In Matthew 21, Jesus poses a thought experiment for the Pharisees. There are two men, both of whom are told by their father to go work in the fields. One says he will, then doesn’t, while the other says he won’t, and then does.
Jesus’ question is which one of them actually did the will of their father. The Pharisees rightfully respond with the second—the one who actually did what their father asked them to do.
The Pharisees don’t recognize it immediately, but this is really an indictment on them. They have lived their whole lives claiming to follow God, when in reality, what they’ve followed is a long list of made up laws that circumvented everything God wanted them to do. In their own mind, they served Him. In reality, they served themselves.
In Numbers 9:13-14, a similar idea is presented. You have two distinct individuals. The first is fully capable of eating the Passover—he’s not on a journey, he’s not unclean—but chooses not to. The second is a foreigner, who doesn’t really have the same rights as his Jewish counterpart, but who wants to follow God and wants to eat the Passover.
Let me ask you this, then: Which one of them actually did the right thing? The one with the right pedigree or the one with the right heart?
To be fair, this isn’t actually the point of this passage. In Numbers 9, God is showing an allowance for the second Passover, and then pivots to talk about the punishment for someone who just flat refuses to take it no matter what. (Spoiler: He’s cut off from his people).
The mention of the alien or sojourner then is a demonstration of the right type of attitude. His story exists to show that if someone wants to take the Passover and have that communion with God, it’s possible. In this way, it’s also foreshadowing for the introduction of the Gentiles into the Church.
But go back to that original point. How many people, with all the opportunity to serve God, simply choose not to? And how many draw closer who have every reason to avoid Him?
It’s actually remarkable when you think about those who could avoid God but earnestly desire to be closer to Him. It’s likewise depressing to think of those who have grace served up on a silver platter for them, and they choose to walk away.
Be honest, though: Which one of those people are you?
