The parable of the two sons
Today’s gospel is yet another parable that our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to his disciples. This is the Parable of the Two Sons, which you can read in your Bible in Matt. 21: 8-32.
“[Jesus said to the Chief Priests and Elders of the people,] 28 “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, “Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
30 The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two sons did his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.
32 When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.”
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This parable teaches us on the consequence of not responding to the will of God. In this parable, the first son refused to obey his Father’s command to work in the vineyard, but later, decided to work in his father’s vineyard. For our Lord Jesus Christ, the attitude of the first son is akin to Tax collectors or prostitutes, who did not do what was good or obeyed the Ten Commandments, but later they repented and did the will of God.
Now we move on to the story of the other son, who initially obeys the will of his Father when he was asked to work in the vineyard. But eventually this son disobeyed his father, as he did not work in the vineyard. Our Lord Jesus made parallels with this other son to the Chief Priests and Elders who initially obeyed the will of God and served him, but when John the Baptist came preaching repentance, they did not listen to John the Baptist.
This is why in the last paragraph, our Lord Jesus said to the Chief Priests and Elders, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.”
Of course this talk incensed the Jewish Leaders and all the more plotted to have our Lord killed. But let me remind you of what we read in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name? 23 Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.”
While our Lord Jesus Christ was speaking to the Chief Priests and Elders of his time, in this gospel passage he might as well be referring to our bishops and priests and yes, including the heads and leaders of the evangelical churches who are separated from the Catholic Church… for they too believe in our Lord Jesus Christ in their thoughts, but not in their deeds.
I talked with many quarreling brothers and sisters or friends who tell me that they hate this person for this or that reason. I only ask them one question… “Do you still pray the Lord’s Prayer?” All of these people say that they do pray the Lord’s Prayer many times during the day.
Then I bluntly tell them to stop praying the Lord’s Prayer because their prayers have become meaningless to God… especially when they say, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The same thing is true to the rest of the Lord’s Prayer.
At the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, we recite, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, they kingdom come, THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven.” Come now and be honest to yourself. Do you really take the words in the Lord’s Prayer seriously? Or are we merely reciting this prayer because we have already memorized it since childhood?
The Lord’s Prayer is the only prayer that our Lord Jesus Christ taught to his apostles and disciples who handed it down to us from the ages. Yet after saying this prayer, we go on with our lives doing our own will, instead of God’s will. This is why our Lord Jesus Christ was very clear on how can enter the kingdom of heaven.
For emphasis, let me reprint again what our Lord Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” So the next time, when you pray, ask the Father to help you understand what his will is and that from henceforth your will would now be exactly the same as the Will of God.
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