an obedient (or disobedient) son moment

Jesus said, "What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vinyard today.' He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered , 'I go, sir'; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of the father?"

I still have one teenager and I was talking to someone the other day about our children; our teenagers. We were both commenting, and thanking God, that there seemed to be certain things with our kids that we didn’t, or don’t, really worry about; mainly drugs and alcohol. We commented that our children never seemed to be interested in those things. There were other things that we might have worried about or been concerned about, but there never seemed to be that party influence in their lives...unlike the two of us.

I really wasn’t a bad kid. I was actually a good kid I think. If you were to ask my parents I think they would tell you that I was a pretty good kid, not a big challenge...that I was the easy one of their three children. My brother and sister like to call me "the favorite child." But, I’ve been a disobedient son.

I’m kind of an open book about things. I don’t mind telling of my mistakes if my mistakes can witness to the glory of God. That is something that we are all called to do – to witness to how God has worked in our lives – from the little things to the big things. But, we have to remember that only God is good. When we use Christ as our measuring stick, we all fall far short of goodness.

By the world's standards though, I was a "good" boy. I accepted Christ as my savior. I was confirmed and baptized and went to church and my 18 year old brother took me to drink my first beer in my first bar when I was 15. I was kicked out of my first bar for being under age when I was 16. Now I will say that the legal age for such things at the time was 18 not 21. But wrong is wrong and I did some wrong that I am not proud of. I only tell things like that to boast in God and his grace; to boast in Jesus and his blood…not to brag or anything like that, but to remind us all of the influence of the world on us and our children.

I couldn’t tell you where I was supposed to be when I was in those places…I don’t remember where I was suppose to be… but I guarantee you I was suppose to be somewhere else…I guarantee you I had told my parents a different story. I wonder how many times I told my dad or my mom one thing and did something else. Think about it… or maybe you’ve never done that.

That’s what happened in this parable. Jesus said, “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of the father?”

The first son was rebellious…he was inconsiderate… he was rude… he looked to be lazy… he was disrespectful. It had to have hurt the father’s heart for his son to treat him the way he did. To just flat out refuse to help, to refuse to do what he had been told to do. I’m sure the father walked away sad, wondering where he had gone wrong with this one…this obnoxious one that tests his patience. He might have said to himself, “He’s just like his mother.” (He probably didn't say it loud enough for his wife to hear though.)

The second son was considerate…he was respectful…he was a hard worker…he said, “I go, sir.” Just like that, yes sir. This made the father happy…a chip off the old block this one… and he did say that out loud for anyone to hear. He’s just like his old man!

But then what happened? The one who said he would… didn’t. The one who said he would not…did.

I watched my older brother battle with our parents. Why can’t I do this or that? That’s not fair. Why can’t I go there? Why don’t you trust me? Why can't I do the things that my friends can do? Why… why…why…why…why? But after the battle, when all was said and done, he pretty much obeyed them.

I was my parent’s second son. I said yes ma’am…yes sir…of course I will…yes,I understand…and then I went and did whatever I wanted to do…what they don’t know won’t hurt them.

Which one was doing the will of the father?

Jesus told the leaders in the temple, you are the second son. You said you would but you don’t. You say you will but you prostitute the church. You’re sell outs. My father trusts you with the kingdom...you said you would love and serve others…you said you would witness to his mercy and grace…you promised to work in the vineyards…but you are not. John showed you the way to righteousness but you wouldn’t believe him…because it meant that you would have to admit that you didn’t have all the answers.

But the tax collectors and prostitutes… the ones you reject…the ones who rejected a relationship with the father…the ones who said, “no that’s not for me.” They heard John’s message of repentance and they have turned from their wicked ways……… and they are doing the things that you are supposed to be doing.

In Jesus’ story I was the tax collector and the prostitute. I remember the day that my life seemed meaningless. Even though I was basically a “good” person, I remember the day that I looked back at all of the things that I had done, to myself and to others, and saw what a wretch I was, what a sinner I was, what a failure I’d been... when I saw that I was not “good.”

What a wonderful day that was! What a joyful day that was! When I realized there was a better way, when I realized that I could repent and be forgiven. It was exciting and it felt good… and I was on fire… and I had a job to do and that job was to shout it to the mountain tops and to the ends of the earth that Jesus Christ is King… and I wanted everyone to have what I had…and I was passionate about it.

Do you remember that moment when you were set free? Do you remember the passion that you had in that moment for Christ? Or maybe it hasn’t been like that for you. Maybe you’ve always done what you were supposed to do.

I read this week of an old Japanese legend that tells of a man who died and went to heaven. Heaven was wonderful; it was everything he had ever imagined and so much more. But then the man came to a room lined with shelves. On the shelves were stacked piles of human ears! When he asked what this place was, his heavenly guide explained that these ears belonged to all the people on earth who listened each week to the word of God, but never acted on God's teachings. Their worship never resulted in action. Therefore, when these people died only their ears ended up in heaven.

I’ve really been both boys. I’ve been the prostitute and the Sadducee. I can go from prostitute to religious leader and back again...in a matter of moments. I can have a passion for Christ and the word and say yes I will do anything and go anywhere… and then not. Are we the church who says I will go…and then doesn’t? Are we just hearers of the word and not doers of the word? Are we doing what our Father asked us to do or just saying that we will?

My prayer for us is that we would have the passion of the newly converted…that we would have the passion of the tax collectors and prostitutes and heathens who know they are sinners and know they are dirty and know they need Jesus…those who repent and go into the vineyards.

a raindrop moment

I found the following at esermons.com and had to post it. I too searched for an author and could not find anything. In this moment all I can think about is possibilites and choices. Lord, how can I be - for your kingdom - just a raindrop.

Here is a Poem which I heard on Paul Harvey after Katrina. I have no idea who the author is but it makes a great illustration for the importance of every individual to do good or evil (as is the case with the poem.). It fits in well with this week's text (Matthew 21:23-32) and the importance of just one person's obedience. The line breaks are all mine and is an attempt to duplicate Paul Harvey's cadence.


I am Just A Raindrop

I am just a raindrop
I was born in the sky and settled into a hillside
there to dance in the sun and sparkle
And nourish green and growing things

But there are other raindrops on the hillside
and they invite me to join them for a downhill romp,
and we become a chain of raindrops.
Thus able to travel faster and what do you know
soon others join us until we become a stream
now remember I'm still just a drop of rain.
And yet the other drops say
I'm important to them and they are important to me
and together we hasten downward toward the beautiful forest.

The grass bends in our path
the soil beneath us begins to crumble
until my companions and I are carving out a pathway
farther and deeper
until we are tearing little gullies in the earth
and then big gullies.
I'm just a little drop of rain
its my friends who have the power
I'm just along for the ride

Ahead a towering tree
stands majestically at the edge of the forest.
And soon my friends and I
are playfully ripping the soil from the roots
and its roots from the rocks
and low and behold the great tree comes crashing down in front of me.

For a long moment the tree lies motionless:
Facedown, defeated, dying.

But then my friends and I are under, and lifting, and moving the great tree
carrying it before us as a huge battering ram.
Nothing can stop us now.
I wonder if I can stop my self now, or, if I even want to.
Into the forest we plunge my friends and I
and our battering ram tree.

Other trees grouped together stand their ground,
from us they can see there is strength in numbers.
And our numbers are greater.

Our battering ram is sideways now.
We raindrops get behind;
we push with all of our might.
My friends and I are learning the strength and the weaknesses of tress.
Erode the soil, denude the roots, and you leave them with nothing to hold to.

So, soon, we are a raging torrent.
And they and we and the turncoat tree are thundering toward the sea.
And I am freighted.
I'm just a little raindrop,
but I'm soiled now.

How did I become a part of this?
I never wanted to conquer, nor to destroy
I only needed to be needed.
I only needed to be one of the crowd.

Down there ahead, at the end of the valley
Dear God that's a town!
I will not be a part of this any longer.
Now my friends have gone too far.
Far too far.
I'm stopping right here right now.
But I can't. I can't stop.

I am no longer me.
I am something different then I ever meant to be.
It took a thousand million gallons of water they say
to drown that town that day.

So don't blame me.
I'm only one little drop of rain.