Most of
us are familiar with the tale of the Father and two sons in Luke’s gospel that we call the prodigal. We are less familiar with today’s story, told in Matthew 21, about another two sons. In this story, it’s not the case that one goes off and squanders his inheritance whilst the other
stays at home to work.
In this parable the Father sends them both to
work in his vineyard. One of them says, “No, I can’t help out today” and then ends up going to work there,
whilst the other says, “Yes, O.K, I’ll go to the vineyard” but then doesn’t go. The listeners are asked, “Which one of the two was the one that did what the father wanted?” They conclude that it was the one who said he wouldn’t go, but then ended up
going and doing the work.
There are a number of things I’d like to
pull out of this story for us.
- First
of all, I’d like to think about the Father’s invitation.
- Secondly,
I'd like to focus on the people whom Jesus spoke this parable against; the chief priests and the elders of the people who
were questioning Jesus authority.
- Thirdly,
I'd like to ask how this parable may apply to us today.
The
Father’s Invitation
Who amongst us are the ones invited to be the
workers in the vineyard? Or put it another way, who is our Father God inviting to do the work of Christ’s Kingdom in
the vineyard of Beckley, West Virginia (or wherever else your home may be) today? Who is God calling to do God’s
work?
Has God called me to be a worker in the vineyard? I believe God has done so, and that is why I am here.
Has God especially called Teresa to be our choir director? Did God call Janice to serve as our Associate? I believe
God did. And those who teach in our Sunday School, those who take care of administrative
tasks, those who serve on committees, those who accept the office and responsibilities of eldership and serve on the session…did
God call them to be workers in the vineyard? I believe so.
Is God’s call limited to those who do specific
tasks within the church? I believe not. I believe that the Father’s invitation goes out to all those who confess a faith
in Jesus Christ; to be ambassadors of God’s Kingdom in the whole wide field of the whole wide world.
There is no room for passengers on the journey
of discipleship. There are no bleachers for spectators in the spiritual journey
that God calls us to walk. There are resting places for refreshment, when we
are tired. There are hostels for recovery when we are hurt. But to be in the Kingdom is to share in the work of the Kingdom.
All are called by God to take their part, take their share, take up their cross and follow.
We react to that call in different ways. The story gave us two. Some will say,
‘no’, but get on with doing the work of the Kingdom anyway. Others
will say, ‘yes’, but never actually do anything. You could give other
examples. Some say, ‘No’ and mean it… Some say ‘Hold
on a while’, and you hold on wondering when they are going to get back to you.
Some say, ‘Yes’ and mean ‘Yes’. Whatever people
say, the story makes one thing crystal clear:
Words
without actions don’t make the grade.
According to the book of James, faith without
works is dead. The story was told as a response to the accusations of the chief
priests and the elders of the people that Jesus had no authority to be doing the things He was doing and saying the sort of
things that He was saying. He was severely rocking the boat, and the priests
and the elders of the people did not like it.
According to them, they were the ones who knew
‘what was what’ when it came to the things of God. They knew how
a person should come to God and what sort of people were the ‘in crowd’ when it came to the Kingdom. They despised
Jesus for making the way open to the sort of people they looked down their noses at.
They feared that the way Jesus was doing things
could bring their whole religion tumbling down... which surely was not the will of God... and therefore Jesus had to be an
imposter and by implication a heretic who needed to be silenced. They tried hard
to cut Him down to size with their words.
Trouble was, that they never knew what Jesus
was going to say. He had a habit of twisting their arguments in circles and making
them say things that they didn’t mean to say (or that’s how it seemed to them).
When Jesus asks them a question about whose authority John the Baptist was acting upon, they are not sure how to answer.
They knew that John was regarded as a prophet
by the people, and that they’d be in deep water if they started suggesting, “No, John, he’s a phony, you
don’t want to waste your time with him.” If they admitted, though, that John was genuine, then Jesus will be on
their case; for although the common people had responded to John’s invitation to “Repent and be baptized", they,
the chief priests and the elders of the people, had just carried on business as usual. “Hey, we're the religious ones,
the responsible ones, what have we to repent of?”
They reply to Jesus that they did not know where
John got his authority from. “Well then,” Jesus says, “I can’t
tell you where I get my authority from either.” By putting it this way,
He is telling the chief priests and the elders of the people that if they knew where John the Baptist was coming from, then
they would be able to figure out where He was coming from.
The priests’ and elders’ big problem
was that they had a religion that was more man made than God made. It started
out on the right premise, but over the years so many rules and regulations had been added that they had lost their way. Their constant striving for legalistic perfection had caused them to become hypocritical
and self-righteous. They were so absorbed in the intricacies of the law that
they had lost sight of the basic principles of their religion… that it was about loving God and loving each other.
When John came along and said, “The Door’s
open. Everybody... everywhere... get ready... right now... you can have a life acceptable to God,” they didn’t
like it. When Jesus reinforced that message by visibly touching the outcast and
spending time with those they thought of as bad people, it scared them. They were, no way, going to listen to somebody like
Jesus. No way, did they need anybody to tell them 'what was what' in the kingdom of God.
They knew the right things to say and the right
way things should be done. At least they thought they did. Then Jesus revealed
their true nature. They were self-interested and self-motivated. They did not want the love of God to be shared amongst all people. They didn't want to put themselves out
to accommodate the love of God.
The actions of their lives, though religious
in nature, were not what God required. Though they spoke religious words and
had great devotion, their words were not in tune with the message of God's all embracing love. And their devotion to the law,
rather than to the God who gave the law, was misplaced. They simply didn't live up to their words; all mouth, but no action.
Applying
This Story to Ourselves
The Father called both sons. Know yourself called
by God, to work in the vineyard. But don’t let it go to your head. Know that God is calling everybody else as well. Realize that the only way that some of them are going to get the message is by you
living the life God is calling you to. It doesn’t cut it if you say one
thing, then live a different thing. When God calls you to do something, do it. Don’t
say yes, then do nothing about it. Just do it. If you commit yourself to something, follow through with it, or that opportunity
is gone forever.
The Kingdom of God is not the Kingdom of "Awazgonnabe." As I've been involved
in church life I've seen people who spend a good deal of their time in the Kingdom of "Awazgonnabe." I’m sure you've met them! What is the 'Kingdom of Awazgonnabe?"
Awazgonnabe (Translated: 'I was going to be')
at the service on Sunday but some friends dropped by, so we dropped church. Awazgonnabe at the Retreat but, well, something
came up. Awazgonnabe starting to come to Sunday School, but I just can't seem to set the alarm clock to get me there on time.
Awazgonnabe getting to the Wednesday Bible Study this session, but I didn't get around to reorganizing my schedule. Awazgonnabe
at the committee meeting but I forgot to put it on my calendar.
Awazgonna (translated: I was going to) increase
my pledge this year, but then I realized that there are other things I'm putting my money into. Awazgonna offer to help with
this or that, but I'm waiting for somebody to ask me. Awazgonna invite so and so to church, but I kept letting opportunities
slip by. Awazgonna give so and so a call, but then my favorite program came on T.V.
If we spend our lives in the Kingdom of Awazgonnabe, what are we going to say when we meet
St. Peter at the Pearly Gates? What welcome should we expect from God, if our commitment to God is "I was going to do this"
or "I was going to be that"? It'll be too late.
It's just words…the words of the son in the parable who said 'yes' but then didn't go.
I know we all have 'Awazgonnabe' days. That's
why we need to remind ourselves that Christian life is not a matter of words but a matter of actions. It's not what we say
we intend to do, but what we actually do. Better to be someone who says, "I hadn't intended to do such and such, but then
God seemed to be prompting me to do it, so I did it"; than be one who says, "I committed myself to doing that, but never followed
through."
The other parable
of the two sons.
One says 'yes',
and then doesn't go.
The other says
'no' and then ends up going.
May God help
us, through the Holy Spirit, to turn those times when we say 'no' to the things God places before us, into 'yes's.
May God help
us, through the Holy Spirit, when we say 'yes' to something, to honor the word that we say, so that we may live a life of
integrity before God and before others.
For such is
the way
we are all called
to bring the
Good News
of Jesus Christ
to our world.
