“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.
Matthew 21:28-32
“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? “
They say unto [Jesus], “The first.”
Jesus saith unto them, “Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”
In this short parable, Jesus shows us God’s emphasis on
- Our deeds over our words;
- Our accomplishments over our intentions; and
- Our growth over our standing.
It’s not what you say, It’s what you do
The first son said he would not obey, but then he did (faithfulness). While the second son said he would do his father’s wishes, but then didn’t (believism).
By application, God is far less interested in what we say and much more interested in what we do. It is easy to say we believe/trust in God. But it is much harder to actually demonstrate that belief/trust in our lives. If the extent of our faith lies only in the words we say, then that is no faith at all.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
It’s not what we say that matters; it’s what we do. The starkness of the parable on this principle is arresting. Absolutely NO credit is given to the son who initially gave the right (verbal) answer. Instead, the son who initially gave the wrong (verbal) answer gets ALL the credit.
Clearly, their actions completely erased their original statements. In other words, it’s far less important to get the words right, than to get the deeds right.
This notion is corroborated in the well-known Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). In that parable, the servants were judged on what they did, not on what they said/professed. Immediately following that parable, Jesus describes for His disciples what the Final Judgment would be like. In His account, the Father separates the sheep (the saved) from the goats (the unsaved). And the sole dividing factor was their deeds/actions, not their words.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Faith is Validated by Obedience
Nevertheless, the Bible makes it clear that we are saved by grace though faith: “Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). But we are saved UNTO works (Ephesians 2:10). Therefore, our deeds/actions reveal our heart condition in ways our words never can.
As any science student can attest, only theories confirmed by experiment can be trusted. Likewise, the only way our faith can be verified is through our actions. Christians will never change the world with religious talk unless it is coupled with a righteous walk.
It’s not how you start, It’s how you finish
This parable also shows us that it’s not how we start that matters, it’s how we finish. The second son started off on the correct footing. He had the right answer, which might have meant that he had the right intentions. Perhaps he did mean to obey his father.
The first son, it is clear, had the wrong intentions as well as the wrong answer. But, after he repented, the first son actually did his father’s bidding. Conversely, the second son, despite his probable good intentions, didn’t obey his father. As in the famous saying: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.
The application is that it’s not enough to start well; we must finish well too. No winners are declared at the start of a race; winners are decided only at the finish line. Regardless of our good intentions, if the faith we profess does not lead us into obedience, then it’s no faith at all. Words alone will not get us to the finish line.
As the body without the spirit is dead, so [our] faith without deeds is dead.
James 2:26
Similarly, it doesn’t matter where we started; the errors of our past are inconsequential. No matter how filthy I was before, and no matter how filthy I am now, it’s not too late to turn around. I must realize my state before God and, like the first son, repent and then obey. I must reach forward to righteousness while leaving sinful ways behind.
…This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
It’s not who you are, It’s who you can become
Thirdly, this parable of the two sons shows us the importance of transformation. The favorable outcome of the first son rested on one thing: repentance. Repentance is the hinge on which transformation pivots. Only AFTER repentance did the change in the first son take place (“…but afterward he repented, and went” ~ Matthew 21:28).
For our lives to be transformed by God we too must repent. We must change our mindset from self-direction to God-direction, from rebellion to obedience. There is only one way: God’s way. But how do we get there? We get there by accepting the truth rather than avoiding it.
Transformsation vs. Stagnation
Jesus told the parable in response to the badgering of the Pharisees. They knew John the Baptist was a prophet. They knew John declared Jesus to be the Messiah. And they knew from Jesus’ miracles that Jesus Himself was sent from God (John 3:2). But to accept the truth meant they would have to change their ways.
In the end, they decided that stagnation was preferable to transformation. And so they killed Him. The same choice is open to us. If we know the Bible is real, then we must accept its teaching and yield to God’s way. We must repent from sin and submit to God, our Father.
Until we submit to God it is impossible to obey Him. Without submission, we just become useless professors of the faith like the second son in the parable.
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.
2 Timothy 3:5
The first son, at the start of the parable, did not submit. But then he changed. He repented. And, in the end, he demonstrated genuine faith by his obedience.
We too can change. We can become doers of the faith, if we will repent and obey.
It’s not too late to change
Finally, Jesus leaves hope for all regardless of where we stand. In Matthew 21:31 (above), He uses the word “before” rather than “and not”. Therefore, He was telling the Pharisees, and all of the other “second sons”, that they still had a chance. The opportunity to repent had not yet passed them by.
Let us then make use of our opportunity to repent.
Follow-up…
- What are you DOING about what you know?
- How are you FINISHING the race you started?
- Are you BECOMING more than you are?
- Will you start the CHANGE today?
Adapted from Reflections in The Word.
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