St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Brunswick, Maine

Who's In; And Who's Out?

The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32 Philippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:28-32  Psalm 25:1-14

Who is a follower of God? Not always the ones who say they are. In these days when God is tossed around in the political realm, we do well to remember that Jesus was arrested as a blasphemer, a criminal, one who officials claimed went against the ways of God. In the temple, three days before Good Friday, when the temple officials asked him why he was associating with followers of John the Baptist, Jesus tells this story to the officials. A man had two sons. He asked them one at a time to go into the vineyard. One said, No. I will not go. But he went. The other said, Yes, I will go. But he didn’t go. Which is doing the will of the father? The officials backed off. They refused to answer. Then three days they later plotted to arrest him.

What do you think? A man had two sons. To the first he says, "Go, and work in the vineyard today. The son answered, "I will not." Then he repented and went. The man said the same to the second son. He answered "I go sir" But he did not. Which of the two does the will of the father?

Let’s start in the home, In relations between parents and children. My mother used to say with. a smile "Do as I say, not as I do." But we tend to do as others do, rather than what they merely say. My father told me many things, most of which I ignored. But he loved to work with wood. He didn’t say much about it. But his engagement was strong. And I’ve come to work with wood.

Often it’s the child who rebels, who says No! I won’t, who gives his parents trouble but in the giving of trouble works things out and comes around. It’s the goody two shoes, who never really engages the question, who fawningly smiles and said "Yes ma’m" who never makes a genuine response. Far better to argue and be engaged than to make a show of empty pleasantries.

It would be possible to continue to explore family life- and I’m grateful that Jennifer Burns of our parish will in October lead a workshop helping us do just that. But Jesus’ parable is about more than families. He is addressing, as Ezekiel did before him, the whole house of Israel. He tells the parable of the two sons to government officials in the temple before Good Friday, just before he is arrested. He is arrested for being the son who says No, who tips over the tables of the profiteers, who upsets religious and government authorities.

But this Son who appears to say No, who argues with officials, is actually the son, the Christ, who is saying Yes, who is opening a new way to be with God and work in God’s vineyard. Jesus at first appears unforgivable. He doesn’t do what he has been told by those in authority. He associates with outcasts. Finally, by our standards, Jesus is unforgivable because he fails. He dies, as if love’s labor is lost, His hope appears to be nonsense.

Then comes the saving grace. Amazing grace. It is only because of Jesus being who he is, what God does in Jesus, that we are free to forgive Jesus his unforgivableness. We are free to forgive all the ways he fails, all the ways he doesn’t measure up to our ideals, all the way he fails to be our hero and bring the rightness we want.

May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, always be acceptable in thy sight, O God, our Strength and our Redeemer.