Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:

“What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 

The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. 

The man came to the other son and gave the same order. 

He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. 

Which of the two did his father’s will?” 

They answered, “The first.” 

Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

Matthew 21:28-32

Growing up on a farm in northern Minnesota with one brother, I have to say that this passage resonates with me quite a bit! While I like to think that I would always both affirm and follow-through with my Dad’s directions to “work in the vineyard”, I think I acted as the second brother more than I would like to admit.

This passage makes me think of all of the times that I act as the second brother. Through baptism and participation in the life of the Church I have given an enthusiastic “YES!” To God, yet upon reflection I see all the places where I have fallen short. Do I spend a lot of time praying in Church but not doing enough loving outside of it? Am I critical and condescending to those who I don’t see as very moral? Do I live my life in a way that others can visibly see Christ’s love through me?

The Chief Priests and Elders knew the law well, but Jesus affirms that when John came to them “in the way of righteousness” they did not believe him, yet the tax collectors and prostitutes— those on the margins of society— accepted the message and are entering the Kingdom of God before them. In Jesus’s own words, those who were seen as the most sinful in their society are entering the Kingdom of God first. It is hard for me (and many others, I’m sure!) to wrap my head around what this means, but we know that it flips the narrative into something unexpected that we need to grapple with.

Thankfully it is never too late to change our minds, get up, and work in the vineyard.