Those Who Have Ears
“Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the harlots will get into the kingdom of God before you.” Matthew 21:31
Tax Collectors/ Harlots – It’s quite likely that you are not first in line for the Kingdom. Not unless you qualify as a tax collector or a prostitute. These days we don’t really listen to what Jesus says. We hear the words, but they don’t register. We are too proper, too socially correct, too good for the really good news. Since sin is not a frequent part of our vocabulary, and hypocrite rarely crosses our lips, we stand in the same position as those who knew all the right religious doctrines but didn’t have a clue about the real Kingdom. We might make it in, but we won’t be at the head of the line.
We desperately need to hear what Jesus says, not what we want Jesus to say. His remark follows a parable; a parable that clearly demonstrates the difference between a son who says he will be obedient but isn’t, and a son who refuses to obey but ultimately does. The acceptable son is the one who does what the father wishes, even though he initially refused. He gets in first. Why? Because he changed his mind and his actions. He didn’t just say the words. His words meant nothing. In the long run, what he actually did determined his destiny.
So why do tax collectors and harlots precede the religious? They are the sons and daughters who refuse to obey but later repent and change. The despised of society and the dregs of humanity (those who sell their loyalties and those who sell their bodies) refuse God’s call. But when they see the light, their repentance results in demonstrable changes in behavior. They acknowledge forgiveness in the way that they act.
Not so the religiously correct. They believe doctrines, not devotion. Their actions do not follow their words. Since they are not sick, they have no need of a doctor. For them, no healing is needed. Rejecting the despised and the dregs, they fail to see their own disloyalty and compromise. They change places with the tax collectors and the prostitutes without even knowing it. Convinced that they are already sons and daughters, they sell their birthrights for ego enhancements.
Now, do you think we actually hear these words? What does it mean to say that the one who at first refused eventually did what the father asked? I suspect that it means that the rebellious son fulfilled the father’s requirements. He obeyed the commands. He stopped pretending that it didn’t matter (since he was a son anyway). He took on the character of the father in his deeds. For us, that means doing what Jesus did. That means loving our enemies, praying for those who seek to harm us, spending time (and money) with the poor, the abused and the rejected, opposing religion without heart, living radically simply lives, displaying costly benevolence. It means Matthew 5 and 6, Luke 4 and John 17. It means realizing that we were disloyal and despicable – and coming to the doctor for help. So, look around you. Who’s in line ahead of you? Why?
Topical Index: Hearing
