Don't Let Your Mouth Write a Check You Can't Cash

Scripture Matthew 21:23-32

The New Revised Standard Version The Authority of Jesus Questioned

23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Introduction

As we began today’s text and the encounter that Jesus is having with the religious leader comes right soon after Jesus had chase away those whom was defiling God’s temple.

So let’s say this is Jesus second day of occupying the temple and the leaders are not happy. And this text begins five challenges against Jesus Authority. With the hopes of forcing him out of the temple and belittling him in front of his Followers and those who might decide to follow him.

Last we we talk about ‘Life Ain’t Fair” coming from Matthew 20:1-16. In that text we look at the parable of the Gracious Landowner and have he cause division among the workers in his attempt to show charity.

Today is not just a challenge of Jesus Authority but if he (Jesus) loss against the most powerful leaders in Jerusalem his occupation of the temple would end and there would be no need to crucify him on the cross; because they would have disarmed the threat.

Now the elders (who are what you can call wealthy elites) and chief priests control majority of the land in and around Judea. They are just like the land owner whom Jesus targets in his parables. The elders of the people is the title they are given but majority of the times they are using the people as puppets to do their bidding as they use them to crucify Jesus.

Conflict

The Elders feeling good about their false sense of power that deride from their position and their accumulation of economic wealth decide to challenge Jesus and his authority.

Authority meaning who appointed you and why are you challenge the way things are done in the temple? At this point Jesus has occupy and has control of the temple. So when the elders present Jesus with the challenge question he can set the condition to his reply.

So before Jesus will answer their question that must first answer a question about John the Baptist. was his baptism from heaven or was it of human origin?

Now this question put them in a bind for they know if they say from heaven Jesus will ask them why they had not submitted themselves to him and repent as other who were not of the faith have done

If they were to say of human origin then they were upset the majority of the people who believe that John was a prophet send from God.

So most likely in a low tone that only Jesus could hear they said they don’t know to avoid backlash and save face of any other response.

So in my old neighbor lingo Jesus was saying Don’t Let Your Mouth Write A Check That You Can’t Cash!!!!

So in others words if you can’t back it up you might want to shut it up!

How ever you know Jesus he check you without making it seems like you just had been check. You have to stop and think about what just been said. Matter of fact you be laying in the bed in the middle of the night thinking about what he said to you and than it hit you. They dude check me

Good News

So Jesus having stop the elders in their challenge of his authority decides to go farther in his teaching of what it is to follow the One True God, to be obedient to God’s word and emphasize what he meant by Don’t Let Your Mouth Write a Check You Can’t Cash. In other word they have challenge his authority he is now challenging their authority with a parable of the Two Sons.

Stories or parables about brothers would not be new to those hearing Jesus speak. They are familiar with the stories of Cane and Able, Moses and Aaron, Jacob and Esau, and also Joseph and his brothers.

So to understand the parable and it relationship to the kingdom of God we see that Jesus calls the sons children. Just as the people of In is how God’s refer to the people of Isreal was refer to as God’s children, and the vineyard is a stock symbol of Jewish tradition for Isreal. So Jesus is really suggestion to the Elders and Chief Priest to find themselves not in a fraction story but in the continuous story of the people of Isreal.

the focus of the story is the differences between Word vs. Action. In others words when I say Don’t Let Your Mouth Write a Check That You Can’t Cash. What I am saying the the lesson of the parable is if you not ready to back up what you are saying by your action then don’t speak the words,

When I think of Checks I thinking that a Check is a promise to make good of what is written on the paper, It is you saying I promise to pay, to give, to do what is written on this paper.

What happen when you write a check with insufficient funds

You have to pay a fee to the bank the check was written on

You have to pay a fee to the entity that it was written to

You still have to pay what was originally promise

So in other word you will be held accountable for the words and promise you make

But it will cost you twice as much as it did in the beginning

It also shows people who and what you are

In Jesus encounter with the Elders and Chief priest or should I say his adversaries what they really thought about John the Baptist and God.

I this case it show what the leaders truly believe and believing requires much more than words.

To see yes to God and no in your action is not to believe and trust God

To say no in your Words but Yes in your action is to have hope and Trust God. When putting words to action in obeying Jesus is to say where and who has true and authoritative power in your life.

When God is the head of your life. You will be like Jesus in stand firm in the face of your adversaries knowing that It is God who has all power and has given you authority to walk boldly in his words and action.