The Parable of the Two Sons - Bible Reflections - Why Not to Put Worship Before Love

By Tony Joe:

Bible Reflections on Saint Matthew 21:28-32:

Chapter 21 of the Gospel According to St. Matthew marks Christ's final and triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and its aftermath.

While His mass support itself worried the chief priests and elders of the community, more was to come when Jesus undertook the bold cleansing of the Jerusalem Temple from the traders who had occupied it.

The community leaders were furious and confronted Jesus directly, questioning His authority to do the cleansing, but could not beat him in the debate that ensued.

In continuation of this conflict, Jesus tells the chief priests and elders, as well as His followers, three parables - The Parable of the Two Sons, The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers, and the Parable of the Wedding Feast.

The first two of these parables appear in Chapter 21, and the third in Chapter 22. 

All three parables share two common threads - one thread that exposes the self-righteousness and hypocrisy of the community's priests and scholars; and a second thread about how their elevated position in the society will be eventually given to the sinners and poor in the Kingdom of God.

Today's Gospel reading is the first of these three stories - The Parable of the Two Sons.

In a short and simple story, Jesus likens the behaviour of chief priests, Pharisees, & scholars, to that of a son who promises his father to do a work in his vineyard, but doesn't do it actually.

Now, nobody living back then, or even now, can dispute that the priests and scholars were not doing God's work.

They had spent years studying the community's laws, they kept the Ten Commandments diligently, they kept the hundreds of smaller laws too, they spent their days interpreting and fine-tuning the community's various rules, and they spent considerable time teaching these laws and observances to the commoners. 

In short, their whole lives were set aside in service of the Lord.

Then, how could Christ compare them with a seemingly obedient son who disobeys?

The answer can be found only on some contemplation. 

Whatever these community elders were doing outwardly, Jesus is comparing to what this seemingly obedient son was just saying to his father with verbal respect - "I will go, Sir."

But what was really asked by God of these community elders, Christ is comparing to what this seemingly obedient son was asked by his father - a specific job of working in his vineyard.

Just like this seemingly obedient son didn't do that specific work asked of him by his father, so were the priests, Pharisees, & scholars who ignored a specific job asked of them by God.

What could be that specific work, is worth pondering.

As people who led the community in worship and upkeep of laws, the specific work that they didn't do can only be one cardinal commandment - "Love your neighbour as yourself."

Now, coming to the other son, he is the reverse in traits - seemingly disobedient, but somebody who also regrets his ways.

Note how mysteriously Jesus is comparing the sinners and prostitutes of this world, with this seemingly disobedient son.

In the eyes of the world, such sinners are the most disobedient of God's commandments. When God commands them, their outright answer is just what this seemingly disobedient son replied - "I will not".

How could then Christ ever compare these sinners to the seemingly disobedient son who nevertheless goes on to obey his father?

Meditating on it for some time, would give us the clear answer.

God asks us many things, or so we believe, or so we have been moulded to believe by those who lead us in worship and law.

But really, God asks us only two things - to love Him above anything, and to love our neighbour as ourself. And Jesus has categorically stated elsewhere in the Gospels that both these rules are similar.

What does this similarity imply? 

It means that when we truly keep one of these rules, we also keep the other. 

The reverse too is true - when we truly don't keep one of these rules, we also violate the other rule!

Branded sinners of this world are more likely to be compassionate to their neighbours, due to the spiritual poverty they feel inside. It is like the regret the seemingly disobedient son always felt inside.

In contrast, seeming worshippers of this world are more likely to ignore their needy neighbours, due to the spiritual richness they feel inside. It is like the pride the seemingly obedient son always felt inside.

So sinners just needed repentance from their sins - or a return to the obedience of the Ten Commandments - so as not to love anything else before God.

But, in contrast, worshippers didn't even know they needed repentance from their grave sin of ignoring their needy neighbours, as they were too much caught up in the pride of seemingly loving God above anything else by worship and upkeep of the Ten Commandments!

That is why Jesus unequivocally states that sinners and prostitutes who repent are entering the Kingdom of God, before the overtly religious who focus on worship and commandments.

He cites a specific instance too, of how John the Baptist could make many tax-collectors and prostitutes repent due to his message of righteousness, but how the overtly religious ignored that message of righteousness - that specifically involved sharing with the needy - for their usual comfortable life focused on worship and keeping the Ten Commandments.

Like all of Christ's messages, this one too is not just aimed at His community's overtly religious folks, but to correct the overtly religious people of generations to come, including ours.           

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 21:28-32:

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 

He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 

Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I will go, sir,’ but he did not go. 

Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.