“The Two Sons”

Monday, June 12, 2017

This parable of Christ is found in Matthew 21:28-32.

The context of the parable is telling. It begins in verse 23 when Jesus comes to the temple and is immediately confronted by “the chief priests and the elders of the people.” They are upset about His actions of the previous day when He had cleansed the temple of the moneychangers and those who sold doves. They were not there to help others; they were helping themselves and turning the house of prayer into a den of thieves. Jesus cleared them out (the Bible says He “drove them out”). The Jewish leaders didn’t like that.

So now they ask the Messiah “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” Fair questions. He asks them the source of John’s baptism in response. If they are willing to answer His question, “from heaven or from men,” they will have the answer to theirs. God in heaven both authorized John’s work and the actions of Jesus.

Their unwillingness to answer the question causes the Lord not to answer their queries. It wasn’t that they couldn’t answer His question; they didn’t want to because of what that would mean for them. The truth was that John came from God and they rejected him as the forerunner of the Messiah. Now they are in the process of rejecting the Messiah Himself.

So when they refuse to answer, Jesus teaches them a simple lesson about repentance. Two sons are given a task by their father. One says he won’t do it but then repents and does it. The other says he will but then doesn’t. Jesus asks them one more question, “Which of the two did the will of his father?” It was the one who repented and obeyed. And that was what the Lord expected of them.

That is also the point of the episode embedded in this chapter about the fig tree (verse 17-23). A fig tree is to bear figs (fruit for God). When this one did not, the Lord rebuked it and it withered away. A fig tree with leaves on it should bear fruit also. This one failed and was destroyed. We are to serve God, not just make a good appearance. If we are not bearing fruit for our Lord, we need to repent and do the will of our Father.

Do I need to repent and obey God? I must ask myself that question all the time. Do you need to repent and obey Him? I hope you will think about that. This earthly story with a heavenly meaning demands it.

--Roger Hillis

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