I was preaching this morning down at Centenary UCA, and the gospel passage from Matthew 21 was an intriguing one. It tells the story on two son who are asked by their father to go and work inthe vineyard. The first said "yes", but did not go, while the second said "no", but ended up going to do the work. As always with parables, it works on a number of levels.
At first glance, it's the honesty thing. But I ran across this Kierkegaard article on the web (www.bruderhof.com) which has had my brain ticking over since.
"The good intention, the “Yes,” taken in vain, the unfulfilled promise leaves a residue of despair, of dejection. Beware! Good intention can very soon flare up again in more passionate declarations of intention, but only to leave behind even greater desperation. As an alcoholic constantly requires stronger and stronger drink, so the one who has fallen under the spell of good intentions and smooth-sounding declaration constantly requires more and more good intentions. And so he keeps himself from seeing that he is walking backwards."
How dangerous is the constantly stated good intention for those of us from the comfortable places of the world. What is stated and what is achieved? What is dreamed of, and what is really struggled for?
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What a great article. Thanks for putting it up! What frightens me most is that it relates to me so clearly. I am particularly discomforted by ...
'Beware! The “Yes” of promise keeping is sleep-inducing.'
It's a call to honesty of action! Soren Kierkegaard - what a remarkable man!
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