#3 No God, No Peace, Know God, Know Peace. Series

This week we begin a summer series entitled, Tell Me A Story. “Tell me a Story” is a simple and shorter way to reference Jesus' use of parables. A parable is a relatable way to share a moral or spiritual lesson. Almost like a church sign.

I am talking about the church that always has a special message on their sign for the people in their cars as they go to work or school or play. I have seen a church sign tell a whole Christian truth in just 100 characters. Maybe the church sign was the inspiration for twitter. I don’t know. One of my favorites, “No God, No Peace. Know God. Know Peace.” In 45 characters, a truth is relayed. In a culture inundated with advertising and short videos, a short story goes a long way.

Jesus told 36 different short stories in the gospels because storytelling forges connections among people, between people and ideas, and they convey the culture, history, and values. You just have to love a short story.

Today, I would like to relay three stories that come from Jesus in Matthew’s gospel at the end of Chapter 21 and the beginning of 22. They are stories He told after, cleansing the temple and being asked who gave him the authority to do what he did. The Pharisees could not let it go.

After three years of his amazing ministry, the religious elite were still skeptical at best and downright defiant at the worst. Jesus would try to wake them up to their arrogant righteousness by sharing three stories directed at them.

The first story is entitled the The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Actions speak louder than words. The Pharisees rejected God the Father. They systematically demonstrate this by failing to let go of what they knew in order to receive what they truly desired. Like a child unwilling to eat the veggies in order to get dessert. Their stubborn disobedience would keep them from what they truly longed for.

We shouldn't be too hard on them. I have listened to some of the brightest people reject God because their intellect couldn't fathom or rationalize God. Did you know of the 10 smartest people on record via IQ scoring, 7 are Christians. So when someone rejects God because they can't make sense of God, they are only showing their arrogance, not their intelligence. When someone fails to do what God instructs, they show their rebellion instead of their allegiance or obedience.

Jesus continues with a second Parable of the Tenants

33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

the Lord has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’?