Actions speak louder than words

This is a sermon based on Matthew 21:23-32 :

The Authority of Jesus Questioned
23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 

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.

2 Kids

When the father asks his 2 sons to help out, one says he will do it and then doesn’t, the other son says he won’t do it, then eventually turns around and does it. Who did what the father wanted?

When Jesus posed this question to the religious leaders, they answered by choosing the son who eventually turns around and helps out. Do you agree?

I’m sure the parents among us see this as a simple yes. From the Father’s perspective there is work to be done, and at the end of the day, no matter what was said, the work just has to be done. If not by the sons then, most likely, by the Father.

It’s disappointing to hear your son whinge and whine about doing what was asked, but it’s even more disappointing to be told it’s all under control and find out later on that nothing got done.

Actions speak louder than words.

Hypocrites

There is a name for people who say they are going to do something and then don’t. Anyone know? Hypocrites (Politicians?)

The word “hypocrite” was originally used to describe a greek actor about 400 years before Jesus. These actors would literally have a mask on to display the type of person they were portraying and their mood. This is a happy scene? Wait a minute and I’ll just go get my happy mask. From there the word branched out to cover people that hid behind a figurative mask; people looking happy even when they were sad, people saying one thing and doing another, people hiding their true intentions.

As an aside: Politics? Demosthenes, a respected politician in Athens ridiculed Aeschines because he used to be an actor. An untrustworthy man used to hiding behind a mask. A hypocrite. They have no place in such a respected profession...

Jesus had branded the Pharisees as hypocrites several times, but they weren’t alone. Earlier on in the chapter, Matthew writes about Jesus entering the temple. What appears from the outside to be a magnificent structure and the spiritual centre of the Jewish religion had been infested with moneymakers. A den of robbers. After that Jesus came across a fig tree. All leafy and green on the outside, but no fruit at all! What good is it!?

Now the Jewish leaders and elders come to Jesus to ask about his authority, but Jesus has a question back: where did John’s baptism come from?

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’, But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet." 

So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Both answers show that deep inside, they really just wanted to maintain their OWN authority in the sight of others. They don’t want to be ridiculed and are more interested in saving face than actually seeking the answers they asked for. An outward appearance of seeking God, while an inward selfish preservation of the status quo.

Repenters

So what of the second son, the one who said no, but later went and helped? Isn’t that hypocrisy too?

It’s interesting to read that something happened between the second son’s response and his action:

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

The son quite possibly had every intention of not helping, but something changed his mind. He dropped his selfish ways and turned back to the request of the Father.

Jesus drives home the parable:

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.

John the Baptist was preaching about repentance, which, in the original greek, can also mean a “changing of the mind”. Those that started out disobeying the will of the Heavenly Father, the crooks and whores, were the ones that changed their minds. They were the ones that went. They were the ones that started to do the will of the Father, They were the ones bearing fruit.

Of the 2 sons, the hypocrite and the repenter, which one are you? I’ve been a Christian all my life, I’m now an Elder. Like it or not, I identify more with the religious leaders in this story than the lost-and-now-saved. Am I a hypocrite? Do I say one thing and do another? Sadly, sometimes the answer is yes ...

The real hypocrisy - not seeing the need to repent.

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.

Our heavenly Father had offered John’s message to the Jews, yet those most entwined in the Law failed to act. They believed their words and actions kept them in high regard, yet ALL fail to meet the perfection required. There was only one whose actions carried out the will of the Father perfectly, Jesus.

Even from an early age the bible says Jesus had a thirst for God’s Word. We hear that he stayed in the temple soaking up the Jewish teachings, discussing and debating with the religious teachers of the time. He prayed to His Father, especially before big events, to keep the lines of communication open.

Jesus loved others. He wasn’t afraid of how it looked to eat with tax collectors and sinners, he saw the need in others and acted. Even to the end, in the garden Jesus prayed “Let not my will but Your will be done”. Loving us enough to lay down his life.

Jesus message echoed John’s. Repent and believe. All have sinned and all need saving. I have come to seek and save the lost. Through my sacrifice you can be made whole with the Father. Through my sacrifice you can walk with him in the garden again. Turn from you ways and remain with the Father. Change your mind to be in tune with the Father. Don’t just say you’ll love other, actually love others!

Father, change our minds so that we are always listening for your call.
Father, change our minds so that we have the courage to answer “Yes, you can count on me”
Father, change our minds so that we do what you ask.
May our actions speak louder than words.