In the Gospel to day we listen to a story about two brothers who are both asked to work in the vineyard by their father. The first son says “Yes” he will go and work in the vineyard but he never does and the 2nd son says “No” he will not but then changes his mind and works in the vineyard.
Now, we don’t know what happened with the first brother that caused him to not work in the vineyard. It could be he never had any intention to work but said what he thought his father wanted him to say, or perhaps he was distracted by some other activity that caused him to neglect his obligation or forget it altogether.
The second brother obviously did not want to work and said so but it appears he had a change of heart and realized he had an obligation to the father, to the family, to do the right thing and work. Perhaps, too, he felt guilty and bad about his attitude and decided to make amends so that his father would not be angry or hurt.
This story is very much like all of us! Some of us feel right away that it is just too hard to follow God’s rules and so do not even pretend up front that we will obey them. Of those people some come around to realizing that God’s rules are good and are intended to protect and enrich our lives and make us a contributing member of the family and so we change our minds and attitudes and we obey God.
Others firmly stick to their refusal to follow the will of God. Some people have good intentions and want to do what is right but manage to fall off the path of righteousness here and there coming back again and again to the will of God. And, sadly, some people fall off the path and never find their way back.
God forgives our sins and our failures provided we come back with a penitent heart seeking his forgiveness for our transgressions. That is when God provides immediate forgiveness AND help for us to change our ways more permanently! God urges us to avoid sin because He knows how much sin hurts us and the people we love. Following God’s rules, even if they seem harsh, brings us into a closer relationship with Him. We to often ask ourselves “what is the LEAST I can do and still be saved?” This minimalist attitude is diminished the more and longer we remain in the presence of God!
The Psalm this week is Psalm 25: Remember Your Mercies O Lord MP3 Sample and Lead Sheet. NOTE: The music sample uses a different refrain - the correct refrain is on the lead sheet, "Remember your mercies O Lord"