The Will of the Father
“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. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? Matthew 21:28-31a
A parable, an earthly story with a heavenly, or spiritual meaning, was told by Jesus many times to illustrate to men and women just how much they were “missing the mark”, that is, not living up to God’s standard as they lived their lives before a holy and righteous God. Jesus’ parables were usually designed to target specific human behaviors and mindsets with the intent to show the necessity for being honest with themselves, honest with God, and to bring repentance and faith in Christ, God’s only way of redemption and salvation. Today’s particular parable was aimed at the chief priests and elders to show them that they were not the God-fearing, righteous leaders that they claimed to be, but it is also for anyone who holds to his or her self-righteousness as some sort of badge of honor before God.
The parable was about a vineyard owner who had two sons. He went to the first and told him to go and work that day in his vineyard. This wasn’t a request. He had every right to expect his sons to work for him since he provided room and board, food, and everything else that parents do for their children. We don’t know how old these sons were, but I suspect they were either teenagers or young adults, old enough to do hard physical labor. It was only right that they “pull their weight” as part of the family. However, the first son flatly said “No, I will not work in the vineyard”. As far as we know, his father didn’t threaten him for his refusal to work, but apparently the son felt some guilt, came back later, said that he was sorry for his bad behavior, and went out into the vineyard, and I suppose did a good day’s work. Did he feel bad that he had spoken to his father that way, or was he worried about losing his father’s respect, or did he worry about being sent to bed without his supper? We don’t know. What we do know is that he finally did the right thing.
The father went to the other son with the same command. This son said, “Yes, I will go”, which is what the first son should have said to begin with. However, the second son did not go. He basically lied. Did he intend to go to the vineyard, but then was distracted somehow? Perhaps some friends came along and invited him to go fishing, and he decided that would be a lot more fun that work. We don’t know, but I suspect that he never intended to go at all. The religious leaders had been listening to this story, and Jesus then asked them which one did the will of his father? They didn’t take time to think through their answer and said immediately, “The first son”. Then Jesus came back with a response that would have shocked them, “Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.” We don’t know their immediate reaction to Jesus’ statement. At first, they probably felt rather smug about their answer, thinking that they got it right. When Jesus replied like He did to them, they likely had puzzled looks on their faces, thinking to themselves, “What?”, not making the connection that He was talking about them.
Jesus went on to explain that John the Baptist had come preaching repentance of sins and being righteous before God, but they did not believe John. Those whom the leaders detested, the prostitutes, tax collectors, and Gentiles did believe John and thus repented. Even witnessing that, the leaders still did not believe John and repent. In Jesus’ parable, the father represents God, the first son represents all those not of the Jewish state, those who, at first, had been “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12), and the second son represents the Jewish nation, those with whom God had made His covenant to provide and protect, those who were to give Him all allegiance and to witness to the world that the LORD was the only true God. Some of the Gentiles knew about God, but for the most part, had no interest in Him or His word. They were the ones who said, “No, I won’t go”. John the Baptist came, began to preach repentance, and those whom the leaders considered to be sinners, began to see themselves as sinners, and many repented and followed John.
The religious leaders, who were just as guilty as the Gentiles, saw themselves as righteous and needing no repentance. They were the ones who said they would go work for the Father, but then did not. They could have done great works for the kingdom of God, but their self-righteousness, pride, arrogance, and envy kept them from their true purpose of following Christ. They had witnessed the positive change that had come upon those who had repented at John’s preaching, so how could they not know that God had sent John? The Gentiles, prostitutes, and tax collectors were the ones that were least likely to repent and believe while those schooled in the law and well-acquainted with prophecy concerning the Messiah should have been the “first in line” to repent and believe on Christ. This parable shows, among other things, that it is impossible to be saved unless one admits he or she is a sinner in need of a Savior. A million “good” works will never satisfy a holy and righteous God.