Which Son?

“A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father?” Matthew 21:28-31

The Pharisees were questioning Jesus’ authority and trying to find ways to trick Him into saying something that they could use against Him. Instead of answering their questions directly, Jesus asked them a question about John the Baptist. After they declined to answer because they were afraid of what the people would think, Jesus gave them this parable. A man has two sons, and he asks them both to work for him. One agrees politely but doesn’t actually go; the other son refuses to go but later changes his mind. In this parable, both sons did something wrong. One was disrespectful and the other was deceitful and derelict in his duties. Jesus asked, “Which one did the will of his father?” The obvious answer helps us set priorities for our actions and attitudes. Any father would enjoy hearing his son speak respectfully and appropriately. Any father would be disappointed with a son who rejected personal responsibility. This father experienced both, but at the end of the day, what he needed most was to have the work done. God is more concerned with what we do than He is with what we say we are going to do. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could be the kind of Christians that not only would say that we loved God, but were willing to prove it by obeying His Word?