Matthew 21:28-31 Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation

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Welcome to today’s Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation covering Matthew 21:28-31 wherein we learn the importance of aiming toward ending up in the kingdom of God.

“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.

How you end up in life is of greater importance than how you begin.  Now don’t get me wrong, it’s best to both start and finish well, and “the end” comes upon many people when they might least expect it.  Additionally, starting poorly can be a great way to pick up nasty baggage that can make for difficulties later.  I say all this because I don’t believe there’s any merit to ideas like the one of releasing kids to “sow their wild oats” in the younger years that they might get out all the bad in them.  That’s an exceedingly ridiculous and unbiblical philosophy.  BUT, the gospel message is all about bringing redemption to broken people, a category that everyone ultimately falls into before they come to know Jesus as Lord…hence, my original statement: How you end up in life is of greater importance than how you begin.  The Pharisees didn’t understand this (or at least they didn’t truly accept it), so Jesus told them a little story to reveal this too them.  They had to affirm the fact that the first son was the one who did what his father wanted while the other one was all talk.  After all, even they knew on an intellectual level that actions speak louder than words.  What they didn’t see coming, however, was that Jesus was about to put the now repentant sin-laden outcasts of society in a higher holy bracket than they were in.  As we follow the rest of the account, Jesus clarified things by telling the Pharisees that such “bad people” responded to John the Baptist’s message of repentance whereas these religious leaders did not.

As we read the gospel accounts, it can be kinda fun (and even right in a way) to talk about how messed up groups like these are.  After all, Jesus was so masterful at pulling the rug out from under them again and again to the point where all they could think about was putting Him to death.  What we need to take care in, however, is that we not forget to ask ourselves if there are ways in which we fall into the “bad guy” department.  For those who have practically grown up knowing Jesus, where the church has felt like home, it can be easy to think that we have some kind of inherent holiness by way of association.  It feels natural to say the right things, act the right way around others in the church, and not be in the practice of daily dying to self through repentance and re-dedication.  And so, whether we’re the child who starts out telling Dad off or begins by trying to tickle His ears, let us make certain that we are on our way to ending up as the one found faithful.  A heart test is a good test for today.

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