Matthew, whose writing is presented as the first of the four Gospels, knew a lot about business. As a tax collector, he was a businessman himself. A true entrepreneur, he likely paid the Roman government a fee for the privilege of collecting taxes from those around him. The Romans gave the job to the highest bidder. The shrewdest tax collectors of the time knew who had the most money and how much they could realistically assess against them to cover their own expenses, forward revenue to the government and keep a handsome profit for themselves.
Matthew would have had a good grasp of business practices in a variety of trades. He would have come into contact with people who were successful in business and those who struggled. He would have seen up close what works in business and what doesn’t.
It should come as no surprise that Matthew’s Gospel should be filled with stories that apply to business settings. The GEO Principle finds several stories relayed by Matthew to be particularly instructive for people in the workplace, even some two thousand years after they were recorded.
The next several installments on this blog will consider stories from Matthew as they pertain to the work world. Let’s first consider Matthew 21:28-31. This is a story that describes the importance of doing what you say you are going to do.
Matthew explains that a father asks his two sons to work in the vineyard; one says he will and never goes, the other says he won’t but changes his mind and ultimately goes. The focus of the story usually is on the one who decides to go after initially saying he won’t. He is the one who does his father’s will. But think about the one who lies and doesn’t go. Jesus says prostitutes will go to heaven before this kind of person. Wow! If you say you are going to do something, you need to do it. Or, if you have no intention of doing something, don’t say you will. The meaning of words need to be respected; if you make a promise to a colleague, a boss, a vendor or a customer, keep it!
In this story, one son under-promises and over-delivers; the other son over-promises and under-delivers. The story offers a valuable business lesson. It is better to promise less and deliver more; people who consistently promise a lot and deliver little don’t hold much credibility in the work world. Nobody likes a big talker; people like big doers. Sometimes, it is better to just do something rather than to talk about it.
We don’t know whether the son who didn’t go changed his mind after giving his word or whether he never intended to go in the first place. If he changed his mind, he should have told his father. Anyone can appreciate the fact that, inevitably, things come up that sometimes prevent people from keeping their word. But nobody likes to be stood up. So if you suddenly realize you can’t live up to a promise, communicate to the affected people. Then, come up with an alternative for living up to the original commitment.
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