|
We learn in the Book of Matthew 21: 23-27, that the Chief priest and the elders had been questioning Jesus when Jesus asked them several questions. Please open your Bible to Matthew 21:28-30:
“What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And the son answered, ‘I will not;’ but afterwards the son repented and went. And the man went to the second son and said the same; and the second son answered, ‘I go sir,’ but did not go.
In the vocabulary of 2008, the parable of the Gospel of Matthew is pretty straightforward.
There was a father who had two sons. Both sons were at home hanging out in the family room. Junior was stretched out on the sofa and the other son was stretched out in the lazy boy chair, just flipping through the channels watching TV. Walking through the room their father sees his sons just hangin’ out and he asks them to go outside and work in the garden.
Junior answers his father, “NAAH I DON’T THINK SO!” The other son answers his father, “YEAH, YEAH, I’LL BE THERE IN A FEW MINUTES,” as he continues to flip the channels.
Junior decides he might as well go work in the garden for as long as his brother has the remote he’ll never get to watch what he wants. So he goes out and starts working in the garden.
Later the father looks out the window to find his son who said he would not work in the garden working hard while realizing his son who said he would help is in the Lazy Boy chair still watching TV in the family room.
Now think hard, says Jesus, which son do you think pleased their father more? The chief priests, elders and priests of the temple answered the only way they can; they say, “The one who said “NAAH,” but then went and did it anyway.”
Which son are you? So often we are so much like the second son in Jesus’ parable.
We see the Father and hear him call and hear His Word and say, yeah, yeah. I got it! And then we forget that we even said that and so never actually do what we are called to put into action.
Listen to Paul’s encouraging words from this morning’s Sermon Text. We have heard it before I am sure, but how many times do we listen? Philippians 2:3-5
Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which you have in Christ Jesus.
What Paul is saying to us is that belonging to Jesus is not just a matter of fact of agreeing but that faith is a busy active personal experience within us.
You see the father could have turned around and walked away in disgust but he didn’t give up and the son who went out to work in the garden realized that Christian happiness lies not just in knowing what Christ wants us to do, but in actually doing it.
We need to remember this-the real point of Jesus parable of the two sons’ is that neither son is anything like perfect. Both sons have faults but what matters is when our actions and our words match our talk and our walk.
This parable teaches us that a man can easily spoil a good thing by the way in which he does it. In other words our actions speak louder than our mouth and our actions can spoil anything we say. You see faith is not just something inside of us. Faith is our walk, our talk, our actions, our reactions and the choice we make when faced with a new trial.
Faith is not what we see. In the words and wisdom of Helen Keller who when asked if there is anything worse than being blind replied, “Yes, losing your vision.”
Perhaps Matthew left his words for us as a warning. Don’t be like the religious leaders that hid behind their scroll and shook their head. They could not adjust their vision and they missed the great wonder of the flesh. They were so caught up in what they thought that they couldn’t hear what was actually being said to them.
An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening church service when a burglar startled her. She caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables and she yelled ‘STOP!’
The burglar stopped in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done. As the police officer cuffed the burglar to take him in, the police officer asked the burglar: ‘Why did you just stand there?’ All the old lady was yelling at you was Scripture. Scripture replied the burglar? I hear her yell at me at the top of her lungs, ACTS 2 38 and I didn’t want to die. How was I to know that old lady would have an ax and two 38’s?
With a chuckle in his throat the police officer replied, ACTS 2:38 huh? Yea that is something to be concerned about all right and then the police officer repeated, Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven.”
There are many like the parable of the two sons. Some are like the first son, turning their backs on God’s wishes for them and indulging in self-gratification. But later they see where they are headed, changed their mind, and followed God the Father.
There are many in sharp contrast like the son who said he would obey and then didn’t.
Which son are you? Where are you headed at this very second in your life? Reality is, as with the two sons their change of heart and lifestyle will gain them eternal life. Their unwillingness to, their denial, will earn them eternal punishment.
The world may judge and ‘condamn’, us but God does not turn His back on us. We make the choice to turn our backs on God and when we turn around God is there as He has always been. I believe that God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, just honest with Him. I believe in our lives, we are as close to God as we make the choice to be. If our perfection was a requirement for friendship with God, we would never be able to be God’s child. Fortunately, because of God’s grace, Jesus is still the “friend of sinners.” It is entirely our choice as to what we wish to do with our life to our last breath. The world may judge us but God waits patiently for us to make our own choice in life and in death. Our choices determine our circumstances and our decisions determine our destiny. Our pride, guilt, fear, worry, and doubt hold us back when there is no reason to have fear of what is yet to come when we say, “YES LORD, YES LORD, I AM YOURS.”
Listen to these words sung by Springfield’s own Gospel Recording Artist Dwight Christopher.
History has not recorded their names. Two men who lived their whole lives in vain. Worthless and low, they both were the same now we can see. God paints a picture of each ridged life to show us the heart of all mankind. In these two thieves is where you will find one’s greatest need. They were convicted and condemned, crucified because of their sin. There seemed to be no hope for them on Calvary. But there in the middle of all of their pain mercy and grace was taking their shame, as Jesus became the man who was saved so all could be free. Between two thieves my Savior died, one was lost and one awoke in paradise. With arms open wide He’s still reaching out to anyone who will be reached. There is new life because of who died between two thieves. One chose the truth and one turned away. That’s still the choice we have today. Between two thieves my Savior died. One was lost and one awoke in paradise. With arm’s open wide He’s still reaching out to anyone who will be reached.
There is new life because of who died between two thieves. Well one was lost and one was saved. That’s still the choice we have today. There is new life because of who died between two thieves. Oh one was lost and one was saved. That is still the choice we have today. I have new life because of who died between two thieves, between two thieves, between two thieves.
Did you catch those words that Dwight sang?
“There is new life because of who died between two thieves. Well one was lost and one was saved. That’s still the choice we have today. There is new life because of who died between two thieves.Oh one was lost and one was saved. That is still the choice we have today. I have new life because of who died between two thieves, between two thieves, between two thieves.“
Jesus asked the Chief Priest and the elders in Matthew 21:31-32,
“Which of the two sons did the will of their father?” They told Jesus, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, the tax collectors and harlots believed him; and even when you saw it you did not afterwards repent and believe him.
No charge card, debit card, money in the bank, worldly possession, education or titles matters in the eye of God. God doesn’t care if you are a criminal with a felony or an addict or a prostitute. It’s all about the choices we make. That is why when it came to the two thieves who hung with Jesus at Golgotha one was lost and one awoke in Paradise.
Right now, at this very second, Jesus is reaching out to you, waiting for you to step across that line and into His open arms. Arms that are open wide for He loves us so much that He spread His arms our wide on the cross at Calvary and died for us to ascend the third into heaven and to be seated at His Father’s right hand side.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest! Put on my yoke and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Let us pray,
Father God I know there are some who struggle letting go of their dependence. You know what that dependence is and I pray at this very moment for that man who is struggling with his dependence at this moment and his desire to let go of his dependence and be clean. Thank you Father God for not turning spitting on us, turning your back on us, even when you know that we have sinned. “Come to me, Jesus says. I am here, come to me for it not your age, your gender, your nationality, your education, and your faith that matters. It is what you put your faith in that matters and determines your destiny.” Amen
|
|
