Yes Men

My family likes to vacation in Cape Hatteras, NC, home of big waves and beautiful beaches. We love to go during off-season when the “tourists” are not around, its not an antisocial type of thing, we just like to pretend that the beach belongs to us alone. Over the years our family has developed a saying that is probably self explanatory; the phrase “Don’t turn your back on the ocean” is repeated load and often. For if you are not careful and watching, a big wave will come along and knock the summer vacation right out of you. These waves will roll you over and over and spit you up on the beach with enough shells and sand up your nose (and in your trunks) to start your own resort. When you body surf, turning to the wave and jumping at the right time, these same waves will carry you to the shore, usually without becoming “shell-shocked”.

That’s the force our words carry, they can speak of obedience, blessing and a “yesness” that comes from a heart of surrender. We can ride this wave, using the turbulence to carry us safely to the right place. Or, our words can cause us to turn our backs away from the right path. Lining us up in the path of a rogue wave, answering our rebellion by knocking us on our spiritual backsides. The scriptures teach that what comes out of mouth is first formed in the attitude of our hearts.

“What goes into a man's mouth does not make him `unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean.” Matthew 15:11

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Luke 6:45

The Parable of the Two Sons has nothing to do with the ocean but everything to do with the power of words that comes from the attitude of the heart.

Matthew 21:28-32
(28) But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
(29) He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
(30) And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go,
sir: and went not



Two sons, two radically different Yes Men, tell a story full of easy to recognize images. The father is God, Israel is the vineyard and the two sons represent the two kinds of people Jesus is using this parable to address; those who obey God and those who do not. Those who say yes with their heart and those who say yes with their head. It is a parable about words, about authority, action and about obedience. This parable exposes a deeper question to me; just who did the sons think were going to do the work that the father asked to be done? Did they ask this question of themselves? After all, their father had lots of people to attend the vineyard, someone else would do it. Perhaps it was this sort of introspection that caused the first son to feel remorse and finally obey his father request. Maybe he realized—as we must—the privilege of co-laboring with the Father was too wonderful to ignore.

With four boys playing baseball, I am sometimes asked to help coach one of my son’s little league team, but guess what? Bobby Valentine of the Mets never calls on me to help him manage his team or even to fill out the lineup card. I’m a terror on a miniature golf course but surprising enough, Tiger Woods never seeks me out for putting tips. Why?, well, besides the obvious answer of being truly unable to really help either one of them, they don’t know me from Adam. They don’t have a relationship with me or the desire to take advantage of my abilities. Yet Father God calls on me all the time to do His work, creating wonderful opportunities to partner with Him. What a trip! God, the creator of all, has work in the vineyard for me and it is this kind of partnering with the Father that makes me more like Him. It’s a relational thing, born out of knowing the Father’s heart.

“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. Ephesians 2:10

“Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” 1 John 3:2

Our response to the Word of the Lord is a telling one. There is the bogus yes of the head and the true yes of the heart demonstrated by the first son. The second son in the parable did not do as he promised, his yes was one of the head and easily pushed and reasoned aside. Obedience places a high value on relationship, the first son exemplified the honor thy mother and father commandment with his change of heart. This parable also teaches that even repentance is a form of obedience. The first son’s response, but afterward he repented, is echoed again in the book of Acts.

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. Acts 17:30

So, how does this affect my own fathering? There is a lot of yes in the heart of the Father and obedience to His calling makes me talk more like Him, making my words speak life to my children. I need this kind of obedient submission to His will, letting it root deep in my heart, not allowing anything to corrupt following the Master’s command. A deep obedience that changes the path I walk, the choices I make and the life I live in front of my sons and daughters. That is the kind of yes man I desire to be.

Blessings,
Jay

Viewed 599 times

© 2008 Jay Cookingham - All rights reserved.
Jay Cookingham recently published two articles for the God's Way series. You can visit his home page at http://Jaycookingham.com

This column is used with permission.