Words Are Just Words

Words are just words.

Jimmy and Patrick

Let's say there was a man who had two sons. Jimmy and Patrick. The dad had a garden and asked both of his sons to go pull weeds. 

Patrick said, "Sure Dad! I love you and do everything you tell me to do!" Jimmy, on the other hand said, "Are you kidding me? I hate getting my hands dirty. Go weed it yourself!"

However, after a couple of minutes Patrick, who promised so much just goes downstairs and plays video games. Jimmy, however, remembers all the things his dad has done for him growing up, and changing his mind, goes and weeds the garden.

Which son actually did what the dad wanted him to do?

Jesus tells a very similar story and asks the same question to the Pharisees in Matthew 21:28-32.

The Problem with Pharisees

You see, the Pharisees were the religious leaders during this time. The people were supposed to look to them for how to live - how to appease God. 

However, the Pharisees were the worst of them all because it was just a show. It was just words. 

They looked good on the outside, but inwardly they were just prideful men. 

Whitewashed Tombs, Hypocrites, and Dirty Dishes

Jesus spends basically all of Matthew 15 yelling at the Pharisees. It's a good chunk of text so I'll let you look it up yourself, but here is the gist of what Jesus says:

He calls the pharisees "hypocrites" for their lifestyle. They laid all sorts of laws on the people to keep so that they could be viewed more Godly, when all along, they themselves didn't keep many of the laws, and when they did was only to be respected. 

They would pray loudly on street corners so people would see them. They would fast and make themselves look like they were severely famished so the people would respect them more.

But when it came to "pure and undefiled religion" (James 1:27), they fell far short. They didn't help the poor and needy or even their own parents (Matthew 15:1-9). 

Here is a list of names that Jesus calls them in a single chapter:

• Blind Guides
• Blind (four times)
• Fools (twice)
• Hypocrites (seven times)
• Dirty Dishes
• Whitewashed tombs
• Snakes (two times)

Perhaps the most alarming thing Jesus says to the Pharisees, however, is found in Matthew 23:13, because He actually blames them for sending people to hell. 

The Pharisees had taken rules which God had meant to lead the people to Him and twisted them to turn them into a religion in itself. 

In other words, the Pharisees convinced the people that keeping the rules were more important than actually loving God. They had taught them to be clean on the outside, but impure on the inside. 

Jesus shatters this idea in another story found in Luke 18:9-14. Again for space sake I will sum up. 

The Righteous Man and the Sinner

Two men came before God in prayer. One was a Pharisee. He prayed casually, telling God all the great things he did for Him, and thanked Him for not making him like the sinners. 

Another man, a sinner, fell to his knees, unable to even lift his head. He simply said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!"

Jesus says that the sinner, not the righteous man left that time of prayer justified. 

Word are Just Word Without Whacking Weeds

The Pharisees are Patrick. Dad told them what to do, and in front of all their friends, neighbors, enemies, family, and God, they boasted how well they were going to weed that garden. At the end of the day they only pulled two weeds, and that was just because they wanted to prove how good of sons they were.

That sinner was Jimmy. He spent a long time not caring what anyone thought. He flat out said he would not pull weeds. But it didn't take long for him to see his faults, and while everyone was staring at his brother (the Pharisee) he humbly pulled weeds with no one watching. 

There's a Lot of Good Talk

There's a log of good talking in today's world, especially from Christians.

Both you and I have heard it from our friends and family...

"I just really have a heart for youth. I just really wish my friends would see the light. I just want to go to Africa. I just love Jesus so much."

I'm not going to do any condemning, because that's not my place, but here are a few suggestions. 

If you have a heart for youth - help youth.

If you want your friends saved - pray for them ALL THE TIME.

If you have a heart for Africa - be willing to help people right where you are, and when you are able, go to Africa.

If you love Jesus "so much" - lay down your life every single day, pick up your cross daily, and actually have a clue what that means. Because it doesn't just mean reading your Bible and praying. 

There's a lot of talk...

(The entire book of James has a lot to say on this subject as well...)