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Author
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Topic: A Servant Attitude
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phillip tidwell
Advanced Member
Member # 6966
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posted
You da man!!
One of the most interesting and exciting things of all life is to find the relationship between New Testament and Old Testament truths. After reading all Job for the first time in the past few months, a key learning was the "why bad things happen to good people" question. (They don’t call me master of the obvious for nothin’) But I NEVER made the association between this and the lessons in Matt. & Luke I referenced in my posting. Thank you for sharing this.
Sorry I missed saying hello last night. Amazing how Dr. Young took such an esoteric topic and made it so meaningful.
Posts: 63 | Registered: Jan 2008
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Daddy Raptor
Advanced Member
Member # 6975
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posted
Phillip,
Two basic attitudes concerning God are represented in the story of Job that relate to, let us say, "death bed conversions."
Job's wife's attitude was one of entitlement (most common in our culture today), Job 2:9. The attitude that God is unfair to allow bad things to happen to good people.
Job's attitude is the proper one, Job. 2:10; 1:21,22. That is, that we do not deserve anything from God but judgment in hell. Even those who work all their life long serving the Lord, Isa. 64:6.
Last Friday I was working as Hospice Chaplain at the JCMC. Patients have be disgnosed with less then 6 months to live and are cared for in their homes. I was at the bedside of a crack addict dying from cancer and COPD. The stench was terrible and I was being careful not to touch anything. He prayed and received the free gift of salvation that God purchased for us. He didn't deserve it and neither do I. The ground is level at the foot of the cross!
I saw you and your son last night at church but didn't catch you to say hello.
May God bless,
David
Posts: 21 | From: Jonesborough, TN | Registered: Jan 2008
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Carol Swenson
Admin
Member # 6929
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posted
Title: Illustrations Unlimited
Edition: First
LOOKING FOR THE LIGHT
G. Campbell Morgan was once approached by a soldier who said he would give anything to believe that God would forgive sins, “but I cannot believe He will forgive me if I just turn to Him. It is too cheap.”
Dr. Morgan said to him: “You were working in the mine today. How did you get out of the pit?”
He answered, “The way I usually do; I got into the cage and was pulled to the top.”
“How much did you pay to come out of the pit?”
“I didn’t pay anything.”
“Weren’t you afraid to trust yourself to that cage? Was it not too cheap?”
The man replied, “Oh, no! It was cheap for me, but it cost the company a lot of money to sink that shaft.”
The man saw the light, that it was the infinite price paid by the Son of God for our salvation, which comes to us by faith and not by anything that we can do.
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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phillip tidwell
Advanced Member
Member # 6966
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posted
Seems to me there are a lot of parallels between Matthew 20 and the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15). I certainly agree with your observations about attitude. Although it’s painful to me, one of the key lessons is with regard to the attitudes of the other workers and that of the eldest son. In both instances there is an attitude of resentment toward the unmerited grace of forgiveness shown to the late workers or the prodigal son, as the case may be. Both in the parables and in everyday life, it’s far too tempting the resent grace given to others and many people who yield to their own logic understand why the attitude of resentment exist.
It was harvest time and work was plentiful. So why were these last workers still standing around at the end of the day waiting to be hired? Likely because they were lazy, lousy workers no one else would ever hire. It’s easy to conclude how the other workers who had been laboring in the hot sun all day resented the lazy, one-hour workers getting the same reward. Similarly, the eldest son in us resents baby brother getting rewarded after shaking dad down for the inheritance and squandering it on wine, women and song.
So what does that say about those who have that resentful attitude with respect to their view of grace? The old desire of wanting to “earn” salvation is hard to resist, which I equate very much to Eve’s desire to “be like God, knowing good from evil”. Someone once described the workers’ reaction as not approving of a heaven that is open to every Tom, Dick, and Harry. In other words, we can understand how we can “deserve” salvation, but recoil at the notion of someone whom “we know is no good” getting the same pay at the end of the day.
Bummer. I’m telling on myself again.
Posts: 63 | Registered: Jan 2008
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Daddy Raptor
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Member # 6975
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posted
Matt. 20 is about attitude. The Lord's teaching to His disciples regarded servant leadership. The parable illustrated an improper attitude towards fellow servants. The land owner paid the 5 o'clock workers for their availability all day long. The right attitude would have been thankful that these laborers were blessed to be able to feed and care for their families, as well.
Posts: 21 | From: Jonesborough, TN | Registered: Jan 2008
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