Talk is Cheap, Matthew 21,28-32

The Parable of the Two Sons and the Problem of Cheap Talk

Okay, Matthew chapter 21, starting verse 28, hear the word of the Lord. 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 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 prostitutes believed him and even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

May the lord add his blessings to the reading of his holy word. Well ever had someone promise you something? Maybe at a critical time. Maybe when you're in need or when they're in special need and then fail to deliver.

You know i've seen people say with with I think a genuine emotion. That so and so is my my best friend ever. And then not too much later simply betray that best friend break a commitment because it's just more convenient Than be loyal to their so-called best friend you might become cynical and then say well, you know Talk is cheap.

A friend of mary's was recruited for a job with a flattering assurance. You're worth a million dollars. But when he took the job, he discovered he was actually getting paid less than the conventional rate.

I once had a performance review for a job. I had at fuller seminary and my boss was very flattering to me. And after he was done telling me how a great job I did. He kind of asked me do I have any questions.

I said, yeah if i'm if you like me so much.

Why don't you give me a raise?

He did I got one and it was then that he was willing to pay me more money that I realized that my boss Really valued me and that's really one of the few good examples I can come up with. I could probably we could probably fill the rest of the morning with bad examples.

People making promises saying great emotional things and then. Not fulfilling them, you know, it's now the height of the political season and political talk can sometimes be very cheap, can it. Candidates were promised to lower taxes.

And raise jobs raise government programs all while lowering the debt. In 1988 george hw bush famously promised that if he's elected he will oppose new taxes. That even if congress pushes him to raise new taxes made a special promise read he'll say to back to congress read my lips no new taxes.

But when congress pushed him to raise taxes. He raised taxes. And so in 1992 he lost the election after all he had left the impression rightly or wrongly. That his talk was cheap. Talk is cheap when people think that they can get an advantage just by saying something.

Maybe, you know get your vote. Maybe they think they can keep a good employee, but just by flattering him without having to give him a raise um or or win an election but you know making promises that he doesn't he can't keep at the heart of.

You know at the heart of the advice on how to win friends and influence people. Is that we ought to talk in a way that makes others feel valuable, right? Use their name frequently say good things about them and that's good advice.

It is uh, but when they detect That you're just doing that. Saying good things and uh saying their name all that kind of stuff just to manipulate them that the reason. That they're being praised all the time.

Is because you know told that you're worth a million dollars is precisely because the boss doesn't want to pay them more um to show them they are really worthy or that. Maybe we're just saying these things to get them to buy our product.

Not that we really care about them that someone is being flattered so that we're flattering them so that We can get them to Do the favor for us that we want when they detect that. Well, then they get cynical.

Shrug their shoulders who cares what people say talk is cheap. Talk is cheap. And so we have ways of elevating. Some talk above the rest of the cheap talk. No way, uh, that is supposed to be you know.

There's some talk that we say is supposed to be really valuable for real this time we take it seriously. We call that talk maybe oaths vows. We're supposedly solemnly swear raise your right hand put your left hand on the bible.

After what after you do that then your talk is not supposed to be cheap anymore give a testimony um or. You know, maybe come before a congregation. We are gathered here dearly beloved. We are gathered here today before god in this congregation to unite in holy matrimony this man and this woman.

Then what you say is supposed to be valuable those words. We think then are not cheap and if they later turn out to be cheap. If someone who pledged to be you know, i'll be behind you 100. And later they turn out to be so far behind you.

You can't see them anymore. The vows are later broken the promises are forgotten when it's convenient then we realize Talk is cheap. Some think that that talk is particularly cheap in church for some the whole concept of The church is where there's a lot of cheap.

Words.

Now they may sound good and the pastor is supposed to be someone who's a master at knitting together. Nice sounding. But basically empty words. Words that might make you feel better. But if we're honest some think.

You know, they're really very cheap. How many christians today even in churches that have a church covenant like ours like many of the older ones would. Um,. Maybe where they even have a huge copy of it on the wall on display.

Probably left over from past generations. But how many of them think of those words as something that they should actually keep? Oh, they may sound great. But if they don't result in us doing them. Yeah, if we don't they don't.

They don't result in us doing what they say. Walking together in christian love and they're. They're very cheap. Uh, even some people who might agree with us about the words of our doctrines might strain and even agonize over.

Precisely the right words to use in a statement of faith. Sometimes the same people just kind of shrug their shoulders is actually doing. The things that we say we're supposed to do. Believing the right words.

They say is essential. Doing the right things. That's not so important and so a faith that is all words but no action easily becomes one. Where talk is cheap? The idea that Religion is just about an arrangement of cheap words.

That idea the lord jesus.

Assaults.

The Invitation to the Kingdom Goes to All Kinds of People

In this parable, it's a very simple parable, but it just Explodes that common idea and in it. We see that talk might be cheap. But the kingdom of god is not. We see that in four parts. First there's the invitation then the rejection.

Then the profession and then the procession and actually I guess there's five parts. Finally the manifestation. The first jesus says there is an invitation. He asked them continuing continuing, um. Continuing to speak to the chief priests and elders who had come to remember last week he had come to question him as about his authority and he.

He asked them a question back and then they won't answer and he says i'm gonna answer you either. And then he asked them another question. What do you think? What does god want out of people. Cheap words?

Or change lives. A man had two sons and he asked both of them to go work in the vineyard. The invitation Is given to both. In verse 34 1 jesus says that the two sons represent two kinds of people. One kind of people the tax collectors who are collaborators with rome.

They're they're traitors. They're really profiteers who betrayed their own people to make money. From the enemy and the prostitutes. The immoral that's one group of people considered together. The sexually immoral who lived for pleasure, uh, or or made money off of those who did in our day, these could be.

The pornographers. The strippers. The partiers who hooked up with any someone different every weekend. The swingers in the bar scene. The man or woman drifting from one live-in relationship to another uh, maybe even the homosexuals.

And.

The money grubbers who cared for nothing but profit they wanted a nicer house a nicer car. Nicer clothes more things to buy. That was that's all of life for them. And those two kinds of people. Both sexually immoral and materialistic are here.

One kind of person symbolized both together in that first son and to them. There is an invitation. The father comes and asks them. Would you please go work in the vineyard. The point is that they are invited.

As are the religious people the excuse me the other group the one jesus is. He's actually speaking to here asking them this question two kinds the religious on the one hand. And the immoral and the greedy on the other both get the invitation.

To enter the kingdom of god. That's the invitation. And god's invitation goes out to all kinds of people, you know. That's what jesus is telling us here goes both to the immoral and to the religious. All are called to come into god's kingdom to live under his rule.

Now some have thought that the invitation only goes to those who are showing some kind of signs of of of religion of being of morality of faith. That's called uh, that's part of what's called hyper calvinism that we only offer the gospel to those who are showing some kind of Signs of faith that are kind of expressing interest in it.

We want to hear. The problem with that is that first we don't always recognize. What are real signs of faith? Is it being religious? Is it going to church? Second that's just not what god does.

Broadcast.

His invitation here to both the religious and the immoral and materialistic. To exactly the kinds excuse me again to exactly the kinds of people we might look at. You know and say check our heads man.

They don't show any signs of any faith in god.

You know, they're just.

They're too far gone but the invitation Is to all and to the invitation response to that. The first response is rejection. Pretty rude too. Now the rude response is a blunt. I will not. There's no excuse given.

It's not i'm busy. Sorry dad got a date. No courteous title.

Or.

Affectionate term not no term of respect. It's just a cold Rejection. I will not. This is the initial response of the materialistic and the immoral. To the invitation to enter the kingdom of god to live under the rule of jesus.

Some say no. And then go go do their thing. They chase the dollar or chase the women or both. They don't care about church because you know, they need to make money even on sunday morning. They think it's what they think to attain the lifestyle that they dream about.

They don't have time for this religious stuff. Maybe later. They make their they just say no. Or maybe they don't go to church because they're sleeping late from partying hard the night before. Or perhaps even sleeping with someone.

I hardly know they met the night before. Such people have responded to god's invitation to come into his kingdom to seek first the kingdom of god with. I will not i'm going to make my money or i'm going to have my thrills.

They rejected the invitation and for a while they may be Happy with it. They like the new car they can buy with their extra money that they are making. They like not being tied down or restrained.

You know.

If it feels good do it is their motto and it for now it feels good they like their life. But after a while something happens. Here the first son after sowing so so rudely saying I will not. Eventually he changes his mind.

The invitation to work in the vineyard begins to look more rewarding You know than whatever else it was. That he had on his mind the materialist and the immoral. They sometimes get tired of their sin the invitation that they had rejected.

Begins to begins to look good.

Begins to draw them back the thrills or the toys the houses the cars the gadgets. Get a little boring. The invitation begins to sound appealing. Coming to my kingdom. Jesus says. And so they change their mind when they change their mind.

They change their actions. Notice at the end of verse 29 he changed his mind. And uh, you know apologized to his dad said sorry dad. No, I said and went. His mind changed his actions. First comes the change in what they think following.

Jesus isn't so bad. It begins to look good. It begins to look better than having more money or more sex. They want to live his way and so it says and went. He goes into the vineyard. He goes to work for the formerly greedy and immoral.

It's invitation to come into the kingdom of god to live god's way. They hear it. They change. They not only change what they think they change their lives. Change of mind brings change of life. Here's a picture Of someone being truly converted and notice it's not just about talk.

Okay today some have made some christians have made salvation to be all about what you say. That if you say the right prayer. And say you believe in the right doctrine then you are saved. In fact, they will assure them that they are saved just on the basis of what they say.

Even if you haven't changed your mind about sin they'll say. Don't even sometimes say you could have the same sin. You can still be greedy or materialistic or immoral or selfish or unloving and yet somehow still.

If you.

Say the right talk be converted. But talk is cheap. This parable shows us that cheap talk Is not conversion to be converted to enter the kingdom of god. You have changed your mind about sin about your rejection of the invitation to live under jesus's rule.

That's not just talk. That's changed life. True conversion is not just.

Talk.

It's about having changed a change in your mind. It results in a change in your life. Now the invitation comes to the immoral and the materialistic. But it doesn't leave them like that it changes their mind and then their behavior.

God's invitation meets with rejection initially from many people. He invites them to come into his kingdom. They say with their lives. I will not. But some of those rejecters Change their mind. And then they change their life.

And it's not just a matter of talk. Now saying I will when before they said I won't. Now your life says I will they.

He.

The son here he went he worked. You enter into a life in which god is your king. That's the kingdom of god. The rejecters become acceptors. Well, then there's that other group of people. The people who here jesus calls you.

He's talking to them directly here. Verse 31. Speaking to the priests and elders now, they are the religious people. They're respectable. They're moral. They're the pillars of society. We'd say they're the establishment and they are the second son in this little story and they give the profession.

And it's a respectful sounding verbal acquiescence. Notice in verse 30 when they hear the invitation they sound.

Good.

They give the right answer. They say I go.

Sir.

Sir.

They profess that they will obey. They even do it with the utmost courtesy calling their father Sir a profession of faith, you know, the word there in greek translated sir. The sv is the same word for lord.

Okay.

And so today many would say you know. They would congratulate them for making a profession of faith for calling on the lord and told by many that you know. That's all you need to do just profess. Here they say all the right words.

But talk is cheap. They are the picture of hypocritical unconverted religion all about an initial profession calling on.

The lord.

Claiming that they will go into the kingdom religious religious and moral but ultimately disobedient. And it's and it's not that they never you know, it's not they're disobedient because they never become religious.

They're already religious. These are the priests the preachers the establishment. They offered sacrifices. They listened to the bible. They went to their meetings. They kept the rules By every religious measure.

They looked Like they were accepting god's invitation to live his way. But they weren't. They are invited to work in the vineyard or you know Enter god's rule, but they don't even though they said they would even said it with courtesy a proper sir.

Sure, their talk sounds good. Even their religion. It looks impressive but in their hearts They never submit To god's rule. They've they have never they haven't changed their mind. And started to seek First the kingdom of god and his righteousness being right with god his way they sounded like acceptors.

With their yes, sir, they're courtesy, but they were rejectors. Religion religion can be full of cheap talk even double talk. Talk that is it's about saying one thing. Um, but there's really a cover for the opposite.

You know, we we find this it's not particularly have to do with religion, but I found this in the abortion debate. It's it's you know, it's we don't call it pro abortion. It's supposed to be called pro-choice, but the one who is aborted doesn't allow any choice in it at all.

How is that pro-choice? But let's not scoff at others before we check ourselves, you know in centuries past slave owners would piously profess that they were in favor of freedom in christ. For their slaves, but of course it was a freedom that was all talk.

And not reality. Others claim that they believe in the lord's command to love your neighbor as yourself. While making some of their neighbors go to inferior schools and drink from inferior water fountains and ride in the back of the bus.

You know talk about loving your neighbor. It's double talk. They may have talked about being bold and standing up for truth and justice. But it always seemed that they were really more concerned with just us.

That's double talk from people who say yes lord To the lord and then ignore what the lord tells them to do. The scoffers then. Look at our religious double talk shake their heads say. Talk is cheap. I've known people who when you invite them maybe to be maybe to be involved in ministry or in the church somehow.

Uh will respond with apparent enthusiasm.

Eagerly.

Brimming over that's a great idea. They'll be looking forward to it. Maybe they'll even up the ante, you know, they'll volunteer for more than you suggest. I'll remind them that just because you have a family now doesn't mean you can't be involved in a ministry and they'll Exclaim back.

That's right. I'm willing to leave my family in order to serve god first. But when it comes to actually doing it They're running some ministry or going out witnessing or it's representing the church in some outreach or just staying faithful in membership and giving there will always be an excuse.

They won't carry it through. It'll be family or work or leisure or just ego. Bills maybe to be paid something something will get in the way. Oh when they first hear the invitation they appear to jump at it.

But Talk is cheap.

There are.

Professed christians like that. And the sad thing is we've developed a system In our day christians have that actually encourages that that only cares about a profession not about doing. That naively tells people that as long as your talk is right Then so also must be your relationship with the lord.

But this parable tells us The talk is cheap people who profess that.

Profess.

But don't carry it through. Who sound great in their talk. Oh, they'll say they've given their lives to jesus. That they'll live by that. Maybe they'll say if they're here live by the church covenant.

They'll talk about evangelism. They'll talk about ministry. They can spout all the right pious things even challenging others to love the lord jesus better. Um, they'll post scripture verses. Their talk can be as smooth as butter.

But there's no carry through no perseverance. And In what they in what they profess, uh, then they may be just like these these religious people. Having never really have changed their minds. People whose talk isn't carried through in their life.

May not really be converted at all. They may be like these priests and elders. Just religious moral people who know the talk the cheap talk. We make a grave mistake when we think the goal of our evangelism is just getting people to say the right talk.

Say they believe this or repeat this prayer. Sure, right doctrine is important. It's important to believe the right things about jesus who he is. But it's not just a matter of talk. They they say they believe Jesus is lord, but they don't live like they believe that they they live in outright disobedience.

I'm refusing to be part of a church or refusing to be baptized. Refusing to give generously the work of the ministry refusing to Restrain their tongue. Maybe they like to spout insults and vitriol toward anyone.

They don't like refusing to keep their commitments refusing to be different from the world and to stand up for justice. All we repeat what they think are the few kind of christian talking points. You know, they talk about that in politics.

There's talking point. Some people think that's what it means to be a christian. You repeat the right church talking points. That's not the goal of our evangelism as jesus says at the end of this book.

The goal is the end of this end of matthew. Is to make disciples. And the grand mark of section. That the sign that you really follow jesus. Not just talking.

Is perseverance.

It's carry through. You won't do it perfectly. None of us will do it perfectly. But are you pressing forward?

Every day.

Are you saying yes? with your life. Friends the church in america over the last century Has been distorted by kind of easy believism message. That's all about talk. But the saying is true Talk is cheap and this parable is true.

Saying yes, sir With your talk, but not changing your mind and your life will not get you into the kingdom of god. Well the invitation has gone out to all people. The rejection Has been turned into acceptance by those who change their minds and lives.

The profession Though has turned out to be only cheap talk.

So.

The Procession Into the Kingdom and the Humbling of the Self-Righteous

In the procession Into god's kingdom. The most unlikely people will come first. In verse 31 jesus makes one of his truly statements, you know, he begins with truly and literally in greek is amen. Amen.

The conclusion of that simple little story is truly Pay attention. He's saying this is the truth that there is a procession Into god's kingdom in order in which people go into living under god's rule.

He says right in the right at those priests and elders. The he's he tells them, you know, the greedy profiteers.

The swindlers the pornographers the swingers.

Those people will enter the rule and blessings of god before you do. They will be first in line. Now why. Because god doesn't care about sin. No because they're in an odd way, they're Explicit that even their outrageous sinfulness.

They're total running away From from god maybe to get rich. They're defrauding of people like the corrupt corporate executive Who's mismanages the company drives it into bankruptcy and then gives himself a multi-million dollar bonus.

The or the immoral person who goes from one hookup to another.

Uh.

You know that kind of life can actually make them more aware of their need. More humble so that if they ever start to really care about god. If they change their mind.

Then.

Then they know.

That they can't rest on their morality or their religion. They know they look back at their life and they say there's nothing about me that that gives me an advantage. With god and so they just they'll have to cast themselves on the lord for mercy.

They know they are in total need of grace.

So they go in first.

But the religious people the moral people by the world standards here the priests the elders maybe for us the lifelong churchgoer who's proud of his character proud of his religion is proud that he's Done he's kept his duty.

He imagined he doesn't need grace. Like the lady that mary had in a bible study once mary was talking about being made conscious of our of our sins and depravity even if You know, we haven't done these outrageous things to become more aware of how sinful we are even if you you know, you stay away from these Outrageous sins, but you just become more aware of your of your depravity.

Well, she said back dude. She wasn't like that. No, she was a nice sweet lady she said of herself In reality and knew her family she terrorized her own family with her with her viciousness with her prosecutorial Gracelessness once she even she wagged a letter at me like that Accusing me of a crime because I put a letter in her mailbox without a stamp on it.

Okay, I know you're not supposed to do that. But you know Why mail it when I was going right by her her mailbox, I know wayne's gonna protest but that's you know. She was so Self-righteous that and then so condemnatory of me because I did such a thing.

Well such people are last in the procession into the kingdom of god If they make it at all. It's so hard to break through to self-righteous people often. They only accept their need for grace after god mercifully let some Tragedy befall them.

I once heard the testimony of a man.

Who said he.

That he was sure In his past that he was right before god. That that god was on his side. Uh, he was absolutely certain right up until he was actually convicted in court. The judge pronounces him guilty and bangs the gavel.

It took that.

And often it takes that kind of trauma. To wake self-assured religious people out of the delusion. And to get them to see their need for grace. Finally, then They get to join the procession into the kingdom of god.

Well, jesus says that the greedy and immoral will make it into the kingdom. Before the self-righteous and the religious religious people and well that you know that way of saying it it leaves open the door for some.

Of these self-righteous religious people to make it something will happen. God can break through to them. It'll make it'll probably take longer because they'll try to You know base their relationship with god on their religion, but once it'll take a while, but then maybe they'll make it.

If they'll change their mind. Like the immoral and the greedy people change their mind and then change their lives. It also leaves open the door the way jesus put it.

You know.

This the immoral the greedy they'll make it before you. It also leaves open to the door to the possibility that some of them won't make it at all. The greedy and the immoral May make it into the kingdom of god first.

Because some of the religious won't enter.

Ever.

Now there is a procession into god's kingdom. Only those make it in who give up their pride and say Nothing in my hands I bring only to the cross I cling. Finally, we see the manifestation now a manifestation.

Is a display. It's an exhibition Of something evidence of something. And so far you could say that this little parable. Um is is nothing more than a way of saying. You know talk is cheap. Show me, you know, like liza doodledle in my fair lady demanding show me.

Don't just talk about love. Show me in your actions. Don't just tell your spouse. I love you don't you know, don't just say you value something or someone that That you've committed or that you're committed to something or someone that you have a goal you want to achieve or Someone you want to live for.

Don't just say it. Show me. Give a manifestation. Don't just say you support the church give serve to put your money and your time where your mouth is. Don't just say it. Do it. And and yes. This parable does say that.

And that but in that last verse the lord jesus gives us the reason. What our actions manifest? What they display? But what our life is evidence of. In other words, what's the wind in your sails? Why do we not just talk the talk?

But walk the walk. What is our changing our minds and then our lives? Manifest about us. Jesus tells us in verse 32. He says the greedy and immoral go into the kingdom of god first because they had faith.

Notice they believed him. And it's talking about their john the baptist who he says came in the way of righteousness other words in the way of god's plan of salvation. John the baptist came to prepare the way for the lord.

And so these those outwardly sinful people who had initially rejected god's invitation. Had chosen rather to chase dollars or chase girls or both. Well, they believed. They had faith. And that faith changed their minds which changed their lives.

So they got baptized they stopped cheating on people. They stopped sleeping around what they did. Change lives. The baptism was a manifestation of their faith. They believed. It was their faith on display.

Well, john the baptist had told him and the pharisees who came to him, uh bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

In other words, let's see it.

Salvation has never been just about talk. If it's just talk. Talk is cheap. Your talk must be a manifestation of your faith. And if it is if you say jesus is lord. And and say a true prayer of repentance because you have faith.

That faith will will show there'll be manifestations of it. It will manifest itself in a changed mind Which we call repentance and a changed life. Yes, we are saved through faith.

Alone.

But faith that saves is never alone. It manifests. And lack of faith manifests to the priests and the elders. They did not have faith. Even though they were religious and moral and respectable you could you could see the manifestations Of their unbelief.

And and they're not getting baptized even even when many of the greedy and the immoral, uh were saved through john's ministry, even though. They saw with their own eyes. Jesus says here you saw the fruit.

You still didn't you didn't change your minds? They saw with their own eyes people transformed to who used to extort money. Used to use their power from rome to extort money out of them or maybe used to solicit for sex.

They knew how greedy and immoral that these people had been and they had seen their lives transformed right before their eyes. But they remained proud and graceless. It's not as though seeing is believing.

It's usually the other way around because they saw. They saw the power of god changed the lives of sinful people, but they still wouldn't change.

Because they didn't believe.

They didn't have faith. They're proud and obstinate. Self-righteous religion was just as much a manifestation of unbelief. As was the prostitution or the extortion of the other people. We have been suffering in this country from about a century of sometimes well-meaning but badly taught christians.

Telling us that faith is just a matter of cheap talk. As long as you say you have it. You you say you believe in jesus you say the right prayer. Then it doesn't matter what your life manifests. Well, that is not the gospel jesus taught.

That's not the gospel the apostle paul taught that he brought to the nations. He wrote in first corinthians chapter 4 verse 20 for the kingdom of god does not consist in talk but in power. Entering the kingdom of god is a powerful thing that changes your first your mind then your whole life.

It leads you to the cross. It drives you to your knees. It transforms you In ways that manifest. Sure maybe not perfectly yet. You'll still have those manifestations of sinful nature we all have. But there'll be manifestations Of of the kingdom of god the rule of jesus in your life if you're truly converted.

So if someone doesn't have that. Either they are still in their materialism. You know, they're still living for money and for things or maybe they're still enslaved to sexual sin or. Are they? Maybe they're like the priests and elders here.

They're just too proud.

To admit their needs.

To confess that they are wrong. And and so they're so arrogant That like these men that they think they. They think they own the place. Remember the context. These men literally think they own This place the temple.

Maybe today they think they own god's temple. You know today which is the church that they think they are the the authority in it that it exists to make them look good. Maybe their talk is cheap. If any of that Is the manifestation of their lives.