The Son Who Changed His Mind and Went

Matthew places Jesus in the temple, where the chief priests question the authority behind his actions. Jesus answers their question with a question about John’s baptism: did it come from heaven, or was it merely human? The leaders cannot answer honestly because their concern is not truth but protecting themselves. Their refusal to recognize John exposes their refusal to recognize the One to whom John pointed.

Jesus then gives the picture of two sons sent into the vineyard. The first son says no, yet later changes his mind and goes. The second son says yes, yet never obeys. The first son does the father’s will, and that is the point. God is not looking for the right religious answer on the lips. God looks for hearts that turn around and actually go into the vineyard.

Jesus says that sinners who believed John are closer to the kingdom than religious leaders who would not repent. The issue is not that sin does not matter. The issue is that repentance matters. Tax collectors and sinners heard John, changed their minds, and believed. The leaders saw changed lives right in front of them, but still would not change their minds.

The creed and confession put that same truth into plain words: God is kind and gentle, people are sorry for what they have done and left undone, and God loves, forgives, and helps them. God’s mercy is not permission to stay the same. God’s mercy gives grace for following him.

The table carries that grace into the life of the church. God created all things, called a wandering people back through prophets and sages, and sent his Son to open the way of freedom and peace. Christ gives his body and blood for forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit makes God’s people one body in him.

The prayer after communion asks God to deliver his people from coming for solace only and not for strength, for pardon only and not for renewal. Christ meets his people in the breaking of the bread, nourishes body and soul, and sends them into the world with strength, courage, and hope to love and serve him. The vineyard remains open, and the Father still calls his children to go.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Repentance means changing direction Jesus makes clear that a late yes can be real when it becomes obedience. The first son’s earlier refusal does not define his final response, because he changes his mind and goes to work. God receives repentance that moves from words into a changed life. [16:44]
• 2. Religious words can hide unbelief The second son says exactly what a father wants to hear, but he never enters the vineyard. Religious language can become a way of appearing faithful while avoiding the Father’s will. Jesus presses beyond public agreement to actual obedience. [17:08]
• 3. Mercy calls people into renewal God’s forgiveness is not merely comfort for guilty hearts. The prayer at the table asks for more than pardon, asking for strength and renewal. Grace restores people so that they can serve the world in Christ’s name. [41:23]
• 4. Christ feeds people for God’s work The bread and cup proclaim Christ’s death and resurrection until he comes. Holy communion nourishes body and soul because God intends his people to leave the table changed. Christ gives spiritual food and then sends his people out to make all things new.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [07:01] - Opening Prayer
• [08:52] - Gospel Reading
• [16:01] - Jesus Questions the Leaders
• [16:23] - The Two Sons in the Vineyard
• [17:08] - Repentance and the Kingdom
• [28:14] - Children’s Creed and Confession
• [30:48] - Parish Announcements
• [38:15] - Eucharistic Prayer
• [41:23] - Strength, Pardon, and Renewal
• [43:23] - Communion
• [55:10] - Sending Prayer and Blessing

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.” [16:41]

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.” [15:44]

1 Corinthians 11:26
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” [41:23]

Observation questions

1. What question do the chief priests and elders ask Jesus in the temple, and what question does Jesus ask them in return? [16:01]
2. What reasons do the leaders give for refusing to answer Jesus’ question about John’s baptism? [16:10]
3. How do the two sons respond differently to their father’s request, and which son ultimately does the father’s will? [16:41]
4. What had the religious leaders seen in the lives of tax collectors and sinners, yet still refused to do? [17:08]

Interpretation questions

1. Why does Jesus connect the leaders’ unwillingness to answer honestly about John with their inability to recognize Jesus’ authority?
2. What does the first son’s change of mind show about repentance, especially for someone whose first response to God has been “no”? [16:44]
3. Why is the second son’s respectful answer not enough, and what warning does this give about using religious words without following through in obedience? [16:51]
4. The communion prayer asks not to come for pardon only, but also for renewal. How does this reflect the kind of repentance Jesus describes in the parable? [41:42]

Application questions

1. Are there areas where it is easy to give God the right answer outwardly while putting off actual obedience? What might “going into the vineyard” look like in one of those areas this week? [16:51]
2. When have you initially resisted something you sensed God was asking of you, but later changed direction? What helped you move from reluctance to obedience? [16:44]
3. The leaders were more concerned about the consequences of their answer than about telling the truth. When can fear of people, reputation, or inconvenience keep you from being honest with God or others? [16:10]
4. Repentance includes being sorry for what has been done and left undone, then seeking to love and follow God. Is there something left undone—a person to serve, a wrong to make right, or a step of faith to take—that God may be bringing to your attention? [29:55]
5. God’s forgiveness is not only comfort for guilt; it is strength for a renewed life. Where do you need to receive Christ’s mercy and also ask for strength to change? [41:42]
6. Christ nourishes his people and sends them into the world with courage and hope to love and serve. How can this group encourage one another to carry Christ’s love into a specific need at home, work, school, or the community this week? [55:10]