Two Sons

Matthew 21:28-32

   In a Peanuts comic strip, Lucy falls in love with Schroeder, the musician.  No matter what she does she cannot get his attention. He just sits on the floor and plays his toy piano with intensity.  He totally ignores Lucy.  She tries and tries to turn his head and win his love but to no avail. Finally Lucy says, “Schroeder, do you even know what love is?”  Schroeder stops playing, stand to his feet and says precisely, “Love: a verb, it means to be fond of, to value; it’s to have a strong affection for or an attachment to or devotion to a person or persons.”  Then he sits back down and resumes playing his piano.  Stunned, Lucy sighs, “On paper, he’s great!”

   Jesus loved to tell stories that came from the home and went home to the heart.  He likened humanity to two sons who responded differently to their father’s request.  Their father said to them, “Go and work today in the vineyard.”  One son replied that he would not go but later changed his mind and went.   The other son said that he would go but he never did.   Jesus then looked at the clergymen who had sparked the debate and said that they were like the son who said he would go but never did.  He was saying, “You are great on paper but lousy in performance.”   On the other hand he commended the son that changed his mind and went to work his father’s vineyard.  The harlots and the publicans were like him in that they repented and did as Jesus asked.   They said ‘no to their no’ and obeyed God’s call to a new life.  This story reveals profitable truth for us.

   First, as Christians we are good on paper. ‘A father had two sons’ and commanded them to go and work the vineyard.  Perhaps the father was ill or had to attend other business matters.   Whatever, he had complete confidence in his sons to work the vineyard.   They were qualified vineyard workers and he needed them.   The vineyard represents God’s world and the sons are those people called to serve in sowing righteousness and harvesting mercy and justice from the world’s fields.  On a Sabbath day not too long ago, each one of us stood in a church and vowed, “Jesus Christ is my Savior.  I will serve him all my days. I will give of my time and my money for His work in the world.”   In baptism the Holy Spirit took residence in us.  We were declared to be the Lord’s possession.  It was a happy day.  Not only were my sins washed away but also the Holy Sprit came into you and me to stay.  From that sacred moment we were qualified as Christians and certified to do whatever God asked of us. If he asked for our help we could help; if he asked us to forgive, we could forgive; if he asked us for money, we could give; if he asked us to pray, we could pray; if he asked us to go, we could go.  We knew that we could, not because we were skilled in God’s work but because we knew that He covered our weaknesses and would help us to do what we needed to do.  God certified us as a holy priesthood.  We have the paper to prove it.  Our names are written in the book.      

   Second, as Christians we can be bad on performance.  “The father came to the second son and said likewise.  And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir; and went not.’”  This son was guilty of the sin of omission.  He knows what to do but he did not do it.   Maybe he thought, “I will go but not today.  My buddies need me.  We have a party tonight.  I will take care of Dad’s business when I can.”   But delay led to delay and further delay.  Eventually he forgot about his father’s request.  How easily this happens to the best of people.  Respectful of God, his gospel and his church, they promise their best in time, money and talent but for reason only they know, their schedules are full of other things, their money dribbles away on lesser wants and their talents are exhausted in all the wrong places.  Once the Devil called a meeting in Hell to receive reports from three of his best demons.  They wanted to conquer the world for evil and were strategizing as to the best way to accomplish their plan.  The first demon said, “Send me to the world and I will tell them there is no God.”  Hearing this the Devil scowls and says, “That’s been tried before.”  The second demon says, “Send me to the world and I will tell them there is no sin.”  Again the Devil scowls and says, “That’s been tried before.”  The third worker said, “Send me to the world and I will tell them ‘there is no hurry!”  Hearing this the Devil smiled and nodded his approval.   When the Apostle Paul was detained in Caesarea, the Roman governor, Felix along with his wife, Drusilla, requested an audience with Paul. They wanted to know about his faith in Jesus Christ.  Paul ever willing to share the truth of God spoke of righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come. Impressed and troubled Felix answered, “Go your way for this time and when I have a convenient moment, I will call you again to me. (Acts 24:25)” But he never did!  He was in no hurry.   We too have things that we have put off.  We have said to ourselves, “There is no hurry.”  But there are people we need to forgive now so that we can get on with life.  There are people we need to love now so they can get on with life. There are people we need to speak the truth to in love now so they can have a life.  There are people we need to be patient with now so the good seed sown can blossom.  There are phone calls to make, letters to write, people to invite over now because God needs us today and not later.

   Third, as Christians we can always change for the best.   “One son answered and said, ‘I will not go’ but afterwards he repented and went.”  Maybe this son didn’t like working in a vineyard. Maybe he just did not want to work.  ‘I work there all the time.  It’s tiring.  Find someone else.’  Later he changed his mind.  Perhaps his conscience bothered him.  He thought to himself, “I shouldn’t talk to Dad like that.  I can’t leave him in a lurch.  He is my Dad!”  In small town twin brothers found places of employment.  One became its preacher while the other became its doctor. One morning a lady approached the preacher complaining of sickness.  He said to her, “Ma’am, you have the wrong brother.  I am the one who preaches, not the one who practices.”  Sometimes churches and its members think like this.  I’m sorry but you have come to the wrong person for help.  I am on the ‘Thinking and Talking’ committee.  You need to go and meet with the ‘Helping and Doing’ committee.   I believe that as a Christians we are all on the ‘Helping and Doing’ committee.   I may not be a professional physician, but I can give first aid.  I may not be a professional psychiatrist but I can listen and give encouragement.  I may not be a professional dietician but I can buy you a meal. I may not be a professional fundraiser but I can give you what I have.   I may not be a professional roof repairman but I can carry the shingles. I may not be a seminary-trained, presbytery-approved evangelist but I can tell you what I know about Jesus.  A person prayed, “O Lord, help my friend; help him, Lord before it is too late.  Touch him, Lord; touch him even if just with your finger. And God said, “You touch him.  You are my finger!”   We have said enough of ‘no, let someone else do it.”  We have said a lot of ‘maybe later’!  It’s time to go to the vineyard. Your Father needs you.

Dr. Gerald A. Little

Bainbridge, Georgia

August 24, 2008