21/9/26
Egbert and Fr. David
The usual path for the aspiring preacher for today’s little parable of the two sons is, I think, as follows.
Dad has two sons. One is devious and disobedient, and on our grumpy day we would call him a bare-faced liar. He says he will go and work in the vineyard but does not. The other is more honest and says a polite, or not-so-polite, ‘No thanks, it’s too hot, the work is tedious and boring, and you don’t pay according to the standard minimum wage, let alone any overtime I do.’
Later he thinks all that was probably a bit harsh and Dad probably did catch him at an awkward moment. So he quietly, unobtrusively slinks off to the vineyard and just gets on and does it.
Then our fearless preacher would point out that even when we grumble about doing God’s will, it’s better than telling fibs and not doing it at all. A change of heart, a reorientation to God’s will and doing what He asks, even if we have been wicked and mischievous, is better than hypocrisy. Thus, tax collectors and prostitutes, even though they might live on the seedy side of life, will make it into heaven before those who are full of their own self-entitlement and self-righteousness. My pet theory is that there will be many such people waiting to greet me when I get to the other side and what an entertaining group of people they will be.
Of course it’s better still if you can always say ‘Yes’ and always do it with a completely joyful and gleeful attitude; but few can achieve that and none can sustain that emotion perpetually. We all have our grizzly and glum days. Don’t take yourself too seriously and just get on and always try to give it your best shot. Reorientation and conversion are an ongoing process and God’s will is not always palatable, glitzy and glamorous.
But when preaching about this parable, not a lot is said about the third person in the parable, and that is the Dad.
In my opinion, the Father is just as vital to the story as the two sons.
Here’s why.
The father knows his sons very well. He’s watched them grow and burgeon and develop over the years. He knows their gifts and their foibles. For all this, he makes a conscious decision each and every year to go and work in his vineyard. The vineyard is his livelihood, his sustenance. It’s his business, and ultimately it is what puts food on his table at night.
So to ask the sons to go and work in the vineyard is a risk. What if they muck up the harvest? What if they don’t prune the vines in the right way? What if they eat more than they harvest? When the Master sends out his sons into the vineyard, it makes Him vulnerable, as love always is.
And to push the parable even further than I should, try this hoodie on for size.
What if this is not the first time that Dad has asked his sons to go and work in the vineyard? Is it not possible that he knows jolly well that Son number 1, let’s call him Fr. David, will lie to his face and say one thing and go off and play his Nintendo Switch all afternoon whilst quaffing refreshing beverages and sampling Stilton cheese.
And with son number 2, let's call him Egbert, Dad knows that there is a chance that ultimately, eventually he might finish up in the vineyard testily doing the right thing even if his heart is not in it.
What if, for the last umpteen years, at every harvest, this has been the pattern of things for this winemaker and his sons? And what if every year, Dad still asks, still puts his livelihood and the vineyard’s reputation on the line, and he knows that frequently, his sons will let him down. But he will never give up on them; he will continue to ask, and the invitation will always be there. The good news of this parable is Our Loving heavenly Father’s unending love. The invitation with no use-by date to go and reap a reward in the vineyard that is tricky and rocky, but utterly inexhaustible in its mysteries and joys.
One last thing to ponder. There is an echo of today’s parable with the story of the prodigal son. Dad and two sons. One who stays at home and is self-entitled about his inheritance. The other is a ratbag who nicks off and squanders his inheritance. Both parables have a dad and two sons. Both contrast one son against the other. But the most important thing that links them is the uninterrupted and burning desire that the Father has for his sons. He craves intimacy and relationship with the two sons. He craves intimacy and relationship with all his children. He craves intimacy and relationship with you and me. He always has done, and he always will forever and ever. Amen.