Parable of Two Sons

Let’s start our study with a parable from the book of Matthew. I am starting here because this really spoke to me, and recently I have seen certain ‘prejudice’ toward other Christians in the church. In Matthew 21: 28-32 Jesus tells of a father who tells his two sons to go and work in his vineyard. The first says, “I will, sir,” but does not go, and the second says, “I will not,” yet feels badly afterward and goes to work in the field anyway. The question Jesus poses to the priests and elders is, “Which of the two [sons] did the will of the father?”
What is your answer? It should be obvious; the latter son did what the father asked of him, yet outwardly he did not show himself to be obedient. The same thinking can be applied to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Some of them may not look or act in a way that is consistent with our own views of what a Christian looks like. And I’m not just talking about long hair or tattoos. I’m speaking of subtleties such as personality and charisma.
There is a man at my church who will not give me the time of day. I’ve said ‘hi’ to him and he is cordial, but he obviously doesn’t want anything to do with me. On the other hand my social observations of him are not positive, but what he does for the Body is invaluable. And who am I to criticize the servant of another man, or God in this case? I was struck by my own pride when reading this passage. We must make sure to see our brothers through the Lord’s eyes. He is the One who created us differently, and He loves each and every one of us, including our faults.
The point is no matter how we see others act, or how bad they seem to have blown it, God’s grace is sufficient for everyone. And how can we know that they are not secretly doing the will of the Father? Our job is to do the work that He has set before us, regardless of how others perceive it. Let’s make the exception for others who are on the same path.