Obedience
To obey or not to obey, that is the question. And that was the dilemma that the two sons were placed in when asked by their father to go and work in the vineyard. Let’s face it, we all have been at one time or another in the same circumstance that the two brothers from today’s parable were in. The request that we received may not have been to go and work in the vineyard, but I am sure that at this moment we can relate to some time that we committed to do something and did not accomplish the task. It is important to be obedient to God if we want to live a Christian life. Yet, what does “obedience” look like? Let’s view obedience from Jesus’ perspective as it is an important factor to the understanding of today’s passage from the Gospel of Matthew. The parable interchange takes place in Jerusalem right after the chief priests and the elders of the people had tried to trap Jesus in his own words by asking him the origin of his authority. Jesus deflects their attacks, and turns the tables so that they end up accusing themselves of infidelity to God. In a more direct manner, Jesus tells the Chief priests and the elders who are supposed to be the leaders of the chosen people, “You are the ones who say yes, but don’t follow through.” The parable depicts the story of two sons who receive instruction from their father to go and work in the vineyard. One says he will go to the vineyard, but doesn’t, and the other who says he won’t go, but does. Clearly, the second son was listening, but was not obedient because he said that he would go and did not. The first son seemed like he cared less and was not listening, but then an amazing thing happened; his heart became involved. The first son was cut to the heart and realized that he was actively disobedient to his father. He was disrespectful to his father by saying no to his face. He was rude, arrogant, and unappreciative of the help that his father needed. This is not to mention the disrespect of everything that the father had provided for him. But then he stopped to think and was moved by compassion. How would his dad feel about this? What kind of disappointment must it have left his father with to think that his son would just leave him in his need? But then what was his motive for changing? Was it love, guilt, duty? What? The second son is all talk to get the honor and the status of his father, but then rejects his father’s request and lives out the disrespect that the first son just could not even fathom. He is the son who is selfish, self-serving, self-centered; and the outcome has become the greater disappointment for his father. There are some observations that we need to made here. We must recognize that both of the sons are, well, sons. They are both loved equally by their earthly father and by their heavenly Father who created them and gave them life. I must add, on a special note, our heavenly Father loves us just as much as He loved them because our Lord loves all the same. It is because of God’s love for us that we are being called upon by Him to assist in the vineyard of life. We are asked to go and spread the word of the love of God. We are called to the job of spreading the word of God to all His Chosen People. Just as Jesus told the leadership of the Chief priests and elders who were not getting it done during their time, He is advising us that the lesson of their time is a lesson for our time as well. Another observation to be made is that if the second son was disobedient, so was the first. For even though he did go to the vineyard eventually, he refuted his father. Just like the two sons, none of us completes the word of God all the time because we are not perfect. We must agree that we have not been good all of our lifetime because we sin at all times. Another observation that we should take note of is that God does not play favorites, for He always reaches out to everyone. He even reached out to the Pharisees and the elders of the temple. Even they were given the chance to repent. We should remind ourselves that all of us have failed God at one time or another; yet, what this also means is that, just like the first son who blew it, we also have a chance to repent. We can turn it around; we can read our Bibles more often; we can pray a little more every day; we can assist someone whom we have neglected by offering them a helping hand; there is no deadline to start working in the vineyard for Jesus. If we ask ourselves, How do I get to the vineyard? the answer is “obedience.” It means that if the Father tells you that the intent is to bring more people into the Church, then you are to do the loving thing, the kind thing that exhibits hospitality and welcomes others just like Christ would. When Jesus was asked which of the commandments was the greatest, he answered that the greatest commandment was to love God, and to love your neighbor. To be obedient to God is to ask in every situation, What is the loving thing to do? What is the thing that shows the greatest concern and care for the person standing right in front of me? Sometimes that means giving a little more mercy than we are asked for. Our Father in Heaven needs the word, his Word, to be spread now more than ever. He needs people to answer His calling. He needs people to get out and go to work in his vineyard. He needs us to get to it. Will we choose to obey? That is the question.
To obey or not to obey, that is the question. And that was the dilemma that the two sons were placed in when asked by their father to go and work in the vineyard. Let’s face it, we all have been at one time or another in the same circumstance that the two brothers from today’s parable were in. The request that we received may not have been to go and work in the vineyard, but I am sure that at this moment we can relate to some time that we committed to do something and did not accomplish the task. It is important to be obedient to God if we want to live a Christian life. Yet, what does “obedience” look like? Let’s view obedience from Jesus’ perspective as it is an important factor to the understanding of today’s passage from the Gospel of Matthew. The parable interchange takes place in Jerusalem right after the chief priests and the elders of the people had tried to trap Jesus in his own words by asking him the origin of his authority. Jesus deflects their attacks, and turns the tables so that they end up accusing themselves of infidelity to God. In a more direct manner, Jesus tells the Chief priests and the elders who are supposed to be the leaders of the chosen people, “You are the ones who say yes, but don’t follow through.” The parable depicts the story of two sons who receive instruction from their father to go and work in the vineyard. One says he will go to the vineyard, but doesn’t, and the other who says he won’t go, but does. Clearly, the second son was listening, but was not obedient because he said that he would go and did not. The first son seemed like he cared less and was not listening, but then an amazing thing happened; his heart became involved. The first son was cut to the heart and realized that he was actively disobedient to his father. He was disrespectful to his father by saying no to his face. He was rude, arrogant, and unappreciative of the help that his father needed. This is not to mention the disrespect of everything that the father had provided for him. But then he stopped to think and was moved by compassion. How would his dad feel about this? What kind of disappointment must it have left his father with to think that his son would just leave him in his need? But then what was his motive for changing? Was it love, guilt, duty? What? The second son is all talk to get the honor and the status of his father, but then rejects his father’s request and lives out the disrespect that the first son just could not even fathom. He is the son who is selfish, self-serving, self-centered; and the outcome has become the greater disappointment for his father. There are some observations that we need to made here. We must recognize that both of the sons are, well, sons. They are both loved equally by their earthly father and by their heavenly Father who created them and gave them life. I must add, on a special note, our heavenly Father loves us just as much as He loved them because our Lord loves all the same. It is because of God’s love for us that we are being called upon by Him to assist in the vineyard of life. We are asked to go and spread the word of the love of God. We are called to the job of spreading the word of God to all His Chosen People. Just as Jesus told the leadership of the Chief priests and elders who were not getting it done during their time, He is advising us that the lesson of their time is a lesson for our time as well. Another observation to be made is that if the second son was disobedient, so was the first. For even though he did go to the vineyard eventually, he refuted his father. Just like the two sons, none of us completes the word of God all the time because we are not perfect. We must agree that we have not been good all of our lifetime because we sin at all times. Another observation that we should take note of is that God does not play favorites, for He always reaches out to everyone. He even reached out to the Pharisees and the elders of the temple. Even they were given the chance to repent. We should remind ourselves that all of us have failed God at one time or another; yet, what this also means is that, just like the first son who blew it, we also have a chance to repent. We can turn it around; we can read our Bibles more often; we can pray a little more every day; we can assist someone whom we have neglected by offering them a helping hand; there is no deadline to start working in the vineyard for Jesus. If we ask ourselves, How do I get to the vineyard? the answer is “obedience.” It means that if the Father tells you that the intent is to bring more people into the Church, then you are to do the loving thing, the kind thing that exhibits hospitality and welcomes others just like Christ would. When Jesus was asked which of the commandments was the greatest, he answered that the greatest commandment was to love God, and to love your neighbor. To be obedient to God is to ask in every situation, What is the loving thing to do? What is the thing that shows the greatest concern and care for the person standing right in front of me? Sometimes that means giving a little more mercy than we are asked for. Our Father in Heaven needs the word, his Word, to be spread now more than ever. He needs people to answer His calling. He needs people to get out and go to work in his vineyard. He needs us to get to it. Will we choose to obey? That is the question.
