This Sunday we looked at the parable in Matthew 21:23-32. This was a parable talking about two sons. Both were asked to work in their father's vineyard. One replied "no" but later did the work, the other said "yes" but in fact did not work. In Matthew's passage Jesus asks those listening (the chief priests and elders) which son actually did his father's will. They replied that it was the son who initially said "no" but went ahead and did the work anyway.
I shared that as a young man, I always assumed Jesus was thinking about my own family, specifically my younger sister and me. In the summers our parents would leave us home alone with chores to do. Often the scene would play out with them asking my sister to do something, and her saying an emphatic "no". They would next come to me, give me a list of jobs to do, and then also entrust me with the responsibility of making sure my sister's jobs were completed as well. I would reply with a polite "yes". Inevitably the reality of the day would unfold much differently, with my sister not only doing her own work, but also mine. My parent's would come home pleased, and then be informed that the roles had been reversed, and that she was the responsible helpful one, while I was the lazy, insubordinate one.
It was at this point that I finished the passage from Matthew, and gave Jesus' application of the passage. Jesus finished his conversation with the chief priests and elders by pointing out that the prostitutes and tax collectors would enter the kingdom of God before them, because of their faithful reply to John's call for repentance. This parable was not really about my sister and I, nor was it really about children working for their parents, but in fact it is about our response to God's call in our lives. I suggested that this passage breaks down all of humanity into two types of people, those who talk the talk, and those who walk the walk. The chief priests and elders, who say the right things, and look the right way talk the talk, but Jesus states that the tax collectors and prostitutes, who don't seem to fit the part, actually walk the walk.
This reminded me of two friends I have. One's name is Ben. He's British, he's handsome, and he cleans up nice. Ben also smokes, drinks, lies, swears, can be mean, and worst of all, he gambles! I took Ben with me to church one Sunday, and he fit in perfectly! He was polite, said nice things, sang in tune, and even volunteered to read the Hebrew Bible Lesson. Everyone commented on what a nice young man Ben was. Upon leaving the service, once in my car, Ben remarked "fooled them." For Ben it was a game, merely an act. The person those people in church saw, was not really who he was. He talked the talk, with exceeding proficiency, but when it came time to walk the walk, he didn't even bother to try.
My other friend, Doug, is quite different from Ben. Doug's American (so no fancy accent), he has long scruffy looking hair, and doesn't really clean up nice. Doug's one of "those" people. You know the type. He's one of those people you see, and tell other people "we don't assosciate with 'those' people." If you don't think you do this, come to me and we'll talk, and I'll show you how you do (we all do it). Having said all this, Doug goes on mission trips yearly, raising all his own money, providing his own supplies, and then paying to have them transported. Doug sincerely lives his faith, reads his Bible, prays for his friends and enemies, and genuinely loves God. So I brought Doug with me to church. He didn't really fit in so well. He wore old jeans, a t-shirt with holes in it, and his hair looked as if he hadn't washed it in several days. His singing was rather poor and rather loud, and I think he might have nodded off during the sermon (or at least that's what I think it means when a person's head droops slightly and they begin to snore). People were not so impressed with Doug, and they didn't seem to want to see him come back any time soon. Doug is a perfect example of a person who can't really talk the talk, but who sure walks the walk!
It was at this point that I asked everyone which one they were. Which one are you? Are you the one who talks a good game, but can't really back it up? Are you the one who never seems to fit in, but is able to walk the walk? As I offer up these two options, I will suggest a third. We can be people who talk the talk, and walk the walk. Our "Sunday best" can also be our everyday regular. That is to say, that instead of thinking of Sunday as the time we act, dress, think our best and then things go back to normal the rest of the week, we can have the way we act and think on Sunday, be the way we act and think every day. There should be no difference between the you on Sunday and the you on Friday and Saturday. And that doesn't mean that the Sunday you should show up drunk, cursing, gambling, or rude, instead it means the you on every other day should be kind, polite, humble, and sober.
So I'll ask again (with the third option open), which one are you? Which one should you be?
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
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