Having already disarmed deceit, here is the wisdom of God at work to disclose the truth. By feigning ignorance in response to Jesus’ question concerning John’s baptism (21:27), the chief priests and elders had attempted to conceal their rejection of John in order to ‘save face’ among the people. Knowing this, Jesus invites their judgment on the matter of two fictional sons who respond differently to their father’s request to go and work in the family vineyard. In contrast to their previous reticence, the religious leaders declare instantly which son they believe to be in the right (v 31). In doing so, they show themselves to be in the wrong in regard to John (v 32) – and, by extension, to Jesus also.

Contrary to their own expectations, it is not the chief priests and elders who are represented by the son whom they judge to have done the father’s will in Jesus’ story. It is tax collectors and prostitutes (v 31)! When it came to recognising what God was doing and getting on board with it, the religious leaders were lagging far behind those whom they considered farthest from God (v 32). This, of course, could never happen today in our churches, could it?

God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’¹

Rather than directly answering those challenging his authority, Jesus critiques their attitude with another vineyard story. A landowning father asks his son to spend a day labouring in his vineyard, but he refuses. Like the prodigal son, he violates the commandment to honour his father. Further, he was liable to be stoned to death!² However, feeling regret, he ‘changed his mind’ (v 29) and went to work in the vineyard. The second son’s verbal response is ideal, ‘I will, sir’ (v 30). However, he did not go, so he lied to his father and broke the fifth commandment, becoming liable to punishment.

When Jesus asks the chief priests and elders which son did God’s will, rather than replying, ‘we don’t know’, as previously, they rightly recognise that the repentant son has done so. Their answer sets them up for Jesus’ criticism of their own failure to ‘repent’ (v 32) when hearing God’s Word. Jesus applies the parable to two groups of Israel’s despised sinners. Like the first son, tax collectors and prostitutes are repenting and entering God’s kingdom.³ The leaders are not. Jesus returns to the previous topic of John the Baptist. His description of John’s coming affirms John’s status as a prophet. The Jewish leaders did not believe John or Jesus, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. In fact, Jesus was their friend.⁴ Their repentance was observed by the Jewish leaders and they should have rejoiced. Instead, they rejected John and Jesus. They are like the second son: despite their seeming religiosity, they are not doing God’s will. 

We have been invited to work for God in his vineyard. Our response is repentance and obedience to the end. We must not become weary of doing good for it is those who endure to the end who will be saved.⁵

Ask God to expose those things in you that require repentance. Pray again the prayer we began with. Make the change. Persevere to the end.

¹ Luke 18:13  ² Deut 21:18–21  ³ Matt 9:10–13; Luke 7:34–50  ⁴ Matt 11:19  ⁵ Gal 6:10, Matt 24:13