Sermon - 09/25/2011

Matthew 21:23-32

²³When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” ²⁴Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁵Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ²⁶But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” ²⁷So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

²⁸“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ ²⁹He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. ³¹Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³²For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The parable today gets us to really think about what we say and what we do.  Human relationships are built on trust.  We listen to the words that people say but it is our actions that truly speak of who we are and what we stand for within this world. It is both the words and the actions that help us build trust and lay a solid foundation for a relationship.  

These are the two basic components of which we have to work with for our relationships.  I am sure that many of you have experienced relationships that are talked about within the parable.  The person who says that they are not going to do something but then ultimately you know that they will do it because they are that good person.  You probably also know of the other kind of relationship, in which they say that they will be there but you can wait all day and they never show.  

Within our lives, we want to have more of the first of the relationships because then we at least know that we can get something done besides just talking about it and nothing happens.  Yet it is truly a great relationship when the words that someone says and the actions that they said they were going to do actually line up.  That we can count on someone and know that when they say that they are going to do something that they actually do it.  If only life were that simple.  Most relationships fall into the category in which we make a mistake, we double book ourselves, or for reason or another, we become like one of the sons within the parable.  

Even as Christians, we can speak the words of the “Lord’s Prayer”, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  We say those words, yet we live our lives without actually thinking what would God want for the world.  What can I do to really bring forth the Kingdom of God?  Does that make us the second son?  

How about a time in your life in which you were the first son?  God asks you to do something but you say you do not want to do it.  I was that son, when I was in high school the youth pastor at the time asked me, “Have you ever thought of being a Pastor?” NO. There is no way that I could be a pastor, I am not good enough, I don’t know how to be a Christian well enough to teach others.  I am terrible in front of people, surely there is someone else better for the job.  Yet here I am.  For I am like you, I am a child of God.  God is asking you to do something within your life, how will you answer and what will you do?

However, at end of our days, we do not rely solely on our words or our actions.  Thankfully, there is one who’s words did match up with their actions.  For when Jesus Christ said he would die, he did.  When he said that he would be raised again in three days, he was.  And when he said that he would forgive you of all of your sins, he really meant that.  

Thanks be to God!