My brother and I grew up in the same household, with the same parents and many of the same experiences. You might expect that to produce two people who think and act the same way. If you have a sibling, you already know how unlikely that is!

Every family has its own rhythms. One child answers before a parent finishes asking a question. Another needs time to think. One cheerfully agrees to help and then forgets. Another grumbles all the way to the kitchen but washes the dishes anyway. We can love one another dearly and still wonder how people raised under the same roof became so different.

The Bible knows something about that. It is full of brothers and sisters whose relationships are complicated: Jacob and Esau compete for a blessing; Joseph’s brothers let jealousy get the better of them; and, in one of Jesus’ best-known parables, an older brother struggles to welcome his younger brother home. Scripture does not pretend that sharing a family makes understanding one another easy.

This Sunday’s Gospel gives us another pair of brothers. Their father asks each to work in the vineyard. The first says no, but later changes his mind and goes. The second says yes, but never shows up. I suspect most of us have been both sons at one time or another. We may even recognize someone else in each of them, though it would be wise to keep those observations to ourselves during worship!

Jesus tells this story to invite us to look beyond first impressions and easy answers. What matters when our words and actions differ? What room do we give someone to change their mind? I hope you’ll join us Sunday, September 27, at 9:30 AM, as we listen to the two sons and consider what their story asks of us.

We will also welcome new members to St. John’s. What a fitting day to remember that Christ’s family brings together people with different stories, personalities, and ways of responding to God’s call. We all have room to grow together.

Blessings,

Pastor Marc