Reading With the People of God #13 Nicene CreedSample

Focus of the month: Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Grumbling Over Grace

In our reading today, the 2 Kings passage gives us nothing new. Israel’s kings fail to lead the people in a positive spiritual direction. Nothing occurs to slow the nation’s demise. The Assyrian threat is looming, and Tiglath-Pileser III is introduced. Poor leadership coupled with spiritual and social decline proves a deadly combination. Even in our day!

In our Matthew text today, we have another classic parable of Jesus to help us consider the kingdom of heaven. Imagine a vineyard owner hiring workers at 6:00 am, 9:00 am, 12:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and 5:00 pm to work in his vineyard. He only tells the 6:00 am group what exactly He is paying. At 6:00 pm, He pays all of them the same wages. Everyone except the 5:00 pm group complains or grumbles about the obvious “That’s not fair” deal. This story scarcely models good management-labor practices, but does disclose amazing truths about God’s character!

Surely we would protest as well, and this parable certainly echoes the complaint of Israel against God in Moses’ day (see Exodus 16:7-12; Numbers 14:27; and Deuteronomy 1:27). God is just. God is a giver of grace. Because of Jesus, all ground is level at the foot of the cross. We all stand in need! So, no grumbling! The ancient reader of Matthew would struggle with the tax collectors, sinners, and the Gentiles receiving grace from God. In another era, some struggled with people of a different race or social class being welcome at God’s table. Today, we may struggle with a different political party, a different denomination, or a different Bible translation. Thank God for His grace!

*Primer contributed by Brian Mott, Ministering Elder, Middle School Bible Teacher