Is That What You Want To Hear?

​Matt. 21:28-31 - "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ' Son, go work today in the vineyard.'  "And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went.  "The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go. "Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first."  NASU

• These Boys Didn't Have My Dad 

If my dad would have said, "Go work in the vineyard." There is no way I would have told him I wasn't going. I like the part that says, "he regretted it and went."  I definitely would have regretted telling my dad "I am not going to the vineyard." I would have been correct I would have been going to the old proverbial "woodshed".
 
My dad would have given me that look and said, "What did you say?" It is right then and there that I would have had this thought "You better really think about your next answer because it could mean life or death."
 
That is when I would have said, "Just kidding Dad! Sure I am going to the vineyard. I love the vineyard." He would have said, "Yeah that is what I thought you said." 

• What Is It That You Want To Hear? 

When you ask for help do you want someone to tell you what you want to hear or do you want to have done what was asked? The second son said what the father would have wanted to hear because he said, "I will go" and then he never went. He said the right thing, but his actions didn't match what he said.
 
In other words, he didn't walk the walk. He talked the talk but didn't back it up with the correct actions. This is why the people of the world say the church is filled with hypocrites. Christians say one thing and then they do another. Exactly like the second son said he would go work in the vineyard and didn't.
 
I am sure we all want to hear "Yes, I will go or Yes, I will do it".
 
I don't think any of us would want to hear "I am not going to do it." If this is in a work situation it is different. They are getting paid to do what the boss has asked them to do, but in the family the dynamics are different. You do what you're asked because you are a part of the family. 

• We Are A Part Of God's Family 

We really have to remember what Jesus is trying to teach at this time. The tax-collectors, prostitutes and the Israelites were who He was speaking about in this parable. The tax-collectors and prostitutes were the first son.
 
They were rebellious and would not listen at first but then they had a change of heart and regretted their actions. They changed their minds which brought about a change in their behavior. Therefore, they ended up in the vineyard picking grapes.
 
However, the Israelites represented the second son. They said they would go and never completed the task. They never entered the vineyard.
 
It is imperative that we remember this parable and that we remember what God has asked us to do. There is no way we want to be the ones who say we will go and do what the Father wants and then never do it.
 
Jesus very clearly asks which one did the will of the father and they all said correctly the first son.
 
We have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Rom.3:23) and like the tax-collectors and prostitutes we have come to regret our sinful life. We are now working in the vineyard and hopefully you are happy to be apart of the family of God.
 
Think About These:
 
A good way to forget your troubles is to help others out of theirs.
 
It is better to keep a friend from falling than to help him up after he falls.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

​Minister of God's Word