Two not so perfect sons!

Jesus once told the temple’s leadership a parable. (See Mat 21: 23 – 34) And the parable is this. There is a dad who has work that he needs done on his farm and he asks his two sons to go to the vineyard and do the work. One son is stubborn and disobedient and says no to his father, but then later he finds himself able to go and goes into the vineyard and does what his father asks. The other son tells his dad that he is going to do what he asks, but then he doesn’t go. He never did the work.

Jesus asked the leadership of the temple which one did what the dad asked them to do. The answer is obvious. Actions speak louder than words and what matters more than what you say you are going to do, is what you in fact do in the end.

The son who said no to his father changed his mind because of guilt. His conscience was working overtime until he decided to do the right thing. Perhaps he was being disobedient to his father, because he wanted to make a point, and in the end realised that his disobedience was wrong.

And then there is the son who said that he would do the work, and didn’t. Did he say yes without thinking whether he really could or wanted to do it? Did he forget? Did something come up that kept him from going? When looking at this son we realise that intentions don’t really matter as much as practically doing the right things.

Jesus identifies the one who said no with the tax collectors and the prostitutes; he identifies this son with the lost. These are the people who made bad decisions early in their lives and went in the wrong direction, but later repented. They realized they were heading in the wrong direction and turned around. They came back and followed Christ.

Jesus is looking at the leaders of the temple as people who started their lives in the right direction, but then were sidetracked and ended up not following where God had led.

Many of us said yes to God early in our lives. Are we going to follow through with what we promised to do? Are we going to remain faithful to God and go where he sends us or are we going to turn away from God’s call on our lives?

Or are we going to take a third way. The best way. This third way would be a son who says yes to his father and then follows through with it. I believe that if the Church was full of people following this third way, the Church would be able to do God’s work according to God’s way and desire.

Do we respond when Jesus calls? Do we follow through with our promises to him?
When we asked Jesus to be our Saviour and Lord, we have promised ourselves to him. Are we living the way we said we would?
Are we doing the work we promised to do?
We said yes to our God.
Are we now ready to follow through and align our lives with our promises and words?