The Parable of Two Sons
Sep
28
Written by:
Sunday, September 28, 2008
26th Sunday Ordinary Time
September 28, 2008
A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, "Son, go out and work in the vineyard today. He said in reply, I will not, but afterwards 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 21:28-32
Neither of these children are ideal – one says "yes" very politely but does nothing; the other says "no" very rudely but ends up doing what he was asked to do. A perfect child would be one who says yes politely and then does it right away! But this is a parable of God's mercy. It is good to know God remains patient with us even when we say no to him at first. He waits for us to repent, or to turn around.
Here are a few conclusions we can draw from this passage:
· Even when we all hear the same gospel, we do not all respond in the same way.
· Some people will turn out better than you think they will and
Some people will turn out worse even though they said all the right things.
· One son's answer was bad, but turned out good.
One son's answer was good, but he turned out bad.
· It is not enough to say the right things to God if we don't do what he asks us to do. It is not enough to say "Lord, Lord" if we don't listen to what he is telling us.
· Don't judge a book by its cover. There will be many surprises when we get to the next life, so in the meantime, let God do the judging.
· A person that says "yes" to God without acting on it is like a fruit tree that has blossoms but no fruit at harvest time.
· God is patient. He does not hold it against the second son who said "I will not go" at first; rather, God is pleased with him when he repents. So, no matter how sinful a life we may have led, there is hope for us all.
Father Gary