Which of the two sons did the will of their father? Was it the first one who said he wouldn’t be obedient but then was? Or was it the second son who said he would be obedient but then wasn’t?
Every person on the planet would say the first son.
It’s an obvious answer, right? What wasn’t so obvious to those who heard the story Jesus told was by what authority he was teaching and healing. It was clear there was something unique about Jesus. But others had come before him claiming to be something they were not. Was Jesus just another one of those people? According to many of the religious leaders, yes, he was.
That certainty was part of the point Jesus made with the parable of the two sons. And it demonstrated how they had become the second son.
Now, to be sure, God’s kingdom isn’t a race against each other. We aren’t competing to see who can be the holiest or most obedient. That is a game people like to play. Not Jesus.
These religious leaders didn’t believe what they heard from John the Baptist or Jesus. But you know who did? The tax collectors and prostitutes. Yes, those shameful people could see what others could not. And, because they did, they “are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.”
That’s how God works. It’s not a race, but they’re ahead of the others because there’s no hiding behind religious order or custom. What’s needed is a change of mind. Obedience. The first brother changed his mind and did the will of his father. The religious leaders did not.
This is an important conversation for us to have today because we have to make choices, too. God’s Spirit still inspires us. So, there is always a newness about the work of the church. But we do not follow everything new for newness’ sake. We have to decide what is truly Spirit’s prompting.
How do we do that?
From this short parable, I think we can emphasize paying attention to what’s happening to people. If people are turning to God, trusting in Jesus, is that not an indication of what God is doing? If people are learning to be obedient to God, isn’t that still the obvious answer? Now, I don’t mean an adherence to what we say they must do. Rather, a desire to live into the kingdom God has opened to us all.
When we make decisions about what is God’s ministry we should pursue, at the forefront of our minds is teaching people to be the first son, not pacifying the second.
Stay blessed…john
