DRAWING NEAR
June 18
Looking Beyond the Externals
"My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus
Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism" (James 2:1).
Jesus is "our glorious Lord" (James 2:1)--the Sovereign One who rules
over all His creation, and the One in whom the fullness of God's
glory is revealed. John said, "The Word [Jesus] became flesh, and
dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only
begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Paul
said, "In Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Col.
2:9).
As God, Jesus shares the impartiality of the Father. He knows that a
person's worth is based on the value of his soul, not on external
considerations. That's why He always looks on the heart and never
judges on externals alone.
That was evident in the way Jesus dealt with sinners when He was
still on earth. He never hesitated to confront them--whether they
were influential Jewish religious leaders or common folks. Even His
enemies acknowledged His impartiality when they said, "Teacher, we
know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and
defer to no one; for You are not partial to any" (Matt. 22:16).
Like the Father, Jesus also extended the offer of salvation to men
and women of every race, social class, and moral standing. That's
illustrated by the parable He told in Matthew 22:1-14 about the
marriage of a king's son (an illustration of Himself). The invited
guests (Israel) didn't show up, so the king commanded his servants to
go out and gather everyone they could find to furnish the wedding
with guests. As a result, people of every station in life attended
the wedding, just as people of every station in life are called to
salvation.
As you have opportunities to minister to others today, don't be
influenced by externals such as looks, clothing, or economic level.
Do as Jesus did: treat them with compassion and speak the truth
without compromise.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Praise the Lord for His impartiality, and ask Him for special grace
as you reach out to others today.
For Further Study:
Read Matthew 20:1-16. How does that parable illustrate the
impartiality of God?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Matthew 22:1-14
22:1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and
said:
2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a
marriage for his son,
3 "and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the
wedding; and they were not willing to come.
4 "Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are
invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle
are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding."'
5 "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own
farm, another to his business.
6 "And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and
killed them.
7 "But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out
his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those
who were invited were not worthy.
9 'Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite
to the wedding.'
10 "So those servants went out into the highways and gathered
together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall
was filled with guests.
11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there
who did not have on a wedding garment.
12 "So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a
wedding garment?' And he was speechless.
13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot,
take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."
Matthew 20:1-16
20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out
early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2 "Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he
sent them into his vineyard.
3 "And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle
in the marketplace,
4 "and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is
right I will give you.' So they went.
5 "Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did
likewise.
6 "And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing
idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all
day?'
7 "They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them,
'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will
receive.'
8 "So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his
steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with
the last to the first.'
9 "And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they
each received a denarius.
10 "But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive
more; and they likewise received each a denarius.
11 "And when they had received it, they complained against the
landowner,
12 "saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made
them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'
13 "But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no
wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14 'Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last
man the same as to you.
15 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or
is your eye evil because I am good?'
16 "So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are
called, but few chosen."
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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