The Parable of the Two Sons
The Parable of the Two Sons is a lesson Jesus was telling to the chief priests and elders of the people. This parable teaches us we have to be very careful that we do not try to trip other people up by tricking them into betraying themselves. We also need to be careful not to be tricked into saying something against the teachings of Jesus. We need to be factual in witnessing to others and use only what comes out of the Bible as we understand it.
Matthew 21:28-32
Jesus tells the parable of the two sons to answer the question that the chief priests and the elders of the people asked Him.They really were trying to trick Jesus into saying something that they could use to prove he was not telling the truth about who He was. So Jesus tells this parable:
A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. The son said he would not go. Later he repented and he went as he was asked and worked in the vineyard.
The certain man then went to his second son and likewise asked him to go work in the vineyard. The second son told his father he would go. Then he did not go to work in the vineyard.
Jesus asked the chief priests and the elders of the people which one of the sons did the will of his father. They answered that the first was the obedient one.
Jesus said to them: “Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.”(Matthew 21:31).
Jesus continued to say that John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and you, when you had seen it, repented not afterward, that you might believe him.
What Can Be Learned From This Lesson?
Before we can understand this parable we need to understand what a publican and a harlot is. The publican was a farmer of taxes or a tax gatherer. They collected the taxes or tolls they were detested by the Jews and other nations also. This was because of the harshness, greed and deception with which they did their job.
A harlot is a woman who sold her body for the sake of gain. She was a prostitute or an idolatress. They also were detested by the Jews and other nations. They were not the sort of people the chief priests or the elders of the people would associate with.
Now Jesus was saying that these detestable publicans and harlots would go into the kingdom of God before the chief priests or the elders of the people. All because they would not go the way of righteousness and not believe John the Baptist.
Remember that the chief priests or the elders of the people were trying to trick Jesus just waiting for Him to say one thing wrong.
We have to be very careful that we do not try to trip other people up by tricking them into betraying themselves. We also need to be careful not to be tricked into saying something against the teachings of Jesus. We need to be factual in witnessing to others and use only what comes out of the Bible as we understand it.
We must be good examples for others like it says in 1 Timothy 4:12 to “Let no man despise your youth; but be you an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “The Parable of the Two Sons:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1914,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, January) “The Parable of the Two Sons:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1914,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “The Parable of the Two Sons:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1914, (accessed).
