The Two Sons
THE TWO SONS
Mt. 21:28-32
Introduction: A neglected, little-known parable. Another example of a simple illustration used to impress a powerful lesson upon the audience.
I. The Setting - Matthew 21
A. The “Triumphal Entry” (1-11)
B. The Cleansing of the Temple (12,13)
C. Healing the blind & lame (14)
D. The praise of the children - “Hosanna...” (15,16)
E. The Barren Fig Tree (17-22)
F. The question of the chief priests and elders. (23-27)
1. “By what authority doest thou these things?”
a. “These things” refers to cleansing the temple, healing, etc.
b. Earlier they had claimed that Jesus “healed” by the power of Beelzebub (Mt.
12:24)
2. Jesus asks a piercing question.
a. “From heaven or from men...?”
b. This question is an “either/or” alternative. There is no “middle ground!”
c. The chief priests and elders were placed in a dilemma. Though they said, “We
cannot tell...”what they meant was, “We will not tell.”
d. Jesus’ subsequent refusal to tell by what authority he did these things was his
acknowledgment of their hypocrisy.
II. The Parable (28-32)
A. “What think ye?”
1. Jesus asks another question.
2. This serves to link the parable with the preceding question.
B. The Two Sons.
1. The first shows no respect to the Father; he answers rudely and insolently.
2. The second son shows great respect (“sir”); he also displays a readiness of mind to be obedient to the father’s summons.
3. The first son, upon reflecting, had a change of mind, and went to the vineyard.
4. The second son, though showing by his words great respect and deference, by his refusal to go showed quite a different attitude.
C. “Whether of them twain did the will of his father?
1. This time, the answer was so clear that even these men had to give an answer.
2. “The first” did the will of his father, though initially he showed little promise of being a useful worker. He proved to be better than his word!
! III. Jesus’ Application
A. The second son represented the Pharisees, chief priests, and elders.
1. They loudly proclaimed their love of God and for the law.
2. But, “their hearts are far from me...” (Mt. 15:8,9)
3. Jesus said of them later, “They say, and do not.” (Mt. 23:3)
4. They had heard John’s preaching, and had seen the multitudes, and had heard Jesus and saw his miracles, yet they “entered not into the Kingdom.”
B. The first son represented the “publicans and harlots.”
1. At first sight, they did not show promise of populating the Kingdom of heaven.
2. For years they had lived lives of open rebellion against God.
3. These people made no pretence to righteousness; they were not hypocritical; they said simply, “I will not.”
4. But, at the preaching of John, they repented, and they “brought forth fruit meet for repentance.” (Mt. 3:5,6)
5. Thus, again, there is a vivid illustration of the principle, “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.”
6. The principle also illustrated is, “Humble yourselves... and God shall exalt you.”
7. Ezek. 18:21 - “If the wicked turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”
IV. Application for us.
A. We cannot trust in ourselves, that we are righteous.
B. We cannot afford to say, and do not! (1 John 3:18)
C. The one who is outwardly and openly rebellious can often be touched by the gospel quicker than others.
D. The “good, moral person” is often the hardest to reach, and will often be the last to obey the gospel!
Conclusion: Will you do the Father’s will?