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“What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and
said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son said in
reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in
reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did his
father’s will?” Matthew 21:28–31
Jesus addressed this question to the chief priests and elders of
the people. As the passage continues, Jesus humbles them by saying,
“Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering
the Kingdom of God before you.” He explains that the chief priests
and elders of the people were like the second son. They gave lip
service to God’s commands but failed to humbly repent and
obey.
The fact that “tax collectors and prostitutes” were entering the
Kingdom of God should give us great hope. No one is beyond God’s
mercy if they humbly listen to Him, repent, and begin to obey.
Though neither son’s response is ideal, hopefully we are more like
the first son.
When we hear God’s Word and understand His continuously deepening
call to holiness, we will find it challenging. Often, our first
reaction to a deeper revelation of the Gospel is “No!” Our sinful
habits are hard to break, and our fallen human nature is difficult
to align with God’s will. Don’t be surprised if you find God’s will
initially challenging.
As God’s voice and His will become clearer, our first response must
always be repentance. This should not surprise us. We must learn to
build a habit of repentance if we want to grow closer to God and
live His will. Initially, we often react to repentance in a
negative way, but we shouldn’t. Though we might be like the first
son and say “no” when God calls us to obedience, if we build a
habit of repentance, then we will eventually find great joy in that
act. Over time, we will find that our response becomes “Yes, I will
go,” and then we go, having discovered the value in
obedience.
Reflect today on whether you often pay lip service to God,
pretending to do His will, or if you regularly experience God’s
call to repentance on a deepening level. Identify yourself with the
repentant tax collectors and prostitutes, and imitate their
humility when they were confronted with their sins. Know that
repentance is the beginning of freedom and is the first step toward
greater unity with God. My demanding Lord, every command You
issue is a command of love.
Though obedience to You is often initially challenging, help me
to see the great value in it. Give me the courage and fidelity I
need to hear Your voice, repent of my sin, and obey You in all
things. Jesus, I trust in You.
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