By Todd Paetznick, June 6, 2024

Changing one’s mind and doing things differently is a strength in people’s vocations, spiritual, and personal lives. Changing circumstances require adaptation, and changing information necessitates new strategies.  Change is inevitable.  What we do when things change determines our level of success, which is ultimately based on God’s sovereign will.

In Thessalonica, the apostle Paul encountered people who outright rejected the gospel and anything different from what they had been previously taught.  They treated him poorly and drove him out of town.  In the book of Acts, the people of Berea were considered noble because, while they were initially skeptical of Paul’s message, they came to accept what he told them as the truth upon further investigation and biblical research.  The first group refused to change, whereas the second group eventually did.  Which group is more closely aligned with what God wanted them to do?  And which group of people are we more like?

There are many challenges to Christian beliefs in the Western world today.  What should we do when what we hear differs from what we believe?  How should we respond, if we respond at all?  Some people ignore anything they hear that is different from what they believe, hoping it will eventually disappear.  Some modern Christians get deceived by the celebrity status of people whose names they recognize and who may have a lot of social media followers.  Some are deceived by people with fancy degrees and titles from prestigious schools.  Some are deceived by so-called experts who may have had a book published.  Still, other people are influenced by what they hear from their family or friends; they want to conform to a way of thinking that ensures their continued inclusion and relationship.

Jesus was a teaching master. I am continually fascinated by His technique, which varies depending on His audience or the lesson He wants to deliver.  Following His triumphant arrival in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus taught about changing one’s mind.

“But what do you think?,” [Jesus  asked.]  “A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ “But [the first son] replied, ‘I do not want to.’ Yet afterward he regretted it and went. “And [the man] came to his second [son] and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I [will,] sir’; and [yet] he did not go. “Which of the two did the will of his father?” [The people Jesus was teaching] said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. “For John [the Baptist] came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing [this,] did not even have second thoughts afterward so as to believe him” (Matthew 21:28-32 NASB20).

Jesus started His lesson by asking his audience to judge the actions of the story’s characters.  This dynamic is important because it leaves no room for discussion or excuses. His audience must choose the morally right action. Interestingly, Jesus’ question was not about the sons’ actions but about the father’s will being accomplished.  “Which of the two [sons] did the will of the father?” (Matthew 21:31a).  

A modern judgment of the people in stories like this one told by Jesus comes with justifications for otherwise unacceptable behavior.  Justifications are how we choose to explain behavior some people consider unacceptable. The second son, despite saying he would do what his father wanted, did not work in the vineyard because [insert justification here]: he was tired from the work he had done the previous day, he was not feeling well, he had something else he wanted to do, he just didn’t want to do it, he felt slighted that he was asked second, he felt the other vineyard workers had previously treated him poorly.  Whatever the reason, there can always be a way to justify what we want, at least in our minds.

Jesus’ story was also not about what the father wanted to hear. The father likely wanted his sons to say they willingly agreed to work in the vineyard. However, their actions were more important than their words. The first son felt guilty, changed his mind, and did the work his father wanted done.  The answer to Jesus’ question was obvious to His audience, and it is likely obvious to us as well. We know that doing God’s will is more important than saying words we think God or others want to hear. What we do is more important than what we say.