Di Two Sons

One father ask im two sons make dem help am. One talk no, and then e go. Di other one talk yes, and then e no go. So which one really do wetin im father want?

Na di last week before di cross, and Jesus dey teach for di temple yard for Jerusalem. Di chief priests and di elders come meet am. Na which authority you take dey do dis things? Who give you dis authority? Jesus answer dem with question. Di baptism of John. Where e come from? From heaven, or from people? Dem gather together dey whisper. If dem talk from heaven, e go ask why dem no believe John. If dem talk from people, di crowd go turn against dem, because everybody hold John as prophet. So dem answer, We no know. Then Jesus talk, Wetin una think? And e tell dem one story.

One man get two sons. E go meet di first one and talk, My son, go work for di vineyard today. Di answer come straight. I no go go. For dat world, to refuse your father for im face na big insult. Di boy turn im back. Di father remain there dey stand. But later, di son change im mind. E think am well, e sorry, and e carry im tools, waka enter di vineyard, and begin work.

Then di father go meet di second son and ask am di same thing. Dis son full with respect for mouth. I go go, sir. Di perfect answer. E get respect. E sweet for ear. Exactly wetin father want hear. But e no ever go. Di morning pass. Di vineyard dey wait. Nobody take care of di vines. Im yes na only words.

Which one of di two do wetin im father want? Jesus ask. Di leaders answer, Di first one. And dem don waka enter di matter by demself. Jesus talk, True true I tell una, di tax collectors and di prostitutes dey enter di kingdom of God before una. Because John come show una di way of righteousness, and una no believe am. But di tax collectors and di prostitutes believe am. And even when una see dat one, una no change una mind to believe am.

Dis story hard to hear for people wey don always dey talk yes to God with dem mouth. Dis leaders don talk all di correct things for many years. Di tax collectors and di others don talk no to God with dem life. But when John come dey preach, dem listen. Dem sorry. Dem change. Dem no don turn to yes. And di door of di kingdom still dey open, even for di leaders, if dem go change dem mind. Na dat kind yes God dey look for. No be only words. Na life wey go out enter di vineyard.

Why people hate tax collectors like dat? For di time of Jesus, dem dey often give di right to collect tax and toll to local men, wey go collect am from dem own neighbours for rulers wey Rome dey back. Many of dem dey collect pass wetin dem suppose collect and keep di extra. For most people, dem be cheats and traitors. But di Gospel of Luke tell us say tax collectors come meet John di Baptist make e baptise dem, and ask am how dem go take live. Im answer simple. No collect pass wetin dem tell una to collect.

Di Two Sons. You go find am for Matthew chapter twenty-one, verse twenty-eight to thirty-two. One son talk no, then e go. One talk yes, then e stay house. Jesus no dey praise person wey no get respect. E dey show say God care about wetin we really do, and say e never too late to change your mind and obey. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Something dey wey God don ask you make you do, wey you don talk yes to, but you never do am?