BLESSINGS FROM FAITH

 My Dear Precious Child,
     After Jesus made the triumphant entry into Jerusalem like a humble servant of the people instead of a wealthy king, then He went to Bethany and stayed there. (Matthew 21:17) In the early morning hours as He was going back to Jerusalem He became hungry.  He saw a leafy fig tree by the roadside and He went to see if there was any fruit on the tree.(Matthew 21:18-19)  Since there was no fruit on the tree where usually the fruit and the leaves appear at the same time, Jesus said to the tree that it would never again grow fruit.  The tree withered up and died immediately.  When the disciples saw it, they were amazed and asked how it was that the tree had withered away immediately. (Matthew 21:20) Jesus answered them immediately and told the disciples that if they would have faith and not doubt that they would not only be able to do what He had done, but they would say to any mountain of demonic power to be taken up and cast into the abysmal sea and that it would be done.   He said that whatever they asked in prayer, really believing, that it would be done.(Matthew 21:21-22)
     When Jesus entered into the sacred place in the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching about faith and asked Him by whose authority He was doing the miraculous things that He was doing.(Matthew 21:23)  As was His habit when talking to the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, chief priests, priests and elders of the temple, He did not answer them directly but He answered them with a question.  He told them that is they answered His question that He would answer their question and tell them by whose authority He was doing marvelous things. (Matthew 21:24)
     The question that He asked them related to John the Baptist.  He asked them if the ministry of John the Baptist was from heaven or from men? (Matthew 21:25)  The chief priests argued among themselves and reasoned that if they said John's ministry was from heaven that Jesus would ask them why they did not believe John and join with his ministry.  They also reasoned that if they said John's ministry was from men that the crowd would descend upon them because John the Baptist was so popular with the people. (Matthew 21:25-26) The chief priests answered Jesus by saying that they did not know the answer to his question, so He would not answer their question about whose authority He was under when He did such magnificent miracles. (Matthew 21:27)
    Then Jesus told them a parable about a man who had two sons. (Matthew 21:28-29)  He came to the first son and told him to go work in the vineyard.  That son said that he would not work, but he later relented and decided to go and work.  Then the man went to the second son and said the same thing.  The second son said that he would gladly go and work but he did not go. (Matthew 21:30) Jesus asked the chief priests which son did the will of the father.  They replied that the first son did the will of the father.  Jesus assured the chief priests that the tax collectors and harlots would get into My kingdom of God before they did.  He told them that John the Baptist, who taught repentance of sins and who was a man walking upright before Me, came to them with His message of repentance and they did not believe him. (Matthew 21:31)  He told the chief priests that the tax collectors and harlots believed John the Baptist.  Jesus told the chief priests that even when they saw that the sinners believed John the Baptist and repented, the chief priests still refused to repent and be baptized by John in water.   He chided the chief priest for not believing the message of John the Baptist.  (Matthew 21:32)  
    Jesus Christ's teachings about the fig tree and the ensuing parable was indicative of the truth that the nation of Israel had not recognized Him as their Messiah, the One sent by Me to save the world, so He ministered to the sick, the dying, the demon possessed, the tax collectors, the law breakers and the harlots, in other words the people who had been harassed and possessed by the devil.  They welcomed the ministry of both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ into their lives.  They repented and eventually became born of My Holy Spirit and baptized in My Holy Spirit while the dedicated Jews remained true to the lie that the Messiah was coming to set up a kingdom for the Jews only, a kingdom with opulent lifestyles for the rich and an authoritarian form of governing over the poor, the sick, the pagans and the demon possessed.   They did not know Me. They had the opportunity to know Me through Jesus Christ, just like the disciples knew Him and went to Jerusalem to wait for My promise to come into their lives where the Holy Spirit would take up residence in their lives in order to administer My new covenant with the entire world.  
    Jesus' claim that the least fortunate people in the world would be the first to enter into My kingdom of God was met with fear and unbelief by the Jews who were patiently waiting for their Messiah to establish Israel as the leader of the world.  The ministry of Jesus Christ made it clear that the first inhabitants of My kingdom of God would not be the governmental officials nor the religious leaders of Israel, but that the first ones would be the people who had a need for what My kingdom and I could offer to them, which is salvation from the works of the devil. (I John 3:8-9)
    The prophet Paul eventually said that in My kingdom of God there are no distinctions between male and female, slave and free, Jew and Gentile, (Galatians 3:25-28)  He said that you are no longer a slave to sin but you are My child and an heir to My kingdom of God. (Galatians 46-7) Jesus had explained it fully to the chief priests and elders of the temple when He ministered in the earth but they refused to believe.
    Your Father of Mercy and Forgiveness