Chapter 22—Saying and Doing
This chapter is based on
Matthew 21:23-32
.
“A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said,
Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will
not; but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second,
and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir; and went not.
Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him,
The first.”
In the sermon on the mount Christ said, “Not every one that saith
unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he
that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 7:21
.
The test of sincerity is not in words, but in deeds. Christ does not say
to any man, What say ye more than others? but, “What do ye more
than others?”
Matthew 5:47
. Full of meaning are His words, “If ye
know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”
John 13:17
. Words
are of no value unless they are accompanied with appropriate deeds.
This is the lesson taught in the parable of the two sons.
This parable was spoken at Christ’s last visit to Jerusalem be-
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fore His death. He had driven out the buyers and sellers from the
temple. His voice had spoken to their hearts with the power of God.
Amazed and terrified, they had obeyed His command without excuse
or resistance.
When their terror was abated, the priests and elders, returning to
the temple, had found Christ healing the sick and the dying. They
had heard the voice of rejoicing and the song of praise. In the temple
itself the children who had been restored to health were waving palm
branches and singing hosannas to the Son of David. Baby voices were
lisping the praises of the mighty Healer. Yet with the priests and elders
all this did not suffice to overcome their prejudice and jealousy.
The next day, as Christ was teaching in the temple, the chief priests
and elders of the people came to Him and said, “By what authority
doest Thou these things? and who gave Thee this authority?”
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