Actions Speak Louder

I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. -Matthew 21:31 

Last week was one of those weeks. I knew that I was going to be out of town on three different days which would make sermon preparation more difficult. I kept saying that I would be much more intentional about carving out time to work on the sermon but I never did. Consequently, I didn't feel as prepared or as polished when I stepped into the pulpit yesterday to preach. I said some things that I probably wouldn't have said if I had taken more time to prepare. At the very least, I would have said some things differently. There were other things that I should have said that I did not. Needless to say, as I left church yesterday, I was disappointed in myself for having said that I was going to protect sermon preparation time but then failed to do so.

In today's suggested scripture reading, Jesus tells a parable about two sons. One son is asked by his father to go to work in the vineyard. The first son says that he will not go but then goes anyway. The second son assures his father that he will go to the vineyard but then never does. Jesus asks the chief priests and elders present which son has done what the father wanted. The elders correctly reply that the first son is the one who did what the father wanted. Jesus responds by saying that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of chief priests and elders.

It appears that this parable is an indictment against the people of Jesus' day who say that they are people of God but whose actions do not match their words. Others who do not make such claims to be godly people nevertheless go and do what people of God are supposed to do.

This morning, I am reminded of the truth that actions speak louder than words. I want greater consistency in the words that I speak and the things that I do.

May God grant you and me the grace to do the things that God wants you and me to do. I think I'm going to get started on next week's sermon preparation right now.




Tomorrow's suggested readings: Matthew 22.

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