Proper 21 (Wednesday 2023)

Which of the Sons Are You?

What is God like? Last week's readings showed that God is not fair, but gracious. Today the church is reminded that the grace of God does not give us license to sin. God doesn't want mere lip service but a broken and contrite heart that turns from sin and does the will of our Father. He is calling us to repentance; calling us to change our minds.

We are used to people changing their minds. We elect politicians based on promises made, only to find out that their is a big difference between promises made and promises kept.

A man and a woman get married promising their faithfulness to the other, only to have one party change their mind in becoming united to another.

Today's first reading from Ezekiel sounds God’s heartfelt warning. “Why will you die, Israel? Turn. Event. Live.” To turn, as the Prophet beckons, means REPENT — that is, Change Your Mind. Scripture is constantly calling on sinners to bring to God the sacrifice of a broken heart now, that their heart may know nothing but joy when Jesus comes again.

God wants all sinners to change their minds when it comes to following Him and his Kingdom. So much so, that He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to live life under the law and to die for us, who are constantly breaking God’s Law. Because of Jesus’ resurrection God enables us to Change our Mind and live for Him in true obedience and confess with gladness that Jesus is Lord.

WE MAY BE DOUBLE-MINDED, BUT JESUS WILL NEVER CHANGE HIS MIND.

A Change of Mind

Two sons in the parable — both were double-minded; both changed their minds.

The father asked something very simple of his son. He asked him to go and work in his vineyard. It was like any other chore. Please clean your room, take out the garbage, walk the dog. Fathers ask their children to do things all the time. But when the father asked the son to go and work in the vineyard, the son said no. He didn't want to do any chores. Later, though, the son felt bad. His father really wasn't asking too much. So he changed his mind and did his chores in the vineyard.

The father had another son. He also asked this son to go and work in the vineyard. The son said, “Sure, Dad, I’ll go.” The father smiled, patted the son on the head, and went away grateful that at least one of his boys listened to him. Unfortunately, this son also changed his mind. He thought about working in the vineyard all day-the dirt, the hot sun-and he said, “Forget it! I don't want to do that!” Two sons. One said no, but then changed his mind. The other said yes, but then changed his mind.

WE'RE DOUBLE-MINDED, BUT JESUS WILL NEVER CHANGE HIS MIND.

Even Christians Change their Mind

Even as Christians (especially as Christians!), we're also double-minded, often changing our minds about obeying God.

Every day we make decisions. And every day we change our minds, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. A sixth grader was once very nervous about an upcoming science test. So that morning a few ink-sketched notes just happened to appear on her palm-quite magically. Then... she thinks about what her mom would say and starts to have a change of heart. Her plan was to cheat, to take the easy way out. But she changed her mind. Every day we're faced with decisions like this. We make countless decisions about how faithful we're going to be to God. Every day we're faced with the dilemma of how much we're going to allow Jesus to shape how we act toward others. As Christians, what choices are we going to make? We fight against the temptation, but often we flirt with it. Sometimes we say yes, sometimes we say no. And sometimes we do change our minds – sometimes for the better, but often for the worse.

We know what it was like for that first son. He said no. He knew what his father wanted, and he willingly went against his father. He may even have enjoyed saying no. It may have given him a sense of independence. But later on he thought about his no. This was his father. As much as he didn't want to do the work or didn't want to obey his father, the son remembered all his father had done for him, and he changed his mind. So did the other son. Both changed their minds. Each made a decision, each thought about it, and then each changed his mind.

As Christians, we know what it's like to change our minds. Christians probably change their minds the most in this world. We really do. Our Father in heaven has asked all of us to go and live Christian lives in this world. He's asked you to be holy in an unholy world. He's asked you to be a reflection of his Son to everyone you meet every day. God has asked you to be the mirror image of his Son while you're at home, at work, at play – and Fathers, God has called you to be the priest of your home. And we say, “Yes, Father, I'll do as you ask. Sure, I'll let your Son be reflected in my face to all people I see. “But then, five minutes after walking out of this church, husbands and wives are fighting just like always. Our renewed zeal to be faithful Christians blows away the second the outside air touches us. Our thoughts race to fill sinful desires before our feet even step out of the car when we get home. “Sure, God, I'll do what you ask. I'll be faithful to you." But God should never hold his breath too long when it comes to our keeping promises.

Our Father in heaven asks us to do hard things. He asks us to be perfect in an imperfect world. He asks us to go and be the image of Jesus when we don't even like what we see in the mirror when we wake up. And men, Jesus has told us that we are the priest of our home, being a godly example for our wives and children. God has asked us – Yes, us! – to be his ambassadors in this world. He asks a lot. God demands a lot. And, will hold us accountable. For example, Holy Scripture tells us that we will be judged more strictly (James 3:1-12).

WE'RE DOUBLE-MINDED, BUT JESUS WILL NEVER CHANGE HIS MIND.

Jesus Never Changed His Mind

Jesus knows what it's like for us to struggle with what God the Father asks. In eternity, God the Father spoke to his Son and said, “Son, I love you. But I have a very hard chore for you to do. I need you to go to work today, to go to earth. I need you to take on flesh and blood. I need you to live with sinful people. I need you to heal, preach, and crowned by thorns, and, Son I'm so sorry to ask this of you but I need you to die in their place. Will you do this for me?" Even though this job was so terrible, Jesus looked at his Father and said, “Yes, Father, I will do it.” What God asked was hard, no doubt about it, and Jesus wrestled with it; he struggled. But he never changed his mind. He stuck with what God asked him to do because Jesus knows us. He knows we will always change our minds. He knows we'll never be able to do perfectly what our heavenly Father asks.

WE'RE DOUBLE-MINDED, BUT JESUS WILL NEVER CHANGE HIS MIND.

Jesus Will Strengthen Us

God knows we're going to change our minds. Sometimes we'll be like the first son who said no but then did the right thing. Sometimes we'll be like the second son who said yes but then did the wrong thing. At times we will find ourselves with answers written on our palms. At times we will find ourselves looking at men or women who are not our husbands or wives. We'll find ourselves putting the wrong numbers on tax forms. We'll find ourselves knowing what's right in God's eyes and knowing we're doing the exact opposite. It will happen. It will happen. It will happen.

We're always going to be changing our minds – some-times for good, sometimes for bad. But we're never alone. We've been baptized into Jesus. We see through his eyes the determination to do our Father’s will, even to death. Every day when we're faced with the struggle of what to do, we'll have Jesus there saying, “Remember me. Remember what I did for you on the cross. You don't have to make the wrong choices anymore. I am your strength. Don't be afraid to give up old ways for me. Don't be afraid to give up your love of sinning for a new love in me. My body and blood will strengthen you; the new life I've poured over you in Baptism will refresh you. Every day when we're faced with the choice to do our heavenly Father's will, our brother Jesus is with us, reminding us that he's already done for us everything the Father asked.

It will happen.

WE'RE DOUBLE-MINDED, BUT JESUS WILL NEVER CHANGE HIS MIND.

Jesus Will Never Change His Mind About Us

Even though we'll change our minds, Jesus will hold onto us and always say yes to the Father for us. He will never change his mind. He will never change his mind about saving us. He will never change his mind about for-giving us. And he will never, ever change his mind about raising us from the dead. “Yes, Father, I have done what you asked, and I will continue to do your will. I will never change my mind.“

Yes,

WE'RE DOUBLE-MINDED, BUT JESUS WILL NEVER CHANGE HIS MIND.

How good for us to know that. How good for us, who change our minds at the drop of a hat, to know that one man won't change his mind. Jesus will never change his mind about us.

Amen.

WE'RE DOUBLE-MINDED, BUT JESUS WILL NEVER CHANGE HIS MIND.