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Matthew 21:28-32 (Parable of the two sons)

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Jesus in Jerusalem, and one of the questions we said we wanted to answer in this series is how do you get from Palm Sunday to Good Friday? How do you get from the Triumphal Entry to the crucifixion? How do you get from the crowds proclaiming Jesus as Messiah as he enters Jerusalem to the people rejecting him as Messiah and crying out for him to be crucified? The answer is found in the events that took place in this final week of Jesus’ life before he went to the cross.

So far in these chapters we have seen the escalating conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders. And we have seen how Jesus is really forcing the religious leaders’ hand all this time. Jesus made a statement when he rode into Jerusalem on the donkey with the crowds hailing him as Messiah. Jesus challenged the religious leaders’ authority when he cleared out the buyers and sellers in the temple. He cursed the fig tree as a sign of God’s judgment coming on the Israelites for their lack of fruit and lack of faith. Then the religious leaders pushed back as they confronted Jesus in the temple, asking him by what authority he was doing all these things.

Now, this next section of Scripture is marked by a series of contrasts and conflicts. In today’s passage the contrast is between what you say and what you do. Next week the contrast is between the kingdom taken and the kingdom given. The following week the contrast is between the many who are invited and the few who are chosen. And throughout this section we see the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders continually ramping up – a conflict which will eventually lead to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion.

So, we begin today with the contrast found in the parable of the two sons. (Read Matthew 21:28-32 and pray.)

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Today’s message is about the contrast between what you say and what you do. Today is also the first Sunday of the New Year, and I imagine a number of us have made some New Year’s resolutions. We have said, whether to ourselves or to other people, that we are going to do something different in the new year. But unfortunately, most of us won’t make it past February. According to surveys, the average person keeps their New Year’s resolutions for a grand total of thirty-two days. That’s why gyms like to sell annual memberships in January; they know most of us won’t make it past February! New Year’s resolutions are a familiar example where what we say (“I’m going to go the gym this year!”) is not always the same as what we do.

The parable we are looking at today is the first of three parables where Jesus directly rebukes the religious leaders. This week we will look at the parable of the two sons (21:28-32); next week we will look at the parable of the tenants (21:33-46); and the week after that we will look at the parable of the wedding banquet (22:1-14). All three of these parables are directed at the religious leaders, and all three serve to increase the conflict between the religious leaders and Jesus leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday.

Today we are looking at the parable of the two sons where Jesus talks about the difference between what you say and what you do. And Jesus uses this parable especially to teach us that repentance and faith are more important than outward religious show.

I. A tale of two sons (28-31)

And so, we are in Matthew 21. Look at verses 28-31 with me now where Jesus says:

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. (Matthew 21:28-31)

Jesus begins by asking them, “What do you think?” Jesus was often interactive as a teacher – asking questions, probing people’s thoughts and motivations, helping people to dig deeper beneath the surface. Here he engages the religious leaders up front and lets them know he wants their feedback on what he is about to say.

The parable itself is fairly simple. A man has two sons. He tells each of them to go and work in the vineyard. One says no but then changes his mind and goes anyways. The other says yes but then doesn’t go.

   A. First son = example of conversion (disobedience followed by repentance)

Working in the vineyard in the parable is a symbol for following God and doing what he says. And so, the first son is an example of genuine conversion. At first, he disobeyed his father, but then he later changed his mind and did what his father asked after all. The word translated “changed his mind” in this parable is one of the words translated as “repentance” elsewhere in the Bible, so here we have an example of disobedience followed by repentance.

Notice Jesus tells him: “Son, go and work today in the vineyard.” The Bible says, “Today is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2) There should always be a sense of urgency when it comes to obeying God and Christ.

   B. Second son = example of hypocrisy (words without actions)

So, the first son is an example of conversion. The second son is an example of hypocrisy. He says he will go but he doesn’t. His words and his actions do not line up. We are not told whether he intended to go at first and then changed his mind, or whether he never intended to go at all. Most likely he never intended, because Jesus specifically says the first son changed his mind, but he says nothing about the second son changing his mind here.

The second son is prompt, polite and respectful. He addresses his father as “Sir.” Interestingly, this same word can be translated, “Lord,” although in this context it is used simply as a title of respect. He says all the right things, and everything looks good on the outside. The only problem is that none of it is real. It is all words without actions. And so, the second son is an example of hypocrisy.

   C. Which son did what his father wanted? Which son are you?

Jesus then asks the religious leaders: “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” Remember, Jesus asked them at the beginning of the parable, “What do you think?” Now he asks for their specific feedback on the parable. Remember how the religious leaders tried to trap Jesus in his words earlier? Now Jesus is about to trap them in their own words.

Notice Jesus does not ask them which of the two said what the father wanted them to say. He asks which of them did what the father wanted them to do. The answer is obvious, and the religious leaders are forced to answer, “the first son,” that is, the one who changed his mind and actually did what his father told him to do.

Jesus asked the religious leaders, “Which son did what his father wanted?” But the bigger question for each of us when we read this parable today is, “Which son are you?” Are you the son who at first disobeyed God but then repented and chose to follow God instead? Or are you the son who talks a good game but isn’t really following God at all?

II. The religious and the sinners (31-32)

This personal application of the parable becomes even clearer when we see how Jesus personally applied it to the religious leaders who just responded. He has just asked them, “Which son did what his father wanted?” They answered, “The first.” Now he will hold them accountable for their own words. Look at verses 31-32 with me now:

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For 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.” (Matthew 21:31-32)

   A. Tax collectors and prostitutes entering the kingdom of God before the religious leaders
      – Luke 7:29-30

Jesus tells them, “The tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.” The words Jesus uses here are even stronger and can carry the sense of, “The tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God instead of you.” In other words, they are entering God’s kingdom, and you are not!

Now this would have been very offensive to the religious leaders. The tax collectors and prostitutes were considered the lowest of the low! If you had asked any of the religious leaders of that day, “Are the tax collectors or prostitutes entering the kingdom of God?” they would have answered, “Absolutely not!” As far as they were concerned, they were the least likely candidates for God’s kingdom. And if you had asked any of the religious leaders of that day, “Are you entering the kingdom of God?” they would have answered, “Of course we are! We are the religious leaders. If anyone is getting in, it’s us.”

Jesus turns that type of thinking all upside down. The tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of heaven before them. Why? Because they repented and believed. The tax collectors and prostitutes had been living in disobedience to God’s commands, but when John came, they believed John’s message. They repented of their sins and were baptized by John in preparation for the coming of Messiah.

We read about this in Luke 7: “All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.” (Luke 7:29-30)

And so, the first son in the parable corresponds with the tax collectors and prostitutes, who at first disobeyed God but then repented, while the second son in the parable corresponds with the religious leaders who talked a good game but rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.

   B. The way of righteousness = repentance and faith in Jesus rather than outward religious show
      – Matthew 3:1-2; John 1:29

Back to verse 32 in our passage today, Jesus tells the religious leaders: “For 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.” (Matthew 21:32)

Jesus says, “John came to show you the way of righteousness.” What was the way of righteousness John came to show? John showed the way of righteousness was repentance and faith in Jesus. We read in Matthew 3: “In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’” (Matthew 3:1-2)

So, John preached a message of repentance, and then he also pointed the people to Jesus. We read in John 1:29: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29)

John showed the way of righteousness was repentance and faith in Jesus rather than outward religious show. But the religious leaders did not believe him. In fact, even when they saw the tax collectors and prostitutes repenting and believing, they still did not repent and believe in Jesus themselves. This made them even more guilty than before.

They chose outward religious show over heartfelt repentance and faith in Jesus. And so, they were like the second son who said he would obey his father, but then did not do what his father told him. Jesus asked them, “What do you think? Which son did what his father wanted?” They already answered, “The first son.” Earlier they had tried to trap Jesus and failed. Now Jesus has trapped them, and they stand condemned by their own words.

III. Applications

There are several applications we can make from this parable of Jesus today.

   A. Your actions should line up with your words
      – Matthew 7:21; James 2:14-17; 1 John 3:18

The first one is pretty obvious. Your actions should line up with your words. We find a number of examples of this in Scripture.

For example, Jesus warned his hearers in Matthew 7: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) Remember the second son called his father, “Sir,” which could also be translated, “Lord?” Here Jesus speaks of people who actually do call him Lord, but they still do not enter the kingdom of heaven. Why not? Because their actions don’t line up with their words. They call Jesus “Lord,” but they don’t do what God says.

Or we read in James 2: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:14-17) What good is it if you wish someone well but don’t do anything to help them? Once again, your actions do not line up with your words. In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

1 John 3:18 says: “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18) Once again, what you say and what you do should be the same. That’s our first application from the parable. Your actions should line up with your words.

   B. You can never be too sinful to enter God’s kingdom
      – John 6:37; 1 Timothy 1:15

A second application is this. You can never be too sinful to enter God’s kingdom. Isn’t that wonderful news? So many times, we think we’ve messed up too much or too badly for God to want anything to do with us. We think that God is only for the good people, the people who have got it all together. We have failed God and other people so many times and in so many ways that we are afraid of even approaching God.

You may feel like you are the chief of sinners, the worst of the worst. But the apostle Paul testified in 1 Timothy 1: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.” (1 Timothy 1:15) You may think you’re the worst of sinners, but so did Paul. Paul came to Jesus, and Jesus changed his life.

Here is a trustworthy saying: Jesus came into the world to save sinners. So, if you’re a sinner this morning, you’re not excluded – you qualify! And even if you are the worst of sinners, you still qualify! Jesus said in John 6:37: “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37)

You can never be too sinful to enter God’s kingdom. Jesus said the tax collectors and prostitutes were entering the kingdom of God before the Pharisees and the religious leaders! Yes, they had lived sinful lives, but when they heard John speak, they repented of their sins and put their faith in Jesus. They entered God’s kingdom. They became new people.

God offers you new life in Christ today. So, take it! That’s our second application this morning. You can never be too sinful to enter God’s kingdom.

   C. Religion won’t save you. You must repent of your sin and believe in Jesus.
      – Mark 1:14-15

And then our third application is this. Religion won’t save you. You must repent of your sin and believe in Jesus. John the Baptist’s message was, “Repent and believe!” Guess what Jesus’ message was when he came along after John? “Repent and believe!” We read in Mark 1: “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!’” (Mark 1:14-15)

Repentance is part of the call of the gospel. Repentance means turning away from your sins. Repentance is part of faith, because you cannot turn towards God in faith without also turning away from your sins in repentance. Repentance is not just what you say but what you do! God offers you new life in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit when you come to him in faith believing.

Jesus said, “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15) The time has come, because Jesus has come! The father in the parable told the two sons, “Go and work today in the vineyard.” Today is the day of salvation. That’s our third application. Religion won’t save you. You must repent of your sin and believe in Jesus.

CONCLUSION: This is the ultimate meaning of the parable of the two sons. Repentance and faith are more important than outward religious show. It doesn’t matter if you say you believe in God if your actions don’t show it. Repentance trumps religion every time. A true conversion involves repentance from sin and turning to God in faith through Jesus his Son.

In other words, it doesn’t matter how religious you are. If you do not repent and believe in Jesus, you will not enter the kingdom of God.

And, it doesn’t matter how sinful you are. If you do repent and believe in Jesus, you will enter the kingdom of God.

What you say and what you do matters. If you truly believe in God, you will do what he tells you. And he tells you to repent of your sins, and to put your faith in Jesus his Son.

© Ray Fowler

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