Dave spoke from Matt 21:23-32 last night, beginning by reminding us that parables are often misunderstood with too much focus on the form of the story, when what really matters is the underlying meaning the story illustrates. Jesus used everyday scenes – farmers sowing seed, a father with two sons, a lost coin – to gain his listeners’ attention, but the real message of the parable goes further than the action of the story would imply.
The scene here shows us people questioning the authority of Jesus and how Jesus uses this as the launch pad to discuss obedience and repentance. 1 John 1:8-9 makes it abundantly clear that no one is without sin (something the self-righteous Pharisees would have done well to consider) and shows us how to deal with sin – through confession and repentance. The theme of repentance runs throughout the New Testament. John the Baptist came preaching a baptism of repentance (Mk 1:4). Jesus Himself preached about repentance. (Matt 1:15) His disciples were sent out to preach the same message (Mk 6:12) and Peter’s famous sermon in Acts 2 after Pentecost spoke of the need to ‘repent and be baptised.’ Paul urged people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). Repentance is the gate by which we must enter the Christian life. All begin this way.
Just as problems with the birth process can have serious repercussions on a baby, so a failure to understand the true nature of repentance can cause problems for us as Christians. Repentance is vital and central to Christian health. Even in parables which focus on God’s love (as with the parable of the Prodigal Son), the son had to repent and return to his father before he could receive that love.
Repentance is more than being sorry or feeling sorry. It is not about carrying anguished guilt for ever. It involves a change of mind, a confession of wrong and a change of actions. The first step is to understand that the path on which we are travelling is the wrong path and will not lead to our desired destination. Then we have to admit that we are wrong and this can be very difficult. Even that is not the final stage, however, for we have to actually change our actions. In the parable, the first son initially refused to do what he was asked to do and the second son willingly agreed to do it. Nonetheless, the first son changed his mind and went on to actually obey, while the second son did not marry actions to words. Jesus reminded us that the work God requires is to the believe in the One He sent. (John 6:29) This is our goal – whether we come from a church background initially or not. After all, the Pharisees are probably the most religious people in hell; being ‘religious’ is not enough to save us. All of us, no matter what our backgrounds, enter the Christian life through repentance and each time we sin, we have to repent and turn away from that sin. Repentance is vital to our ongoing growth.