Chapter 88
PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS
Matthew 21:28-32
Before we begin our study of the “Parable of the Two Sons”, let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in Jesus Christ’s holy Name. Father God, we ask that You would please open our ears, eyes, and heart so we can truly hear, see, and understand what You are teaching us. Help us, oh God, to not only understand this instruction, but please move upon us to do what You are teaching us.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
Before we read the “Parable of the Two Sons”, it important for us to recall that at this time, Jesus was speaking to the leaders or pillars of the Jewish faith. These are the people who, were of the descendents of Abraham and took great pride in their religious/ceremonial obedience to God. After Jesus responded to their question concerning His authority (see chapter 87), He gave them the “Parable of the Two Sons.” To read what He said we go to,
Matthew 21:28-32
[28] “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ [29] He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. [30] Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. [31] Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. [32] For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.”
Let us notice the following verse.
32 … This is the key verse for understanding the parable. To explore this verse further, we begin with,
32a … God sent John to Israel in the way of righteousness. Let us recall that John’s mission was to prepare the way for the Lord. He did this through the preaching of repentance and the administration of the baptism of repentance. To refresh our memories let us read from,
Matthew 3:1-6
[1] In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, [2] and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” [3] For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’”
[4] Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. [5] then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him [6] and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Let us notice the following verses,
5-6 … All the people, including tax collectors and harlots, who came out to see and listen to John the Baptist confessed their sins and were baptized into the baptism of repentance.
Even though, the Pharisees and Sadducees observed this event, they did not think they needed to repent. Instead, they relied upon the fact that they were descendents of Abraham. In other words, they felt as God’s chosen people, they were in good standing with God.
Knowing their beliefs, John tried to warn them of their error. To see this let us continue our reading and go to,
Matthew 3:7-9
[7] But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? [8] Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, [9] and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. [10] So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”
To read John’s response, we go to,
Luke 3:10-14
[11] He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” [12] Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” [13] And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” [14] Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?”
So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
Let us now return to Matthew Chapter 3 and notice verse,
9 … John also told them to not rely upon their lineage for their salvation. In other words, he was teaching them that salvation is a personal loving relationship with God.
Let us now return to Jesus’ “Parable of the Two Sons” and reread,
Matthew 21:32
[32] For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.
Let us notice the following verse,
32b … In this portion of verse 32 Jesus reminded the Pharisees and Sadducees that when they saw all what happened during John’s preaching and baptisms of repentance, they did not a repent and believe him. In other words, they still believed that because they were descendents of Abraham, to whom God’s covenant was given, also extended to them.
As one reflects upon this parable, we discover that Jesus was teaching them and now us it is not that we claim to be Christian, or, if we were raised in a Christian family that makes us a Christian. No, it is whether or not we, as an individual, have truly repented of our sins, asked Jesus to forgive us, and save us from our sins.
To see this more clearly, we will,
1. Review two examples of the behavior of those who professed and claimed to be faithful and loving believers in God, but did not do what He asked.
2. Review two examples of the behavior of those who did not claim or profess to be faithful believers in God, but later repented and did become true, faithful, and loving believers in Jesus Christ.
With this introduction in mind, we begin by reviewing,
TWO EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO CLAIMED TO BE FAITHFUL, LOVING, BELIEVERS IN GOD BUT DID NOT DO WHAT HE ASKED
Our first example focuses on,
SOME OF THE CHIEF PRIESTS, ELDERS, TEACHERS AND MEMBERS OF THE JEWISH FAITH
To begin, let us quickly review a sample of,
THEIR CLAIMS FOR THEIR PROFESSION OF FAITH
As we read the New Testament we discover this group of people,
Claimed that God was their Father
They gave this response after Jesus told those who were not doing the deeds of Abraham, that they were not his descendents. This is recorded in,
John 8:41b
[41b] … Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”
In addition, they:
Claimed to follow God’s commands
To see this, let us read one of the responses they gave to the man whose sight Jesus restored. To do this, we go to,
John 9:28-29
[28] Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. [29] We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”
The Pharisees told the man they had no idea who Jesus was or where He came from. They also said they knew God spoke to Moses. Consequently, they chose to be Moses’ disciple and follow his teaching. In other words, they claimed to follow God’s commands, as it was given to them from Moses.
The question is, “Was their behavior consistent with their claims?” To find out we will review three of their many behavior patterns that were not consistent with their claims and profession of faith.
THEIR BEHAVIOR
First of all,
They were not willing to let go of their unbiblical traditions
For example, let us read Jesus’ admonition with respect to their tradition of withholding financial support to their needy parents. This tradition was taught and practiced so they could help finance the activities of the Temple. As we read Jesus’ admonition, notice that by teaching and following this tradition they, in effect, were violating God’s command to honor their father and mother,
To read what Jesus said we go to,
Matthew 15:1-6
[1] Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, [2] “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” [3] He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? [4] For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death’ [5] But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— [6] then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
Let us now read how Jesus described those who teach and practice these types of man-made doctrines. To do this we go to,
Matthew 15:7-9
[7] Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
[8] ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
[9] And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Secondly, throughout Jesus’ physical sojourn upon this earth,
They constantly put Jesus to the test
A good example of this type of behavior was illustrated when the Pharisees and Sadducees asked Jesus to show them a sign from Heaven. To read what occurred we go to,
Matthew 16:1-4
[1] Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. [2] He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; [3] and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. [4] A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.
Our third and last example is that,
Ultimately, they desired to put Jesus, the Son of God, to death
Rather than rejoicing and being thankful that God, whom they claimed to faithfully love and believe in, had sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to save them from their sins and sinful ways; they no longer wanted Him around. They no longer wanted to hear or see what He said or did. Instead, they were content, happy, and committed to the practice of the deceptions of their own man-made traditions and lies from the evil one.
To see this, let us return to the admonition Jesus gave to those who believed Him and read what He said to them. To do this we go to,
John 8:31-33
[31] Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. [32] And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” [33] They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, “You will be made free’?”
Let us notice the following verses,
31 … In other words, Jesus was teaching the believing Jews then and now us that one characteristic of a true disciple of Jesus Christ is that they continue reading His Word and follow its teachings.
32-33 … It is interesting to note that at this time in history, the nation of Israel was under the physical and political control and authority of Rome. In addition, this statement of having never been in bondage also ignored their 70- year physical bondage to the Babylonians. What were they thinking?
To read Jesus’ response, we go to,
John 8:34-38
[34] Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. [35] And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. [36] Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. [37] “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. [38] I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”
Let us notice the following verses,
34-35 … Jesus explained that the bondage He was talking about was their bondage to sin.
36 … Jesus was teaching them and now us that only He can and will set us free from our bondage to sin.
Let us now read the Jews response as recorded in,
John 8:39a
[39a] They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”
In other words, they relied upon their heritage for their salvation.
To read what Jesus told them we go to,
John 8:39b-41a
[39b] Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. [40] But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. [41a] You do the deeds of your father.”
Let us notice the following verses
39b-41a … Jesus told them that if they were truly Abraham’s descendants they would do the deeds of Abraham. In other words, Jesus was saying that their behavior was not consistent to the spiritual behavior, which was the faith, hope and love for God, of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In other words, their physical lineage was and is of no value.
More specifically, the true issue is not one of physical lineage, but one of spiritual behavior. Let us never forget that God is Spirit. To refresh our memory of this truth we go to,
John 4:24
[24] God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
The Jews response is recorded in,
John 8:41b
[41b] … Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”
With this response in mind, we now go and read Jesus’ response to their claim,
John 8:42-47
[42] Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. [43] Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. [44] You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. [45] But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. [46] Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? [47] He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
Let us notice the following verses,
42-47 … Jesus told them and now us that if God was truly their Father they would love Him, listen to Him, and abide in His Word. It is the same for us.
The second example focuses on,
SOME OF THOSE WHO CLAIM TO BE CHRISTIANS AND ARE SPIRITUALLY GIFTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
The behavior and ultimate consequence of these folks is in Jesus’ sermon on the Mountain. To read His warning we go to,
Matthew 7:15-27
[15] “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. [16] You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? [17] Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Therefore by their fruits you will know them. [21] “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. [22] Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ [23] And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ [24] “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: [25] and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. [26] “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: [27] and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
As we reflect upon the above teaching the question arises; “If it is not the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit that bears witness to a person’s Christianity; then, what exactly is the fruit that will bear witness to a true Christian’s profession of faith?”
The answer to this question is that,
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is to be present and growing in their lives
In other words, if a person claims to be a Christian, they would be doing the will of Christ and not be practicing lawlessness. Perhaps another way to see this is by noting that those who claim to be Christian would love Him and want to please Him. To see this let us read from,
1 John 5:1-3
[1] Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. [2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. [3] For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
Let us notice the following verses,
1(a) … Whoever believes and trusts that Jesus is the Christ, which means the Messiah or the Anointed One, is a born-again child of God.
1(b) … Those who are born-again believers in Jesus Christ love God the Father and those who are also born-again children of God.
2-3 … The way to know if we love God and His children is whether or not we truly desire to keep and obey His commandments.
Jesus beautifully summarized this in His response to a lawyers' question of: "Which is the greatest commandment?" Jesus' response to the lawyer is recorded in,
Matthew 22:37-40
[37] Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” [38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [40] On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
As one reflects upon the above teaching one might ask; "How can I be filled with the love to live this way?"
The answer to this question is twofold:
First, we must be born again.
This is what Jesus told the Jewish elder, Nicodemus. It is recorded in,
John 3:1-6
[1] There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [2] This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” [3] Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [4] Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” [5] Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
The secondly, we must walk in the Spirit.
This is recorded in,
Galatians 5: 16-17
[16] I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. [17] For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Let us notice the following verses,
16 … When we give God the Holy Spirit control of our lives, His love will flow from within us. This in turn will prevent us from gratifying our sinful nature. As a result, we will be fulfilling all the requirements of the Law.
17 … Our sinful nature wants to do things that are contrary to the desires of the Holy Spirit, that is to gratify self and commit lawlessness. Whereas, the Holy Spirit wants to do things that are contrary to the desires of our sinful nature, which is to serve God and live righteously. This is the Christian conflict.
To help determine whether or not we are walking or living by the Spirit, our God provides us with some examples of the two types of fruit. Thus, when we examine the fruit of our lives we will be able to determine when we are yielding to our sinful nature and when we are yielding to the Holy Spirit.
A partial list of fruits from our sinful nature are found in,
Galatians 5:19-21
[19] Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, [21] envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
To help us to more clearly understand some of the above fruits, we go to “Webster’s New World Dictionary”, The College Edition, for the definitions of:
1. Uncleanness – Morally impure, obscene, evil, or wicked.
2. Idolatry – Worship of idols, excessive devotion to or reverence for some person or thing.
3. Sorcery – witchcraft, use of evil supernatural power over people, black- magic.
4. Contentions – strife, dispute, quarrel. A point one argues for as true or valid.
5. Jealousies or emulations – desire or ambition to equal or surpass another person.
6. Dissensions – difference of opinion; disagreement; or to dissent, to reject the doctrines and forms of an established church.
7. Heresies – a religious belief opposed to the orthodox doctrines of a church, as recorded in the New Testament. (Note: I added the phrase in italics).
8. Envy – resentful dislike of another who has something that one desires.
Let us pay particular attention to the stern warning in the last half of verse 21. Specifically, if a person continues to live their life under the control of their sinful nature, they will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
In contrast to the sinful nature, let us now read about the fruit of the Holy Spirit. To do this we go to,
Galatians 5:22-23
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Notice, when a person is living their life under the control of the Holy Spirit they will be fulfilling God's righteous laws. Just as Jesus said, He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. Thus, for the born-again believer, the Spirit of Christ (Holy Spirit) living within them will be fulfilling God's laws and statutes for them. Consequently, we will find the following to be true,
Galatians 5:24
[24] “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires."
Summary
In summary then, the fruit that bears witness to our faith in Jesus Christ are not the wonders and miraculous signs produced by the gifts of the Spirit. Instead, it is the fruit from the Holy Spirit that bears witness to a person’s profession of faith in Jesus Christ.
Let us now move on and review,
THREE EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO DID NOT CLAIM TO BE FAITHFUL, LOVING, BELIEVERS IN GOD BUT LATER REPENTED AND BECAME DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST
Our first example is,
THE EXAMPLE OF MATTHEW
We begin by reading from,
Luke 5:27-28
[27] After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” [28] So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
It is noted that Levi, also known as Matthew, became one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. To see this, let us read what Jesus did just before He gave His sermon on the mountain. To do this we go to,
Luke 6:12-16
[12] Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. [13] And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: [14] Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; [15] Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; [16] Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.
In addition, let us remember we are studying the Gospel written by God through the hand of Matthew.
The second example is:
THE EXAMPLE OF ZACCHAEUS
To read about Zacchaeus we go to,
Luke 19:1-10
[1] Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. [2] Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. [3] And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. [4] So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. [5] And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” [6] So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. [7] But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” [8] Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” [9] And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; [10] for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Let us notice the following verses,
2 … Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and was very wealthy.
3-4 … Zacchaeus was so determined to see Jesus that he, being of short stature, he humbled himself and climbed a tree to get above the crowd.
5-6 … Upon hearing Jesus’ call for Him, Zacchaeus quickly came down the tree and joyfully received Jesus. Let us again notice the dramatic contrast between Zacchaeus’ behavior and those who we read about earlier.
8 … Zacchaeus’ repentance was not just an empty verbal proclamation but was also confirmed by his actions.
9 … Jesus saved Zacchaeus from his sins and gave him eternal life.
Major Point: Both Matthew and Zacchaeus did not rely upon their lineage of Abraham. Instead, they did the works of faith that Abraham did.
The third example is,
THE WOMAN WHO CAME TO SEE JESUS IN THE HOUSE OF A PHARISEE
To read what occurred let us go to,
Luke 7:36-40
[36] Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. [37] And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, [38] and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. [39] Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” [40] And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
To illustrate the difference between true repentance and love for God, Jesus provided the Pharisee then and now us the following parable:
Luke 7:41-50
[41] “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42] And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” [43] Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” [44] Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. [45] You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. [46] You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. [47] Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” [48] Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” [49] And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” [50] Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
With all that we have covered we now come to,
THE MESSAGE OR POINT OF THIS STUDY
The message of this study and the “Parable of the two Sons” is best summed up by the following instruction /exhortation that is presented in,
1 Corinthians 13:1-8a
[1] Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. [2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. [3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. [4] Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; [5] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; [6] does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; [7] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [8a] Love never fails …
Shall We Pray?