Obedience

February 2

Exodus 9-10

Psalm 18:13-19

Proverbs 4:1-2

Matthew 21:28-46

Obedience

“But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ And he answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.  And the man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered and said, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?” 

Matthew 21:28-31 LSB

This parable is a harsh reminder that the evidence of obedience is found in our actions, not our words.  Jesus was throwing shade to the Pharisees in this parable.  They said all the right things.  They talked about God all the time.  They “acted” holy and devout and were really good at telling everyone what they should be doing to please God, but their hearts were far from Him.  They enjoyed the privileges of being “spiritual” but their actions showed no evidence of a desire to please God.  They had strict rules for every aspect of life and yet they failed to care for the widows and the poor.  They would not break the law by working on the Sabbath even to help someone who was sick.  They were so concerned about following the rules that they missed the whole point of the rules.  God gave us the law to teach us how to relate to God and others.  We don’t blindly follow a set of rules for the sake of checking them off to say we are good.  We follow the rules to help us love God and others. 

            Obedience to God is not about following a list of rules. True obedience is only accomplished in relationship.  Having an intimate, daily walk with the Lord allows you to be in constant fellowship with Him so that He can lead and guide you in everything you do.  Instead of giving us a list of rules and telling us to go be good, He walks with us along the way so that He can help us make all our decisions.  Instead of looking at decisions and trying to decide if it violates some rule, we ask Him if it is wise, if it honors Him, and if it is the best thing for us to do.  Living a life of obedience goes beyond doing all the right things and not doing all the wrong things.  God is concerned with the condition of our hearts that accompanies our actions.  Even though the first son said he was not going to obey his father and go work in the vineyard, he loved his father and regretted his disobedience so he went to work.  The second son told his father what he wanted to hear but he was not sincere and he did not do what he promised.  God was much more pleased with the first son because his heart showed his love for the father.  In the end, he did what his father asked.  In our lives, God is working in our hearts to help us go beyond blindly following the rules to helping us obey Him out of love and a desire to please Him.  Obedience is a byproduct of an intimate relationship.