October 1, 2023 – Matthew 21:23–32

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Hope Lutheran Church
Manhattan, Kansas
October 1, 2023
Matthew 21:23–32
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Social Media and BeReal

• Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. Great for connecting with other people, sharing ideas, keeping family and friends up to date with what’s going on in our lives
  
  • There’s a downside, though – it allows us to project whatever version of ourselves we want people to see from us. It allows us to craft a version of ourselves for other people that makes us and our lives look perfect
    
  • People are catching on to how unauthentic and fake those social platforms can be. People are realizing how damaging it can be when all they see on their news feeds are people sharing a perfect and worry-free life
    
• In reaction to all the fakeness and unauthentic stuff going on in social media, a couple of years ago a new app came out – BeReal
  
  • If you’re unfamiliar with it, BeReal is a photo-sharing app that sends you a notification once a day. And within two minutes of getting that notification, you’re supposed to take a picture of whatever you’re doing at that moment
    
  • Even on this app that is supposed to be all about realness and authenticity, people still use it to post what they want people to see. They’ll wait until later in the day to snap their picture
    
• Why do we have such a problem with being real and authentic when it comes to our relationships with other people? When it comes to our lives?
  
  • It comes down to something the people in Jesus’ day also struggled with. They cared so much about what others thought of them
    

So today, Jesus tells us a parable that encourages us to Be Real

1. About Our Sin
   
2. About Our Savior
   
3. About What It All Means For Us Today
   

Context on the Parable

• Jesus had been doing ministry for three years at this point. And here, it’s Tuesday of Holy Week
  
  • He’d rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, he’d gone into the Temple and driven the merchants who were there. He spent Tuesday preaching and teaching
    
    • And now the religious leaders came with a question: “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?”
      
  • Jesus responded with a question that put them between a rock and a hard place: “John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” In other words, was John a prophet sent from God?
    
    • The religious leaders realized no matter how they answered, they were trapped. They said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
      
    • Basically, they had two options:
      
      • Admit John was a prophet and therefore Jesus was a prophet too because John had been pointing ahead to Jesus
        
      • Denounce John as a prophet and face the anger of the people
        
    • They were concerned about saving face. And so they didn’t give Jesus an answer. They didn’t want to lose their reputation and they didn’t want to admit they were wrong. They didn’t want to be real
      
  • And so, Jesus launches into this short parable to drive that point home to them. To show them that they weren’t willing to live under God’s authority and to show them that they weren’t being real when it came to their sin
    

There were two sons. The father in the story goes to his sons and tells them both to go work out in the vineyard

• The first son says “No.” He blatantly disrespects his father to his face. Then, later, he does what his father asked him to do
  
• The second son says “Yes.” But then after thinking about it a little while, he decides not to go. He disrespects his father too
  
  • All of that leads to our first point…
    

1) Be Real About Sin

• Both sons in the story, when you get down to it, sinned
  
  • The first son sinned when he said “No” to his father
    
  • The second son sinned when he didn’t do what he said he was going to
    
    • And really, both sons sinned in the same way. Both sons didn’t want to live by their father’s authority. They wanted to live by theirs
      
• Which son am I when it comes to being real about my sin? I’m both
  
  • I’m the first son when I hear what God’s Word says to me and I simply refuse to listen. When I do my own thing. When I make myself the ultimate power and authority in my life
    
  • But maybe, more often, I’m the second son. Maybe more often I say “Yes” to God but then when I look at my actions and I’m doing the opposite of what I said I would
    

• I know God says my words are meant to bring grace and life into the lives of other people. But then I use them to hurt others
  
• I know God has asked me to be kind and caring for others. But then I’m selfish and bitter and angry all the time
  
• I know God has given me so many blessings that I can share with other people, with my church. But then I’m stingy or envious of others
  
• I care about how I look in front of others because of what I believe
  
• I don’t want to confess my sins or be real about my mistakes
  

• The list could go on and on. There are so many ways I say “Yes” with my lips – so many ways I talk the talk – but then fail to walk the walk 
  
• Here’s the core problem in each one of us: We don’t want to repent. We don’t want to be real about our sin before God and others
  

• You see, if we’re being real about sin, there are two ways for us to run away from God’s grace and forgiveness
  
  • By completely ignoring God, like the first son did initially
    
  • By thinking that if I just say and do the right things I’ll earn God’s grace and favor despite whatever actions might follow, like the second son
    
    • Whether I’m more of a first son or second, I’m not perfect either way
      
    • The first son, though, realized his sin. He was real about it. He repented. He turned from his sin and to what his father had asked
      
      • And that’s what Jesus is encouraging us to do in these verses too. He wants to see us turn away from our and turn toward our Father
        
• That kind of change can’t happen on my own. I need someone to turn me from my sin toward God. I need a third Son. The one who tells this parable
  

2) Be Real About Our Savior

• If we put Jesus into the parable, he would be the son who says “Yes” to his father, then actually goes out and does the work
  
  • Jesus was perfectly obedient to God in every respect. Philippians 2 tells us just how obedient Jesus was. He listened to God, all the way to the cross. He listened to his Father. He suffered and died for our sins
    
  • And now Jesus reigns over the whole world and forgives our sins
    
  • That’s why Jesus can say, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you”
    
    • And notice, Jesus doesn’t say “instead of you.” He says “ahead of you!” There’s more than enough room in God’s kingdom. There’s room for first sons. And there’s room for second sons too. There’s room for all
      
• Through faith in Jesus, his perfectly submissive life is given to us and we are perfect. Through faith in Jesus, we have forgiveness for all our sins. Through faith in Jesus, we will enter heaven and eternal paradise.
  
  • Through faith in Jesus, we really have the exact Savior we need him to be
    
    • And because of what Jesus has already done for us, that allows us to…
      

3) Be Real About What That Means For Us Today

• We can be real about how much we struggle with sin. We can be real about how often we fall back into our sin
  
  • And with that, be real about how much we need and rely on Jesus and what he has done and continues to do for us
    
• We can be real as a church and let others know this isn’t a place for the strong but the weak, the transparent, the vulnerable
  
  • This isn’t a shrine to saints, it’s a hospital for sinners
    
• We can be real in our relationships with one another. As we build each other up through hardships and struggles and trials and temptations and sins
  
  • Admitting our sins – being real with other – makes us more relatable
    
  • It helps sort out arguments and problems
    
  • It keeps our relationships realistic and expectations “normal” 
    
  • It prepares us for when the really rocky parts of life come
    
• We can be real as we let others in our community, in our homes, in our workplaces, in our schools know that we aren’t ashamed of the gospel because we know it’s the power of God that brings salvation to all who believe
  
  • We let others know that our hope and foundation aren’t based on ourselves. It’s based on the forgiveness of Jesus
    
  • We can love and forgive them even if they hurt us because of him
    

There are always going to be places where people are tempted to be fake or inauthentic with one another

• But not the church. Let’s allow God’s church – the kingdom of God – to be a place where we’re real
  
  • Real when it comes to our sin
    
  • Real when it comes to our Savior
    
  • And real as we leave this place and go out into the world
    

Amen!