Two Sons

There is a wonderful story about a group of military leaders who succeeded in 
building a super computer that was able to solve any problem--large or small,
 strategic or tactical. These military leaders assembled in front of the new
 machine for a demonstration. The engineer conducting the demonstration 
instructed these officers to feed a difficult tactical problem into it. The military
leaders proceeded to describe a hypothetical situation to the computer and then 
asked the pivotal question: attack or retreat? This enormous super computer 
hummed away for an hour and then printed out its one-word answer . . . YES.

The generals looked at each other, some what stupefied. Finally one of them
 submits a second request to the computer: YES WHAT? Instantly the computer 
responded: YES, SIR.

 

 

The Pharisees, like these generals, were accustomed to people saying "Yes, sir" 
to them. They were the religious authorities. They were used to being treated as
 such. But there was a new teacher in town, a teacher who was threatening their 
authority. The Pharisees were alarmed. They feared Jesus' popularity, his ability
 to heal and to perform miracles. In their eyes, Jesus was preaching heresy and 
leading people away from the religious traditions that defined the Jews. The
Pharisees wanted to expose him as a fraud.

 

It was in this context that Jesus told a story about a man who had two sons. He
 went to the first and said, "Son, go and work today in the vineyard." The boy immediately said, "No." Later he changed his mind and went. Then the
 father went to his other son and said the same thing. This one answered, "O.K."
but he never got out to the vineyard. It is a parable every parent, worker, boss,
 everyone will identify easily with. Someone who says yes and then doesn’t
 follow through or someone who says this is what you should do and does the
 opposite.

 

The Doctor who says to a patient — smoking is bad for you and you 
shouldn’t do it, who then goes outside and lights up a cigarette. There are many 
examples we could find and identify with our own life. Those who simply pay 
lip service to the truths of life. Famously just recently the actor Leonardo Di
Capriccio appearing at the Climate change conference and then being caught 
being a great user of resources.

 

The primary point of this parable is about 
having a change in heart, not just about saying or doing the right things. A 
persons past does not necessarily determine his future life. What is important is
the moment of conversion and true allegiance in the present and the future.
 Repentance and conversion are continual commands for the believer and should
 not be restricted to certain times or seasons. The process of conversion requires 
many adjustments and changed if the believer is to fully realise the demand to 
live according to God’s wisdom, not mans. For some they believe that having
 said “yes” to God, there it ends.

 

The Christian journey is a dynamic and constantly changes as we grow and the world we live in brings forth new 
challenges and opportunities.

A father once tried to talk to his son about how University was going: The 
father said, "How are things going?" The son said, "Good." The father said,
"And the facilities?" He said, "Good." The father said, "How are your studies 
going?" He said, "Good." The father said, "Have you decided on a major yet?"
 He said, "Yes." "Well, what is it?" asked the father. The son said,
"Communication."

So it goes as parents and children try to talk to each other. So it was for the two
 sons in Jesus’ story. So it is with us. We need to keep the lines of 
communication open.

 

Prayer is not merely talking but also listening to the will
 of the father, to listen and do His will to the best of our ability, but to do it 
because we believe and not because we think we simply should say “yes” and
 when we really mean “no”. God understands us and our human frailties, after all 
he created us to have that choice.

 

A man applied for a job as a handy man. The prospective employer asked, "Can 
you do carpentry?" The man answered in the negative.

"How about bricklaying?" Again the man answered, "No."

The employer asked, "Well, what about electrical work?" The man said "No, I
 don't know anything about that either." Finally the employer said, "Well, tell me
 then what is handy about you." The man replied, "I live just around the comer. "

 

Sometimes the greatest ability we can have is availability. To be where God can
 call us, to be within whisper range of his summons, that is the beginning of a 
life of meaningful discipleship.

To simply hear and do the will of God.

 

MPC