Authority Issues ~ Matthew 21:23-32 ~ September 25, 2011

When you’re a kid, there’s always stuff that mom & dad say you have to do that you just don’t want to do…  But in time, you learn is how to get the upper hand on your parents—to trick them into thinking you’re doing as you’re told…

Let me give you some examples…

I used to hate that I had to brush my teeth before bed.  Mom & Dad would frequently check my toothbrush to see if it was wet.  So when they weren’t looking, I would run it under the faucet and put it away. And when that didn’t work anymore, I would put a dollop of toothpaste on my tongue so my breath would be minty fresh.

A friend of mine hated vegetables so much he started an indoor composting project—he’d conceal broccoli and Brussels in his pants pockets and bury them in the household plants…

As a kid, one of the biggest thrills you can get is outsmarting your folks.  After all, you have no authority over yourself.  You have to do as you’re told.  So it feels really good to be able to do your own thing and not get punished for it. 

But we really don’t outgrow our authority issues, especially when it comes to God.  That’s what we see in the short parable of the two sons…

A father orders his two sons to work in his vineyard.  The first son disobeys his father and goes his own way—but later changes his mind, and goes to work.  The other son promises to obey, but changes his mind and goes his own way.

Both of the sons have authority issues.  At least the first son was honest.  He didn’t fake his obedience.  But the second son merely told his father what he wanted to hear.  … 

And the sad truth is that the average Christian resembles this son.  There’s not a Christian out there who would ever say “no” to living a life of discipleship.  No Christian would ever say that other things are more important to them than God.  But it’s not with words that we reject God’s authority…  It’s with our actions; it’s with the way we live…  And that’s not a hard thing to do for two big reasons: we’re all sinners, and rejecting God’s authority is what sinners do.  Sin makes each of us our own gods.  The other problem is that so many other commitments compete for God’s claim on us.  Inevitably, one of those commitments becomes our ultimate concern.  It becomes the authority that dictates all the choices you make in how to spend your time and resources. And if that ultimate concern is anything else other than God, we end up living out our faith if and only if we have the time. 

Earlier this week, I had lunch with a pastor friend.  During our conversation, we both saw how much we’ve been pushing God out of our lives.  We spend hours studying the Bible each day, we are constantly praying with other people, and we hardly ever miss a worship or Bible study or Sunday school class.  That’s all part of our job.  Doing Jesus’ work isn’t the problem.  The problem is living in our relationship with God outside of work.  We aren’t spending time alone with God in prayer or in Scripture.  What this tells us is that something else is most important.  Some other priority is calling the shots.  We’re rejecting God’s authority. 

Today, God’s Word is questioning the state of our commitment to Jesus Christ.  And if we’re going to be totally honest with ourselves—we all have reason to be uncomfortable.  One of the most painful truths for us to admit is that we willfully reject God’s authority over us.  We do it every day.  And most of the time, we don’t even realize it.  It’s just a matter of habit.  We treat discipleship as “paying the rent” with God.  We do only what we believe we have to do to stay in God’s good graces. 

But discipleship isn’t about checking items off a “to-do list.”  Nor is it a hobby.  It’s our whole life.  God’s claim over our lives will either be complete—or completely incomplete. 

Today’s Gospel confronts us with some very painful truths about our relationship with God.  But we need not feel afraid.  Jesus is still our Savior—even when we willfully reject him.  And we are claimed as God’s own—and our bad choices can’t change that.  Jesus is the Savior that we desperately need—and this parable reminds us how desperately we still need him.  We don’t just need him as we lie on our deathbeds; we need him every hour of the day.  We need him to save us from all those things that stand in the way of our knowing him and living in his love. 

Jesus Christ, your Savior, wants also to be your Lord—the ruling authority in your life.  He has claimed you as his disciple—and the life of a disciple is what he has in store for you.  Don’t think of discipleship as just a bunch more things that you have to cram into your already busy lives because that’s not what it is.  A life of discipleship is one in which every moment of every day is spent in the presence of Jesus.  It’s brings you the peace of Jesus; the strength of Jesus; the rest of Jesus; and the hope of Jesus…

But a life of discipleship will also mean change.  God is going to change your heart, making it more like that of Jesus Christ.  And because is your heart is changed, your priorities will change, too.  Things will take on a whole new meaning.  Things that once were important to you may not be important any more.  The old things that were overly burdensome and stood in the way of your faith will give way to new things that draw you closer to God and a day-to-day experience of his amazing grace. 

Change can be a scary thing.  Change can be painful.  It often requires sacrifice.  But it’s change for the better.  It’s a change that will bring with it new life and new beginnings. 

God wants to be your ruling authority and your ultimate concern.  God wants to be your consuming passion and your heart’s desire.  And God has good things in store for you.  If a new heart and a new life sound good to you, the table is set.  You’ll get it right here.  So if you dare to be a disciple, come and eat.  If you dare to live a life that’s ruled by God, come and drink.