Obedience and Forgiveness
Matthew 21:23-32
Introduction
In our Gospel message today, we see a parable read to the chief priests and the elders of the people. They were looking to find a way to squash Jesus’ authority and stop the spread of His influence. For centuries, the Pharisees had ran the temple as an social organization filled with man-made rules; they were more interested in the outward appearances of obedience to God; religious appearances with a cold heart. Rituals and rules rather than repentance and remorse, not so concerned with turning to God as to the look of righteousness.
They had achieved an elite position for themselves with influence throughout the culture. They had no intention of giving up that influence. But, to maintain their position, they needed to embarrass Jesus, or at least catch him in some sort of error. They challenged His authority hoping He would slip up. But, instead of putting down Jesus’ power, they received a lesson in how to act. Once again, the great teacher has a lesson for us all.
One son said "I will go and work." His response indicated that he’ll go immediately and serve zealously in the father’s work. But he never did go to work. He was selfish, disregarding the father and his needs. He went about his own life, living and working for himself. He professed respect for the father and professed to work for the father, but he never went into the father’s vineyard. He never did the father’s work.
The other son rebelled and showed disrespect. He said, "I won’t work." Instead of working for his father, he wished to go his own way in life; he rebelled at being told what to do. He would have his own way and do his own thing regardless. However, note that this son also repented and went to do the work. This son turned from his self-chosen life of rebellion, turned back to his father and went into the vineyard to work. He did exactly what his father commanded him to do. (based on text form James Drake, “Matthew: The Parable of the Two Sons”, http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=96836&libronix=1)
Obedience
One son chose to honor his father with his words, but not with his actions. Talk is cheap. But, what we do shows what our intentions really are. James said it best “faith without works is dead.” Although our works don’t, and won’t, save us, it’s our actions that reflect the faith that’s already in us.
Go today and work today. Don’t wait to do your father’s bidding. Don’t dally to wait for an easier job. Do this now. That was the command. But, we don’t always obey as readily as God would like.
Have you ever felt compelled to do something, speak to someone or go somewhere and you didn’t know why? Have you ever felt led to do some task and you couldn’t explain why you felt that way? Perhaps you were led to do an unusual task, or maybe accomplish a normal task in a way different than you were used to. Maybe you were even led at some point in your life to do something new, maybe you felt unprepared, were uncomfortable or even felt scared to take on the challenge. We may not always understand why God chooses us to do certain things, but His plan is always greater than our own. Look at how easily the activities of one man can affect the outcome of greater events.
In “How Life Imitates the World Series,” Dave Bosewell tells a story about Earl Weaver, former manager of the Baltimore Orioles. Sports fans will enjoy how he handled star Reggie Jackson.
Weaver had a rule that no one could steal a base unless given the steal sign. This upset Jackson because he felt he knew the pitchers and catchers well enough to judge who he could and could not steal off of. So one game he decided to steal without a sign. He got a good jump off the pitcher and easily beat the throw to second base. As he shook the dirt from his uniform, Jackson smiled with delight, feeling he had vindicated his judgment to his manager.
Later Weaver took Jackson aside and explained why he hadn’t given the steal sign. First, the next batter was Lee May, his best power hitter other than Jackson. When Jackson stole second, first base was left open, so the other team walked May intentionally, taking the bat out of his hands.
Second, the following batter hadn’t been strong against that pitcher, so Weaver felt he had to send up a pinch hitter to try to drive in the men on base. That left Weaver without a bench strength later in the game when he needed it.
The problem was, Jackson saw only his relationship to the pitcher and catcher. Weaver was watching the whole game.
We, too, see only so far, but God sees the bigger picture. When he sends us a signal, it’s wise to obey, no matter what we may thing we know. (Dave Boswell, “Obedience,” 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers)
One son said all the right things, but failed to come through where it was important. He didn’t follow through with his promises. He spoke as if he was going to work immediately and without fail. But instead, he ignored what his father wanted him to do and found something else to occupy his time.
Sometimes, we might not obey right away. We might delay before we do what we know is right. But think of the potential consequences if we fail to follow a red-light at a busy intersection. The son who gave lip service yet failed to work is just like some who choose to slow down at the intersection, but not stop. As drivers, they know they’re supposed to stop. They go through the actions by pressing on the break. But, in the end, they continue to go about their lives as if the stop sign wasn’t there.
Paul saw this same problem in his time. In his letter to Titus he wrote, “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” (Titus 1:16, ESV) This was the same message that Jesus had to the Pharisees. All talk and no action.
Instead of showing an outward heart of taking care of others, their actions reflected a much different kind of heart. How much could they get away with, rather than how could they serve God.
Repentance
One son chose disobedience, the other repentance. If we truly honor and respect God, we’ll obey and follow His commands. Not just because He told us to, but because love we Him. An employee works for his wages. But, a son follows the will of his father because of the family bond. Love is a much stronger binding force than mere money or wealth.
One son was rebellious. He was open and honest about it, but disobedient just the same. But, he had a change of heart. He repented. We often talk about repentance, but I think it’s important to see what this really means. The Greek word for repentance is metanoia. Meta means "to change or shift" and noia means "perspective." It literally means a change in the way one views things. Repentance means not only saying you’re sorry, it means you’re going to genuinely change and mend your ways. It will reflect in our actions, and actions speak louder than words. Through what we do, we reflect our true heart. Look at how one man’s repentance prepared him for the future.
When Michigan played Wisconsin in basketball early in the season in 1989, Michigan’s Rumeal Robinson stepped to the foul line for two shots late in the fourth quarter. His team trailed by one point, so Rumeal could regain the lead for Michigan. He missed both shots, allowing Wisconsin to upset the favored Michigan team.
Rumeal felt awful about costing his team the game, but his sorrow didn’t stop at the emotional level. After each practice for the rest of the season, Rumeal shot 100 extra foul shots.
Thus, Rumeal was ready when he stepped to the foul line to shoot two shots with three seconds left in overtime in the national championship game. Swish went the first shot, and swish went the second. Those shots won Michigan the national championship.
Rumeal’s repentance had been genuine, and sorrow motivated him to work so that he would never make that mistake again. As Paul wrote, “Godly sorrow leads to repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:10) (“Repentance”, 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers)
Conclusion
Religion and righteousness will never be enough to save ourselves. We can have pure actions and perform good deeds, but that isn’t all there is to following God’s will. He wants complete obedience, without delay.
This Gospel message also speaks to us. Sometimes we’re the brother, knowing all the right answers, hanging out with the right people in the right place but forgetting what Jesus has asked us to be about. We forget that we’re to go to others with the good news that Jesus has come to restore our relationship to others. We say the right words but forget to allow them to change our lives.
Sometimes we’re the other brother. We may have made poor choices in our lives, we may have ignored what Jesus asked us to do. We might feel as though we don’t deserve anything from God, let alone the right to ask. Yet, sometimes we turn back to God asking for forgiveness even if we don’t believe we can rise above our past. It’s to us, as the this brother, that Jesus speaks, telling us to not let the past destroy us, it is far more important how we respond today. We may not know eloquent words of confession, but the repentance of our deep longings and actions is all that counts. (based on Roger Haugen, “19 Pentecost A”, Sermon available at Sermoncentral.com)
In the end, everyone likes to think of themselves as a good person. We like to think that we’re going to heaven because we’re good enough. After all, we’re not nearly as bad some others across the world. We’re self-righteous in how we view ourselves from time to time. Sometimes, we may see the pin in someone else’s eye while we fail to notice the timber in our own.
We’ve developed our own standard of what is right and what is wrong. But, that’s not God’s standard. Sometimes, rather than follow the direction that God laid out for us to follow, we rebel and fail to go, or we give lip service instead of doing what needs to be done. God said to love Him above all else and to love our neighbor. But, how often do we fail to do these two simple things?
Faith leads to repentance which allows us to walk with God.
Peter Bulkeley said it clearly “If God be God over us, we must yield him universal obedience in all things. He must not be over us in one thing, and under us in another, but he must be over us in everything.” (Peter Bulkeley, 1001 Quotes, Illustrations & Humorous Stories for Preachers, Teachers & Writers)
