PARABLE 38 - The Two Sons

PARABLE 38 — MATTHEW 21:28-32 — THE TWO SONS 

28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Jesus tells this parable of the two sons to illustrate how actions are more important than intentions.

Jesus tells this parable to the religious leaders in order to show them their disobedience to God. In Matthew 21:23-37, the religious leaders ask Jesus, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" (Vs. 23)

Jesus tells them he will answer their question if they answer his question. He asks, "Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of men?" (Vs. 24-25)

However, the religious leaders know "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'Of men,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet." (Vs. 25-26)

Therefore, they say "We do not know." Jesus then says, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." (Vs. 27) 

He then tells them the parable of the two sons, which he relates back to John the Baptist.

  

Discussion Questions – Parable 38

PARABLE 38 — MATTHEW 21:28-32 — THE TWO SONS 

1. Who does the first son represent? Who does the second son represent?

The first son represents the sinners, harlots, tax gatherers, and all the outcasts. The outcasts initially were saying by their life style that they didn’t want to follow God. But when confronted by their sin, they changed their mind (repented) and believed. They were brought to repentance by the preaching of John the Baptist and Christ, they turned from their sins, and sincerely embraced the gospel.

The second son represents the religious leaders who said “I will obey the law” but didn’t. When John came preaching repentance – neither did they believe, nor did they repent.

2. Toward the end of the parable, Jesus poses the question: "Which of the two did the will of his Father?" 

The obvious answer is he who repented and went to work. Then Jesus tells the Pharisees that the tax collectors and harlots would go into His Kingdom before them because these blatant sinners believed and repented, while the "religious" people did not.

(Vs. 32) “ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.” When the religious leaders saw these kinds of people repenting, changing their lifestyles, it should have made them wake up. But they weren’t convicted, they felt threatened. They didn’t want the kind of kingdom Jesus was offering. The same still applies today, there are those that when they hear truth they are not convicted but feel threatened. They don’t want to give up their sin or lifestyles. They do not want the kind of kingdom Jesus is offering.

The spirit and conduct of the second son was an exact picture of the temper and behavior of the Pharisees; for in their prayers and praises they gave God the most honorable titles, and professed the greatest readiness and zeal in his service: but it was a bare profession, contradicted by all their actions. They said, I go, sir, to work in thy vineyard, but went not. Jesus having finished his parable, asked, “Whether of them twain did the will of his Father?”  Without hesitation, they replied, The first, not perceiving that by this answer they condemned themselves. 

The warning to us is not to be a son who promises to work, then neglects to keep his word. God has called us, and we have accepted that calling, promising we would work. Now we must perform what we have promised and do the will of the Father.

3. What was John the Baptist’s message? Did the religious leaders believe his message? Did they repent?

His message was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3:2) Specifically, John the Baptist told the religious leaders, "Bear fruit worthy of repentance. And think not to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father'...Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worth to bear; He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.." (Matthew 3:8-11 paraphrased)

Repentance is not an action someone does frequently, because repentance is a complete change of actions and thoughts. When someone repents, it is as if they were walking in one direction and then turns around to go in the opposite direction.

In the context of these passages, repentance is going from the path of sin to returning to the path of righteousness.

Of these two different paths, Jesus says, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

In John's message, he was calling for the repentance of all sinning. Those who repented stopped their sinning and began living righteously.

4. Was the meaning of this parable about repentance? 

This parable contains the story of two sons, one who said he would not do the work his father asked of him, yet did, and another who promised to work, but did not.

At this point, we have no reason to prefer one above the other; both are guilty of sin. However, their ultimate actions prove them different. After his blunt refusal, the first son repents of his sin and goes to work for his father. He sets his heart to do what his father wants. Though he promptly promises, the second son fails to perform. The first changes from bad to good, but the second does not change at all—he does not repent. 

When Jesus tells this parable of the two sons, and makes this statement about the religious leaders not believing John, he is saying that those who were tax collectors and prostitutes believed John and repented. They stopped sinning, which means the tax collectors stopped abusing the tax system to steal money and the prostitutes stopped being prostitutes.

These people are therefore entering the kingdom of God ahead of the religious leaders, because they did not believe John and did not repent. Jesus is calling the religious leaders -  sinners, saying that they did not stop sinning like the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Regardless of one’s background, repentance and faith are what qualifies one to enter the kingdom of God.

In Matthew 23, Jesus specifically tells the religious leaders what their sins are, saying they do not practice what they teach (calling them hypocrites) and listing several examples of their sins. 

The religious leaders are the son who says "I go, sir" but then does not obey the father. Jesus is telling them that having the intentions to obey God is not enough for salvation. Obedience is what matters, not intentions. It is only those who actually obey God who are doing the will of their father.

As Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21-23)

Obedience and disobedience are based on our actions.

See on blog – What is Sin?

5. When the second son said he would go and did not, could it also mean he represents those that are hearers of the word, but not doers of the word (James 1:21-25)?

In James 1:21, he talked about receiving “the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” In 1:22-27, he goes on to emphasize doing the word. In 1:22-24, he shows that hearing the word without doing it leads to deception. He illustrates this in 1:26 with the man who claims to be religious, but who does not bridle his tongue. He deceives himself and his religion is worthless. In 1:25, he shows that hearing the word accompanied by doing it leads to blessing.

To hear the word without doing it leads to self-deception (1:22-24, 26). Obedience should always be the bottom line of Bible study or biblical preaching. Correct application must always be built on correct interpretation. But to study the word just to fill your head with knowledge, without applying the word, short-circuits God’s purpose in giving it. Even the seemingly irrelevant matters, such as biblical genealogies, are “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). James gives us warnings about those who hear the word without doing it:

James uses the illustration of a man who looks at his natural face in the mirror, rushes out the door, and forgets what he saw. Maybe he had a couple of days of stubble on his face, or he slept wrong on his hair, and it stuck up in an unruly manner. But, he’s late for work, and he’s really not all that concerned about his appearance, so he quickly tries to smooth it out and rushes out the door, even though he looks like he just got out of bed. The mirror showed him the problems, but he didn’t do anything to fix them.

The word of God is like a mirror that reveals to us the very thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). It shows us our ugly, self-centered attitudes. It exposes our pride. It confronts our contempt for others and our lack of compassion. It hits our sinful anger and our rotten speech. It uncovers our deception, greed, and lust. But, if we just take a quick glance at the word once in a rare while and rush out the door, without doing anything to address the problems that it reveals, it won’t do us any good.

The main point of James’ illustration about the man and the mirror is that he quickly forgets what he saw in the mirror. The mirror is not at fault. It tells it like it is. It shows us what we really look like. But the man who takes this quick look quickly forgets what he saw (1:24). He is a “forgetful hearer” (1:25). And so he does nothing about the problems he saw in the mirror.

I think that James is not describing a man with a poor memory, but rather a man with poor priorities. He doesn’t remember what he saw in the mirror because he doesn’t regard it as very important. God, heaven, eternal life, and all of the other doctrines in the Bible are interesting and nice, but this guy has a career to pursue. He’s got money to make. He’s got his hobbies and toys that are his passion on his days off. He forgets what God’s word says about his sins because, really, it just isn’t all that important compared to these other priorities in his life.

So hearers-only take a quick glance in the mirror of the word, but they don’t do anything to fix the problems that they see. They forget what they see because other things are more important.

Hearers only end up deceiving themselves. James mentions this twice, in 1:22 and again in his practical illustration in 1:26. There is an inherent danger in attending a church where God’s word is proclaimed week to week: If you hear the word often, but do not put it into practice, you delude yourself. The solution is not to avoid hearing the word, but rather to apply it to the problems in your life that the word uncovers.

In verse 26, James gives an example of someone who hears the word, but does not do it and so deceives himself. This man thinks that he is religious. “Religious” (and “religion”) are infrequently used words in the New Testament. James uses them here because he is describing a man who prides himself in the outward trappings of the faith, but who is not applying it to his heart.

To hear the word and do it leads to blessing (1:25, 27). God in His word says, “son go work today in my vineyard”. The one who hears but does not do, is the same as one that hears the word but does not do what it says. The one who hears the word and becomes an effectual doer “will be blessed in what he does. If you want God’s blessing, you’ve got to obey His word. To ask God to bless your life while you disobey His word is crazy. James lines up with all of Scripture when he says that it is the doer of the word that will be blessed in what he does.

6. Are you doing the will of the Father?

This parable could also serve as a little nudge to those Christians who initially say 'yes' and then waver. Some people struggle to ever make a commitment in the first place, but once they do, are able to muster the discipline and enthusiasm to honor it. Others seem to have less trouble coming to a decision, but then have trouble following through. 

Many of us fall somewhere in between. To all of us imperfect disciples, Jesus addresses the question, "Which of you is doing the will of the Father?"

The "will of the Father" is a phrase that occurs several times in Matthew's gospel. Let’s ponder a moment on the scriptures below, Jesus could be asking several questions at once…

It appears in Matthew's version of the Lord's Prayer, which Jesus teaches to the disciples, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Mt 6:10).  Are we participating in the kingdom of God, not yet, but already arrived?

At the very end of the Sermon on the Mount where, in Matthew's Gospel, the audience is the disciples, Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord," shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Mt 7:21). Are we committed to active response and obedience to God and not just lip service?

When Jesus' family comes to speak with him, Jesus makes the comment, "Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother" (Mt 12:50). Thereby are we becoming a member of Jesus' spiritual family?

When the disciples come to him with questions about who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus challenges their arrogance, instructing them that they will never enter the kingdom of heaven unless they become humble like a child (Mt 18:3). Are we careful to keep a humble attitude when it comes to God’s will and not our own?

Jesus tells them the parable of the Lost Sheep, concluding with this saying: "It is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost" (Mt 18:14). Are we showing a commitment to saving the lost and excluded?

When Jesus is praying in the Garden in Gethsemane, he says to God, “ O my Father, this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, if thy will be done “(Mt 26:42). Are we willing to sacrifice when necessary, on behalf of the kingdom?

Again, are you doing the will of the Father?