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.
The peace of the Lord be with you.
It’s no surprise to any of us who have lived for more than 15 minutes that change is hard. Jesus points out today that new evidence often enters into our awareness and we should reassess our situation based on some of that new information. Granted, we cannot take all information at face value — we need to use some degree of intellect and discernment. If we believe that we are people who are being transformed, we must be open to new information, as that’s probably what is going to change us and help us move along the path of salvation.
Today, may we be open to new things, new opinions, new ways of seeing things, and — weigh them carefully so that we may advance in the ways that God is helping us to grow.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.