Which of the Two Did the Will of His Father? a sermon based on Matthew 21: 23-32 preached on September 27, 2026

The first Mark Twain quote I can remember learning was written on the wall of the restroom at Mary Mac’s: “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” A Mark Twain quote from one of the first episodes of this new season of Ted Lasso is, “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.” I like that, and that’s the one that comes to mind as we consider this parable from the Gospel of Matthew that we’ve just read. “A man had two sons,” Jesus says. “He went to the first son and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ This first son answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second son and said the same. “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” This second son said, ‘I will go, sir,’ but he didn’t. Jesus asks: “Which of the two did the will of his father?” The one who did but at first refused or the one who agreed to go but never went? Which of the two did the will of the father? This is an important question for us to ask ourselves and each other because actions speak louder than words, and so, whenever I’m home later than I told her I would be, my wife, Sara, has grown tired of my apologies and excuses and has started saying, “Your actions speak so loudly that I can’t even hear what you’re saying.” Which of the two did the will of the father? Some people rise to fame through performance without substance. Many an election campaign has been built on appearing important in front of the cameras without delivering on the promises. But which of the two did the will of the father? Which will not just make a promise but will deliver on the promise? We must ask ourselves and our politicians such questions, just as Jesus asks this question of the chief priests and the elders of the people. Which of the two did the will of the father? The chief priests and the elders were the leaders of honorable society. They set the standard. Mothers hoped that their children would grow up to be like them, and not like the tax collectors and prostitutes, who set the standards for what it meant to fall from grace, yet Jesus says to the chief priests and the elders, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.” Why? Because continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. Because it is better to repent and to follow Jesus than it is to walk through the marketplaces in flowing robes. It is better to kneel before the Savior asking for forgiveness than it is to pray on the street corners loudly for all to hear. My friends, it is better to start improving today. It is better to begin your new life now. It is better to repent, to confess, to face your faults than it is to maintain the appearance of perfection, yet where to begin? Last week, we went to the beach. We drove to Folly Beach in South Carolina, to be more precise. Folly Beach is one of the best beaches to visit in my opinion because it’s a little bit rough around the edges. Not all the old beach houses on Folly Beach have been replaced by shiny new beach mansions. We stayed in a house right on the marsh, two blocks from the ocean. My daughter Cece and I rented surf boards. We all drove into Charleston and shopped on King Street. We ate seafood at Hyman’s. We had a wonderful time, and the house we stayed in was part of what made it so wonderful. Like every house we’ve ever rented at the beach, there was a shelf with a random assortment of books that had once been wet and a stack of jigsaw puzzles, sure to be missing a few pieces. Do you know the feeling of holding a box containing 1,000 puzzle pieces in your hands, trying to decide whether to dump it out and to get started putting it together? It reminds me of standing on the dock, trying to decide to jump. The puzzle I picked up was an assortment of movie posters, musicals to be precise. I got excited about this puzzle because this house even had what was certainly a puzzle table on the sun porch. Taken in by the idea of completing a puzzle with my family, I dumped all 1,000 pieces out on the top of the puzzle table and immediately regretted it. Do you know the feeling? 1,000 pieces is so many pieces. There’s a small feeling of panic that always washes over me when I first dump out the 1,000 pieces of a puzzle. None of the pieces on their own appear to be much of anything. “Why did I dump all these out?” I asked myself. “I’m supposed to be relaxing on this vacation, and now look what I’ve done. I’ve given myself a project.” “Where do I even start?” I started with a deep breath to calm my nerves, then with the edges, obviously, and I filled in from there. To begin a 1,000-piece puzzle is just like beginning anything else. At first, it’s overwhelming. At first, you feel uncertain of where to begin. You must ignore the voice inside your head that whispers, “You’re never going to finish,” and the temptation to look around at others thinking, “They’re so much further ahead than I am” because whether it’s putting together a puzzle, applying for a job, or starting a new life after a divorce, “continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.” No one starts anything already a master. No one begins a journey without an overwhelmed feeling in the pit of her stomach. We all walk out onto the water and feel that sinking sensation. We all fear failing, yet it is far better to begin than it is to stay the same, and we must celebrate those who have the courage to start a new journey. You may have heard it said before that the members of the AA groups who meet in the basements of churches are a step ahead of those of us who sit in pews, for they live repentance. They already know so deeply their need for a Savior. While those of us in our Sunday morning finery, we cover our brokenness in robes and pressed dresses, yet which of the two did the will of the father? Was it the one who went to the vineyard or the one who promised he would but never did? There’s a beautiful story told by an old preacher named Louie Giglio. He was traveling for a conference and went into a diner late at night. It was a diner on the wrong side of town. That didn’t matter to him. He was hungry, and he sat down and ordered a slice of apple pie and a cup of coffee. While he was there, a group of women sat down nearby. They were dressed as those women who make their livings on the wrong side of town late at night often dress, and as they talked, he heard one of them say, “Tomorrow is my birthday”. No one made a fuss over the birthday announcement, but the preacher noticed. He asked the owner of the diner if those ladies often came in at this time of night. The owner said they did. Would they come in tomorrow night? The owner said they would. Would it be ok to bring the lady a birthday cake? The owner said it would be fine and that he’d be glad to put up some streamers and things, so the plan came together. The next night, the diner was decorated when the group of ladies came in. As the preacher brought in the birthday cake, everyone sang. Without blowing out the candles, the birthday girl looked at the cake and said, “I’ve never had a birthday cake before,” That was the moment the owner looked at the preacher and asked, “Who are you, anyway?” The preacher said, “I’m a preacher.” “At a church?” the owner asked. “Yes, at a church,” the preacher said. “What kind of a church is it?” the owner asked. “The kind that welcomes all God’s children, even the tax collectors and prostitutes,” the preacher said.” The owner said, “I don’t believe it. If there was such a thing as a church like that, I’d go, but I don’t believe it exists.” If the diner owner had ever come into this church, would he have believed it? My friends, let this church be a place where continuous improvement is always celebrated. Where all God’s people are welcomed with open arms. Where no one need ask, “Which one did the will of the father, for by our actions, by our love, they will know who we are and Whom we follow. May we do the will of the Father, and may the world know that we are Christians by our love. Amen.