Worshipping with a Grateful Heart

Scripture:

Matthew 21:31-32

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 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.

Observation:

Jesus was again speaking to the people in parables and it often left people confused. They had lived in a world where the religious leaders believed that they would bring salvation to the people of God by embracing holiness. Sadly, while they may have begun with the right heart and motivation, they became obsessed with their rules and regulations. In the meantime Jesus had arrived and was proclaiming the kingdom of God. This was a kingdom in which everything would be radically different. Those who had been first would suddenly become last. Those who had followed all the rules, but not allowed their hearts to be transformed, would find themselves behind the tax collectors and the prostitutes. This was shocking news and they weren’t sure how to absorb it all.

John the Baptist had come preaching and pointing the people in the direction of Jesus. Sadly, the “good” people refused to listen and refused to worship. Those who were saved from sin found themselves filled with gratitude. They couldn’t help but worship and therefore, the tax collectors and the prostitutes led the way, worshipping with grateful hearts. 

Application:

Far too often we become absorbed with concerns about how things “look.” We want to “look” like we have our act together and so we create layers of cover that keep us from being authentic with the world around us. The “look” even keeps us from genuinely baring ourselves before the Lord. The result is an inauthentic Christian life that is less than appealing to the world. They cannot relate to the “look” for it has no resonance with their lives.

Today’s tax collectors and prostitutes are our neighbors on their third marriage, juggling life with blended families and hoping to survive financially. They are the overwhelming number of drug addicts that we find across rural United States, and the rising number of alcoholics in small-town America. They are the young people who feel disenfranchised by those in power and seek new ways in which to embrace life. They are all around us, every single day, seeking for a faith which they see as real. They want to believe it, experience it, and be transformed. 

As this happens they will be the ones leading the way — not those who have adopted the “look.” They may not know the old songs, or do church the way we’ve always done it, but they will love Jesus. They will love Jesus with a depth that many should long to experience, for they will worship with a heart of gratitude. There is no pride in the heart of the tax collector or the prostitute, but humility in being accepted by a holy God. There is joy in transformation and restoration in the image of God. There is unimaginable worship that pours from a heart filled with holy love. 

This advent season we embrace the arrival of the Christ-child who brought the hope of transformation. Embrace the child in humility, and worship with gratitude. 

Prayer:

Lord, search my heart and help me live an authentic faith. Amen.