Harlots and Publicans

“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. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you" (Mat. 21:28-31). This was Jesus speaking to the chief priests and elders who had asked him by what authority he did the works that he did. Nothing has changed. Not at all in fact. If you are appointed and anointed by God to walk in his Spirit of love and peace, and to speak his words unmixed; you will experience this firsthand and see it play out in real time. If what you have is truly the real product, through and through; you will not be accepted by those who know they are right, but the downtrodden and oppressed souls will draw to that love and peace, and to the simplistic truth that goes with it. It’s just that way with God and with men, and I’ve seen it happen just that way many times. By the same token, and for the same purpose, Jesus also stated the following: "For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind… If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth" (Jn. 9:39,41). These things he spoke to the Pharisees, who were leaders and highly esteemed among God’s people. And I’ll add another one to this list myself: Those who have much to lose by believing the truth, will rarely receive it; but those who have nothing to lose and everything to gain will more likely receive the real truth of God.

You won’t often hear about those whom the apostle Paul wrote of, who were of this vein: “They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth” (Heb. 11:37,38). One beautiful example of this spiritual reality is found in Luke 7:36-50, where a sinner woman came into the house of Simon the Pharisee who had invited Jesus to dinner; and the woman washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, and dried them with her hair. The Pharisee and his friends thought Jesus was less than righteous for allowing this, but Jesus let them know that she was doing the right thing, and that they were not. It’s a glorious and grand privilege indeed to be in a place to experience these things even as they have been experienced and written by those who have walked with God through the ages. It was the same story long before Jesus was here as well. When David, whom God was with, was being wrongfully pursued and chased by Saul, the king of Israel; the scripture says, "David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men" (II Sam. 22:1,2). Those who obtain the grace to be placed in the Lord’s stead in these kinds of situations are those to whom the honor of men means nothing, but rather they esteem "the honor that comes from God only" (Jn. 5:44).

These rare and faithful believers are those to whom the following applies: "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (II Tim. 3:12; also Lk. 6:22,23). And therefore the following also applies: "If we suffer [for his sake], we shall also reign with him” (II Tim. 2:12). These also are those who understand and appreciate the following: “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word" (Isa. 66:1,2). They also understand and esteem the proverb that says, "Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud" (Prov. 16:19). Friend, in short, if you care to be truly and fully blessed in Christ; then forsake the modern religious structure that is acceptable to and esteemed by men, and go to God with all of your heart and soul and get a firm grip on his love and peace with your heart. Let him guide you into a true fellowship with himself and with those who "seek the honor that comes from God only” (Jn. 16:13; II Tim. 2:22). Because as it was in Jesus’ day, so it remains today; as he pointed out to the Pharisees again: “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God" (Lk. 16:15). Amen.