Gospel Reflection on Matthew 21:28-32
September 27, 2026
““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 repented and went. And he went to the second 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 harlots 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 harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.
-----
Our culture is shaped by two basic drives.
The first is to follow your desires. This is often presented as a kind of a guiding principle. And we frequently hear how we should always do only the things that we really feel like doing. The irony here is that while we believe in pursuing our desires, in the long term we know this doesn't work. If we exclusively obey our whims and desires, we never make much progress in life or even achieve what we want. If we were to study only when we felt like it, we wouldn't learn very much. If people helped others when they felt like it, who would look after the sick or help those who are in need? If workers only went to work when they felt like it, who would contribute to the functioning of our world and how much work would actually get done? The truth is we often contradict our desire-based ethic when we want to earn a living, gain recognition, build a home, or buy something we want.
The second fundamental drive is the desire for immediate comfort. If we give in to this drive, we end up living a somewhat superficial life and never really come to know ourselves at any deep level. If we're always acting in accordance with our desires or serving our immediate needs, we remain stagnant, never making much progress. We live always as children. We're tempted in our culture to make idols of our desires, our instincts, our momentary inclinations. The world around us has its advocates, these high priests of spontaneity, individuals who advocate a complete fluidity of being, where one acts solely on their impulses. But if we look at the outcomes and consider the consequences of such approach, they tend to lead to stagnation, inconsistency, unreliability, Frankly, it's unworkable.
Jesus tells a story that focuses on these two drives, about the story of the two sons who are asked to go to the vineyard. It's interesting in the story that both sons in the story share the same inclination. They both don't want to go. The first son openly admits it, while the second pretends otherwise. But in reality, he doesn't want to go either. The second son deceives his father, but the deeper deception is internal. He deceives himself. By avoiding the turmoil of confronting his father, he also avoids the challenge of facing up to his own desires. His compliance is superficial. The other son, by voicing the truth, allowing his desires to surface, and then perhaps in the face of his father, in the face of the villagers who had an interest in this conversation, he sees who he truly is.
In Gethsemane, Jesus experiences the conflict of the sons: 'Father, let this cut pass me by.' He allows himself to hear the temptation, but in the end says, 'not my will, but yours.'
True growth occurs when we transcend our individual wills. If we treat God as a personal chaplain whose duty is to our will, then we end up living mediocre lives. God is not a facilitator who exists to bless our wishes. We need to learn to see where our self-centeredness lies and develop a pattern of scrutinizing and even challenging our own desires. That is where true transformation and growth occur in the spiritual journey.
---
Comments