Lent Meditation - Wed 3/4

Matthew 21:28-32, NLT

“But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go. 31 “Which of the two obeyed his father?” They replied, “The first.” Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.

I’m most like the older son. My first tendency is to react (rebellion is one of my issues). I’ve learned how to wait, think, pray, and seek input from mentors and friends. So, now I’m more responsive. I re-turn and, in the end, I usually make it to the “vineyard.”

Here’s another verse that helps us think about re-turning: God’s kindness leads us toward repentance (Romans 2:4).

It is not repentance that saves me; repentance is the sign that I realize what God has done in Christ Jesus. --Oswald Chambers

There is no justification without sanctification, no forgiveness without renewal of life, no real faith from which the fruits of new obedience do not grow. --Martin Luther

God is good.