“But what do you think? A man had two sons; and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work in my vineyard today.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not.’ But afterwards he repented and went. And he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir’; and did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father? They said to Him, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I say to you that the tax-collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax-collectors and the harlots believed him. And when you had seen it, you did not repent afterwards so that you might believe him.'” Matt. 21:28-32
Devotional Thought For The Day
I know lots of people who assert that they are very eager and zealous to do the bidding of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. The chief priests and elders of the people of Israel, the leading religious leaders of Jesus’ time, not only asserted that they were fully committed to doing “the will of the Father,” but that they were accomplishing this, at least far more than others around them, the commoners, and certainly more so than “tax-collectors and harlots.” Jesus spoke these words to inform them that nothing could be further from the truth, and these words must have infuriated them. The message of Jesus was fairly simple – the time is fulfilled, kingdom of God is near; repent and believe the gospel [good news]. [Mark 1:15] The gospel, simply stated by John the Baptist, is that Jesus is “the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world,” [John 1:29] and that “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son [Jesus], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16] This is such good news, though clearly stated and asserted over and over again in God’s Word, Holy Scripture, that we scarce can believe it!
Repentance is a hard thing, acknowledging that we are fully guilty, as guilty as any tax-collector or harlot, and faith is difficult, believing, even after honestly and truthfully acknowledging our sin and guilt, that God is gracious and merciful, that Christ was willing to die for our sins to take away all of our guilt and punishment. It is harder to be loved, when we recognize the real depth and nature of our sin, than it is to love. Many have recognized this. But this is clearly the will of the Father, and of His Son Jesus Christ, the will of God Who is love, to love us in this way, to provide us with redemption, forgiveness, cleansing, and salvation. So if we assert that we are very eager and zealous to be doing the will of God, this is the essential entry way, and the place that we must be in at all times, repenting our sin [recognizing it, lamenting it, and confessing it to God honestly, with integrity], and rejoicing in His great love for us, honoring God for the great and wondrous sacrifice of love given to us in His Son Jesus. Without this – which is what many “godly” people seek to accomplish, to get to a place where we no longer have to confess ourselves as guilty as tax-collectors and harlots – we are not “doing” even the most basic and elementary will of God.
Fast forward to our current times. Where do we confess our sins and receive assurance of God’s forgiveness, the assurances He has given to us in His Word? I would hope at church, but many churches no longer participate in a corporate confession or take seriously Christ’s promises regarding absolution and the forgiveness bestowed in His sacramental meal. And where “congregations,” groups of Christians congregating, gathering together, do still confess and take seriously Christ’s Words regarding forgiveness, many modern “Christians” stay away – precisely because they do not like confessing the real nature of their sin and the humility of living centered in God’s gracious forgiveness in Christ. In fact, much of modern “popular” Christianity is headed in the opposite direction, that of celebrating our freedom from sin, confession, and God’s forgiveness, and lauding God and praising Him that we are no longer like “other men.” There was another man that Jesus spoke of who did just this – and we do well to contemplate what Jesus said of him [Luke 18:10-14]. In “humility” people like this come to recognize that they don’t need to appear before God very often to remind Him of their goodness, and they don’t want to embarrass others who attend with their gleaming piety and righteousness. And they have no interest in attending where others do not even realize how superior they are. Again, it is not those who claim to be doing the will of God who are blessed and doing His will, but rather those who are living humbly in repentance and faith who are blessed and exalted by God. The difference between the two groups is quite obvious and apparent, both in demeanor and in direction, and in where they may be found congregating.
When the fundamentals are in place, and one is living in repentance and faith, then it is “safe” to take up other things that God wills for us to be doing, all manner of love, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and mercy. For if we are doing God’s will out of the humility of repentance and genuine faith, there is little chance that we will slip away into arrogance and the haughtiness so often seen in Christians, even though we try to cloak it in a veneer of properly pious humility [“I thank you, God . . . “]. The bottom line might be tough for us to acknowledge, but at least it is bedrock, including the wondrous assurance of God’s gracious forgiveness, mercy, and love. And on this bedrock we are finally enabled to truly do the Father’s will. The only question is whether we are willing and will do it, or whether we are only willing to say that we are willing – but won’t do it. May God humble us and keep us on the foundation, the Rock from which we will never slip or fall.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, our will to arrogance and self-importance is incorrigible, and our hearts are desperately wicked in avoiding genuine repentance and living solely and purely in Your gracious love. Forgive us, and remain patient with us in love, continually calling us back to proper repentance, honesty, and integrity. Only the joy of Your salvation can enable this, so bless us to grasp and believe Your love. Do Your work in us, that we may truly will and do Your will. Amen.