There’s an old Jewish joke where someone asks his rabbi, ‘Why do rabbis always answer a question with another question?’ to which the rabbi replies, ‘Why shouldn’t a rabbi answer a question with another question?’
Jesus was not just a consummate storyteller but also a sharp question master. In these verses we see both of these skills at play.

Here we have the chief priests and elders challenging Jesus in the temple. It took place during the busy and stressful week leading up to the crucifixion and the authorities were out to get him. After the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, driving the traders from the Temple, teaching and preaching, Jesus was a marked man.
It was all about authority for them. They wanted to catch him out but of course the tables were turned. Instead of some kind of admission, which is what the leaders were looking for, Jesus went on to illustrate his point with the parable of the two sons. It’s quite straightforward. The first son was asked by his father to help in the vineyard and the son said yes but didn’t do it. The second son said no but then changed his mind and went to help.
On reading this my mind automatically thought about bins…!

I recently read about a survey which had been conducted with the purpose of finding out who, in the domestic household, took on more responsibilities. Basically, who did the most housework.
It appears that women do 36 hours of household tasks per week – nine hours more than men. When asked, 72% of women say they do the majority of household tasks, but just 18% of men agree. Gender is a bigger influence on household responsibilities than pay or employment status apparently, and couples who don’t share the load equally argue about it five times per month on average!
And who puts the bins out seems to be a key question. Or perhaps more importantly who remembers to put them out!

Saying you are going to put the bins out but then forgetting can lead to all sorts of domestic strife. Panic ensues when the waste lorry rolls up and you, still in your pyjamas, run outside in the pouring rain, shout at the bin men to hang on a minute while you sort the rubbish out. Any light-hearted discussion on domestic bliss always seems to start with ‘Who puts the bins out?’ I remember Teresa May being asked this once on television; sadly, I can’t recall her answer!

This story about the two sons has a much deeper meaning for us of course.
It is all about profession and performance. Here were the religious leaders – supposed to be above reproach, setting the pace in morality, teaching the people about God – but they failed miserably. They professed all kinds of things but did not fulfil their promises. They are represented by the first son in the parable.
The second son, however, said he wouldn’t but then he did! He represents those folk considered to be ‘beyond the pale’ – prostitutes, tax collectors and those who the religious leaders considered were the detritus of society.
True obedience contrasts outward profession with inward transformation and highlights that actions speak louder than words. Although the second son at first refused to help his father he then changed his mind, committed himself, and produced the goods. This is what matters.

Dick Sheppard was a very popular minister of another era, Rector of St Martin-in-the Fields. He used to do a lot of speaking in the open air and most of his audience were indifferent to Christianity. Some were actively hostile. After many years of this Sheppard arrived at the conclusion that ‘the greatest handicap the church has is the unsatisfactory lives of professing Christians.’

To borrow from a popular phrase, we may be able to ‘talk the talk’ but what is much more important is that we ‘walk the walk’.
The religious leaders here had got it all wrong. They set great store on looking good, but the tax-gatherers and prostitutes were the ones who were being good. The ones who genuinely followed Jesus and obeyed him.
So, who puts the bins out in your house? Hopefully it’s the one who says they will and domestic bliss reigns supreme!

And for those of us who claim to know Christ, may we always keep our promises and demonstrate our love for him.