It’s Not Too Late to Work in the Vineyard

Matthew’s account opens with the chief priests and elders asking Jesus, “By what authority are you doing these things?” Their question sounds like a demand for credentials: Who ordained you? Who authorized you? What gives you the right? Jesus refuses to play their game. His answer turns the spotlight back on the people who thought they had the authority all settled.

The call to ministry can come in ways that do not fit anybody’s credentialing system. A phone call made almost out of the blue, a desire to volunteer, years spent serving young people, mission camps, communion, and eventually full time ministry can show that God gives people time to recognize what God is doing. Authority in Christ is not mainly the ability to control other people. Authority shows up when work done in Christ’s name brings healing, reconciliation, and signs of God’s kingdom.

Jesus’ parable of the two sons puts that authority to the test. The first son says, “Not gonna do it,” but later changes his mind and goes into the vineyard. The second son says the right thing, “I go, sir,” but never leaves his room. The vineyard represents God’s work in the world, and the question is not which son sounded more religious. The question is which son did the will of his father.

John the baptizer called people toward righteousness, repentance, and a changed life. People whom the religious establishment regarded as outsiders, people of low character and questionable morals, heard John’s call and turned around. The chief priests and elders heard the same call, saw the response, and still did not change their minds. Their authority became a way to control religion rather than a way to work in God’s vineyard.

The first son is not called good because he first said no. His hope is found in what happened after the no. He repented. He regretted it. He thought better of it. He changed his mind. God is patient with that kind of turning. God gives people time to grow into the things God calls them to do, and repentance is always graciously received.

God’s vineyard still needs tending because the world is broken. The call reaches into questions of voice, voting, injustice, reconciliation, forgiveness, and ministries that receive a verbal yes but no actual work. God’s question remains plain: What is God asking people to do in the vineyard today, in this time, in this moment? It is not too late to go in the name of Christ.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Authority serves healing, not control Christ’s authority does not rest on a title, a credential, or the power to keep others in their place. God’s authorization becomes visible where wounded relationships are repaired and where people are empowered to serve. Authority that merely protects status can miss the actual work of God’s kingdom. [45:28]
• 2. A changed mind can become repentance The first son’s first answer was a real no, but it was not his final answer. Repentance is more than feeling bad about a refusal; it is a change of direction that eventually gets into the vineyard. God’s patience makes room for delayed obedience without calling disobedience harmless. [52:52]
• 3. Religious words require faithful action The second son knew how to sound respectful, but his promise never became obedience. A yes spoken in worship, prayer, or public devotion must eventually take shape in actual service. God’s vineyard is not tended by good intentions left sitting in the room. [51:52]
• 4. God’s vineyard needs tending now Brokenness in the world is not only something to observe from a distance. Injustice, fractured relationships, and the common good place real work before God’s people. The call may begin with one honest question: where has God been asking for a yes that has not yet become action?
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [35:27] - Jesus Questioned About Authority
• [41:01] - An Unexpected Call to Ministry
• [42:31] - Credentials and Ministry Authority
• [44:27] - Who Gave Jesus Authority?
• [45:07] - Authority That Brings Healing
• [46:27] - The Parable of Two Sons
• [48:04] - The Vineyard and God’s Work
• [49:38] - John’s Call to Repentance
• [50:38] - Outsiders Who Changed Direction
• [51:29] - Saying Yes but Not Going
• [52:29] - The Grace of Changing Your Mind
• [54:39] - God’s Vineyard Needs Tending
• [55:22] - Questions for the Vineyard
• [56:15] - It Is Not Too Late to Go

Bible Reading

Matthew 21:28-32
“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.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. 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. 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.” [46:37]

Matthew 21:23-27
“And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?" And they discussed it among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'From man,' we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet." So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” [40:48]

John 15:1
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” [48:17]

Observation questions

1. What question do the chief priests and elders ask Jesus, and how does Jesus redirect the conversation in Matthew 21:23–27? [44:31]
2. In the parable, what does each son say to his father, and what does each son eventually do?
3. What does Jesus say happened when John the Baptist called people to righteousness? Who responded, and who did not change their minds? [49:38]
4. What examples are given of work that needs tending in God’s vineyard today, including both personal relationships and the wider community? [55:34]

Interpretation questions

1. Why might Jesus’ response to the religious leaders’ question about authority expose the difference between protecting religious status and doing God’s work?
2. The first son’s change of mind is described as repentance, regret, or thinking better of his decision. What makes his change more than simply feeling sorry? [52:52]
3. Why does Jesus place the religious leaders alongside people they considered outsiders? What does this reveal about who can respond to God’s call?
4. If Christlike authority is shown through healing and reconciliation rather than control, what might that change about how a person understands leadership in the church, home, workplace, or community? [45:28]

Application questions

1. Is there an area of discipleship, service, reconciliation, or justice where you have once said “no,” but your heart is beginning to change? What could a genuine next step into the vineyard look like? [53:34]
2. Where might you be tempted to give a respectful verbal “yes” to God while putting off the actual work? What is one concrete action that could turn that yes into obedience this week? [56:14]
3. Think about the authority or influence you have—whether through a role, experience, age, resources, or relationships. How can you use it to empower someone else rather than control or dismiss them? [44:14]
4. Is there a strained relationship in which forgiveness, a conversation, an apology, or another act of reconciliation is needed? What would it mean to take one faithful step toward healing? [56:05]
5. What brokenness in your community most weighs on your heart right now? How might you use your voice, your vote, your time, or your resources for the common good? [55:43]
6. God is patient and gives people time to grow into their calling. Where do you need to receive that patience for yourself, while still refusing to let delay become an excuse not to act? [53:53]