I was working outside yesterday when I remembered something that happened over 30 years ago. It was early on a Saturday morning, and we had been out late attending a High School football game and a party after the night before. That afternoon we had an event at our church camp on Lake Texoma. I was trying to sleep in, but the phone rang around 7:30 a.m.  One of the members of my congregation, and a dear friend, was going out to the camp early to start getting things ready, but his vehicle broke down a few miles away from the camp.  He asked me what time I was going to be coming out to the camp. In my not-quite-awake sleep stupor I told him I wasn’t going to be heading that way until midafternoon. He said, “Okay” and hung up the phone. I rolled over and was about to try to go back to sleep when Cheryl asked me who had called. I told her, and she said, “What?” At that instant, I woke up and realized that I had just failed my friend. I was ashamed.  I got up, got dressed, and headed out the door. Thirty minutes later I found him on the side of the road next to his old pickup, and we resolved the issue.

On the drive up there, I thought of the Parable of the Two Sons.

Matthew 21:28–32 ²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ²⁹ “ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. ³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Neither son was without sin. The one who refused to work, but relented and went anyway, ended up doing the will of His father. The Greek word translated here as “changed his mind” has a connotation of remorse. He realized he had done wrong in telling the father he would not work, so he did what he was asked to do.

That was me that early Saturday morning. I had remorse for not agreeing to help my friend right away. I knew I was wrong and changed my behavior.

Jesus commends the tax collectors and prostitutes – known “Sinners” – for listening to John the Baptizer’s message, turning from their sins, repenting, and getting ready for the Messiah. That is what we are all called to do: admit our sin, turn away from it and toward the Father, and live the way He asks us to live. We do this because we know that Jesus has already saved us from all sin. He took our punishment, paid our penalty, satisfied God’s judgment, and gives us life eternal. Our response to this Good News should be to live in a way that shows Him how grateful we are.

I’m still trying to do that in my life.