Good Work
This week we studied the parable of the two sons. Jesus tells this parable in the Temple courts the day after his triumphal entry. After being treated as a king upon his entry into Jerusalem, Jesus cleansed the Temple. The religious leaders were very upset with Jesus and demanded to know by what authority He cleansed the Temple. Jesus responds with a question about John the Baptist and then tells three parables. This is the first. Matthew 21:28-32 “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.’ 29 ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. 31“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 ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. This parable is about saying “yes” to God and following through to do what God wants. It reminds us that obedience, not appearance, is what matters to God. What stands out to you from this parable?
