Matthew 21:28-32
The Parable of the Two Sons
28"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.'
29" 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.
31"Which of the two did what his father wanted?"
"The first," they answered.
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
Jesus teaches the parable of the two sons...The sons are ask to work in the father's vineyard...
The first son says no and then changes his mind and goes to work in the vineyard...The second son says yes, he will work, but does not go...
Jesus asks, which of the two did what his father wanted....The answer is the first son...
Even though the first son did not at first want to go, he changed and went to work...The first son is a lesson on repentance and he did what the father wanted...We all have our reasons for having faith and confession and repentance...
We learn repentance is a good thing...
The second son said he would go to work, but did not...He was unrepentant...He was not obedient to his father...We might compare him to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law...They were there ministering to the spiritual needs of the people, but they were not following the morals God wanted...
John the Baptist came and taught in a different way than Jesus...But John and Jesus had the same morals and values... They had the same message...The prostitutes and tax collectors saw and heard John's message on righteousness...They humbled themselves and followed John...
The two sons are children...They are children of God...Both seem like they, especially at first, do not want to work...But the first son, after some thought becomes obedient...The second son, in the story never becomes obedient, and has lied to his father (saying he will go to work and then does not)...
Like the second son, the Pharisees and teachers of the law, heard John and Jesus and continued their unrepentant ways...
Man is like this, as a general statement...We prefer to be in control...We do not want someone telling us what to do...We would prefer to do what we want and be obedient to those things we feel are important...Let us determine what is important and not God or Jesus...
God created us...He knows what is important...
We are putting ourselves first, instead of the Father and others...If we truly loved our neighbors, friends, family, and (yes) even our enemies we would be obedient and go to the vineyard to work...
In the kingdom of heaven we will be with God, His love and His grace...The kingdom of heaven is about God's presence, love, togetherness, and goodness, not lying, unkindness and separation...