The
parable of the two sons
Scripture:
“What do you think? There
was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work
today in the vineyard.’ “‘I will not,’ he
answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to
the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did
not go.
“Which of the two did
what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to
them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God
Observation:
One son said he would go
but changed his mind and went. The second son said he would go but did not go
at all. What mattered at the end of the day to the father was who actually went
and did the work, not who responded or didn’t respond at the first time of
asking.
The imagery of a father
and his two sons reminds us that God is our Father, and we are His children. He
calls to each one of us the same, to come to Him, to love Him and obey Him.
Some of us respond immediately, but end up slacking off like the second son.
Another group of us are reluctant at first, probably giving excuses or
complaining, but because of our conscience, eventually come round and do what
pleases our Father. The moral of this parable is that it is better to be honest
and ultimately responsible rather than be quick to say ‘yes’ but end up not
keeping our word.
In terms of the people of
that time, Jesus likened the tax collectors and prostitutes to the second son,
people who perhaps due to greed, deliberately made wrong choices early in life.
However, at the coming of John the Baptist, they responded to his call for
repentance, and changed their lifestyles in seeking righteousness. In contrast,
the Pharisees and Teachers of the law said all the right things but did not
practice as they preached, and neglected the more important matters of the law
such as justice, mercy, righteousness. Even when John the Baptist pointed this
out to them, they hardened their hearts and refused to believe because of their
pride.
What was the way of
righteousness that John preached? To the tax collectors, he commissioned them
not to collect more than what was right. To the soldiers, he told them to be
content with their pay and not to intimidate anyone or accuse falsely. To the masses, he preached that the one with
two tunics should share with him who has none, and he who has extra food should
share with those with none. He did not ask the soldiers to stop being soldiers
or the tax collectors to give up their profession. He asked them to be righteous
in that area where they were already in. John’s teaching on sharing was later
reinforced by the Lord and was the basis by which the early Christians lived
their lives in the book of Acts, sharing freely among each other so that no one
was in need.
Application:
Let us reflect on
ourselves, to see whether we are more like the first son or the second son. Do
we easily promise but fail to deliver, or do we show reluctance at first, but
eventually perform what is asked of us? Where we are weak, ask the Lord to
grant us perseverance, to complete the work He has called of us.
Some of us may be in the
position of the second son, where we have still not turned back yet. The call
for us is to respond and repent, to come back to God and to His righteousness!
Remember the teachings of
John the Baptist, to share with those in need, to perform our work in
righteousness, to refrain from taking advantage of others. Simple and
practical, ask the Lord for wisdom and strength to follow His teachings.
Prayer:-
We thank You, Lord, for this parable of
the two sons. Help us be more like the first son, who chose to be responsible
in the end and please his father, though he was reluctant at first. Help us
choose that good and righteous path in following our Father in Heaven!
Lord, there are areas in our lives that
we have held back, and have not responded to Your calling. Give us the strength
and peace to let go, to trust You, that life completely in You is far better,
in every facet, every phase.
Teach us, Lord to be generous as John
taught, to be happy with what we have, to easily share with those in need. We
praise You and worship You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.
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