3M Reflection & Hymn - Into the Vineyard (Matthew 21: 28-32)

Into the Vineyard - Matthew 21: 28-32
3rd Week Advent, Tuesday

0:00 Begin
2:36 Hymn

A reflection on Matthew 21: 28-32.

Here Jesus offers a short but unsettling parable. A father asks his two sons to work in the vineyard. One refuses outright but later changes his mind and goes. The other agrees politely yet never follows through. Jesus’ question is simple: Which one did the father’s will? The answer exposes an uncomfortable truth—obedience is shown not in words, but in action.
This parable is directed at the chief priests and elders, those confident in their religious standing. They say all the right things. They know the language of faith. Yet they refuse to respond to God’s call when it demands real change. In contrast, tax collectors and prostitutes—those publicly dismissed as failures—recognise their need, repent, and act. Their lives are transformed not by appearance, but by conversion of heart.

Jesus is not praising rebellion, nor condemning honest doubt. Rather, He is revealing the mercy of God, who values repentance more than performance. The first son’s refusal is not the end of the story; his change of heart is. The second son’s polite promise, unfulfilled, becomes a warning against a faith that remains only verbal.

This Gospel challenges us to examine our own discipleship. How often do we say “yes” to God in prayer, in liturgy, or in good intentions, yet delay when it comes to justice, forgiveness, or service? How often do we judge others by their past, while excusing our own inaction behind religious respectability?

The vineyard still needs workers. God’s invitation is not withdrawn when we stumble, but it does demand response. True faith is not proven by how convincingly we speak about God, but by whether we allow His word to reshape our choices. The Kingdom of God is entered not by promises alone, but by lives that turn, step forward, and begin the work.

Let us pray.
loving Father,
You call us into Your vineyard with patience and mercy.
Forgive us for the times we speak words of faith
yet fail to live them in action.
Give us humble hearts, ready to repent and begin again,
even when we have resisted You before.
Free us from judging others by appearances,
and teach us to recognise Your grace at work
in every life that turns towards You.
Strengthen us to do Your will today,
not only in what we say, but in how we live.
Amen.

Hymn: Into the Vineyard Still You Call
Verse 1
Into the vineyard still You call,
Your voice both firm and kind;
Not empty words or quick replies,
But hearts and hands aligned.
Chorus
Teach us, Lord, to do Your will,
To walk the road You show;
Not just in promise, but in truth,
Where love and action flow.
Verse 2
We’ve spoken “yes” with careful speech,
Yet turned and walked away;
Or said “no” from fear or pride,
Then found a truer way.
Chorus
Teach us, Lord, to do Your will,
To walk the road You show;
Not just in promise, but in truth,
Where love and action flow.
Verse 3
You welcome those who change their path,
Who rise from sin and shame;
Your mercy meets the turning heart
And calls it by its name.
Chorus
Teach us, Lord, to do Your will,
To walk the road You show;
Not just in promise, but in truth,
Where love and action flow.
Verse 4
So strip away our hollow claims,
Our faith that stays unheard;
Make of our lives a living “yes”
In deed, not only word.
Chorus
Teach us, Lord, to do Your will,
To walk the road You show;
Not just in promise, but in truth,
Where love and action flow.