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One of the wonderful innovations of technology introduced in the last year or two is the ability to “unsend” emails and text messages. There are lots of reasons why someone might want to do this and most of us can think of moments when we wanted to turn back time to get a message back. For whatever reason, I have a bad habit of sending emails too soon, before I include all the recipients or attachments. Of course, I usually remember immediately after pressing ‘send’. Having the ability to fix a problematic text or email without looking like a fool is wonderful! It is a blessing to be able to change your response, to right a wrong, and correct an answer before it is final.
The gospel parable reminds us that God does something similar for us, his often-foolish, selfish, wishy-washy children! The ability to change our answer to him and make things right is not something we deserve but it is a gift given to us by God who loves us more than we can imagine. His story gives the scenario of two children, who are asked by their father to work in his vineyard. The first son is defiant and disrespects the honor of working side-by-side with his father. “No way” he says, but later changes his mind and does what his dad asks. The second son is a smooth talker or perhaps lacks commitment, and says, “sure Dad”, but never follows through. If you have raised children, you have likely seen the actions of both sons unfold before your eyes. Certainly all of us, at some point, have played the part of both.
This parable has, of course, a historical context. The vineyard stands for God’s people and the two sons represent those who are called to care for them. The second son represents the established religion of Jesus’ time, exemplified in the skeptical scribes and pharisees. As often happens in such cases, the religious leaders of that time paid lip-service to God but, when Jesus came in a way they did not expect, they were unable to accept the mysterious ways of God,
The first son stands for the “outsiders”; including non-Jewish people, who had been accustomed to saying “No” to God but, having been humbled by their experience of sinfulness, were receptive to the challenge of Jesus. They were joined by “tax collectors and prostitutes” who, though despised by the religious types of that time, were humble and open to the message of Jesus. The point is that pride and smugness are far greater obstacles to true conversion than a sinful past ready for repentance.
And so here is the thing for us to notice. What the NO-saying son says is contrary to God’s will. But what he does is inline with it. It is the other way around with the YES-saying son. The words of the YES-saying son are obedient to God’s will, but his actions are in opposition to it. The words of the YES-saying son are empty. His life, not his words, tell the real truth about his relationship to his father. The truth is that the YES-saying son rejects God’s will, however much acceptance appears to be in his words.
One of the great hallmarks of Jesus’ preaching is that even though it is set in a historical context, it reaches across generations and cultures. The Lord’s challenge to the scribes and pharisees is also directed at us. Today’s parable demands that we consider the question, “which son am I?” Ideally we would be neither; the best case would be that we say “yes” to God when he calls and we would also do what we promised. But we all struggle with sinfulness and selfishness and must ask: are we the one who says “no” to God’s face but then repents and does what he wants? Or have I been the one who says “yes” to God’s face but in my heart I never do what he asks?
Or, maybe we are somewhere in between? Children of God who try hard some days to be faithful and on other days let our hardness of heart, our selfishness, our unwillingness to listen to God get the better of us?
That is the profit of this passage for us; asking who we are and what needs to be done. The good news is it’s possible to change one's mind; it’s never too late, as long as we are alive, to become a child destined to see and enter the Kingdom of God. Today it’s not too late to get right with God, to take back our “no”. It’s not too late to say to God - I believe - help my unbelief. It’s not too late to say to God: yes, I will go out in the vineyard after all. I will work to bring the good news of your love to my family, my friends, and the whole world in what I say and do. I will worship you and work with you and obey your will.
The Psalm gives us the right prayer to go with this parable: “guide me in your truth and teach me!” Our ways need to be God’s ways. It is good if our words say YES to God. But what is crucial is that our lives also say YES to God. Unless they do, our words are worthless. May we become the sons and daughters of God who please him with both our words and our actions, each and every day!
