PASTORAL CHAT

My Dear Readers

This Lord’s Day will be our first Lord’s Supper and it will be held on the fifth floor at rooms 506 and 507. The Lord’s messenger will be Dr Jeffrey Khoo, Academic Dean of Far Eastern Bible College.

The following week my brother Dr. S.H. Tow, Senior Pastor of Calvary Pandan B-P Church will be the speaker. Variety is the spice of life.

Since shifting to RELC the Lord has blessed us with peace and happiness. The formula is from David, Ps. 34:12-17, “What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”

Your affectionate pastor
T T

The last shall be first, and the first last

(Message delivered by Pastor at the RELC 10.30 am Service, Nov 2, 03)
Text: Matt. 20:1-16

Let me retell this parable in our modern language, especially in naming the hours of the day. The kingdom of heaven is like a towkay who went out 6 o’clock in the morning to the market place to hire labourers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them $30 a day and sent them into his vineyard.

He went out to the market place at 9am and saw others idling there and he said to them, “Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

Again he went out to the market place about 12 noon and 3pm, and he did likewise.

Finally at 5pm he went out and found others still standing idle and asked them, “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” They said to him, “Because no man has hired us.” He said to them, “Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.”

When it was 6pm the towkay said to his kepala, Call the labourers and give them their wages, starting from the last to the first. When they came who were hired at 5pm, they received everyone $30. But when those who were hired at 6 o’clock in the morning came, they supposed they should have received more, but they received $30. When they got the pay they complained against the towkay, “These last have worked only one hour and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and heat of the day.” But the towkay answered one of them, “Friend, I do you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for $30? Take that is yours and go your way. I will give to this last even as I give to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Are you jealous because I am good?”

So the last shall be first and the first last.

This parable teaches the truth whether it concerns heavenly or earthly matters. The labourers, whether they were given work, early or late, should they not all be grateful because they were standing idle all the time. A penny was a day’s wage in Jesus’ time. Today it is about $30 in Singapore. Whether the labourers got $30 working early or late they should be satisfied. Particularly when such a situation touches heaven. That is the case of the good thief on the cross. He rebuked the bad thief for maligning our Saviour. He believed Jesus before his last breath and our Lord said he would be with him in paradise that day. When the apostles heard this would they complain to the Lord? No, they would rejoice for another soul saved and that in the nick of time.

The aged father of my friend in Australia was saved when he accepted Christ in his illness. I was asked to go and baptise him. With not many days to live, I all the more quickened my steps.

How old are you today? Ps. 90 tells us as well as a Chinese proverb that our life span is seventy years and if stronger up to eighty. If you should die today, do you know you will go up or go down? Quickly come to Jesus and you will be saved. How fortunate to catch the Gospel train at the last hour! This applies to you even when you are in your twenties. A grandfather in Muar, Malaysia, bequeathed his property to his grandson when he reached 21. But soon after this the grandson was killed in a traffic accident. The lesson we learn here is let no one delay. Repent from your evil ways and accept Jesus as your Saviour now.

A lady here brought her husband to church in good time and got him saved. How she loves the Lord Jesus now. Jesus rewarded the man who worked only one hour as the one who started at 6am. Why? He didn’t tell us. But there must be a good reason. This must be found in the sincere repentance of the good thief on the cross, just before he died. If you are not saved, hurry to be saved!

So the last shall be first, and the first last.

HOW JESUS TAKETH PUNY MEN IN THEIR OWN CRAFTINESS

XVIII. The Pharisee and the Publican

“And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18:9-13)

Commentary

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted (vs. 14).

XIX. In Contrast, To the humble and believing sinners, Jesus is all mercy and grace
(The Conversion of Zacchaeus)

“And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:1-10)

XX. Total Confrontation with the Pharisees and Chief Priests

“And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Luke 19:35-46)

Commentary

And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him (v. 47, 48). Chinese proverb: Fairplay reigns in the hearts of the people.