Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Matthew 21:28-31

Matthew 21:28-31

28 "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'

29 "He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.

30 "Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I [go], sir,' but he did not go.

31 "Which of the two did the will of [his] father?" They said to Him, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.

I was thinking about this the other day. How many of us say we “will do whatever you ask God.” We make all kinds of claims to righteousness. We don’t smoke. We don’t drink. We go to church. We think we are building up all these brownie points with God. But we don’t do the simple things that Jesus said were the top 2 priorities – “Love God, then love your neighbors.”

We’re so busy trying to ‘prove’ how worthy we are, that we forget that “not by works of righteousness will anyone be justified.” We neglect or ignore those who need to be touched by Jesus, by refusing to touch them. The very people that need Jesus the most are the same people we refuse to have anything to do with because it might make us look bad in the eyes of the religious people.

Jesus didn’t care that he was called the “friend of sinners.” Sinners need him. We need him. If we say that we’ll “go, sir” to work in the vineyard, don’t you think maybe we should?

Be blessed. Be a blessing.

Eat cheesecake. Listen to Pink Floyd. Love Jesus above all.

DJ GlenMC

2 comments:

Arlee Bird said...

Obedience is everything. We can't just pretend to be who we claim to be and really be it. It's a tough responsibility and I fall too short too much of the time.


Lee
Tossing It Out

Gail Dixon said...

Very good, succinct analysis, Glen! Our priest delivered a very similar sermon last Sunday on this very same passage.