Being Doers of the Word and Not Hearers Only
“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who
delude (deceive) themselves.” James 1:22
In Matthew 21:28-32 were read of Jesus’ Parable of the Two Sons, in
which He tells of a father’s request of his first son to go and work in
the vineyard one day. This son said he would do it, but did not,
whereas the second son, when asked, said he would not go, but later
having regretted his response, chose to go out and work in his father’s
vineyard. Jesus asked the crowd, “Which of the two did the will of his
father?”
In this parable, Jesus is telling us that the most important thing is not
so much our saying that we are going to do something, as it is to obey
His Father’s word by doing what He says. In Jesus’ day the church
folks (the scribes, Pharisees, and the Sadducees) believed their own
self-righteousness was enough to make them right with God. But,
they didn’t get it! They were like the first son who was a hearer but
not a doer of his father’s will. However, those who were lost in sin
and needed the father’s love (the prostitutes and tax-gatherers) may
not have responded at first, but later they did act on the word of
Christ by repenting of their sin and believing in the Father’s Son!
Whether you have been putting off a decision to come to Christ
because you have been living your life based upon your own selfrighteousness,
or whether you are a Christian whose been saying you
will take up your cross and follow Jesus daily in words only and not by
your actions, choose today, like the one son who pleased his father,
to be a doer of the word!
Pastor Louie