0
Talk is Cheap
Posted by Brian
on
7:02 PM
in
E-votionals
The way some people talk about Jesus, you would think he was a milk toast, don’t-rock-the-boat, kind of wimp that just drifted around trying not to make waves. A thorough reading of the gospels, however, reveals the exact opposite. Jesus was not afraid of mixing it up with his antagonists, and sometimes he even seems to enjoy it.
In Matthew 21 Jesus applies a smackdown of Old Testament proportions. He is teaching in the temple courts, and the chief priests and elders ask him who gave him the authority to do what he had been doing - the triumphal entry (21:1), throwing our the money changers (21:12), healing the blind and lame (21:14), withering an uproductive fig tree (21:18). Now they ask him,“what or who gives you the right?”
“I’ll answer your question if you can answer mine”, Jesus replies. “Was John’s baptism from God or man?” Seems like a simple question that these guys ought to be able to handle. They huddle – if we say “God” than he’ll ask why we didn’t believe John. If we say “man” the people will revolt because they believe John was a prophet. What to do, what to do? They go for the safe answer – “We don’t know.”
Since they don't want to answer his question, he gives them something else to think about…
A father asked his sons to work in his vineyard – a common word picture for the Kingdom. One son says “No”, but later changes his mind and goes. The other says “Yes”, but never goes. Which did what the father wanted? Obviously, the first. Once they answered the question, Jesus applied the truth, and this had to hurt. “The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of heaven ahead of you” (it’s interesting that he uses the present and not the future tense). John came to show you the way of righteousness and you didn’t act on it. The tax collector and prostitutes did. Even after you saw that radical change of life, you didn’t believe it.
Jesus told another parable about the vineyard, this time portraying the Pharisees as wicked tenants who killed the son of the owner, and then were removed from the vineyard themselves and replaced by people who would actually produce fruit. The Pharisees were ready to arrest Jesus at this point, but they were afraid of the people, who were beginning to see Jesus as a prophet.
Jesus is on a roll, and He tells another parable, followed by more hard teaching directed to the Pharisees, Sadducees and teachers of the law. So much for a milk-toast Jesus, afraid of confrontation, eh? Jesus was diagnosing a type of heart disease in the Pharisees. They talked a lot about repenting, but never truly proved it with their actions. The tax collectors and prostitutes repented and proved it by their actions. Tax collectors and prostitutes initially pushed back when challenged to repent (like all of us), but eventually they did. The Pharisees gave lip service to repentance, but never followed through.
This Sunday we will be talking about responsibility with the truth. Frankly, talk is cheap. Action is what God is looking for.
|
In Matthew 21 Jesus applies a smackdown of Old Testament proportions. He is teaching in the temple courts, and the chief priests and elders ask him who gave him the authority to do what he had been doing - the triumphal entry (21:1), throwing our the money changers (21:12), healing the blind and lame (21:14), withering an uproductive fig tree (21:18). Now they ask him,“what or who gives you the right?”
“I’ll answer your question if you can answer mine”, Jesus replies. “Was John’s baptism from God or man?” Seems like a simple question that these guys ought to be able to handle. They huddle – if we say “God” than he’ll ask why we didn’t believe John. If we say “man” the people will revolt because they believe John was a prophet. What to do, what to do? They go for the safe answer – “We don’t know.”
Since they don't want to answer his question, he gives them something else to think about…
A father asked his sons to work in his vineyard – a common word picture for the Kingdom. One son says “No”, but later changes his mind and goes. The other says “Yes”, but never goes. Which did what the father wanted? Obviously, the first. Once they answered the question, Jesus applied the truth, and this had to hurt. “The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of heaven ahead of you” (it’s interesting that he uses the present and not the future tense). John came to show you the way of righteousness and you didn’t act on it. The tax collector and prostitutes did. Even after you saw that radical change of life, you didn’t believe it.
Jesus told another parable about the vineyard, this time portraying the Pharisees as wicked tenants who killed the son of the owner, and then were removed from the vineyard themselves and replaced by people who would actually produce fruit. The Pharisees were ready to arrest Jesus at this point, but they were afraid of the people, who were beginning to see Jesus as a prophet.
Jesus is on a roll, and He tells another parable, followed by more hard teaching directed to the Pharisees, Sadducees and teachers of the law. So much for a milk-toast Jesus, afraid of confrontation, eh? Jesus was diagnosing a type of heart disease in the Pharisees. They talked a lot about repenting, but never truly proved it with their actions. The tax collectors and prostitutes repented and proved it by their actions. Tax collectors and prostitutes initially pushed back when challenged to repent (like all of us), but eventually they did. The Pharisees gave lip service to repentance, but never followed through.
This Sunday we will be talking about responsibility with the truth. Frankly, talk is cheap. Action is what God is looking for.
|
Posts
