Hope For No Man

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Matthew 21:28 - 31 "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'

" 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.

"Which of the two did what his father wanted?"
"The first," they answered.

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I am No Man. It's my super-hero identity, and like Superman and Batman, I hide it well. It stays in my head and in my heart, where you can't see it. It's my first response to situations I'm faced with: No. I don't want to do that, I want to do what I want to do and I want to do it my way.

But there's hope for No Man. I find it in this parable (which I know has multi-layered meanings beyond where I'm taking it). There are two brothers, and I know them well. I am the first one - the one who doesn't want to do what the Father wants me to do. But after going into the fields, He changes my heart and I see what I need to do. From what I gather, He is pleased with the fact that His will is done through me.

For example, one night on the subway home from a Sox game, I was exhausted, and all I wanted to do was sit quietly until I got to my car. A filthy-looking man, probably homeless, asked me how the game went. I turned away - I didn't want to deal with him at this point. In my heart I said 'No, not here, not now.' So I prayed to God and said, "I know Your will, and You're going to have to take over this situation." I turned back to the man and I saw him completely different - as a person who just wanted to talk, and I loved him. I spent the rest of the ride talking to him as I should have in the first place. (No, he didn't get 'saved' or 'healed' or anything like that, but he was treated as a human being.)

I don't want to be No Man. I hate him and his cynical nature. I don't want to have the initial critical, selfish response to every situation, every request, every sermon, every poor man I encounter, every extended arm that needs a hand.

I know a lot of Christians like the second son who say 'yes' but never do anything about it. I certainly don't want to be that person. I want to say 'yes' and mean it and do it. I pray for that often, that God will change me. I can feel it happening, slowly but surely - I know it's a process.

But in the meantime, I find great hope for No Man, that even if my initial response is ungodly, if I stop, think it over and turn it over to God, He can still use me and be pleased that ultimately I did obey Him.