A God-Pleasing Life (Micah 6:6-8): Introduction

Once upon a time, there were two brothers. Their father owned a large farm, and there were many chores to do. It was spring, and the father came to one son and said, “Son, I need you to go out and help plant the crop, would you to that for me?”

The son answered, “Well, I kinda already made plans with some friends of mine. So, I’m gonna have to say, ‘no.’”

Well, the father then went to his other son and asked him if he would help. This son said that he would.

About an hour later, the first son got to feeling bad. He hadn’t really had any plans, but he didn’t want to get out there and work. But he did regret what he had done. He then decided he would go and help plant the crop.

The second son, the one who had said he would work, kept getting distracted. First, he started texting some of his friends. Then there were the YouTube videos; he lost count how many he watched. Distraction after distraction and time passed.

At the end of the day, the second son had not worked, though he said he would. The first son, though he said he wouldn’t, actually did work.

Which of the sons did what the father wanted them to do? The first son. How? By doing what his father wanted.

Jesus told the parable that this story was based on in Matthew 21:28-32.  In verses 31-32, he told the chief priests and the elders,

“Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.”

What was the difference between the tax collectors and prostitutes and the priests and elders? The tax collectors and prostitutes believed John: that is they heard his call to repentance and righteousness and perhaps that Jesus was the lamb of God. But the priests and the elders did not believe. Much like the first son, the "sinners" did not do the will of the father at first, but then did. In their case, repent and believe. The priests and elders were like the second son, paying lipservice to the Father, but doing what they wanted to do.

The question that we have to ask ourselves is how can we be in the will of our Father? How can we please Him?  That’s what we’re going to look over the next several posts.  Our passage will be from the Old Testament, the book of Micah, chapter 6, verses six through eight. I look forward to exploring this passage with you.