Matthew 21:28 “There was a man who had two sons.”

Jesus seldom asked his hearers to interpret a parable or story. He did, on this occasion, to make a point that pierced to the quick.

His questioners were intent on exposing Jesus as an impostor or an idiot. Now Jesus asks a question.  A man had two sons who worked in the vineyard. He asked one of them to go to work.  “I will not!”  Later, he changed his mind and went to work as his father wished. To his other son he asked the same question and got a nice answer, “I will.” But he never went, probably had no intention of going at all. He just wanted to please his father, a bit.

Then Jesus posed the question, “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” They hastened to answer, “The first.”  Then Jesus startled them with this statement, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”

As I read this, I at first saw no connection between the seemingly friendly interchange and then what followed – his blistering declaration of woe. But, come to think of it, Jesus likens them to the second son who said he will but never did.

Are these chief priests and so forth the second son? They say they will obey but refuse to do so. They make all sorts of excuses to avoid obedience. By their action they despise their father’s wishes, while proclaiming how important it is to obey him. Such duplicity is worse than being a repentant tax collector or prostitute, Jesus notes.

By the way. a friend of mine suggests that there must be a third son. one who says he will and does it. He is no other than the story-teller himself, Jesus Christ.  Because of his willingness to say yes and then to actually do the hard work, we are saved.