Matthew 21:28-32; October 1, 2023; World Communion Sunday
Today’s sermon title is: “The Parable of the Two Sons.” And there is nothing clever about it. Well, at least not by me. For it is not about me or my brother today, the two sons of my father. No, this is simply the title designation that some early editors of the New Testament gave to Jesus’ parable; to his words addressed to the chief priests and elders who were openly questioning by what authority Jesus was doing such things like cleansing the temple; like riding into Jerusalem; like healing the blind and curing the lame.
It’s to these questions earlier in this chapter of Matthew’s gospel that Jesus offers his Parable of the Two Sons. A parable that, more or less, summarizes his entire ministry and offers witness to what most of his teachings were all about. Radical change. Radical forgiveness. Radical love, and radical acceptance.
But even though this is true, I’d wager few of us were familiar with this parable before; no more able to quote it from memory. And let me be clear: that’s not your fault! We rarely emphasize these verses from our pulpits or in our mission statements, especially when we have far more famous and less provocative parables at our disposal.
For instance, I imagine if I were to conduct an impromptu poll right now, and ask you which your favorite Jesus parable was, I bet I could guess the aggregate top-five correctly. In fact, let’s do that. And let’s just say that if I can guess the consensus accurately, you all have to collectively increase your pledges. Deal? Alright! No cheating now.
Okay, close your eyes. And recall to memory some of your favorite parables and allusions by Jesus, and just let them flood in. Give it a second now. Everyone got your favorite ones? Okay, and, done!
Now, I’m going to guess that the top-five, on average, in no particular order, consist of the following:
The Good Samaritan
The Prodigal Son
The Sower
The Mustard Seed
The Lost Sheep
So… was I right? Is Grace going to be rich next year or what? Now honestly, did anyone here rank the Parable of the Two Sons? No? Didn’t think so. But again, no worries; you are not alone. See, I did an extensive Google search this weekend, typing in a query for Jesus’ top-ten parables. And besides being inundated with a whole industry of Jesus rank-charts for just about everything, I never once found today’s parable in anyone’s top lists. It appears it’s simply been wiped from our collective consciousness, or at least, quickly glossed over and easily forgotten.
So, then I began to wonder, and question, why?
Is it because perhaps this parable hits too close to home, I thought? That for so many of us here we are rather like the second son, whose life has followed verse 30 perfectly, answering, “Yes, I will go!” “Yes, I will believe” “Yes, I will sing the hymns and say the creeds;” but then when we are faced with actually going, with actually believing; with actually living out the words of our hymns and our creeds, we end up doing the exact opposite by doing nothing at all. Hmm…
Sometimes I wonder if the biggest mistake Paul ever made was deconstructing the thesis of
James that “faith without works is dead.” And while I personally believe, and liken myself to Paul’s understanding of Grace, and how wide and magnificently it abounds, it does make me wonder if following his own thesis full-stop, has left us immobilized and indifferent when faced with trying to make a difference in this world.
For according to James, and to Matthew, who we’ve been studying here for the last month and change: what we do, and how we live in this world, actually matters to God, even to the point of being saved (or not) and granted entry (or not) into the world to come.
For as Jesus teaches us here in this parable, there is only son who goes ahead of the other into this world. This Kingdom. And it is the first son; the one who at first doesn’t get it, but then later comes around. Rather than the second one who at first professes understanding, but then never shows up. The first shall be last.
So, I thought to myself, clearly this must be the main reason why this parable is way down on our lists of Jesus-favorites. Because, quite frankly, it indicts us. It indicts most if not all of us.
But then as the days went on, I began to wonder if perhaps there was yet another reason why we don’t remember or celebrate this parable above the others. And I began to think it has a lot to do with a certain group of people who are named out loud. An uncomfortable group of folks that Jesus doesn’t dance around, like we would comfortably want to.
You see, Jesus just out-right says in this parable that prostitutes, yes, sex-workers, may gain entry into the Kingdom of God even ahead of those who spend all day quoting scripture and saying the right things to each other (the elders and the chief priests). And that my friends is quite provocative indeed, isn’t it? Man…could you just imagine that going up on our sign out front? “Worship at Grace; 10:00am; Rev. Brian D. Russo; prostitutes welcome!”
But you see, to Matthew’s Jesus, that is the sign, and that is the point; for whatever you have done, past-tense, doesn’t matter as much as what you are willing to do, future-tense. You could have even sold your body to others, or have gone about taking money out of everyone else’s wages (tax-collectors), and even still, you could be “favored” ahead of those who have lived a much more innocent and decent, yet sheltered life. It’s incredible, really. But also consistent with the rest of Jesus’ radical message and radical ministry. And, his radical life, that even though he hailed from a small town in Galilee, he also hailed from Heaven, and thus had God’s authority.
And at least in Matthew, Jesus with this authority, is asking us all, what are we willing to do, even if radically, as God’s servants today. Are we willing to go to work in the vineyards? Are we willing to offer good news on the street? Are we willing to help clothe the naked, and feed the hungry; to be a companion to those in pain, and an ally for those on the wrong side of justice? Well, if so, then no matter who you are or what you have done, you are like the first son, and will be restored and elevated in Christ’s name. But if not, then you are like the second son, the one who says all the right things, but then never shows up especially when it matters; and thus, will be rendered a second-class citizen in the Heaven that Jesus has in mind.
Yes, this is another difficult teaching, my friends… but it is nonetheless important. Especially as it’s probably the number one question, right or wrong, that I am asked as a minister. “Who gets into Heaven, pastor; and do evenIhave a place there?
This question, and this parable today where we find our answer, is why I asked Russ and his family to sing that Tom Waits song a couple of minutes ago: Down There by the Train; so to bring it all home.
You’ll remember some of the lyrics, they went like this:
There’s a place I know
where the train goes slow
where the sinners can be washed
in the blood of the lamb
(but now hear this verse that I asked Russ to cut, because I didn’t want your stomachs to twist before hearing the proclamation…it goes like this):
if you’ve lost all your hope
if you’ve lost all your faith
I know you will be cared for
I know you will be safe
For all the shameful and all of the whores
even the soldier who pierced the heart of the Lord
is down there by the train.
is down there by the train.
We all wait on grace. Truly, no matter then who’ve you been. No matter then what you’ve done. No matter if even you’ve always been the second son, there is still a way to turn your life around.
And all you have to do is come to this table and get on that train.
Don’t just wave your hands around and sing the hymns out loud, but then go home unchanged. But come. And then go. And then, do as you say.
Handing over your ticket to Christ, so that with him, and by him, following him, you might arrive at the desired destination of Heaven. A Kingdom of God which is near and at hand.
Amen.
