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After Jesus completely disrupts religious operations in the temple by whipping the moneychangers, tipping over their tables and chasing people out of “his Father’s house of prayer,” he has now come back the next day to teach the people. Of course, the religious leaders surround him and begin to question his authority. Because these rulers are “afraid of the crowd” (fear political pressure) they play dumb to Jesus’ question about the authority of John the Baptist, who led a subversive baptism into God’s kingdom apart from religion. So now, with the people surrounding him, Jesus tells three parables prior to Religion conspiring with the State to kill him. The first one we will look at today.

²⁸ “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ ²⁹ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go.³¹ Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. ³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.” (Matthew 21:28-32)

In the movie “Jesus of Nazareth” this parable is so well contextualized because it shows Jesus asking the parable to children (mikron–little ones, the unknowers) and that follows well with the text. Regardless, the parable on its surface is about as basic as it can be, but its implication is not. Furthermore, making a modern application of this parable requires nuance.

In the same way a children’s movie includes humor or references for adults, so this parable, regardless of the audience, has a message intended for the leaders of religion. The application then must include all pastors, priests, imams, gurus, and teachers, and cannot be viewed as an anti-semetic jab, as if the institution of the Christian religion would somehow be exempt from Christ’s admonishment.

The simple question, juxtaposed in a binary scenario is: which son actually accomplished the will of their father? The one who gave lip service to working in the vineyard, or the one who on the surface appeared disobedient? So let’s pull this apart a little.

There is no Church, Temple, Mosque, Ashram, or religious order which doesn’t separate innies and outies, worthy and unworthy. Each religion, be it mainline or the HOA, has inclusion and exclusion criteria, and differentiates between the sacred and the secular. The more trained we become of what is expected of us by institutional authority, the easier it is to go through the motions, to gain favor from the leaders for compliance, and adapt to the life of the insider. The outsider, who knows nothing of the tradition, rules, or expectations will clearly stand out. Jesus’ question is geared solely based on who does the will of God, not who appears to do the will of God.

When Jesus tells religion that “Tax collectors and prostitutes (proágo-go prior, of in front, brought forward) into the Kingdom of God,” he is telling them, that they actually do not know God and His will despite claiming to be the expert. Isn’t all the pomp, performance, ritual, practices, dress, or the posture all supposed to be ordained because those in charge know what God wants? Jesus is saying, God wants something different, something that an outsider, the most hated and despised people in the community actually possess….humility.

The outsider who can’t fake it, must check their heart (inner self), and knowing their sinful lifestyle, they recognize they are probably on the wrong side of righteousness. It’s the outsider who has honest self-assessment as a sinner. Remember, these outsiders followed John the Baptist’s invitation to come and be baptized (get all in) on the arrival of God’s kingdom (here and now) and be forgiven for sins, outside of religion. These accessed God, not by a sanctioned priest, not by an approved ritual, but by a homeless man who bypassed religion and showed “all comers” (ethnoi/ethan-nations or heathens) that they too can bypass religion and possess God. Jesus is telling the wider audience, many of whom are outsiders, along with the pious insiders, that the religion doesn’t get us to God, humble unknowing (mikron), and honest self-assessment before God does.

This passage also tells us that the (ódoi dikaiosùnes-way,path, journey to put things right with God, doing right) is not believed by religion, and that’s the problem. It’s not that religion is in itself bad, it’s not. Religion provides helpful structures and processes which help people to keep a soft heart before God, and when it does that, it is as good as it can be. But religion also has a way of excluding others, and when it does so, it likes to think it does so on the same basis that God would do, but this verse is proving it doesn’t. The criteria for God is within the heart (inner self) of a person:

“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lordlooks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

This parable reflects the difference in the heart of the son that “changed his mind” (metamélomai-feel sad about, change one’s mind). He started out with the plan of doing his own will, but then thought better of it, he felt bad for not honoring the will of his Father, and then went. The religious person felt good about themselves for paying lip service, but never changed their mind.

The Easter story is an invitation for all of us to change our minds. It makes no difference if we are outside of religion or deeply entrenched in any of them, the invitation of God is to “check our heart” (inner self). Sit still with reality and the request of God to go and serve within the “vineyard” (God’s people). If we are unwilling to enter the world and our work with a disposition of humble service, not for our sake, but for Gods, then no matter what religion, or irreligion to which we subscribe, the end result will be to watch others enter the Kingdom of God before we get to go in.

Next week Jesus will teach the religious that the Kingdom of God is going to be taken from them, meaning they will loose sight of it and its power. Clearly, the typical way to understand God and His kingdom are not correct. May we possess the humility of the outsider, so that we can love God and enter his present Kingdom and possess God forever.