What?

“What do you think? A man had two sons. Now he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ “‘No, I don’t want to,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went. “The father said the same thing to the other son, who replied, ‘Yes, sir.’ But he didn’t go. “Which one of these two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first one.” Jesus said to them, “I assure you that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering God’s kingdom ahead of you. For John came to you on the righteous road, and you didn’t believe him. But tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. Yet even after you saw this, you didn’t change your hearts and lives and you didn’t believe him. (Matthew 21:28-32, CEB)

I have to be honest I have never gotten this passage. Jesus said a father asked his two sons to go and do work. One said no but later went and one said yes and didn’t go. And then he asked those gathered who did what the father asked. They said the first and then Jesus says the tax collectors and prostitutes are getting into heaven before those gathered because their hearts hadn’t changed. What does any of what Jesus said at the end have to do with the fact neither son did what the father asked?

One blatantly said no but then felt bad so went anyway, and the other said they would go and then decided they really didn’t want to so they didn’t. Neither of the sons did what the father wanted. But actually pleasing the father isn’t what life is about.

We have already obtained the inheritance. We do not need to earn it, but we can show others the love God has for them by loving those around us and not judging them by some standards that actually mean nothing to God. All out created by God and loved by God so our standards do not matter.

Love.

Loving People. Loving God.