Parable of the Two Sons

Text and Content

This parable appears only in Matthew 21:28-32. After his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the cleansing of the Temple, Jesus was teaching in the Temple. The chief priests and the elders of the people asked him by what authority he was doing these things (Matthew 21:23-27), and Jesus followed that exchange with this story.

A man tells each of his two sons in turn to go and work in the vineyard that day. One son refuses but later repents and goes to work. The other says he will go but does not. When Jesus asks which of the two did the will of his father, his hearers answer that it was the son who repented and went. Jesus then declares that the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of them. He goes on to point out that when John the Baptist came in the way of righteousness, the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him, but they did not, and even after seeing this they did not repent.

The manuscripts differ in the order in which the two sons appear and in the corresponding answer. As a result, some translations reverse the roles of the elder and the younger son. In the major manuscripts, however, the storyline is the same: the son who refused in word but actually went is the one who did his father's will.

Background

In the Old Testament the vineyard served as an image for Israel (Isaiah 5:1-7).

Tax collectors gathered taxes under Roman rule and were despised by their fellow Jews. Together with prostitutes, they were regarded as typical examples of sinners who did not keep the Law.

The Greek word metamelomai, rendered here as "repent" in the sense of regretting or changing one's mind, is used in both verse 29 and verse 32. Through this word the son who changed his mind is set against the leaders who never changed theirs. It is a different word from metanoeō, which is the word usually translated "repent" elsewhere in Matthew.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

This parable is read together with the two that follow it, the Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46) and the Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14). All three are directed at religious leaders who rejected God's call.

It also connects with the teaching that doing the Father's will takes precedence over saying "Lord, Lord" (Matthew 7:21; Luke 6:46). Luke 7:29-30 reports that the tax collectors were baptized with John's baptism, but the Pharisees and the lawyers were not. This is the same situation the parable addresses.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• Whom the sons represent: The text itself (vv. 31-32) identifies the son who repented with the tax collectors and sinners and the son who did not go with the religious leaders. The broader reading of the two sons as Gentiles and Israel is an interpretation added by some interpreters in the history of the church.
• Works and faith: The parable is often read as teaching that actual obedience matters more than words. Because verse 32 uses the word "believe," however, some readings hold that the central point is hearing John's message, repenting, and coming to faith. There is broad agreement that the parable does not teach salvation by works. Which of the two emphases receives more weight varies by preacher and commentator rather than along denominational lines.
• Elements not in the text: Sermons frequently add the application that "a third son, who says he will go and actually goes, is the most desirable," but no such son appears in the text. The parable is also sometimes conflated with the two sons of the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, but the two are distinct parables.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, this parable is commonly used as a text for examining whether one's confession of faith matches one's life. It is often cited when asking whether longtime church members or church officers have settled for a faith that consists only of words.