Twentieth Sunday after Trinity: Matthew 22:1⁠–⁠14

Do you know you have an inheritance? Where? In the saints. Satan's job is to keep you from getting your inheritance today. He's trying hard to do it. He's got all kinds of lies and accusations. He's working overtime. 

Luke 10:38-42 [38] Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. [39] And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. [40] But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. [41] And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: [42] But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

There's that Bible word - NOW. 

Mary sat and heard the word, but Martha was cumbered by many things. CUMBERED: perispao, Greek 4049, Strong's perispao, per-ee-spah'-o; from Greek 4012 (peri) and Greek 4685 (spao); to drag all around, i.e. (figurative) to distract (with care) :- cumber.

Oswald Chambers calls it the Martha whine, which is a distraction. She was distracting, cumbered with care about much serving. Martha had a god project. She was being good, doing many wonderful things. That's how she protects herself from God; through her works, goodness. Now, who is Jesus to Martha? Someone who is useful. What is she looking at? What other people aren't doing. There is a Martha church in the world today. Have you ever been in it? How come you're not like us, out there doing things like we are? Because we're abiding. Because we've never done one good work, not one. How could totally depraved people do good works? Have you gotten over that yet, or does it still spark something in you when you hear it? I know that most people's hearts are desperately wicked and that there is nothing good in most people's flesh, but I have little bit. You can't say I didn't love Psyche. She's my daughter, Psyche. Yes, that's been our problem, The Fox said. Look what someone isn't doing. Then she tries to enlist God in condemning. She enlists the name of Jesus in condemning everyone else for what they are not doing. The Lord rebukes her. He's on to her game. He knows her works have he wrong motive. He knows she wants to keep him out. 

Forde article: Go away Jesus. Unless I can enlist you in my god project, I would rather have my pigs with demons. Where did the demons go? The audacity of the man to suggest we might try looking in the mirror. I did not say that, Forde did. Anger, hatred, accusing and blaming is demonic.

Forde: The world, the flesh and the devil are not out there somewhere, they are operative through us. 

Peter knew from God who Jesus was and five minutes later, when Jesus talks of the cross knowing full well what the prophets have spoken about him, Peter says to Jesus, "May it never be.” I don't want to hear all this cross talk. Let's talk about prosperity, feeling good about yourself, or your health." Jesus said to Peter, "Get behind me Satan, you think as a man." How does a man think? Save my life - my construction - my little reduced world that keeps shrinking. But I'm doing great exploits. I don't know why you keep saying that my world is shrinking. I've never been doing so well in my whole life. Men will always work to save their life - do many wonderful things in Jesus name. 

The church change their evangelistic approach, believing that people need physical healing, and when that need is met they might hear the gospel. This is humanism, the social gospel. There is a sickness that lies in the heart of man. Martha would be driven her whole life if she wasn't interrupted. 

Matthew 13 - Jesus explains to the disciples that some seeds fall on thorns, and the thorns are the cares of this world which choke the word. It’s just an illusion. We can get so caught up in the cares of this world, as though that was the important thing, and keep Jesus out. Go away Jesus! Depart from our coast, Jesus. If you stick around we'll lose our place with the Romans. Jesus comes oftentimes as a threat to my world. We think he comes to bring peace, but he actually comes with a sword.

The problem isn't what Martha is doing. There were two women grinding out their corn in the mill. One was taken and one was left. The thing you're doing isn't the issue, it's your motive. I can be unaware of my motives, and choose darkness and ignorance because I don't want to know how I keep Jesus out of my heart. The sword must first pierce my heart or I can't even talk to you. When you have the living Word in you and you proclaim it, a sword will pierce your heart. 

We're all impregnated with Christ but we can abort any given day. Peter did - you can read about it over in John. Oh, you're the Christ, the Son of the living God. May it never be, Lord that you'd suffer. You reign provided you suffer. The theologian of glory hates suffering. She'll work to avoid it. But the real suffering is when proclamation brings you into conflict. Usually, we suffer because we think we lost something. Whatever God has is his, and no one plucks what is his from his hand. You may feel plucked right out of the coup on a given day, and you may think someone you love is plucked out, but God isn't done yet. You don’t' know who the elect are. The wheat grows with the tares and they look exactly the same. 

Martha is troubled. She is bound. Are you? She's been taken captive by her mind. Are you? If not, he hasn't come for you today. Luke 4: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to proclaim liberty to the captives. This isn't you - you're Abraham's seed - never the slave of any man. Martha is captive. She's lost in her god project. God projects say "I refuse to end. I'm doing a godly thing, me. I'm a few rungs above Mary, so I wish she'd get on that church over there, or that brother over there." Jesus proclaims to Mary that she is troubled - saving her life like Peter. 

Forde: Satan is not out there, he's operative in us. This is a hard word, isn't it? Who me, Peter? I got a revelation from God who you are. You can have all kinds of knowledge, even from God himself who Jesus is, but when it comes to crunch time what do you do? 

The prayer of the penitent. It is such a delight to hear somebody argue as the penitent. The only problem is, it's a rarity. 

I don't derive any definitions of myself from the world - particularly religion. Religion crucified Jesus. The religious hate being a loser the most. Who is at the party? Losers. You can't even get in without being a loser. The older brother was a winner. All those years, like Martha, he was keeping laws. What wonderful fellowship sinners have. What liberty and freedom to be among the forgiven sinners. When I see a brother in a sin, it is an occasion to realize that both he and I are forgiven (Bonhoeffer). Our fellowship is based on what Jesus Christ has done. He has delivered you. He is delivering you - that's being done right now. Knowing you, he'll yet deliver you, and me. This is our fellowship. This is why all of your doing and giving, doesn’t do anything outside of the foundation of what Jesus has done. You'll only end up hating the people you're doing it for. All these years I've poured into this church and what do I have to show for it? This is a terrible place to be. 

Martha doesn't want to look at it. She wants to blame her sister for the work not getting done around here. All Jesus does is to tell her that she is doing all these things, but her sister has chosen the better part. Jesus gave her a slap. What? All I'm doing and she just sits there and listens? This is the better part - hearing. Why? Because the just shall live by faith, not by works that she is trusting in. Some trust in chariots and some in gold and money, and some trust in religion, but all Mary can do is sit at Jesus' feet. Martha exalts herself and has the audacity to contend with the Lord, but Mary is down at his feet. God gives grace to the humble, but he resists the proud - the contentious man - the man who contends with God's Word. Peter said, I'll never leave you, but these others might. Peter is truly our great gift. You don't get too serious when Peter is around; he'll remind you of how bad he was. Can you see him up in heaven? I don't know the man. Well, you talk like one of them. I don't know what you're talking about. The cock crows the third time. 

Peter has knowledge, but when crunch time comes, when you're in the next argument with the one you love, do you argue as the penitent? Isn't it refreshing to hear someone argue as the penitent? You keep accusing them and they just go lower and lower. They have never done one good work and they know it. They know what all their good works were about. They knew who killed the Lamb of God. They know that it's the proclamation that saves them.

Martha doesn't want to hear the proclamation because she's doing many wonderful things. She ultimately ends up blaming Mary and excusing herself. Her trip is all about her. You have your reward. You have your barns and your things, but they don't satisfy. They still leave a person a shell - empty. She is troubled. She doesn't want to look at it though. She wants to justify herself. Works ultimately end up in having a righteousness of our own. Compared to that one over there, I've got a little more righteousness. You may have little social training, but there are people in the world who have a lot more social training and are much more moral. 

What you have, you've been given as a gift. You'd think you would want to acknowledge it someday. Martha is a strong girl. Mary is weak. She sits at His feet and has her faith built up. She has chosen the better part - to hear the proclamation: I've come to save sinners - the weak and despised things of this world, the base. 

Martha is not aware of what Revelation 3 is saying to the church:  

Rev. 3:17 (KJV) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Wretched, poor, blind, lame, miserable - lukewarm. You're lukewarm every day. What does it take to awaken the dead here? Kill them. Does the world still hold an allurement for you, or have you been crucified to this world? Does the devil have a little lie for you - a lie to save your life?  

Remember what Forde said: The devil is not way out there - he's operative in you. All wars come, like James said, from lust, whether national lust, or international lust, or the lust to control and have power over others, money, the deceitfulness of riches. The greatest lust is to be right. People in the same family can hate one another because they lust to vindicate themselves, justify themselves. This is the devil's work to keep you separated from your inheritance in the saints. 

When I'm weak, I'm strong. Martha won't admit that she's totally depraved. What Martha sees is what everyone else should be doing. She is moral. She doesn't look into the mirror to see the demons within herself. God comes along and says, Oh, Martha, your accusations against Mary are pointless. I've shut everyone up. All your works are to no avail; they are actually filthy rages. It's not the doing - two women are doing the same thing and one is taken and one is left. What was Martha doing? You fill in the blank. Maybe she was meeting needs. Maybe she was distracting from the Word of God. She was on a whine. She was looking at her sister to see what her sister wasn't doing for Jesus. Mary sat at the lower place, humble before the Lord. She came as a beggar. Somehow she knew she wasn't going to make it. 

Go away Jesus; I'm busy working for you. Basically, Martha constructed her own Jesus but he wouldn't fit the mold. Jesus wouldn't rebuke her sister. She wanted to use God to keep her sister in line. The law can't contain anyone. 

The Pharisees were doing good things. Adam and Eve were doing a good thing - they were becoming God. When Jesus shows up, either Martha (me) or Jesus ends. Forde - it's a matter of survival. Either you're going to survive or God is. One of us has to go. We can construct a J-E-S-U-S who is love, love, love, and accepting, accepting, accepting, and we would not have killed such a god who is amiable to our god project. Why would you kill a nice Jesus like that? But when the sword came out of his mouth and he exposed darkness, the darkness hated the light. How dumb the Pharisees and the Romans were to crucify such a nice guy. How stupid could they be? Jesus was disrupting their whole scene. They knew that if they allowed him to live, they would lose their place of rule - by law, righteousness by the law. If there is any forgiving around here to be done, we'll do the forgiving - just bring your cows, sheep, pigeons. This is how it works, so just see the concession stands at the temple. Before you forgive people today, do they have to buy one of your bulls? 

Martha has no need. She's not that bad. She has her works. She can't hear the better part because of all the "many wonderful things / works." The older brother said that he had never transgressed his father's commandments, but this other son of yours, well he….

Can I submit to you that you don't do anything - don't do anything for people? You'll only end up hating them. They won’t reciprocate. I should know. Unless you're doing it unto the Lord, why are you doing it? We don't have direct relationships with one another. This is one of the enemy's ploys - get you to have a direct relationship with your husband, wife, children and friends. Rushdooney says this is evil. When you don't have the mediating Word between you, you just use one another. Some days you win and some days you lose, and some days you're in. Maybe you got the best of the deal one day, but tomorrow you get the worst end of the deal. All this I've done for you, now what do I get? 

If what you do comes out of the proclamation of what Christ has done for you, and only that, then you'll be doing what you do and it will be Christ. Your works will be the works of Christ. It is written that men can give their body to be burned and it doesn't mean they love anyone. They are trying to ascend, like Martha. The only foundation our good works come out of, our goodness comes out of, is Christ and what he has done. The better part is hearing the proclamation. Faith comes by hearing - listening, daily, again, and again, and again. There is never a time when I don’t' need to be baptized.  

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. You can have not only an ideal for the Church, but you can have an ideal of God. The disciples on the road to Emmaus had an ideal of what the Messiah would be. He was crucified and he didn't want it any more than any man would. He said at the garden, "Let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, thy will be done." Whatever we do for someone should come out of this. There is no room for boasting or expecting in return. 

We are no longer under the religious system. Jesus just came freely forgiving. This implies a gift you can't earn by doing anything. You're so bad, so far out there, that God has to give you the gift of his Son. Before you forgive someone, do they have to buy some bulls or goats from you? Do they have to be punished a while before you forgive them? Forgiveness has always been given. Some don't want forgiveness, they want to rule. You can say, I forgive you, or I'm sorry, and it wouldn't matter which one.  

Jesus walks on the Road to Emmaus. The two disciples thought the Messiah would do what they wanted. They were fools - ignorant of what the prophets said. They wanted a god who was useful and one who would kill the Romans. The spirits of Martha and Mary can sometimes be in the same person. You are the Christ, Peter said. But then he quickly reverts and Jesus has to say to him, "Get thee behind me Satan." Don't talk like that Jesus, we have plans for you. Martha said, when Lazarus died, "If you had been here." Don't you care that this church over there just seems to be sitting at your feet? Martha has to do it all by herself and its not easy taking care of things around here. Where's my no account sister? 

Martha, you’re cumbered about, distracting, but Mary has chosen the better part. What? She's not doing anything - just sitting there at rest and peace, while I'm filled with contention and anger - wretched, miserable and naked. Jesus isn't saying to be lazy; he's just saying that Mary has chosen the better part. 

Luther: The better part is the hearing of faith, not the word of faith. He means the word that you believe when you hear it, so that the word is something that is heard by you and penetrates your heart and is believed by you. When I contemplate my own sins then I fail to find a single good work that is done by me.

At crunch time, will you remember to argue as the penitent? No, not unless you're in daily communion and daily being baptized. You will be brutal. There are sinners here who actually forget to argue as the penitent - letting go of what you call life, but is actually death. 

Peter had knowledge. Knowledge is another way to keep Jesus out - gnosis. What good does it do you when your life is on the line and you're the one who has to become the worm? Under the law, all that you're saying is true, but God said a greater law and I appeal to the gospel, to which the world has been crucified - the world of accusations and blame. This is where you could life. What could anyone say? "Kill him” They can't kill you unless God gives them permission, and if he gives them permission, then praise the Lord.

Luther: When I accept the greatness of the gift with joy and not busy-ness and cares, then I am happy and grateful for such an inestimable gift granted to me in my unworthiness, freely. How? Hearing with faith. Christ himself who gives the following answer to Martha when she is deeply concerned and finds it almost unbearable that Mary is sitting at his feet listening to his words to leave Martha to serve alone, “You are anxious and troubled by many things, but Mary has chosen the better part.” Therefore a man becomes a Christian not by working, but by listening. Anyone who wants to exert himself towards righteousness must first exert himself to listening to the gospel. Once he has heard the gospel, let him joyfully give thanks to God, and give himself to good works commanded by the law. Thus the good works will follow (indicative - not something you have to do). You can know your good works are not hypocritical but truly good and pleasing to God.

I can't have God giving me this because then I wouldn't be God. God gives it to you.   

Anxiety has no object. There is unrest in a person's soul, mind, thoughts, etc. They try to fill it up by getting busy. It is hard for us 21st century Christians to do nothing - guilt ridden Marthas with our whine. 

When you've been squeezed and hugged, like an orange, by Jesus, juice, good works, will come out of you. He'll never let you go. Well, I've been bad. This has nothing to do with him forgiving you. You've paid double, but you are forgiven. You are forgiven, and because you're forgiven, no one ever has to tell you to love much (imperative). This is like telling Jonathan to love Molly.  

Many times Jesus used the metaphor of banquets, wedding feasts, and suppers. 

Luke 14:15-17 (KJV) And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. [16] Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: [17] And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready (now given).

Now is now! They all went and became Martha:

Luke 14:18-20 (KJV) And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. [19] And another said I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. [20] And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

Therefore I can't be involved in the party, or the marriage supper of the Lamb, or be involved in good works because I'm busy.

God gets angry about this: Our refusal to accept the gift of his son.

Luke 14:21-24 (KJV) So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. [22] And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. [23] And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. [24] For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

Have a party - invite people, but not those who were already invited but are too busy. 

Have you ever gotten over this scripture? 

Luke 14:25-30 (KJV) And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, [26] If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. [27] And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. [28] For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? [29] Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, [30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

This is me - I couldn't finish it. I count the cost and I am Mary, sitting at Jesus feet. Martha thinks she's going to pay back the Father for the death of his Son. In our total depravity there is no way.

How many want to be in the Kingdom of Heaven (KOH) if it's like this?

Matthew 22:2-3 (KJV) The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, [3] And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

Martha would not come to Jesus. She had her own construction about how Jesus was to act. We're no different - one of us. 

Matthew 22:4-5 (KJV) Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. [5] But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

Daily, I can make light of it and go to my farm, my merchandise, my whine, my business, my restless reduction I might call life. Jesus, if you're going to act that way with our pigs, go away from our coasts. You're messing things up around here.

Matthew 22:6 (KJV) And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

His servants were just delivering the message of the marriage supper and they killed them. This is what the KOH is like.

Jesus is going to have a party, no matter what Martha does. He doesn't get Martha's permission to carry on the party with Mary. The older brother refuses to come in because he's angry - he's cumbered - angry at what another brother got. He thought he had some fleshly claim on God. The older brother wants to rule his father. This is what Cain is angry about. God might not have liked the way he was worshiping - with murder in his heart. 

Matthew 22:7-8 (KJV) But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. [8] Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

They went about their busy dying day and killed the servants of God. 

People who have run out of options will come to the wedding - people whose money is no good anymore - people who have no hope and come to the hope of the hopeless, Jesus.

Matthew 22:9-10 (KJV) Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. [10] So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

The wedding is for bad and good. The ugly are there too. Who would you have invited? Socially acceptable people?

Matthew 22:11-12 (KJV) And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: [12] And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

He was speechless - no gratitude, no lifting up of the king, no lifting up of the party - just speechless.

Matthew 22:13-14 (KJV) Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [14] For many are called, but few are chosen.

When God is happy, he wants everyone else in the world to be happy. Some will defy him, watch for evil, and slay the messengers.

The KOH is like a banquet, a wedding feast, and the servants were killed.

The invitation hasn't been withdrawn from you unless you want to kill the servants. 

Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Come. Jesus loves Martha. Jesus loves the rich ruler, the older brother, sinners, those who are his enemies. This is Jesus, not me. I'm like Tom Baker - I want to get even, one of me.

Nobody here is laboring and heavily laden. We're all Americans here, Don. I want to remind you of Luke 4. You who are captive, come. You who are like Martha, burden and weighted down with cares, worried about the future, what you're not going to get or what you are going to get, you who look at the past and let it condemn you - Jesus is saying, Come, take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy. 

How many times we taken on a burden or a yoke that isn't even ours, being like Martha, thinking if we didn't take it on nothing would happen. Remember, unless you hate... Remember to take your children up the mountain and give them to God, least they become your little idols and you end up loving them again. I repent of all my loving of my children. I'm like you - I didn't do it maliciously. So you were born in a religious culture, or maybe it was someone else's fault. Go ahead and blame someone else, but you'll be laboring under the wrong yoke. Your blame and excuses - you might as well tell me you just bought a farm, a story, and you have to get on with propping up your god-project. Your ideal of what church should be will destroy a congregation.

What church is: We've been forgiven. Don't do anything for anyone, or say any language of your own, that doesn't come out of redemption - what God has done for you.   

He’s come to make those who see bind, and to make the bind see. He’s come to proclaim to you that it is your acceptable year of forgiveness - your time to come to the party - the wedding feast. Come unto me, who cleanses you daily. You who don't have any money, come unto the living waters, daily, where you are restored and refreshed and sit down by green pastures. Let the river flow out of you, that river that heals the heart of man. Come to your end, daily. 

Martha was pretending that her world hadn't ended, but it had. He takes us out of this miserable age, the age of Adam, the age of law keeping. He delivers us from having to punish ourselves or others, the ones we love, for the laws we could never keep. The older brother was angry and would not come in. He thought he was justified. 

Hebrews 12:25 (KJV) See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

It is easy to refuse that. All of us do, daily. The Word of God, the Lord of life, shows me my need, that I am totally dependant on that word. I'll take your name, but I'll get my own understanding, knowledge. 

Rev. 22:11 (KJV) He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

Let them be - they'll only kill the servant anyway. Jeremiah says that their own wickedness will correct them - if they are the elect. I've been convicted by my own separation from man. Who is he speaking to? He's speaking liberty to Martha. Have you ever seen Martha in you? She's trying to bring her own atonement, be one up on the social scale. She's angry and puts out stupid things about this church out of her anger, her jealousy and pride. Let them be. If you want to look at that filth, go right ahead. It becomes real clear to anyone with discernment what you've been looking at. 

You want to be found not having a righteousness of your own but that which is by faith. Anyone who doesn't have any righteousness of their own gets a wedding garment. A little bit or your own righteousness will make you serious. It's hilarious - they think it’s a riot. How can you be serious? The Lord is saying, “Come on in. Bring over a couple bottles of that reserve champagne. Okay, break out the good stuff now - let's get rid of that $300 stuff. The drinks are on me! You've never had calf like this. It's one of those cows that lives to die - one that I've been fattening up.”

Rev. 22:17 (KJV) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Come - why should you stay away from me another second, I'm ravished by you. Why should you stay separated from me for another instant. 

Anybody thirsty here? Fellowship is not a party, a picnic or a family, it's over the blood of the lamb who takes away all of our sins NOW!

Luke 4:18-19 (KJV) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, [19] To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Anybody poor here today? They're not angry or pretending. The Spirit of the Lord wants me to preach to them. How about you? The hard-hearted aren't the broken hearted They have to find a place of blame for whatever they are hard-hearted about. Anybody here but Martha taken captive today? Deliverance has come to your house. Jesus is for the captives, the poor, the broken hearted. Not the broken hearted because of what "they" did to me. 

The Spirit and the Bride say, Come! Forget all that! Forget what lies behind! The Spirit of the Lord is upon you and you're to proclaim this truth. There's nothing left to do. You stand before him as a bride in her wedding garment. He is greater than our sin. He has already dealt with it. The only thing he's angry about is we won't accept the invitation to come.  

I tell you in Christ's stead that your sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, from the least to the greatest, the one's you've forgotten, the ones' you’re continually ashamed of. There is not one that the blood doesn't touch or wash. He says to come to this. Let the land you just bought lay fallow if it keeps you from coming. The party has been going on forever; we're just late at coming in. You might as well have been there forever once you're in.