Monday, May 9, 2016

BROTHERS - TALE OF TWO SONS


THE TWO SONS

Matthew 21:28-32  


Jesus speaks a parable of judgment. Repentant sinners of the vilest kind will enter heaven, but not religious pretenders.


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.

INTERPRETATION -- Faithfulness in our service to God and to others.

 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says”

The person who refuses to do what is asked of him but who repents (changes his mind) and does the task is better than the one who promises to do what is asked of him but never does it.
Jesus asked the self-righteous chief priests and elders, “which of the two sons did the will of his father?” They said, “the first.”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.”






The importance of this parable of the two sons is to be found in the answer to the question Jesus puts directly to His audience, “Who was the obedient son?”

v  Jesus said, the first son represents the tax collectors and the prostitutes who were living a sinful life and who refused to do the will of God. But when John the Baptist came preaching a baptism of repentance from sin, many of the social and moral outcasts of society repented, believed on Christ as the coming Messiah, and entered the kingdom of God. Thus they did the will of the Father.



v  The second son portrays the attitude of the self-righteous religious leaders of Jesus’ day. They are the ones who practice their righteousness before men, to be seen by them.



v  John the Baptist came to them showing them the way of righteousness through repentance of sin and faith in Christ, the Lamb of God but they did not do what he said. They simply ignored him.



v  They saw, however, that the tax collectors and prostitutes accepted John’s message and were baptized. But not seeing themselves as sinners and in need of forgiveness and righteousness they rejected John’s message for themselves and refused to be baptized.


THE APPLICATION TO OUR LIVES

Tax collectors and prostitutes had refused to obey the will of God. Yet when they heard the message of repentance, they turned to God in obedience.


The tax collectors and prostitutes were like the son who said, “I will not,” but later changed his mind and went to work in the vineyard. They were like Zacchaeus, who said to Jesus, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (Luke 19:8).


The religious leaders on the other hand who were “so called” experts in the law of God put on an outward show of compliance. They talked a good talk but did not practice what they preached. They boasted in doing the will of God but didn’t do it. They were like the son who said to his father, “I will sir,” but did not go.

CONCLUSION


I think the key to this parable is in the book of James [I love the Book of James]:

v  What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such a faith save him?...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead....Show me our faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do....As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.  from James 2

Our deed show where our hearts are, sometimes despite our words.  The first son was feeling cantankerous, but later obeyed his father, despite his words.  The second son did what a lot of teens do -- "sure, Dad" and then....nothing.  Yes, actions speak louder than words, but that is because sometimes we are too quick with our words, but actions take more effort and thus are a more accurate reflection of the condition of the heart.

Friends, Jesus does NOT relate this parable to salvation, only to obedience.  John 3:16-21 gives the summation of salvation:

T
wo things:  1) we do not go to heaven or hell because of our deeds, good or bad.  Salvation is because of belief (not intellectual acknowledgement, but putting oneself under the authority of), as Jesus has fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law for us and satisfied all justice for all time.


E
ndure hardship as discipline: God is treating you as sons.  For what son is not disciplined by his father?  If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.  Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it.  How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!  Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.   Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.


G
ood intentions and promises to follow Christ will not do. Hell is full of people, religious and otherwise who had good intentions and made promises to repent of their sin and follow Christ in obedience to His word but never got around to it.


The truth is the more you reject the outward call of the gospel to come to Christ and continue to live life on your terms the harder your heart will become until God will give you over completely to the lusts of your heart.


Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart by the deceitfulness of sin and refuse to come. He may never speak to you again.

v  Remember: God is pleased with those who DO His will.

v  Vocabulary - repent - to change your mind, to turn around

v  Memory Work - James 1:22 "But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive.





Playwright Janet Irene Thomas
Founder/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts

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