[Cliff Notes version of Sunday's Sermon on Matthew 21.23-32 - Jesus is challenged by the chief priests and elders and gives them a parable about two brothers to chew on]
When I first came to Highland, I went on Map Quest to get directions to Harrisonburg from McDowell, which sent me to Monterey, then to Franklin, West Virginia, and from there, on Rt. 33, to Harrisonburg, almost doubling the distance. Now, Map Quest would have gotten me there . . . eventually. . . but somewhere in the mountains, I would have begun to wonder if I’d taken a wrong turn and long before I got to Harrisonburg, I probably would have turned around and gone back, believing myself hopelessly lost.
That’s the problem with the view of God and faith as a matter of prescribed rules . . . there are so many rules, so many obstacles, so many ‘long-way-around’ directions that, if you didn’t already know the way, you’d feel yourself hopelessly lost, and, chances are, turn around and go home, giving up any thought of ever getting to “Harrisonburg”, or if you kept at it, you’d be so exhausted by the journey that you’d probably wonder why you even bothered.
From the outset, the chief priests and elders refuse to believe that they have anything to learn from this Jesus guy. They understand his object lesson. It’s obvious. But instead of repenting, instead of allowing themselves to be changed, instead of even allowing for the possibility of another, easier, way, they react in anger. By golly, they knew the way to Harrisonburg and nobody was going to tell them any different!
Jesus isn’t tricking the chief priests and elders and he isn’t damning them either. Notice that Jesus doesn’t say they won’t get into God’s kingdom. He says that others will get there before them. It’s a sort of last-ditch shock-therapy approach by Jesus, who is trying, desperately, to move them . . . to turn them . . . to get them to turn themselves in another direction . . . that’s repentance . . .
Turning . . .
Away from the direction of bondage
into the direction of freedom
Away from the direction of self
into the direction of God . . .
One brother changed his mind
the other brother changed
and the chief priests and elders didn’t change at all.
They’re all kingdom-bound.
I wonder if they’ll be happy there.
I wonder if even heaven will be enough.
When I first came to Highland, I went on Map Quest to get directions to Harrisonburg from McDowell, which sent me to Monterey, then to Franklin, West Virginia, and from there, on Rt. 33, to Harrisonburg, almost doubling the distance. Now, Map Quest would have gotten me there . . . eventually. . . but somewhere in the mountains, I would have begun to wonder if I’d taken a wrong turn and long before I got to Harrisonburg, I probably would have turned around and gone back, believing myself hopelessly lost.
That’s the problem with the view of God and faith as a matter of prescribed rules . . . there are so many rules, so many obstacles, so many ‘long-way-around’ directions that, if you didn’t already know the way, you’d feel yourself hopelessly lost, and, chances are, turn around and go home, giving up any thought of ever getting to “Harrisonburg”, or if you kept at it, you’d be so exhausted by the journey that you’d probably wonder why you even bothered.
From the outset, the chief priests and elders refuse to believe that they have anything to learn from this Jesus guy. They understand his object lesson. It’s obvious. But instead of repenting, instead of allowing themselves to be changed, instead of even allowing for the possibility of another, easier, way, they react in anger. By golly, they knew the way to Harrisonburg and nobody was going to tell them any different!
Jesus isn’t tricking the chief priests and elders and he isn’t damning them either. Notice that Jesus doesn’t say they won’t get into God’s kingdom. He says that others will get there before them. It’s a sort of last-ditch shock-therapy approach by Jesus, who is trying, desperately, to move them . . . to turn them . . . to get them to turn themselves in another direction . . . that’s repentance . . .
Turning . . .
Away from the direction of bondage
into the direction of freedom
Away from the direction of self
into the direction of God . . .
One brother changed his mind
the other brother changed
and the chief priests and elders didn’t change at all.
They’re all kingdom-bound.
I wonder if they’ll be happy there.
I wonder if even heaven will be enough.
***
If you'd like to listen to the sermon or read it in its entirety, click on the McDowell Presbyterian link on the right and go to 'Podcast' for the audio or 'Sermon of the Week' for the text.
This seems like the deadliest sin of all because it means the sinner is cut off from any hope of reaching god.....ann
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