the King and kingdom’s presence a person is commanded to turn from their ways to the ways of the King and believe that this is good news! This is the true gospel that Jesus preached and it is the gospel by which people are saved. There is a surrender, a willingness to embrace the authority of the Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.
We must evaluate the gospel we are preaching and conform it to the gospel the Author of the Gospel preached.
The Transformative Power of the True Gospel
Many “believers” in the church today are still as entrenched in the old life as they were before they “believed.” That is because they failed to receive the true gospel promises that transform the individual.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Although they are not perfected in the flesh, by grace that comes through the gospel they will notice change in their lives. They will no longer desire some of the things they did in their pregenerate state. And the things they are still battling will cause them great grief, a sorrow that leads to further repentance. (2 Corinthians 7:9-10) The saint’s life is like that of Zaccheus, he was a changed man and Jesus declares, “Today salvation has come to this house!” (Luke 19:9)
Conclusion
Jesus preaches a parable to warn the religious leaders that they have a false sense of security in their relationship with God. Although being very religious and in strict adherence to the parts of the Law that made them appear holy, they fell woefully short of God’s plan for salvation. Like the son in the parable that said he would comply with the father’s will, they did not follow through with the action required to obey. They did not embrace Jesus, the King who ushered in the kingdom. Like the religious leaders of the day many “Christians” believe they have salvation because they believe in a creed, perform good works, or attend religious gatherings. They are also living in a false sense of security because they have failed to attend to the one thing that provides salvation. And the thing is not a thing, it’s a Who, Jesus Christ.
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)
Disciple-Maker’s Short Story
Two Sons and General Tso’s
The amber glow of paper lanterns cast dancing shadows across Marcus’s weathered face as he carefully maneuvered his chopsticks around a piece of General Tso’s chicken. Steam rose from their shared plates, mingling with the soft chatter of other diners at Golden Dragon, their Thursday night sanctuary tucked between a bodega and a dry cleaner on 47th Street.
“You’re quieter than usual tonight,” Marcus observed, setting down his chopsticks and studying his mentee across the red vinyl booth. “Rough week at the firm?”
David pushed his lo mein around his plate, creating small mountains of noodles. “Actually, work’s been fine. It’s… something else.” He looked up, his eyes carrying the weight of genuine confusion. “I’ve been having this ongoing debate with some friends about what it really means to be saved. And honestly, Marcus, I’m more confused now than when I started.”
Marcus leaned back, a knowing smile creeping across his lips. “Ah. The great salvation debate. Let me guess—you’ve got friends on both sides of the fence?”
“Exactly.” David’s fork clinked against his plate as he gestured. “My buddy Jake from college keeps insisting that all you have to do is believe. He quotes John 3:16 like it’s a magic formula—just intellectual agreement that Jesus existed and died for sins. Done deal. But then there’s Sarah from our Bible study group who keeps talking about repentance and surrender, saying faith without works is dead.”
“And you’re caught in the crossfire.”
“Right. Jake makes it sound so simple, so… accessible. Just believe and you’re in. But Sarah’s version feels more demanding, more… I don’t know, authentic somehow? But also terrifying because how do you know if you’ve repented enough?”
Marcus reached for the teapot, refilling both their cups with jasmine tea. The ritual gave him a moment to think. “You know, I’ve been studying Jesus’s parables lately, particularly the ones about the kingdom. There’s one that speaks directly to what you’re wrestling with.”
David leaned forward, his dinner forgotten. “Which one?”
“The parable of the two sons. You familiar with it?”
“Vaguely. Refresh my memory.”
Marcus cupped his hands around his tea, the warmth seeping through the ceramic. “A father asks both his sons to work in the vineyard. The first son says, ‘I will not,’ but later changes his mind and goes to work. The second son says, ‘I will, sir’—very respectful, very religious—but never actually shows up to work.”
“Okay…”
“Jesus asks which son did the father’s will. The obvious answer is the first son, right? But here’s what makes it fascinating—Jesus wasn’t just telling a nice story about work ethic. He was talking to the religious leaders, the Pharisees, people who had all the right words, all the right religious credentials.”
David’s eyes widened slightly. “So the second son represents…”
“The religious elite. They called God ‘Lord,’ they knew all the right terminology, they performed all the religious duties. Perfect verbal acknowledgment. But when it came to actually embracing Jesus as Messiah, as King—when it came to the actual work of the kingdom—they refused.”
A waiter shuffled past their table, balancing a tray of sizzling plates. Marcus waited for the noise to subside before continuing.
“The first son, on the other hand, initially rejected his father’s request. But something happened—the text says he ‘regretted’ it. In Greek, it’s metamelomai—a deep change of heart that led to a change of action.”
David set down his tea cup with deliberate precision. “So you’re saying Jake’s wrong about the intellectual assent thing?”
“I’m saying Jesus himself put credibility on action, not just verbal acknowledgment. But David, here’s where it gets tricky—and where your friend Sarah might be missing something too. The first son’s work in the vineyard wasn’t what saved him. His change of heart was.”
“I’m not following.”
Marcus smiled, leaning forward conspiratorially. “Think about Jesus going through temptations in the wilderness. The temptations were real—he had genuine choices to make. And in the Garden of Gethsemane, He could have said no. But he consistently chose the Father’s will over his own, even when it meant the cross.”
“Right, but Jesus was perfect. That’s different.”
“Is it though? Here’s what I’ve been learning—Jesus didn’t just model perfect obedience, he modeled perfect faith. And that faith expressed itself in surrender to the Father’s authority, even at great personal cost.”
David pushed his plate away, his appetite completely gone. “So where does that leave someone like me? I want to believe, I really do. But if salvation requires this perfect surrender, this complete change of heart…”
“Who said anything about perfect?” Marcus’s voice carried a gentleness that seemed to wrap around David’s anxiety. “The first son didn’t perfectly obey from the beginning. He started with rebellion, remember? But he experienced what the text calls repentance—a fundamental reorientation toward his father’s will.”
“But how do you know if you’ve truly repented? How do you know if your faith is real or just… intellectual?”
Marcus pulled out his phone and scrolled through his notes. “Dallas Willard said something that revolutionized my thinking: ‘Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.’ You see the difference?”
“Not really.”
“Earning is an attitude—thinking your works purchase salvation. Effort is simply the natural expression of a changed heart. Grace doesn’t eliminate action; it empowers it.”
David stared at the table, processing. “So it’s not that I have to earn my salvation through good works…”
“But genuine faith—true belief—naturally produces obedience. Not perfect obedience, but a heart that’s been reoriented toward Christ’s authority. Think about it, David. If someone truly believes Jesus is King, how can they simultaneously refuse to acknowledge his reign over their life?”
“They can’t. That would be… contradictory.”
“Exactly. Your friend Jake’s ‘just believe’ gospel misses the fact that genuine belief includes submission to Jesus as Lord, not just Savior. And your friend Sarah’s emphasis on repentance is biblical, but she might be making a checklist of dos in her head that lead to the performance of religious laws, rather than a change of heart.”
David looked out the restaurant window at the blur of yellow cabs and hurried pedestrians. “So what does real faith look like then?”
Marcus’s eyes lit up. “You know what this reminds me of? Zacchaeus. Remember him? The tax collector who climbed the tree to see Jesus?”
“Yeah, the short guy.”
“Right, but here’s what’s remarkable about his story. When Jesus called him down and invited himself to dinner, something happened in Zacchaeus’s heart. He stood up and declared he would give half his possessions to the poor and repay anyone he’d cheated four times over.”
David frowned. “Okay, so he did good works…”
“But David, listen carefully—he hadn’t actually done any of those things yet. These were promises, declarations of intent. But Jesus looked at this transformed heart, at this evidence of genuine repentance, and said, ‘Today salvation has come to this house.'” Marcus leaned forward intently. “Today. Not after Zacchaeus followed through on his promises, but right then, when his heart had been changed.”
“So you’re saying…”
“I’m saying that the very fact that you’re wrestling with this, that you’re not satisfied with easy answers, that you want authentic faith—that’s your Zacchaeus moment. The work of God is already happening in your heart.”
David nodded slowly. “I think I need to have some conversations with Jake and Sarah.”
“Just remember,” Marcus said, signaling for the check, “the gospel Jesus preached wasn’t just ‘believe in me.’ It was ‘repent and believe.’ The kingdom has come, and there’s a King. The good news is that this King is also a Savior who provides everything necessary to live under his loving authority.”
As they gathered their coats and prepared to step back into the controlled chaos of Manhattan, David paused. “Marcus?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks. For helping me see that it’s not an either-or thing. It’s both-and.”
Marcus smiled as he held the door open. “That’s the beauty of the kingdom, David. It’s both gift and calling, both grace and transformation. Both sons matter in the story—but only one did the father’s will.”
They stepped into the cool October air, the city lights reflecting off the wet pavement like scattered jewels. David felt something settling in his chest, a peace that came from understanding that the gospel was both simpler and more profound than he’d imagined. The work of the kingdom wasn’t about perfect performance—it was about a changed heart expressing itself in loving obedience to the King who had first loved him.
As they parted ways at the subway entrance, David carried with him not just the lingering taste of General Tso’s sauce, but a deeper hunger—to become the kind of person who, like Jesus, consistently chose the Father’s will out of love, not obligation. The parable wasn’t just about two sons; it was about the kind of son he wanted to become.
“Lord,” said Peter, “are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows. But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.
My Thoughts
In my last post I really focused on the second surprise in Jesus’ parable. (See Part 1 here) But now Peter asks a question that will force us to give more attention to the first surprise, the “Not So Good Surprise.”
Jesus is giving a warning to His would-be followers that they should be alert to His second coming. He talks about His servants giving the other servants “their portion at the proper time.” Or in the New American Standard Version (1995) “to give them their rations at the proper time” (Luke 12:42-43). That sounds a whole lot like John 21 when Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” and then tells him to “Feed my sheep.”
At first glance, the average Christian may shrug this off and say, “Oh, He’s talking about my pastor or clergy. He can’t possibly be talking about an everyday Joe or Jill like me.” But wait a second. Let’s look at this a little more closely. In His description of the servants who get the “Not So Good Surprise” He clearly gives an answer to the “who’ and the “what.”
“That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows.” (Luke 12:47)
Now that puts things in a whole other light doesn’t it? Is He our Master? Do we know His will? Are we following His instructions? Let’s put the cookies on the lowest shelf. Do we call Jesus our Lord? (Matthew 7:21) Are we loving God and people? (Mark 12:34-35) Are we making disciples? (Matthew 28:18-20) These are clear instructions from Jesus the Master and we don’t need a seminary degree in Greek to figure them out.
My Story
When I was a brand new baby Christian I had two things I’d pray every night; “God please use my life and give me a wife.” Night after night, I’d drift off to sleep thinking and praying those two things. I didn’t know how much responsibility came along with those two requests but that was my heart’s desire.
Only six months into the faith I started making disciples of Jesus and I quickly realized this was the answer to my first prayer. He had given me (and every other follower) a commission to make disciples of all the nations. Not only did I come to realize that this was His purpose for my life but it had unexpected responsibilities that came along with it. It wasn’t always convenient or fun helping people follow Jesus. In fact, sometimes it was down right hard and messy. I was figuring out the weight of my request and the stewardship it required. God was answering my first prayer but I had to be a willing participant, a good servant of the Master.
The answer for my second petition came when He gave me my mate, Deborah Lynn Thar. Deb and I have had a fantastic marriage and she is my best friend but we can’t say that it has always been easy. We had to grow together, compromise, enter disagreements and reconcile. We had to steward our marriage like teammates trying to win the championship. And of course to do that, we had to listen to Coach Jesus every step of the way. From getting past the honeymoon phase, to raising our sons, to empty nesters and retirement, to being grandparents and parenting adult sons. All of this had its challenges and victories and took more intentional stewardship than I ever realized praying the simple prayers in the early years.
Lo and behold, the way the Lord answered my two prayers from the beginning is, not surprisingly, in alignment with the commands He gave Adam and Eve in THE beginning:
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:27-28)
I have been stewarding what He has commanded me to do all my adult life and by His grace will continue until He knocks on my door.
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some ideas:
Do a Bible study on the parables Jesus tells about stewardship (Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 19:11-27, Luke 16:1-13).
Do an assessment of how you are obeying the three Great Commands in your life and the lives of those you are discipling.
Ask questions of those you are discipling about what and how they are stewarding the things God has entrusted to them.
God has given all of us an identity and a purpose in this life. Jesus gives both a challenge and a promise of reward for us to be alert and ready for His return. Being ready simply involves being, knowing, and doing what He has designed and commanded us to do.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
En mi última publicación, me centré realmente en la segunda sorpresa de la parábola de Jesús. (Vea la Parte 1 aquí). Pero ahora Pedro hace una pregunta que nos obligará a prestar más atención a la primera sorpresa: la «sorpresa no tan buena».
Jesús está advirtiendo a sus aspirantes a seguidores que deben estar atentos a su segunda venida. Habla de que sus siervos deben dar a los demás siervos «su porción a su debido tiempo». O, según la *New American Standard Version* (1995): «darles sus raciones a su debido tiempo» (Lucas 12:42-43). Eso se parece muchísimo a lo que ocurre en Juan 21, cuando Jesús le pregunta a Pedro: «¿Me amas?», y luego le dice: «Apacienta mis ovejas».
A primera vista, el cristiano promedio podría restarle importancia a esto y decir: «Oh, Él está hablando de mi pastor o del clero. Es imposible que esté hablando de una persona común y corriente —un “Juan” o una “María” cualquiera— como yo». Pero espere un segundo. Analicemos esto con un poco más de detenimiento. En su descripción de los siervos que reciben la «sorpresa no tan buena», Él responde claramente a las preguntas de «¿quién?» y «¿qué?».
«Aquel siervo que conoce la voluntad de su amo, pero no se prepara ni sigue sus instrucciones, será castigado con muchos azotes» (Lucas 12:47).
Eso pone las cosas bajo una luz totalmente distinta, ¿verdad? ¿Es Él nuestro Amo? ¿Conocemos su voluntad? ¿Estamos siguiendo sus instrucciones? Seamos muy claros y sencillos. ¿Llamamos a Jesús nuestro Señor? (Mateo 7:21). ¿Amamos a Dios y a las personas? (Marcos 12:34-35). ¿Estamos haciendo discípulos? (Mateo 28:18-20). Estas son instrucciones claras de Jesús, el Amo, y no necesitamos un título de seminario en griego para comprenderlas.
Mi Historia
Cuando yo era un cristiano recién convertido —un «bebé» en la fe—, había dos cosas por las que oraba cada noche: «Dios, por favor, usa mi vida y dame una esposa». Noche tras noche, me quedaba dormido pensando y orando por esas dos cosas. No sabía cuánta responsabilidad conllevaban esas dos peticiones, pero ese era el anhelo de mi corazón.
Apenas seis meses después de haber abrazado la fe, comencé a hacer discípulos de Jesús y rápidamente me di cuenta de que esta era la respuesta a mi primera oración. Él me había dado (a mí y a cualquier otro seguidor suyo) la comisión de hacer discípulos en todas las naciones. No solo llegué a comprender que este era Su propósito para mi vida, sino que dicha misión traía consigo responsabilidades inesperadas. Ayudar a las personas a seguir a Jesús no siempre resultaba cómodo ni divertido. De hecho, a veces era francamente difícil y complicado. Estaba empezando a comprender el peso de mi petición y la mayordomía que esta exigía. Dios estaba respondiendo mi primera oración, pero yo debía ser un participante dispuesto, un buen siervo del Maestro.
La respuesta a mi segunda petición llegó cuando Él me concedió a mi compañera: Deborah Lynn Thar. Deb y yo hemos tenido un matrimonio fantástico —ella es mi mejor amiga—, aunque no podemos decir que siempre haya sido fácil. Tuvimos que crecer juntos, ceder, afrontar desacuerdos y reconciliarnos. Tuvimos que ejercer la mayordomía de nuestro matrimonio como compañeros de equipo que luchan por ganar el campeonato. Y, por supuesto, para lograrlo, tuvimos que escuchar al «Entrenador» Jesús en cada paso del camino. Desde superar la etapa de la luna de miel hasta criar a nuestros hijos; desde la etapa del «nido vacío» y la jubilación, hasta convertirnos en abuelos y seguir guiando a nuestros hijos ya adultos. Todo este recorrido tuvo sus desafíos y sus victorias, y requirió una mayordomía mucho más intencional de lo que jamás imaginé cuando elevaba aquellas sencillas oraciones en mis primeros años de fe.
Y he aquí que la manera en que el Señor respondió mis dos oraciones desde el principio —y esto no resulta sorprendente— guarda total armonía con los mandatos que Él dio a Adán y Eva en *el* principio:
«Creó, pues, Dios al hombre a su imagen; a imagen de Dios lo creó; varón y hembra los creó. Y los bendijo Dios y les dijo: “Fructificad y multiplicaos; llenad la tierra y sometedla; dominad sobre los peces del mar, sobre las aves de los cielos y sobre todo ser viviente que se mueve sobre la tierra”». (Génesis 1:27-28)
He estado administrando aquello que Él me ha mandado hacer durante toda mi vida adulta y, por Su gracia, continuaré haciéndolo hasta que Él llame a mi puerta.
Nuestro Plan de Acción
Ahora es el momento de la aplicación práctica. Aquí tienes algunas ideas:
Realiza un estudio bíblico sobre las parábolas que Jesús relata acerca de la mayordomía (Mateo 25:14-30, Lucas 19:11-27, Lucas 16:1-13).
Haz una evaluación de cómo estás obedeciendo los tres Grandes Mandamientos en tu propia vida y en la vida de aquellos a quienes estás discipulando.
Formula preguntas a tus discípulos sobre qué cosas están administrando —y de qué manera lo hacen— de entre aquello que Dios les ha confiado.
Dios nos ha otorgado a todos una identidad y un propósito en esta vida. Jesús nos presenta tanto un desafío como la promesa de una recompensa, instándonos a mantenernos alertas y preparados para su regreso. Estar preparados implica, sencillamente, ser, conocer y hacer aquello que Él ha diseñado y nos ha ordenado realizar.
Escritura orgánica: sin inteligencia artificial ni edulcorantes añadidos.
Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com
To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over [a period of] forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. …So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:3, 6)
Introduction
We often find ourselves living in the tension between simply acknowledging Jesus as King and deeply understanding—and applying—the realities of the Kingdom He modeled. In Acts 1:3, we find Jesus leading a remarkable forty-day intensive. He proved His resurrection and spoke directly about “the things concerning the kingdom of God.” This period served as a profound capstone to the previous three years, during which He relentlessly preached and demonstrated the Kingdom throughout His earthly ministry.
Yet, even after this post-resurrection masterclass, the first instinct of His closest followers was to pivot back to their own political comfort zones. They asked, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Their earthbound questions collided with a Risen King whose vision was infinitely broader than a national border.
Like those early followers, many of us struggle with that exact same gap: the space between acknowledging the Kingdom and actually understanding how it operates. We find it hard to trade our cultural scripts for Kingdom reality. To follow Jesus effectively—and to authentically guide those you are discipling into His way of life—we must move beyond seeking our own personal agendas and begin to grasp the radical, co-regent identity for which we were designed.
Key Words and Phrases
The kingdom of God –
βασιλεία (Strong’s G932 – basileia) royal power, kingship, dominion, rule, of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah, of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah’s kingdom, a kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king, used in the N.T. to refer to the reign of the Messiah.
Θεός (Strong’s G2316 – theos) a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities, the Godhead, trinity, spoken of the only and true God, refers to the things of God, His counsels, interests, things due to Him, whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble Him in any way, God’s representative or viceregent, of magistrates and judges.
Jesus went about Galilee preaching the kingdom of God.
Restoring the kingdom to Israel –
Ἀποκαθίστημι (Strong’s G600 – apokathistēmi) to restore to its former state, to be in its former state.
The Jewish people held prophetic expectations that the Messiah would restore the kingdom of Israel through military conquest. While they were correct that this restoration would eventually occur, it was first necessary for the suffering Servant King described inIsaiah 53:1 to come. This misunderstanding prompted the disciples to ask their question.
Messianic Model – Focus on Jesus’ Example
When we look at this interaction in Acts 1, we see a profound model in how Jesus approached, understood, and taught the Kingdom of God:
He learned about the Kingdom as a man. In His incarnation, Jesus emptied Himself (Philippians 2:7). During His earthly ministry, He did not rely on a “divine cheat code” to bypass human development. He had to learn about the Kingdom of God the exact same way we do—through deep submission to the Scriptures and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The Kingdom was His absolute foundation. Because He had internalized the heart of the Father, Jesus lived and taught Kingdom values consistently and without error. This wasn’t a side-topic; it was the core of His three-year ministry, culminating in an intensive forty-day seminar strictly on this subject after His resurrection.
He was relentlessly patient. In Acts 1:6, we see that His closest followers still didn’t get it. After all that time with the Master Teacher, their default was still earthbound. Yet, Jesus doesn’t express frustration or rage-quit on them. He patiently redirects their focus from political timelines to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for global witness (Acts 1:7-8).
Key Theological Implications
The disciples’ question reveals a deep truth: understanding the kingdom of God isn’t an optional elective; it’s essential to understanding our true identity and purpose. Jesus taught that the Kingdom must be our absolute highest priority. He told us to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” and compared it to a hidden treasure worth selling everything to obtain. It was the very reason He was sent, and it is what defines us as a “royal priesthood.” (Matthew 6:33; Matthew 13:44; Luke 4:43; 1 Peter 2:9)
But knowing the Kingdom is not just an intellectual pursuit or a theological puzzle to solve. It requires spiritual re-orientation. Jesus said that “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Comprehension begins with a new birth, and it takes revelation from heaven, combined with modeling, assessment, relearning, and actually living it out. We don’t have to guess how to do this, because Jesus gave us the ultimate example. He did nothing of His own initiative, setting the standard so we could “walk in the same manner as He walked.” (John 3:3; Matthew 13:11; Matthew 16:17; John 13:13-15; John 5:19; 1 John 2:6)
When we truly understand the Kingdom, we understand the King. We see the Father through Him and realize we’ve been radically transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son. Because the earth and everything in it belongs to Him and He holds all authority in heaven and on earth, His ownership completely shapes how we steward our lives. The King’s authority defines the scope of the kingdom we represent. (John 14:9; Colossians 1:13; Psalm 24:1; Matthew 28:18)
This brings us to a massive, mind-blowing reality: co-regency. To make any coherent sense of the Kingdom, we must understand our calling as co-regents. This isn’t a new idea; it’s the original design established in the dominion mandate in Eden. Jesus has made us a “kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” This co-regency isn’t just present-tense—it is eschatological. It is the ultimate trajectory of our eternal lives. We are promised that if we endure, we will also reign with Him, sit with Him on His throne, and “reign forever and ever.” Our highest calling isn’t just surviving until we go to heaven; the final word of Scripture on human vocation is partnering with the King to reign over His creation. (Genesis 1:26-28; Revelation 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 22:5)
Contemporary Spiritual Significance
We live in an age—especially in a modern U.S. context—where the very idea of a “king” or a “kingdom” is frowned upon, if not completely odious. Authority in general is highly suspect because we have witnessed so many abuses of power, even by clergy. But it is not only unfair, it is profoundly unwise to project those human abuses onto God. Jesus is God, and God is love, which was perfectly displayed throughout His earthly life. (1 John 4:8-10; John 14:9; Acts 10:38)
While God is incredibly loving, He is also our Master and Creator, and He should be approached with profound reverence and awe. Furthermore, He is completely just and will eternally punish those who remain rebellious. It is foolish to trifle with, ignore, or challenge His absolute authority. (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 12:28-29; Hebrews 10:31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)
When we align ourselves with our Kingdom identity and purpose, we are ultimately aligning ourselves directly with the King. And when we align ourselves with Him, we begin to live out the exact design He created us for.
Think about it like a piece of high-performance machinery. When a machine is used for what it was specifically engineered to do, it runs powerfully and efficiently. But if you try to use it for something it wasn’t designed for—like trying to use a smartphone to hammer in a nail—the results are completely inadequate, incredibly frustrating, and ultimately destructive.
This is exactly why it is so crucial to read and submit to the “Owner’s Manual” (the Bible). Our Creator knows the proper functions of His creation and how we can best be used to experience true fulfillment and happiness. It is precisely because He knows our design that Jesus can extend the invitation: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me… for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30)
When we stop fighting against our design and align ourselves with the King, the exhausting hustle stops. We begin to genuinely experience His peace, joy, and love, along with an unshakeable hope for the future. And as we experience this transformation, we get to model that same peace and hope to those we are discipling.
Conclusion
Ultimately, bridging the gap between simply acknowledging Jesus as King and truly understanding His Kingdom is the journey of a lifetime. As we see in Acts 1, it requires intentionally moving past our earthbound expectations to embrace a much grander reality. We are not just subjects waiting for an afterlife; we are invited into an active, co-regent partnership with the Creator right now. By choosing to “seek first His kingdom” (Matthew 6:33) and submitting to our original design, we shed the exhaustion of cultural striving and step into true identity and purpose. This radical shift doesn’t happen by accident. It demands that we immerse ourselves in the King’s teachings, rely on the Holy Spirit, and patiently walk out these truths. As we do, we won’t just experience the transformative power of His reign firsthand—we will become a living model of the Kingdom, brilliantly reflecting His hope and authority to those we are discipling.
Disciple-Maker’s Short Story
A True Story and the Reason for this Book
The house is silent, save for the rhythmic hiss of the gas fireplace to my left. At 7:30 am, the world is still holding its breath, and I am holding mine. I am tucked into the corner nook of my couch—my designated “station”—wearing nothing more formal than pajama bottoms and a well-loved t-shirt celebrating the Texas Rangers’ past World Series victory.
To my right, the built-in bookshelves glow under soft LED lighting, illuminating the faces of our sons, their wives, and our grandchildren. They are our heart’s legacy, framed in wood and glass, watching over me as I begin my morning ritual. My bare toes burrow into the intricate patterns of the Persian rug, the wool soft against my skin. There is a sense of groundedness here. Like Moses before the burning bush, I feel the weight of the moment. My feet are bare because this corner of the living room has become holy ground.
Resting on the seat of my rollator is a homemade platter, serving as a makeshift table for my mug of hot tea. In my lap lies one of my most prized possessions: a Bible so worn the leather feels like silk. It is a map of my life, crisscrossed with underlines, tear stains, and margins crowded with notes from decades of seeking.
The Hundredth Reading
I turned the page to the beginning of Acts. I’ve traveled these roads with Luke and Paul many times—at least a hundred, if I’m being honest. I expected the familiar comfort of a story well-known, but as I smoothed down the pages of Acts 1, something shifted.
I stared at the text, struck by a sudden, jarring realization. The men in these verses had spent three years in the shadow of the Master. They had heard the parables, seen the healings, and walked through the trauma of the crucifixion. They had even spent forty days with the resurrected Christ, receiving “intense teaching” on the Kingdom of God. Yet, in Acts 1:6, their first question was about a political restoration of Israel.
After all that time, they still understood so little about the Kingdom.
The Question in the Room
The steam from my tea rose in the morning light, but my focus was locked on the page. A quiet, persistent voice began to echo in the stillness of the room. It wasn’t an accusation; it was an invitation that felt like a piercing light.
“And how much DO YOU understand about My Kingdom?”
I realized then that I had often treated the Kingdom as a theological concept to be studied rather than a reality to be inhabited. I had gleaned the “information” of the book of Acts and the Gospels, but I had barely scratched the surface of the “reign” of the King. That morning, the tea grew cold as a new fire started. I decided that my usual devotional routine or even my study time in the afternoons wasn’t enough. I committed to spending the bulk of my time in the afternoon—an hour to an hour and a half—rediscovering what it actually means to live under the rule of God.
A Journey Shared
I knew I couldn’t do this alone. The Kingdom is not a solitary island; it’s a city, a body, a family. I reached out to a few close friends, inviting them to journey into the depths with me. I told them I wanted to move past the surface-level Sunday school answers and really grapple with the “marvelous Kingdom” Jesus spoke of.
I thought it might be a six-month deep dive. I was wrong.
Six months dissolved into a year of intense discovery. One year bled into two. The more we looked, the more we realized how vast the landscape truly is. We found that the Kingdom isn’t just about where we go when we die; it’s about the staggering reality of Christ’s authority here and now—in our families, our suffering, our joys, and even in the quiet corners of our living rooms.
Today, as I sit in my nook with my feet on the rug, I’m no longer looking for a finish line. I’ve surrendered to the fact that I will spend the rest of my life as a student. I am a lifelong traveler, seeking to understand our wonderful King and the breadth of His reach. The “deficit” I felt that morning was actually a gift—it was the hunger that led me to the feast.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” — Matthew 6:33
How to Use This Book: The Format and Our Approach
If you are going to lead others in the ways of Jesus, you must have a roadmap for your own heart first. As you progress through this book, you will notice that every chapter follows the exact rhythm you just experienced. This isn’t by accident. It is designed to move you systematically from head knowledge to holistic living.
Introduction: We always start by establishing the primary tension in the text—the gap between what we know and what we actually live.
Key Words and Phrases: We live in a culture that loves to project its own definitions onto ancient texts. By briefly digging into the original Greek and Hebrew words, we bypass our cultural assumptions and anchor our understanding to what was actually being said.
Messianic Model: We always look to Jesus. He is not just our Savior; He is the ultimate example of Kingdom living. We cannot guide those we are discipling if we are not first tracing His footsteps.
Theological & Contemporary Significance: Here, we bridge the ancient text to our modern context, pulling out the massive implications for our daily lives.
Transformative Power & Conclusion: We wrap up the teaching by exploring how yielding to this specific Kingdom truth changes us from the inside out.
Disciple-Maker’s Short Story: After this first true chapter, every chapter will end with a fictionalized vignette. While the names and exact scenarios may be fictional, every single one of these stories is heavily drawn from over forty-five years of real-life experience walking with people. They are designed to show you what these truths look like in the beautiful messiness of real life and relationships with those you are discipling.
The Approach: Unhurried Meditation We live in an age of rapid-fire information, endless scrolling, and instant gratification. This book is an invitation to do the exact opposite.
The insights in these chapters weren’t born from simply skimming verses; they were forged during those hour-and-a-half afternoon blocks of dedicated quiet. To truly grasp the Kingdom, I encourage you to slow down. Don’t just read these chapters—marinate in them. Wrestle with the text. Pray over the implications. Let the Holy Spirit do the heavy lifting in your heart before you attempt to pass these truths on to anyone else. You will find that this framework of studying, meditating, and practically applying the text is a highly reproducible model you can use directly with those you are guiding.
The Power of Community Finally, you cannot learn Kingdom realities in isolation. Just as I invited my close friends to journey into the depths with me, I encourage you to read this alongside others. I cannot overstate how incredibly helpful it was to bounce these ideas off my friends. Their ongoing encouragement was the fuel that kept me going when the study felt overwhelming, and their thoughtful challenges sharpened my perspectives along the way. Just as “iron sharpens iron,” their input was an essential part of this process.
Do the same. Bring these chapters into your living room, your coffee shop meetings, and your intentional relationships. Ask the hard questions together. The Kingdom is a family, and we learn its ways best when we are walking side by side.
Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning. Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them. Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, those servants will be blessed. But understand this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”
My Thoughts
Some people like surprises and some don’t. I guess it all depends on what kind of condition the surprise comes in. If it’s a birthday party, ok I can deal with that even though it’s not my favorite. But if it were a tax audit and my wife is on a “girlfriend getaway,” I’m sunk. Some surprises can be down right disastrous. That’s one of the surprises Jesus is talking about but with much greater implications. This is a surprise with eternal consequences.
But there’s another surprise that if we are not careful we’ll completely miss. The Master will serve His servants. What!? Did I read that right!? Yes, we did. Jesus will serve a sumptuous dinner to those servants whom He catches ready when He returns. Now that should blow our minds.
But isn’t that just like Jesus? The One who serves. The One who washes feet. The One who humbled Himself and took on our penalty. It’s absolutely unthinkable that God would serve His servants and yet it is the way of the kingdom of God.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
So how does this apply to us as disciples and disciple makers? If the goal is to become and help others become like Jesus, then we ought to surprise people with our upside down (or should I say rightside up) kingdom values of serving others. It should be so significantly different from the worldly form of leadership, that it is shocking. Shocking like… the Creator of the Universe seating us in a place of honor and saying, “How may I serve you?”
My Story
He was in the latrine mopping the floor when two privates walked in. They froze and gawked at him like he was from outer space. Why? Because he was their First Sergeant, almost the highest rank among the enlisted in the army. Privates mop floors, not First Sergeants.
He was stirring a mixture of burning poop and diesel in a half steel drum in the middle of the Kuwaiti desert. A couple of privates walked up and stood paralyzed in shock as they watched their Captain clean the contents of the crude outhouse. Why? Because Privates burn poop, not Captains.
Some of the leaders in their ministry sat with their jaws on the floor when they announced they were moving an old friend next door. Not any old friend. A friend they were moving from one city to their city to nurse him until he died of colon cancer. Why were their fellow leaders surprised? Because they were leading a booming ministry and taking care of Bill would take away vital time from “the ministry.” But SURPRISE! Bill WAS their ministry. They served him until he passed in the arms of Jesus in Whom he put his faith, just a week before he died.
If we want to be like Jesus, our service should surprise people.
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some ideas and questions;
Who among your acquaintances would be shocked if you served them?
What menial tasks would people consider to be “beneath” you?
When will you serve others in these “menial tasks?”
Service is a key kingdom value. It was the way Jesus led and exhorted others to lead. Let’s surprise the world around us with our servanthood.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
A algunas personas les gustan las sorpresas, y a otras no. Supongo que todo depende de la naturaleza de la sorpresa. Si se trata de una fiesta de cumpleaños, bueno, puedo lidiar con eso, aunque no sea mi cosa favorita. Pero si fuera una auditoría fiscal y mi esposa estuviera de «escapada con sus amigas», estaría perdido. Algunas sorpresas pueden ser francamente desastrosas. Esa es una de las sorpresas de las que habla Jesús, pero con implicaciones mucho mayores. Se trata de una sorpresa con consecuencias eternas.
Pero hay otra sorpresa que, si no tenemos cuidado, pasaremos completamente por alto. El Maestro servirá a sus siervos. ¿¡Qué!? ¿¡Leí bien!? Sí, así es. Jesús servirá una cena suntuosa a aquellos siervos a quienes encuentre preparados cuando Él regrese. Eso debería dejarnos atónitos.
¿Pero no es eso precisamente lo que cabe esperar de Jesús? Aquel que sirve. Aquel que lava los pies. Aquel que se humilló a sí mismo y asumió nuestra pena. Resulta absolutamente impensable que Dios sirva a sus siervos; y, sin embargo, ese es el camino del reino de Dios.
«Porque ni siquiera el Hijo del Hombre vino para que le sirvan, sino para servir y para dar su vida en rescate por muchos». (Marcos 10:45)
Entonces, ¿cómo se aplica esto a nosotros como discípulos y formadores de discípulos? Si el objetivo es llegar a ser como Jesús —y ayudar a otros a serlo también—, entonces deberíamos sorprender a la gente con nuestros valores del reino, que parecen «invertidos» (¿o debería decir «puestos en su lugar correcto»?), basados en el servicio a los demás. Debería ser algo tan radicalmente distinto de la forma de liderazgo mundana que resulte impactante. Impactante como… el Creador del Universo sentándonos en un lugar de honor y diciéndonos: «¿En qué puedo servirles?».
Mi Historia
Él estaba en la letrina fregando el suelo cuando entraron dos soldados rasos. Se quedaron paralizados y lo miraron boquiabiertos, como si fuera de otro planeta. ¿Por qué? Porque él era su Primer Sargento, casi el rango más alto entre la tropa del ejército. Los soldados rasos friegan suelos; los Primeros Sargentos, no.
Él estaba removiendo una mezcla de excrementos ardiendo y diésel dentro de un medio barril de acero, en medio del desierto kuwaití. Un par de soldados rasos se acercaron y se quedaron petrificados por la conmoción al ver a su Capitán limpiar el contenido de aquella rudimentaria letrina. ¿Por qué? Porque los soldados rasos queman los excrementos; los Capitanes, no.
Algunos de los líderes de su ministerio se quedaron con la mandíbula desencajada cuando anunciaron que iban a instalar a un viejo amigo en la casa de al lado. No un amigo cualquiera. Un amigo al que trasladaban desde otra ciudad hasta la suya para cuidarlo hasta que falleciera a causa de un cáncer de colon. ¿Por qué se sorprendieron sus compañeros líderes? Porque dirigían un ministerio en pleno auge, y cuidar de Bill les restaría un tiempo vital que debían dedicar a «el ministerio». Pero, ¡SORPRESA! Bill ERA su ministerio. Lo atendieron con devoción hasta que él partió a los brazos de Jesús, en quien había depositado su fe apenas una semana antes de morir.
Si queremos ser como Jesús, nuestro servicio debería sorprender a la gente.
Nuestro Plan de Acción
Ahora es el momento de ponerlo en práctica. Aquí tienes algunas ideas y preguntas:
¿Quién, entre tus conocidos, se quedaría atónito si decidieras servirle?
¿Qué tareas humildes consideraría la gente que están «por debajo» de tu dignidad?
¿Cuándo servirás a los demás realizando estas «tareas humildes»?
El servicio es un valor fundamental del Reino. Fue la manera en que Jesús lideró, y la forma en que exhortó a otros a liderar. Sorprendamos al mundo que nos rodea con nuestra actitud de servicio.
Escritura orgánica: sin inteligencia artificial ni edulcorantes añadidos.
Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? So if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it. For the Gentiles of the world strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
My Thoughts
Where are our hearts and minds? Are they fixated on that which is temporal or eternal? Are we grabbing for the here and now or are we firmly pressing into the things of God? Are we grinding away at our own security or trusting God for the mundane in order to focus on the extraordinary? I think that’s what Jesus is talking about here. He’s not saying quit your job, live off the land, and become a freeloader off other people who work for a living. No, He’s saying get our priorities straight. Are we worried about getting our slice of the proverbial pie or are we more intune with the Divine Enterprise, the kingdom of God.
I think this is what gets most believers in trouble. They start out well sharing the gospel and helping others grow in Christ. At first, it’s easy. We’re single, maybe just happy with getting by. Then comes marriage, kids, a serious job that is more demanding, and on and on until the kingdom’s priority is squeezed out by everything else. It’s hard to make disciples and serve others when the first priority is to build our own nest first.
Jesus is telling His disciples (then and now) that our first priority is the kingdom, not what we have energy left over after all other essentials are done. No, the kingdom is the essential. Everything else is to be leveraged in pursuit of the one great goal, His glory, His kingdom. So we need to ask ourselves, is our marriage advancing the kingdom? Is the way we raise our kids causing people to wonder what makes us tick (in a good way). Are we so different in our appetites that the folks around say, “Now that’s different!” (again in a good way). Are we trusting God in all these very good things in order to reach people with the gospel and make disciples even when it’s looking a little sketchy for our own comfort and well being?
My Story
When our sons, Chuck and Wes, were in high school the idea of sending them to a good youth group at a traditional church came up. Deb and I were asking the question; “Are we really providing the right mix of parenting and outside influence for their spiritual growth?” We decided they didn’t need the youth group. Now that decision may surprise you but here’s how we came to that conclusion.
We had been moving young soldiers into our home for discipleship to advance the kingdom of God. Most of them were young Airborne Rangers living in the spare bedrooms next to our boys. Both sons thought these guys were the coolest. We also thought they were “cool” because they were really getting after it for Jesus. In addition most of the stories of the youth groups in our area were not so great. They were basically “babysitting teens” or at worst the teens themselves were setting the agenda and the agenda wasn’t good. We could either divide our time by running back and forth to various youth activities or just trust that God would use the men we were discipling to disciple our boys. The kingdom was first in our home and these young men and our sons knew it. It wasn’t perfect but it was one of the best decisions we made as parents.
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some ideas and questions;
When making decisions about marriage, family, career, etc… is your impact on the kingdom one of the first considerations?
Are you teaching those you are discipling to have “kingdom priorities?”
Do a Bible study on the kingdom of God (Here’s mine 🙂).
Jesus makes a promise that when we focus on the kingdom of God and make it the priority, He takes care of everything else. This frees us up from the anxiety of the world and allows us to zero in on the eternal. His kingdom is our treasure, the heartbeat of the true disciple of Jesus.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
¿Dónde residen nuestros corazones y nuestras mentes? ¿Están fijos en lo temporal o en lo eterno? ¿Nos aferramos al aquí y al ahora, o avanzamos con firmeza hacia las cosas de Dios? ¿Nos desgastamos luchando por nuestra propia seguridad, o confiamos en Dios para los asuntos mundanos a fin de poder enfocarnos en lo extraordinario? Creo que de eso es de lo que Jesús está hablando aquí. Él no nos dice que renunciemos a nuestros trabajos, que vivamos de la tierra y que nos convirtamos en parásitos que viven a costa de quienes trabajan para ganarse la vida. No; lo que Él nos dice es que pongamos nuestras prioridades en orden. ¿Nos preocupa conseguir nuestra propia porción del proverbial pastel, o estamos más sintonizados con la Empresa Divina: el reino de Dios?
Creo que esto es lo que causa problemas a la mayoría de los creyentes. Comienzan bien, compartiendo el evangelio y ayudando a otros a crecer en Cristo. Al principio, resulta fácil. Estamos solteros y tal vez nos basta con simplemente ir tirando. Luego llegan el matrimonio, los hijos, un trabajo serio y más exigente, y así sucesivamente, hasta que la prioridad del reino termina siendo desplazada por todo lo demás. Resulta difícil hacer discípulos y servir a los demás cuando la prioridad número uno es, ante todo, construir nuestro propio nido.
Jesús les dice a sus discípulos —tanto a los de entonces como a los de ahora— que nuestra prioridad principal es el reino, y no aquello a lo que dedicamos la energía que nos sobra una vez cubiertas todas las demás necesidades básicas. No; el reino es lo verdaderamente esencial. Todo lo demás debe ponerse al servicio de ese único y gran objetivo: Su gloria, Su reino. Por lo tanto, debemos preguntarnos: ¿contribuye nuestro matrimonio al avance del reino? ¿Hace que la manera en que criamos a nuestros hijos despierte la curiosidad de la gente, llevándolos a preguntarse qué es lo que nos mueve (en el buen sentido)? ¿Somos tan distintos en nuestros anhelos y apetitos que quienes nos rodean exclaman: «¡Vaya, eso sí que es diferente!» (nuevamente, en el buen sentido)? ¿Confiamos en Dios en medio de todas estas cosas tan buenas, con el fin de alcanzar a las personas con el evangelio y hacer discípulos, incluso cuando la situación parece un tanto incierta para nuestra propia comodidad y bienestar?
Mi Historia
Cuando nuestros hijos, Chuck y Wes, cursaban la escuela secundaria, surgió la idea de enviarlos a un buen grupo de jóvenes en una iglesia tradicional. Deb y yo nos planteábamos la siguiente pregunta: «¿Estamos realmente proporcionando la combinación adecuada de crianza e influencias externas para su crecimiento espiritual?». Decidimos que no necesitaban el grupo de jóvenes. Tal vez esa decisión les sorprenda, pero he aquí cómo llegamos a esa conclusión.
Habíamos estado acogiendo en nuestro hogar a jóvenes soldados con el fin de discipularlos y así hacer avanzar el reino de Dios. La mayoría de ellos eran jóvenes *Rangers* aerotransportados que se alojaban en las habitaciones libres, justo al lado de las de nuestros hijos. Ambos chicos consideraban que estos jóvenes eran lo máximo. Nosotros también pensábamos que eran «geniales», pues se entregaban de lleno a la causa de Jesús. Además, la mayoría de las historias que se contaban sobre los grupos de jóvenes de nuestra zona no eran muy alentadoras. Básicamente consistían en «hacer de niñeros de adolescentes» o, en el peor de los casos, eran los propios adolescentes quienes marcaban la pauta, y esa pauta no era buena. Podíamos optar por dividir nuestro tiempo yendo y viniendo a las diversas actividades juveniles, o simplemente confiar en que Dios utilizaría a los hombres que estábamos discipulando para que, a su vez, discipularan a nuestros hijos. El reino ocupaba el primer lugar en nuestro hogar, y tanto aquellos jóvenes como nuestros hijos lo sabían. No fue un proceso perfecto, pero constituyó una de las mejores decisiones que tomamos como padres.
Nuestro Plan de Acción
Ahora es el momento de la aplicación práctica. Aquí tienes algunas ideas y preguntas:
Al tomar decisiones sobre el matrimonio, la familia, la carrera profesional, etc., ¿es tu impacto en el Reino una de las primeras consideraciones?
¿Estás enseñando a aquellos a quienes discipulas a tener «prioridades del Reino»?
Realiza un estudio bíblico sobre el Reino de Dios.
Jesús hace una promesa: cuando nos enfocamos en el Reino de Dios y lo convertimos en nuestra prioridad, Él se encarga de todo lo demás. Esto nos libera de la ansiedad del mundo y nos permite centrarnos plenamente en lo eterno. Su Reino es nuestro tesoro; es el latido del corazón del verdadero discípulo de Jesús.
Escritura orgánica: sin inteligencia artificial ni edulcorantes añadidos.
Si ve un problema importante en la traducción, envíeme una corrección por correo electrónico a charleswood1@gmail.com
ToBeLikeJesus 