My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The message of today’s Gospel is simple but very profound: it is not enough to make promises; what matters is whether we keep them. More importantly, God gives us the opportunity to change our minds and do what is right.
In today’s Gospel, a father went to his first son and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” The son replied, “I will not.” But later, he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second son and gave him the same instruction. The second son replied, “Yes, sir, I will go.” But he did not go. Jesus then asked: “Which of the two did his father’s will?” The answer is clear: the one who eventually went and did what his father asked.
This teaches us an important lesson: God is not interested merely in what we say; He is interested in what we do. It is very easy to make promises. In fact, many people make promises that they have no intention of keeping.
A young man may go around promising different ladies that he will marry them. He makes beautiful promises and says all the things they want to hear. But when the time comes to fulfil those promises, where is he?
The problem is not in making promises. The problem is in making promises without the willingness or commitment to fulfil them. As Christians, we must learn that our words must be supported by our actions.
When you say something, try to do it. A man stands before God and his family and promises his wife: “I will love you. I will care for you. I will stand by you. I will lay down my life for you.” He may also promise her parents that he will take good care of their daughter. But after some years, the same man begins to abuse and beat his wife. What happened to the promise? Promises are not meant only for the wedding day. Promises must be sustained.
The same applies to wives. Marriage requires commitment, patience, sacrifice, forgiveness and responsibility from both husband and wife. We must not be Christians who say “yes” with our mouths but “no” with our actions.
Even in the Church, we make promises. When a bishop wants to establish a new parish, he may ask the people: “Will you take care of the priest? Will you support the parish?” Everybody says, “Yes!” But after some years, people become tired.
Of course, it is normal to become tired. But when we make a commitment, we must understand what that commitment means. We must be prepared to sustain it. The Christian life requires perseverance.
My dear brothers and sisters, we must also apply this message to our society. The year 2027 is approaching, election will come. Politicians will come to us again. They will make promises. They will tell us what they intend to do for our communities. They will make beautiful speeches. But as citizens, we must learn to examine promises against actions.
Good governance must be measured by what is actually done, not simply by what is promised. We need functioning roads. We need reliable electricity. We need clean and accessible water. We need opportunities for our young people. We need an environment where businesses can grow and people can work.
A small gift given to a person during an election period cannot substitute for a functioning system. If someone gives you a bag of rice or a small amount of money, that may help you temporarily. But it does not solve the deeper problems affecting the community.
We need a system in which our water supply works, our roads are maintained, electricity is available, schools function and young people have opportunities to earn a living.
We also have a responsibility. Many people complain about the government, but some of us have not even obtained our voters’ cards or taken the necessary steps to participate in our democracy.
If we want change, we must also be willing to take responsibility. We must exercise our civil responsibility. We must ask ourselves: What can I do to contribute to the good of my community?When we travel to other places and see functioning infrastructure and projects that improve people’s lives, we should ask why similar things cannot happen in our own communities.
Imagine if a community such as Ogoja had reliable electricity for many hours every day. Think of the businesses that could operate. Think of the young people who could be employed. Think of the opportunities that could emerge. When basic infrastructure works, people’s lives change.
But there is another important message in today’s Gospel: we can change. One of the greatest things that can happen to a human being is positive change. Do not conclude about yourself or about another person. Someone may have said “no” yesterday and said “yes” today.
Someone may have lived wrongly yesterday and decided to live rightly today. Someone may have refused to forgive, but today can make the decision to forgive. That is the beauty of God’s mercy: God gives us a second chance. The first son said no, but he changed his mind and went. Therefore, do not conclude that someone cannot change. And do not conclude that you cannot change.
Some of us have concluded, “I will never forgive my husband.” “I will never forgive my wife.” “I will never forgive that person who offended me.” Today’s Gospel challenges us to reconsider and change our minds.
Forgiveness does not mean that what happened was right. It means that you refuse to allow anger and resentment to control the rest of your life. If you have made mistakes, change your mind. If you have hurt someone, change your mind. If you have refused to do what is right, change your mind. If you have made a promise that you have failed to keep, change your mind and begin to do what you promised.
The message of today’s Gospel is clear. First, God gives us a second chance. Do not conclude too quickly about anyone. Second, do not be a person who says “yes” but never acts.
The person who does the will of God is not necessarily the one who speaks the right words. It is the person who eventually does what God asks.
Third, let our promises be supported by our actions. Whether in marriage, in the Church, in our families, at work or in society, we must learn to keep our commitments.
Fourth, exercise your responsibility as citizens. We cannot simply complain about our society. We must participate responsibly in building it.
And finally, never be afraid to change your mind for good. If you are going in the wrong direction, turn around. If you have refused to forgive, forgive. If you have failed in your responsibilities, begin again. If you have made empty promises, stop making promises you cannot keep.
My dear brothers and sisters, Christianity is not about what we say alone. It is about what we do with what we say.
May God give us the grace to keep our promises, the courage to correct our mistakes, the wisdom to exercise our responsibilities, and the humility to change our minds whenever we discover that we are on the wrong path.
And may God help us to become people whose “yes” means yes, whose actions correspond to their words, and whose lives bear witness to the Gospel.
Amen.
Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author, Rev Fr Felix Ovai Ekpe, and does not represent Theluminenews, its agent or the organisation the author works for/with