Making Room for Humility, Questions, and Grace

Devotional

Day 1: When “Might” Shakes Our Certainty

A shift from “God is saying” to “God might be saying” cracks open rigid faith. This small word invites humility, disrupting religious leaders’ confidence in their exclusive access to truth. Like seminary students practicing dwelling in scripture, we’re called to hold convictions loosely. The temple leaders’ certainty blinded them to God’s work through outsiders like tax collectors. “Might” becomes a spiritual practice – a way to listen for God in unexpected voices and stay curious. It protects against hypocrisy that claims alignment with God while missing God’s actual movement. [27:06]

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
(Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you assumed God’s will with absolute certainty? How might holding space for “might” change your next difficult conversation about faith?

Day 2: Empty Hands at the Temple Tables

Jesus’ temple cleansing wasn’t mere anger but a disruption of systems exploiting the vulnerable. Tables overturned became a living parable – religious certainty had become a marketplace of control. The leaders’ polished obedience masked hearts far from God’s justice. Yet Jesus still engages these same leaders with the two sons story, refusing to write them off. True authority, like Christ’s self-emptying in Philippians, serves rather than dominates. [32:19]

“And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” but you make it a den of robbers.’”
(Matthew 21:12-13, ESV)

Reflection: What “tables” in your life need overturning – systems you’ve accepted that harm others? How does Christ’s disruptive love both challenge and invite you?

Day 3: The “No” That Became Yes

The first son’s initial refusal mirrors tax collectors’ messy journeys – those deemed outsiders often respond more authentically than professional religious people. His changed action matters more than the perfect “yes.” Jesus highlights this raw honesty over the second son’s empty agreement. Our failures to follow through become grace-filled starting points when met with repentance. The vineyard remains open to workers who stumble into obedience. [33:34]

“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”
(Matthew 21:28-31a, ESV)

Reflection: When has your “no” to God slowly turned into action? How might you extend grace to others (or yourself) mid-process of obedience?

Day 4: Hypocrisy’s Antidote in the Dirt

Working the vineyard soil keeps faith grounded. The temple leaders’ disconnect between words and actions contrasts with the first son’s gritty repentance. Jesus lifts up those getting their hands dirty with actual love of neighbor over theoretical righteousness. Like John the Baptist’s wilderness ministry, true faith often grows far from religious centers. The Father cares more about fruit than flawless confessions. [34:05]

“But what do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went.”
(Matthew 21:28-29, ESV)

Reflection: Where does your faith feel more like polished words than dirty-handed service? What practical “vineyard work” is God nudging you toward this week?

Day 5: Family Grace for the Second Son

The parable ends without the second son’s redemption – but the father’s love remains. Like the temple leaders still invited after opposing Jesus, our worst “noes” don’t exile us from God’s family. The Christ hymn in Philippians shows God’s ultimate “yes” to humanity through self-emptying love. Our failures become spaces for grace to work deeper transformation. [34:41]

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
(Philippians 2:5-7, ESV)

Reflection: How does Jesus’ “emptying” reshape your view of failure? Where do you need to trust that God’s grace still claims you as family despite unfinished obedience?

Sermon Summary

Religious certainty can make people most blind precisely when they feel most sure they are right. The small word “might” opens up room for humility, questions, conversation, and real discernment about what God might be doing in a life, a congregation, a neighborhood, and the world. That word strips away the assumption that any one person fully possesses God’s will. Humility makes room for growth, for asking for help, and for faith that has been questioned and rebuilt.

Paul’s hymn in Philippians 2 gives that humility a face in Jesus Christ. Christ empties himself, takes the form of a servant, and takes the lowest place in order to embody God’s humble love. Humble leadership stands in sharp contrast to leaders who claim authority, refuse to admit mistakes, or protect their own power. Jesus’ authority does not come from the religious hierarchy but from God and from the people who recognize his life and ministry.

Matthew’s scene places Jesus outside the temple in Jerusalem after the hosannas, the healing, and the cleansing of the temple. The overturned tables expose leadership that had taken advantage of vulnerable people and forgotten that God’s house is a place of prayer. The chief priests and elders question Jesus because his authority threatens their arrangement. Jesus answers their certainty with a question and then with a parable.

The two sons reveal that things are not always as they seem. The first son says no but goes to work in the vineyard, while the second says yes but never goes. Jesus presses the temple leaders to see that professions of faith mean little when they are not joined to justice, care for vulnerable people, love of God, and love of neighbor. Tax collectors and prostitutes, though judged as unrighteous, enter ahead of leaders because repentance becomes visible in their actions.

The family in the parable also carries a word of grace. The son who gets it wrong is not simply thrown out of the family. The religious leaders who have missed what God is doing are not beyond redemption, even if they must follow behind those they judged. Confession and forgiveness name the truth that people get it wrong, while God’s grace sends them back into the world to keep trying to live faithfully in God’s kingdom.

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Key Takeaways

1. Make room for the “might” [27:06] The word “might” resists the temptation to treat personal certainty as God’s final word. Humility does not mean indifference or weakness; it means remaining open to correction, conversation, and surprise. Discernment becomes more honest when faith admits that God may be at work beyond familiar assumptions. [27:06]
2. Christ models humble authority [29:54] Christ’s authority is revealed through self-emptying rather than control. The form of a servant exposes how unlike Jesus much public and religious leadership can become when it fears weakness. Humble love carries real authority because it does not need to protect itself at another person’s expense. [29:54]
3. Actions uncover faithful obedience [33:06] The two sons show that a quick religious “yes” can conceal a life that never enters the vineyard. Repentance is not merely regret, reputation, or correct language. Love of God becomes visible through justice, care for neighbors, and actual participation in God’s work. [33:06]
4. Grace keeps the family open [34:21] The disobedient son remains a son, even after getting it wrong. God’s grace does not deny failure, but it refuses to make failure the final identity of a person or community. Those who judge others may still enter the kingdom, though they may need to receive grace from the very people they once looked down upon.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[25:49] - When Certainty Gets It Wrong
[26:07] - Dwelling in the Word
[27:06] - The Humility of “Might”
[28:17] - Certainty and Religious Hypocrisy
[29:37] - Christ’s Humble Way
[30:13] - Jesus’ Authority Questioned
[31:45] - The Temple and Its Corruption
[32:39] - The Parable of Two Sons
[33:34] - Faithful Actions and True Repentance
[34:21] - A Family Story of Grace
[35:21] - Forgiveness and Keeping Faithful

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 21:28-32
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the second and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go 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 the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.” [32:39]

Philippians 2:5-8
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” [29:46]

Matthew 21:12-13
“And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers.” [31:45]

Observation questions

In the parable of the two sons, how do each son’s words and actions differ, and which son ultimately does the father’s will? [33:06]
What had happened at the temple shortly before Jesus spoke with the chief priests and elders, and what problem did Jesus confront there? [32:02]
According to Philippians 2, what choices does Jesus make that show humble love and servant leadership? [29:54]
Which groups does Jesus name as entering God’s kingdom ahead of the religious leaders, and what had they done in response to John’s message?

Interpretation questions

Why might Jesus use the two sons to challenge people whose religious words sounded faithful but whose lives did not show justice, love of neighbor, or care for vulnerable people? [33:37]
How does Jesus’ cleansing of the temple help explain why the chief priests and elders felt threatened by his authority? [32:13]
Philippians describes Jesus taking the form of a servant. What does this suggest about the difference between Christ-like authority and authority that protects status, control, or reputation? [30:13]
The second son fails to do the father’s will, yet he remains part of a family story. How does this detail shape an understanding of repentance, grace, and the possibility of change? [34:36]

Application questions

Where might certainty be making it hard for you to listen, ask questions, admit a mistake, or receive help? What would it look like to make room for the word “might” in that situation? [27:35]
Is there an area of faith or service where your words have been stronger than your actions? What is one concrete step you could take this week to enter the “vineyard” and follow through? [28:25]
Jesus connects faithful obedience with care for vulnerable people, justice, and love of neighbor. Who are vulnerable people in your neighborhood or community, and how might this group respond with practical care? [33:37]
When you have been wrong, what makes confession difficult—fear, pride, embarrassment, or something else? How can receiving God’s forgiveness help you begin again rather than give up? [35:52]
Think of a person or group you have been tempted to judge as less faithful, less respectable, or beyond change. How might Jesus’ words about tax collectors and prostitutes challenge that judgment? [34:07]
In a family, workplace, church, or community setting, what would humble leadership look like this week? How could you use influence to serve rather than to protect your own position? [30:13]

Sermon Clips

34s

#GraceAndForgiveness

“We're gonna get it wrong. And I think that confession and forgiveness at the beginning of our service really helps us live into that identity that we fall short. We get it wrong. But we come to God and we receive that forgiveness and grace that transforms that in fact leads us out into the world to keep trying, to keep trying to be faithful and live into God's kingdom.”

54s

#RedemptionForAll

“He still has a chance for grace and redemption. The leaders of the temple may not have gotten it right, but they still have a chance to enter the kingdom of heaven. It may be behind the tax collectors and the prostitutes that they judged, but there still might be a place for them. So together, we may discern how God might be speaking to our community through this parable to ourselves. What is the work God is calling us to do in the world? And how can we discern God's will? How can we faithfully follow Jesus in these difficult times? And how can we rely on the grace of God when we know we're gonna get it wrong?”

50s

#MissionalChurch

“In the process of becoming a missional church, one of the big questions is, what might God be up to in our congregation, in our neighborhood, in our world, in our lives. And the might changes everything because it strips us of that religious certainty. It takes away the notion that we alone truly know what the will of God is, and it invites us into engaging with other people in conversation and discernment to say, well, what is God up to in my life, in my church, and in the world? And what might God be calling me or my church to do?”

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