“Kingdom Scribes”

Presented by Dr Cedrick Vine
23 August, 2012 Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia [Kirsten Øster-Lundqvist , tedNEWS] Dr Cedrick Vine, Newbold College, based his worship on the gospel of Matthew – the topic being the “Kingdom Scribes”.  Starting with Jesus question “have you understood this?” in Matthew 13, Dr Vine explored the tensions between “binding” and “loosing”.

He highlighted biblical examples of where Jesus binds the scribes more than in previous interpretations, and other times when he loosens the Scribes perception of what the meaning and interpretation of a situation should be. “It can easily be confusing,” said Vine as he explained that there are times that Mathew seemed to be contradicting himself. It comes down, however, to the fact that earthly matters are sometimes confused with heavenly ones.

According to Vine, this is seen when, at times, heavenly matters take priority over earthly matters and visa versa. Kingdom scribes are required to continually question whether what they are doing is to the glory of God, or just self-serving.  And in the gospel of Matthew we see how Jesus provides a framework for binding and loosing on earth.

Good students in Jesus time, claimed Dr Vine, not only repeated the words of their Rabbi’s verbatim, but they also learned to expand on, or to condense, these teachings. Matthew himself demonstrates this when he expands the teaching sections of Mark’s Gospel but condenses his miracle accounts.

Bringing the presentation into a European context, Dr Vine said that “Postmodernism has challenged reason as the sole base of decision making, and today the emotions of an individual have become the primary base upon which decisions are made.” He went on to state: “Intellectual arguments are second to the mood of the nation.” According to Vine, in Matthew we see how Jesus rejects the authoritarian model of ruling in Matthew 20: 25-26. Jesus called them together and said: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”

According to Vine, in Matthew sacrifice and service are major themes. For kingdom scribes the will of our heaven father is for us to sacrifice ourselves for others. The will of our Father, as embodied in the father sending his Son, demonstrates a life of service not a life of being served.

Kingdom scribes, Dr Vine reminded the congregation, “Don’t read prophecy as astrology, nor do they collect antiques and guard old treasures. Rather, they are stewards of a treasure chest suitable for all occasions – something which may (in the future) be loosed or bound.”

“Kingdom scribes do not feel threatened when other disciples bind or loose, or do things differently to what they themselves have done – instead they rejoice in the character and moral growth of those other scribes.”

Then as now, Matthew shows kingdom scribes that they must live in the borderland where one constantly seeks Gods will in Heaven and on earth. [tedNEWS]

tedNEWS Staff: Miroslav Pujic, director; Deana Stojkovic, editor; Dragana Selakovic-Duval, Frederic Duval & Tor Tjeransen, photographers
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