Matthew part 37
Three Tales of Obedience
I begin today with the story of St. Patrick. Today is his day of celebration, and though we do not venerate saints in our tradition, we do honor those who give up home and comfort for the sake of Christ. Patrick did just this way back in the 5th century. Patrick was an Englishman who was taken captive by Irish “barbarians.” He was able to return home, but decided he would return to Ireland as a missionary. After gaining some training, he embarked on his mission which his fellow English clergy said was foolish. Many said he was throwing his life away living among the godless Irish.
Now, many of you may have heard the legends of him ridding Ireland of snakes and his conflicts with the local Druids. Some of these stories have some truth in them, but we really only have two written documents left from Patrick—Confession and Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus. The first is a defense and record of his mission to Ireland, and the second is a response to a Celtic warlord named Coroticus who had brutally murdered some new Christians. What we know far better is the effect of Patrick’s mission in Ireland. This effect is summed up best with the Celtic church itself. Within two generations of Patrick, the Celtics transform from an illiterate, barbarous people content with violence, nature-based magical rites, and fear of their surroundings into the most prolific writing and studying corner of Christianity. In fact, much of what we know about history before the Dark Ages was archived by the Irish monks who wanted to save everything they could.
Now, I don’t bring this story up just because it is St. Patrick’s Day. Let me reiterate what his fellow Christians in England said about Patrick’s mission to Ireland. “He is wasting his life.” The same supposed Christians who worshiped in the cathedrals, read their Bible, and devoted time in prayer are the same ones who rejected the desire to seek and save the lost. Their attitudes would change in time, but they are much like the subjects in today’s parables from Jesus.
Today, we will read three stories from Jesus which all share the same theme—the cost of disobedience and the blessings of obedience. Before we read them, let’s take a moment to look back at chapter 21. Jesus has entered Jerusalem to the celebrations of many and especially the young children. But not everyone is happy about his coming. The religious leaders view Jesus as a threat to their security and wealth production—or really what accounts to a criminal enterprise. Jesus curses a fig tree that fails to produce fruit teaching his disciples both the power of prayer and the cost of fruitlessness.
Last, starting in verse 23, the chief priests begin this conversation we are reading today. They ask Jesus by what authority does he do these things. In other words, they ask, “Who do you think you are to come in here, turn over tables, drive out the workers and salesmen, and allow these people to sing your praise?” Jesus responds with his own question, “What authority did John have?” They cannot answer this question without putting themselves in trouble, and so Jesus refuses to answer their question. And just as the priests and scribes are ready continue their interrogation, Jesus turns their attention to this series of parables. And as we read these, keep in mind this exchange is happening in front of all the people Jesus is teaching in the temple.
The Parable of Two Sons | Matthew 21:28-32
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes 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 prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
Matthew 21:28-32
Jesus presents two boys. One refuses to obey his father and work, but later changes his mind. The other agrees to go work, but never actually gets around to getting the work done. Which one is obedient? The scribes correctly answer the first one who actually goes to work.
Jesus quickly relates the meaning of the parable. The tax collectors and the prostitutes never agreed to obey the Lord nor offered to bear godly fruit (i.e. work the vineyard), but they will enter the kingdom of God before the religious leaders because they have responded to Jesus’ call to repent. Matthew himself is one of these tax collectors. Mary Magdalene who accompanied the disciples and Jesus after being healed was once a prostitute. But now, neither of them live in these lifestyles. They have turned away from the old life in order to enter new life in Christ, and they are now in the Kingdom of Heaven.
They are just two examples of the biblical truth:
Entering the kingdom of heaven is not about how you begin life, it is about surrendering to Jesus when he calls you out of sin.
John came and preached to both the “sinners” and the religious. The sinners, at first, did not want to hear about the coming Messiah, but changed their minds and followed Jesus. The religious leaders feigned obedience by saying they serve the Lord, but never actually got around to serving. And even worse, when the Messiah came, they rejected him in favor of economic and political gain.
True faith is always followed by obedience and bearing fruit—a lack of fruit demonstrates a lack of faith.
Jesus continues with another parable.
The Parable of the Tenants | Matthew 21:33-46
“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord's doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
Matthew 21:33-46
Interestingly, Matthew lets us know the Pharisees know exactly who Jesus is referring to in these parables, but they cannot do anything to him just yet. The crowds in the temple are loving him, and they cannot risk a riot.
But look at the escalation in this parable. Now, it is not just a disobedient son but a violent group of workers who want to keep the profits of the labor for themselves. The story of the violent tenants is the story of the prophets of God killed by those who reject God’s message of repentance and fruitful faith. Later, after the Resurrection, Stephen, one of the first deacons of Christianity, will be stoned by others who reject the message of Christ. He asks those Jews, “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered” (Acts 7:52).
The priests and scribes were to be tenants who cultivated the fields of God—the people of God. They were to build up spiritual fruit and be a light to the nations. They were specifically tasked in the Law to teach the people how to obey the covenant, the history of God’s work in the world, and help establish a kingdom on earth that other nations would want to join. Instead, they reject this call and built a religious system that oppressed the poor and joined with pagan rulers.
Jesus once again quotes from prophecy about the coming Messiah and casts judgement on them. They will not enter the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom will be given to others who produce its fruits.
Much like their ancestors of the Old Testament, the religious leaders will lose everything because of their disobedience to God.
But their loss becomes others’ reward. Let’s read the last parable for today.
The Parable of the Wedding Feast | Matthew 22:1-14
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:1-14
The third parable presents another escalation, but this time is from the point of view of those who are invited to the celebration (or the kingdom of heaven). The beginning of the story is much like the other two. The king wants to have the people come, but they refuse the invite. Notice the three categories of people presented. One goes back to his farm, another to his business, and the last group actually kills the messengers. Jesus is showing the historic problem with the Hebrews. Rather than celebrate the coming king, they would rather go back to their work or wealth building. And the worst are those who kill the messengers of the king who are merely trying to share what the king is doing (i.e the prophets of God).
And so the king tells other servants to go out into all the land and invite whomever they find. And that is how the wedding hall is filled. But before someone interprets this story as “everyone gets to take part in the wedding feast,” Jesus adds the ending. When the king surveys the guests, he realizes one of them is missing a wedding garment. He is not able to stay because he is missing the right clothes.
Now, this parable may seem a bit harsh or confusing, but what Jesus is driving at here is righteous obedience. Consider this story in the context of chapter 21. The Jewish leaders failed to obey and failed to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. Their disobedience caused them to miss out on the kingdom of heaven and the wedding feast. Now the invitation is sent to all the nations of the world. Most of us who claim Christ only do so as Gentiles who have inherited the blessings removed from Israel. But it is not an open invitation. Not everyone will be saved and enter the kingdom of heaven. We must have on the right clothes.
Of course, Jesus is not talking about actual clothes. What are “the right clothes” or “the wedding garments”? Wedding garments represent being ready for the kingdom of God. If we are to enter the kingdom of God, we must ready ourselves for it. Throughout Matthew’s gospel, we have seen that those who wish to enter the kingdom of heaven may do so, but they must first turn away from their sin. Matthew the tax collector and Mary the prostitute did enter the kingdom of heaven, but not as their former selves. They turned away from those lifestyles and turned toward Jesus.
If we desire to enter the kingdom of heaven, we must get rid of our old clothes (sin) and put on the wedding garments (surrender to Jesus).
As we close today, I want to leave you with this hymn. It is a song attributed to St. Patrick, and it speaks to beginning the day with Christ. Whether you find yourself much like the Pharisees who said they would be obedient but have actually failed to uphold God’s call on your life, or whether you find yourself like the tax collectors and prostitutes who wanted nothing to do with God but now feel called to surrender to him, let this hymn be a prayer of commitment to Christ.
You can enter the kingdom of heaven, but only if you surrender yourself to Christ.
I bind this day to me for ever
by power of faith, Christ's incarnation;
his baptism in Jordan river;
his death on cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spiced tomb;
his riding up the heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom;
I bind unto myself today.
I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken to my need,
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heavenly host to be my guard.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the name,
the strong name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the three in one, and one in three.
Of whom all nature has creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word,
Praise to the Lord of my salvation;
salvation is of Christ the Lord.
- St. Patrick’s Hymn