Matthew 21:28-32 (TEV)

28. "Now, what do you think? There was once a man who had two sons. He went to the older one and said, "Son, go and work in the vineyard today.'
29. "I don't want to,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. "Yes, sir,' he answered, but he did not go.
31. Which one of the two did what his father wanted?" "The older one," they answered. So Jesus said to them, "I tell you: the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you.
32. {21.32 Lk 3.12; 7.29, 30.} For John the Baptist came to you showing you the right path to take, and you would not believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. Even when you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him

Lesson:

1. Explication

1. The father is God.

1. The father of all sons.
2. We are all called to work in the vineyard.

1. The vineyard is God’s work.
2. The first son is representative of Gentiles and lower order people.

1. Answer was bad, but actions were good.

1. He proved better than his promise.
2. No expectations based on his response.
3. Answered with mouth and not his heart.

1. Son is rude.
2. Son has a change of heart.
3. Turns from sinfulness to righteousness.

1. The second son represents people who are supposed to be of God’s Kingdom.

1. Answer was good, but actions were bad.

1. He promised better than he proved.
2. His response indicated expectations.
3. Answered with mouth and not his heart.

1. Son is true to word.
2. Son is hard of heart.
3. Son is disobedient.
4. Turns from righteousness to sinfulness.

1. Lesson – The Gospel Call.

1. Walking the walk vs. talking the talk.

1. What we do is more important than what we say.
2. We walk in two worlds – we should be in this world but not of this world.

1. Keep our hearts and minds on Jesus.
2. Parables turns our perceptions up-side-down.

1. The second son spoke more truthfully but was less than the first son.
2. We need to remember that the wisdom of the world is not necessarily (and likely is not) the wisdom of God.

2) The first son is better than the second son.

1. We should open our hearts also.
2. Let’s not be shamed by Publicans and Harlots.

3) Do what God asks with a happy heart.

1. Neither of the sons could have been happy with their actions.
2. We should feel happy and fulfilled with our service to the Lord.

Matthew 21:28-32

As Christ instructed his disciples by parables, which made the instructions the more easy, so

sometimes he convinced his adversaries by parables, which bring reproofs more close, and

make men, or ever they are aware, to reprove themselves. Thus Nathan convinced David by a

parable

# 2Sa 22:1

and the woman of Tekoa surprised him in like manner,

# 2Sa 14:2

Reproving parables are appeals to the offenders themselves, and judge them out of their own

mouths. This Christ designs here, as appears by the first words

# 28

In these verses we have the parable of the two sons sent to work in the vineyard, the scope of

which is to show that they who knew not John's baptism to be of God, were shamed even by the

publicans and harlots, who knew it, and owned it. Here is,

I. The parable itself, which represents two sorts of persons; some that prove better than they

promise, represented by the first of those sons; others that promise better than they prove

represented by the second.

1. They had both one and the same father, which signifies that God is a common Father to all

mankind. There are favours which all alike receive from him, and obligations which all alike lie

under to him; Have we not all one Father? Yes, and yet there is a vast difference between

men's characters.

2. They had both the same command given them; Son, go work to-day in my vineyard. Parents

should not breed up their children in idleness; nothing is more pleasing, and yet nothing more

pernicious, to youth than that.

# La 3:27

God sets his children to work, though they are all heirs. This command is given to every one of

us. Note, (1.) The work of religion, which we are called to engage in, is vineyard work,

creditable, profitable, and pleasant. By the sin of Adam we were turned out to work upon the

common, and to eat the herb of the field; but by the grace of our Lord Jesus we are called to

work again in the vineyard. (2.) The gospel call to work in the vineyard, requires present

obedience; Son, go work to-day, while it is called to-day, because the night comes when no

man can work. We were not sent into the world to be idle, nor had we daylight given us to play

by; and therefore, if ever we mean to do any thing for God and our souls, why not now? Why not

to-day? (3.) The exhortation to go work to-day in the vineyard, speaketh unto us as unto

children

# Heb 12:5

Son, go work. It is the command of a Father, which carries with it both authority and affection, a

Father that pities his children, and considers their frame, and will not overtask them

# Ps 103:13, 14

a Father that is very tender of his Son that serves him,

# Mal 3:17

If we work in our Father's vineyard, we work for ourselves.

3. Their conduct was very different.

(1.) One of the sons did better than he said, proved better than he promised. His answer was

bad, but his actions were good.

[1.] Here is the untoward answer that he gave to his father; he said, flat and plain I will not. See

to what a degree of impudence the corrupt nature of man rises, to say, I will not, to the command

of a Father; such a command of such a Father; they are impudent children, and stiff-hearted.

Those that will not bend, surely they cannot blush; if they had any degree of modesty left them,

they could not say, We will not.

# Jer 2:25

Excuses are bad, but downright denials are worse; yet such peremptory refusals do the calls of

the gospel often meet with. First, Some love their ease, and will not work; they would live in

the world as leviathan in the waters, to play therein

# Ps 104:26

they do not love working. Secondly, Their hearts are so much upon their own fields, that they

are not for working in God's vineyard. They love the business of the world better than the

business of their religion. Thus some by the delights of sense, and others by the employments of

the world, are kept from doing that great work which they were sent into the world about, and so

[2.] Here is the happy change of his mind, and of his way, upon second thought; Afterward he

repented, and went. Note, There are many who in the beginning are wicked and wilful, and very

unpromising, who afterward repent and mend, and come to something. Some that God hath

chosen, are suffered for a great while to run to a great excess of riot; Such were some of you,

# 1Co 6:11

These are set forth for patterns of long-suffering,

# 1Ti 1:16

Afterward he repented. Repentance is metanoia -- an after-wit: and metameleia -- an

after-care. Better late than never. Observe, When he repented he went; that was the fruit meet

for repentance. The only evidence of our repentance for our former resistance, is, immediately

to comply, and set to work; and then what is past, shall be pardoned, and all shall be well. See

what a kind Father God is; he resents not the affront of our refusals, as justly he might. He that

told his father to his face, that he would not do as he bid him, deserved to be turned out of

doors, and disinherited; but our God waits to be gracious, and, not withstanding our former

follies, if we repent and mend, will favourably accept of us; blessed be God, we are under a

covenant that leaves room for such a repentance.

(2.) The other son said better than he did, promised better than he proved; his answer was good

but his actions bad. To him the father said likewise,

# 30

The gospel call, though very different, is, in effect, the same to all, and is carried on with an

even tenour. We have all the same commands, engagements, encouragements, though to some

they are a savour of life unto life, to others of death unto death. Observe,

[1.] How fairly this other son promised; He said, I go, sir. He gives his father a title of respect,

sir. Note, It becomes children to speak respectfully to their parents. It is one branch of that

honour which the fifth commandment requires. He professes a ready obedience, I go; not, "I

will go by and by," but, "Ready, sir, you may depend upon it, I go just now." This answer we

should give from the heart heartily to all the calls and commands of the word of God. See

# Jer 3:22, Ps 27:8

[2.] How he failed in the performance; He went not. Note, There are many that give good

words, and make fair promises, in religion, and those from some good motions for the present,

that rest there, and go no further, and so come to nothing. Saying and doing are two things; and

many there are that say, and do not; it is particularly charged upon the Pharisees,

# 23:3

Many with their mouth show much love, but their heart goes another way. They had a good mind

to be religious, but they met with something to be done, that was too hard, or something to be

parted with, that was too dear, and so their purposes are to no purpose. Buds and blossoms are

not fruit.

II. A general appeal upon the parable; Whether of them twain did the will of his father?

# 31

They both had their faults, one was rude and the other was false, such variety of exercises

parents sometimes have in the different humours of their children, and they have need of a great

deal of wisdom and grace to know what is the best way of managing them. But the question is,

Which was the better of the two, and the less faulty? And it was soon resolved; the first,

because his actions were better than his words, and his latter end than his beginning. This they

had learned from the common sense of mankind, who would much rather deal with one that will

be better than his word, than with one that will be false to his word. And, in the intention of it,

they had learned from the account God gives of the rule of his judgment

# Eze 18:21-24

that if the sinner turn from his wickedness, he shall be pardoned; andif the righteous man turn

from his righteousness, he shall be rejected. The tenour of the whole scripture gives us to

understand that those are accepted as doing their Father's will, who, wherein they have missed

it, are sorry for it, and do better.

III. A particular application of it to the matter in hand,

# 31, 32

The primary scope of the parable is, to show how the publicans and harlots, who never talked

of the Messiah and his kingdom, yet entertained the doctrine, and submitted to the discipline, of

John the Baptist, his forerunner, when the priests and elders, who were big with expectations of

the Messiah, and seemed very ready to go into his measures, slighted John the Baptist, and ran

counter to the designs of his mission. But it has a further reach; the Gentiles were sometimes

disobedient, had been long so, children of disobedience, like the elder son

# Tit 3:3, 4

yet, when the gospel was preached to them, they became obedient to the faith; whereas the Jews

who said, I go, sir, promised fair

# Ex 24:7, Jos 24:24

yet went not; they did but flatter God with their mouth.

# Ps 78:36

In Christ's application of this parable, observe.

1. How he proves that John's baptism was from heaven, and not of men. "If you cannot tell,"

saith Christ, "you might tell,"

(1.) By the scope of his ministry; John came unto you in the way of righteousness. Would you

know whether John had his commission from heaven, remember the rule of trial, By their fruit

s ye shall know them; the fruits of their doctrines, the fruits of their doings. Observe but their

way, and you may trace out both their rise and their tendency. Now it was evident that John

came in the way of righteousness. In his ministry, he taught people to repent, and to work the

works of righteousness. In his conversation, he was a great example of strictness, and

seriousness, and contempt of the world, denying himself, and doing good to every body else.

Christ therefore submitted to the baptism of John, because it became him to fulfil all

righteousness. Now, if John thus came in the way of righteousness, could they be ignorant that

his baptism was from heaven, or make any doubt of it?

(2.) By the success of his ministry; The publicans and the harlots believed him; he did

abundance of good among the worst sort of people. St. Paul proves his apostleship by the seals

of his ministry,

# 1Co 9:2

If God had not sent John the Baptist, he would not have crowned his labours with such

wonderful success, nor have made him so instrumental as he was for the conversion f souls. If

publicans and harlots believe his report, surely the arm of the Lord is with him. The people's

profiting is the minister's best testimonial.

2. How he reproves them for their contempt of John's baptism, which yet, for fear of the people,

they were not willing to own. To shame them for it, he sets before them the faith, repentance,

and obedience, of the publicans and harlots, which aggravated their unbelief and impenitence.

As he shows,

# 11:21

that the less likely would have repented, so here that the less likely did repent.

(1.) The publicans and harlots were like the first son in the parable, from whom little of religion

was expected. They promised little good, and those that knew them promised themselves little

good from them. Their disposition was generally rude, and their conversation profligate and

debauched; and yet many of them were wrought upon the by the ministry of John, who came in

the spirit and power of Elias. See

# Lu 7:29

These fitly represented the Gentile world; for, as Dr. Whitby observes, the Jews generally

ranked the publicans with the heathen; nay, and the heathen were represented by the Jews as

harlots, and born of harlots,

# Joh 8:41

(2.) The scribes and Pharisees, the chief priests and elders, and indeed the Jewish nation in

general, were like the other son that gave good words; they made a specious profession of

religion, and yet, when the kingdom of the Messiah was brought among them by the baptism of

John, they slighted it, they turned their back upon it, nay they lifted up the heel against it. A

hypocrite is more hardly convinced and converted than a gross sinner; the form of godliness, if

that be rested in, becomes one of Satan's strongholds, by which he opposes the power of

godliness. It was an aggravation of their unbelief, [1.] That John was such an excellent person,

that he came, and came to them, in the way of righteousness. The better the means are, the

greater will the account be, if not improved. [2.] That, when they saw the publicans and harlots

go before them into the kingdom of heaven, they did not afterward repent and believe; were not

thereby provoked to a holy emulation,

# Ro 11:14

Shall publicans and harlots go away with grace and glory; and shall not we put in for a share?

Shall our inferiors be more holy and more happy than we? They had not the wit and grace that

Esau had, who was moved to take other measures than he had done, by the example of his

younger brother,

# Ge 28:6

These proud priests, that set up for leaders, scorned to follow, though it were into the kingdom

of heaven, especially to follow publicans; through the pride of their countenance, they would not

seek after God, after Christ,

# Ps 10:4