Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Matthew 21:28-32
Pastor: Pastor Berg
Sermon Date:  October 11, 2020

Imagine if you will, a household with two teenage sons. It’s a fall Saturday and the boys are vegging out in front of the TV playing their Xbox. They plan on there all afternoon. But their plan seems to hit a snag when dad walks in. It’s fall–that means the leaves are falling–that means they need to be raked–that means that dad doesn’t want to do it by himself. So he asks son #1, “Son, I need you to go outside and rake the leaves” Son #1 rolls his eyes and sighs loudly, He can’t believe that his dad doesn’t understand that this is his one day off, his one day not to do anything. He just wants to relax. In his mind he’s thinking, “That’s not my job! I shouldn’t have to do that stuff. I work hard enough at school as it is!” And so he says to his dad, “No, I’m not going to help.”

Incredibly, dad allows son #1 to live. Disappointed perhaps doesn’t fully describe how he’s feeling, but for whatever reason, he lets it slide. He turns to son #2 and asks him the same question. “Son, I need you to go outside and rake the leaves.” Son #2 says right away, “Sure dad! No problem! I’ll be right out after we finish this game.” So dad leaves, thinking that the yard will get cleaned up. But little does he know that son #2 has no intention of going outside.

Once dad is out of earshot, son #2 says to son #1, “You’re an idiot! Why did you tell him no? Just tell him what he wants to hear. That will get him out of your hair. When he asks you later what happened, just tell him you forgot or felt sick. Then he won’t be as mad because he won’t know how you really feel.” And after a few more minutes of pushing the buttons on the controllers, son #2 says, “Can you believe he wanted us to work on a Saturday! It’s like he thinks we owe him or something,” 

And for some reason, this last little comment got son #1 thinking. And he starts to remember all the things dad does for him. The rides to football and baseball games, the food on the table, the help with the homework, all the things he’s taught him. He starts to remember his own responsibilities as a son. And then he starts to feel guilty. He realizes he never should have spoken to dad that way. He should be outside raking the leaves. And so without a word, he sets down his controller and heads outside. Son #2 is shocked, but he stays right where he is. There’s no reason for him to rake if his brother is out there. 

There are many different ways to say it, but it all really comes back to the same place. Whether you say, “Talk is cheap” or “you can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk,” or “it’s time to put your money where your mouth is,” the point is clear. Actions speak louder than words. Everyone understands this. And that’s why this parable resonates with everyone listening. Everyone has their moments when they say one thing and do another: a husband or wife who doesn’t support their spouse like they promised on their wedding day, the friend who doesn’t stick up for you when you’re being slandered, the brother or sister who doesn’t help you when you are hurting. All these people may talk about love and loyalty, but those words don’t mean very much when they aren’t backed up by actions. 

In our parable today, neither son was innocent. Even though the first son went to work eventually, he should never have rejected his father in the first place. And the second son, whether intentionally or not, lied to his father and added insult to injury by never working at all. So no matter where you place yourself in this parable, which is what we automatically do, you’re not innocent. Sin took place. 

And yet, we still haven’t reached down far enough. Not only do we place ourselves in this parable, but we internalize it. We find meaning in it. So, what doesn’t this parable mean for us today? At the beginning of the service, we approached the altar of God and spoke these words together, “Holy God, gracious Father, I am sinful by nature and have sinned against you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved others as I should. I deserve your punishment both now and forever. But Jesus my Savior, paid for my sins with his innocent suffering and death. Trusting in him, I pray: God have mercy on me, a sinner.” We know those words so well that we could probably be awakened out of a sound sleep and be told to confess our sins and we could spit them out! But did you really think about what you were saying? Those words become meaningless when we keep on doing the sinful things we say we’re sorry for. If we say one thing and then turn around and do just the opposite, we’re just like that second son who said, “Sure dad, I’ll go work for you,” but then never got off his backside to do so.

Have any of these empty words ever come out of your mouths? “Yes Father, I’ll read and study and learn your Word diligently, even daily.” But then our regular pattern of TV and internet and video games and recreation enjoyment goes on without change and our Bibles remain unopened. “Yes Father, I will pray for others, prayer for myself, pray daily to receive this blessing that you give.” But then the pillow takes us down at bedtime and hunger wins us over at mealtime, and laziness defeats us the rest of the time. “Yes Father, I will work for you. I will do my part and let your love shine through the rest of my life.” But then works of service go way down on the priority list, positions at church are left vacant, tasks are left to others, and hurt feelings make love disappear. Friends, so often we’ve talked the talk, but we haven’t walked the walk.

Perhaps you were a little confused this morning at the theme for the sermon. Maybe you even looked back at the Gospel from Matthew and recounted the number of sons. You’re right, Jesus just talks about two. But there is a third Son in this story, in our story. There is a third Son who was different from the other two. This third Son heard his Father’s call to work and he enthusiastically said, “Yes!” And this third Son then went out and did his Father’s work. Jesus doesn’t mention this third Son because he’s the third Son. Jesus is the third Son, our flesh and blood brother, who always did what his Father asked, no matter what. Jesus is our brother who did the work the Father had given to us, and fixed the messes we had made. Jesus is our brother who appeased the Father’s anger that our refusal to work, our lying to his face, our laziness had earned. Jesus is our brother who took all the blame on himself. Jesus did all of this for you! And then he worked himself to death to pay for all the times we’ve failed to work, failed to listen, failed to love. But by his death and resurrection, Jesus has provided us with everything God promised. Life in heaven forever! Life to serve him now.

And this is why son #1 could change his mind and go out and work for his dad. After he thought things through, he realized something important: dad was loving, dad was caring, dad was merciful. He knew that his dad would forgive him for mouthing off. He knew that even though he had done something horrible to dad, dad still loved him. And it was the love of his dad that changed his mind. It was the love of dad that turned his “have to” attitude into a “want to” attitude. He wanted to serve his dad who had done so much for him. 

Our God, our heavenly Father, our heavenly Dad wants true repentance! You may have rejected him earlier in your life. You may have been the biggest hypocrite around. You may have been as bad as the tax collectors and the prostitutes in Jesus’ day. But as we have repented earlier together, and as we no doubt have silently repented as God’s law has cut us to the heart, know this: God is love. God is caring. God is merciful. Your sins are forgiven. So go and sin no more! Change what you’re doing! That’s what repentance means, it means to change direction, it means to turn around. True repentance is not just words, true repentance is action, it’s fruit. And true repentance is something you can produce because of the work of Jesus.

So how do we produce true repentance? We go back to the source. We go back to the Word. We go back to the font where God made us his child. We go back to the table where Jesus gives us himself for the forgiveness of our sins. And then we go forward from this place and we let the love of the Father, which he has showered on us, shine in our lives as we joyfully work in the vineyard. This is what our Father wants, true repentance producing true obedience. Amen