What about Monday?
Matthew 21:23 -32
In the Armenian message I tried to draw a model of Christian servanthood. The best way was to look at Jesus as the example.
Last Sunday many of you came and encouraged me for the sermon. I heard things like “powerful”, “very interesting”, “you did not let me sleep”, “exciting”, “wonderful”… etc.
Thank you for these words.
But please,
Listen to the Word of God and not to me.
Listen as if it is saying a message to YOU. Listen with obedience and a humble spirit.
Listen. The Word of God could be sometimes rebuking and other times encouraging.
Listen with open minds and hearts.
*Dr. Fred Craddock’s book Biblical Preaching was my homiletics textbook at the seminary. Dr. Craddock was considered one of the best preachers in the USA. One day Dr. Craddock asked preachers a question: “What do you look for when you hear a sermon?”
One said, “I want to hear a sermon that helps me think about things in a new way”. Many agreed.
A preacher, Johnny Dean, who was in the room, later wrote the following about this answer: “ ‘Thinking about things in a new way’ is the way we love to deal with every difficult thing in life. We love to think about sermons, to turn ideas over in our minds, then go out and have a good lunch and forget about them. We think, we feel, but we see no need to act. No, a good sermon ought to help us LIVE a new way.”
Hearers must become doers. This is today’s message. That is the reason I made up the title, “what about Monday?” What is happening in you after you leave the worship service?
Let us look today’s passage.
Today’s passage has two parts.
The first part talks about authority of Jesus.
The chief priests and the elders came with a question that they thought they would trap Jesus with. “By what authority are you doing these things?”
Question. Do you think they were really interested about Jesus’ authority?
I don’t think so. Jesus’ answer was great. He asked a question instead of answering them. They were not ready to answer. Therefore Jesus was not ready to answer them.
Some of us do the same things today sometimes in our churches- asking questions for the sake of asking questions.
Asking questions is the best way to learn. But what are we asking?
Are we asking questions to learn and change something in our life? Or are we asking questions for entertainment, or to create an intellectual exercise?
It is OK to have entertainment. It is OK to have intellectual exercise. But besides all these, what is happening in our lives?
Are you becoming closer to Christ?
Is there any transformation in our lives?
Jesus, who usually answers our questions, did not answer them. Instead he told another tough parable. This moves us to the second part of the passage.
*A seminary professor wrote about the parables of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. He gave title of this book, The Divine Trap. Why? You read the parable and you think it is talking about someone else, a sinner for instance. Then suddenly, BANG, you realize the story is not about someone else. NO, it is about YOU.
This parable is very simple, yet very dangerous.
Once upon a time there were two brothers, Mr. NO Hedatzekogh (Mr. Postpone) and Mr. OK Tambal (Mr. Lazy).
Their father once asked Mr. No Hedazkogh, “I need you, I have work in the field.” The work was in the vineyard. It seems this family is the Kkaghoghian family again!
First son said No. However, since he likes to postpone things, he thought about it and felt he needed to do something about it. Eventually he went to the field.
The second boy was Mr. OK Tambal. He said: “Of course, Dad. You just say it once and I am your servant. Just one word from you and it is done. OK, OK, OK.”
However, nothing was done. He had good intentions of being a good boy, (saying Yes) but he did not go to the vineyard. Good intention is not sufficient.
Jesus asked: “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
The disciples thought it was the first. He had at least done something in the end.
Jesus did not answer the question. I think he did not approve either one.
* Once someone died and was in Heaven. He was walking around and he saw big table full of ears. He asked what are those? They said these are ears from Sunday morning service worshipers who listen, and listen, and listen but nothing is happening in them. So only ears arrived to heaven.
The vineyard is God’s Kingdom of serving. Either you are an obedient servant or you are not. There are no middle ways. Either you do the work whole heartedly or do not do it. You are either cold or hot. Do not be in the middle.
What is Jesus saying to the elders and the priests? Do you think you are chosen and good people? Your words and your actions do not match. Look, John the Baptist spoke and you did not believe him. Tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe. These sinners were ready to come to God. How about you?
Wednesday’s Bible study group is studying women in the Bible. We had studied three women, Eve, Sarah, and Miriam, the sister of Moses.
Three important women, chosen by God. They had wonderful Godly qualities.
Then we studied Rahab. She was a prostitute in Jericho. When the spies came to the city she hid them. She knew that the Lord was with them. She knew that Yahweh is the God almighty. She had a developing faith. She risked her life, because she found the true God. Rahab’s name is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. Her name is mentioned in Hebrews as woman of faith. “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”(Heb. 11:31)
The faith that Rahab, or later Ruth demonstrated is active faith, faith that can be seen. Not for sake of demonstration. No, it is faith that is OBEDIENT to God.
We read in I Peter. 4:10
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
Do not be like Mr.OK Tambal or Mr. Yes Hedazkogh young sons.
God is looking for individuals who will learn from Christ (Phil. 2:5-8). He was the best example of being a servant. Then let us be obedient to God so we can be servers for the Lord.