"One Brother and Another"

'ONE BROTHER AND ANOTHER'

a reflection on Matthew 21:28-32

They say a man's only as good as his word.  It's a trustworthy saying and it's all about trust.  It seems Jesus got into a little tangle with the Pharisees and chief priests of the Temple regarding the authority by which he taught.  So, he told them a story...

"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” asked Jesus.  “The first,” they answered.   Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him."

Have you seen the TV commercials lately having to do with connection to "and" and "or" or is it... 'and' OR 'or'...?  You know... having the choice between "sweet AND sour chicken" vs. "sweet OR sour"... or the choice about "nuts AND bolts" vs. "nuts OR bolts" in putting up the swimming pool ... or the coach who uses the megaphone to be LOUD but his gibberish phrases makes for his not being very CLEAR... "loud AND clear" vs. "loud OR clear"!  Very clever… and yet this is the time of the year…  where so many sing... are you ready...

… he’s making a list and checking it twice…Going to find out who's 

___(naughty) _____  or ____(nice)___________

But, Jesus comes singing a different song… at least according to Matthew!  It seems one son is naughty after being nice and the other brother is nice before being naughty...

So, let me suggest something -- both sons are wrong!  

When we actually look back to the 1st Century, we frame this parable via a sense of honor -- a son who publicly says "no" to his father is shaming his father even if he does what his father asks and the other son shames his father by saying 'yes' and not following through.  Do you know anyone like this?  Have you looked in the mirror lately?

When the parable hearer is asked to choose between the two sons, a dilemma arises. Both sons have insulted the father, one by saying no, the other by saying yes but doing nothing. But one comes to the family's aid by going into the vineyard and upholding family solidarity, while the other maintains the family's good name by appearing on the surface to be a good son. Would the father choose to be publicly honored and privately shamed, or publicly shamed and privately honored? In the first century A.D. that is not much of a choice. The real question is... "which one he would be more angry?" But in being forced to choose, he must choose between the apparent and the real, between one who appears to be inside the family and one who appears to be outside. 

Bottom line, my brothers, this parable is about doing the will of God (v. 31). The question, "What is God's will for my life?" is one that Christians often ask. However, answering that question with "obeying God and working in the fields" too easily leads to a works righteousness, which we try to avoid.  And we take a language lesson from the Greek here...

For me, the key to this parable is the word metamelomai (pronounce it like it looks!). Although the NRSV translates it "to change one's mind," (vv. 29, 32) that is not the most literal understanding of this word. Usually the idea of "changing one's mind" or "repenting" is conveyed by the Greek word metanoeo (Again, pronounce it like it looks!).

The prefix meta = "change" begins both words.  The verb noeo is related to activities of the mind (nous)  The verb melo has the sense "to care for," so we might translate metamelomai as "changing what one cares about" or "to change what one is most concerned about."  And that is something worth considering here... as we approach Christmas and a new year... 

Pastor Ed Markquardt once wrote… 

“Repentance” means “changing your mind which leads to a change in behavior.” Jesus also stated this theme at the very beginning of the his earthly work, “Repent and believe the gospel.” Jesus first said, “Repent.” He said secondly, “Believe the gospel.” Nowadays, many Christians focus only on one half of Jesus’ teaching: “Believe the gospel.” They/we often ignore the first part of Jesus’ teaching. “Repent.”

The vineyard, the world, is always in a mess.  There are always earthquakes in the Turkeys and Taiwans of the world.  There are always wars in the Mideast and rumors of war in the Koreas of the world.  There are always divorces and families falling apart.  There are always poor families living down the street, with not enough money and emotional resources to make it. 

And what is the predictable reaction of the church to this pain and devastation in the world around us, far and near?  Too often, we merely hold our worship services in the middle of the vineyard.  We have our Bible studies and small group studies in the middle of our brokenness and follow it up with a pot-luck supper and forget to invite the stranger or to risk going out of the parking lot and do something good for someone who will never have the capacity to pay us back.   That's why Martin Luther reminded everyone we are both 'saint AND sinner!'

And so God, in the parable for any day we read it, in his disgust for our unwillingness to do the needed work in the vineyard says, “I will go and find somebody else who will do the work in this world of mine.”  In other words, this parable is an invitation for us not to be like the Pharisees. It is a challenge to go into God’s messed up world and do the necessary work.  It's the realizing that Jesus would rather have us be more like the prostitutes and the tax collectors... more like the whores and the crooks... because despite their unworthiness to part of the Kingdom of God via the rules of the Pharisees and chief priests in the temple... they said, 'yes' to Jesus and chose what was most important...

Now, some have asked me... "well, why didn't Jesus add a third brother?  Why didn't he include a brother who honored his father by saying 'yes' and presented himself as a man of integrity by actually doing what he said he would do?  What about that guy? Wouldn't the story have a different turn if there was a 3rd brother?"

Well, of course... Jesus told the parable... "A man had two sons..." ...two disrespectful sons... sons like us... sons like me... sons like my dad... sons like my dad's grandsons... disrespectful and selfish... sons like you... sons like your sons and grandsons... and ALL of us are guilty... not one OR the other... but both... AND that is why this story has so much power for us... as we are driven to the moment of grace  where we turn to the only son who was faithful in all things... Jesus ... son AND savior... Jesus ... brother AND friend... Jesus... teacher AND guide... Jesus.. Lord AND God.. now AND forever!

May the joy of this time of the year and the 12 days of Christmas do a good work in each of you!

One man at a time; no man left behind,

   Brian