He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
The father is God and the vineyard is His church, also the world, and the call is to go and work today, with the first son refusing at first and afterward turning and going while the second promises to go and does not. The refusing son stands for open sinners with no profession of piety, including publicans and harlots, who at first live in sin and bluntly refuse God's command. When John's call to repentance convicted them of sin, many confessed, were baptized, forsook sin, and entered real service, so repenting meant more than changing words. By going at last he did his father's will and entered the kingdom before self-righteous leaders who had light yet rejected the warning, proving obedience by deeds not words. His frank refusal earned no credit, for open disobedience remains sinful and delay is unsafe, yet open sinners who see their need and turn can be received, healed, and used as workers, and every believer is therefore called to faithful work today without idleness.
Setting and Symbols
Jesus put this parable to priests and rulers immediately after they claimed not to know whether John's baptism was from heaven or of men, having become entangled in the net they had spread for Him. He used their acknowledged ignorance as the occasion to set their true position before them and to add another warning to the many already given, in keeping with His custom of letting circumstances furnish the opportunity for His lessons. His aim was not to humiliate His opponents nor to rejoice at seeing them in difficulty, but He drew from them the judgment that the first son did his father's will, and on that judgment declared that publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before them.
In the parable the father means God and the vineyard means the church, also pictured as the world, and the command is to go work today in the vineyard. Words are of no value unless accompanied by appropriate deeds, so the command brings the test of sincerity to every soul, asking for deeds as well as words and for faithful, disinterested use of all knowledge in work for the Owner of the vineyard. Its lesson is to be studied as calling for practical, faithful labor that fits workers for mission service.
The parable belongs to the chapter's warning, illustrated by the fruitless fig tree, against professing to serve God without bearing fruit in life to His glory. It distinguishes profession from actual service, in that a refusal may be followed by a change of heart and obedience, which is shown by going.
The verse forms one half of a contrast between a son who says he will not go and afterward goes and a son who agrees to go but does not go. Its "I will not" describes the faithless sinner's refusal, warning against rejecting Christ's call and teaching instead entrance into sincere service when He calls. Obedience is proved by action rather than profession, so saying yes to God while refusing the work He calls for is a false promise, and some treatments of the parable explain chiefly this other son's false profession of obedience while refusing to act.
Repentance That Obeys
The son who said he would not go and afterward repented and went stands for open transgressors who make no profession of piety, including publicans and harlots and unbelievers, who at first live in sin and give themselves to wicked ways and associations, openly refusing to come under the restraint and obedience that God's law imposes. He is the class despised and denounced as infidels who make no claim to piety and no profession of obedience. His first answer was a blunt and contemptuous refusal of his father's command to work, a refusal of John's teaching and of God's requirements.
When John's preaching of repentance fell on their ears because the kingdom of heaven was at hand, it convicted their hearts and showed them the sinfulness of sin and called them to repentance to prepare the way for the Messiah. Many received his message, saw their error, confessed their sins, were baptized, were drawn to Christ, and turned to God. They believed him and repented of their neglect and obeyed.
His afterward repenting and going means more than changing an answer; it means changing course, forsaking sin, being converted, and doing works of righteousness by entering service and working in the vineyard. Sincerity is shown by deeds and not by words, and his changed action rather than his first words is what counts. By what he finally did rather than by his first words he did his father's will.
Those he represents entered the kingdom of God before the self-righteous leaders who had great light but rejected the warning, whose profession of obedience was not matched by action. Their changed response placed open sinners who obey in better condition and with better prospects than professors who do not obey. Obedience and sincerity are proved by action rather than words, so saying yes to God while refusing the work He calls for is a false promise, and professed holiness and promises to serve God are not genuine when pledged work is left undone.
The son was neither condemned nor commended merely for his refusal, for refusing obedience deserves no credit and frankness in refusal is no virtue. Refusal to obey God remains sinful, insulting, defiant, and approaching blasphemy, and not being a hypocrite does not make one any less really a sinner. Open disobedience that makes no pretense of obeying God is less dangerous than disobedience that regards itself as obedience, as with unbelievers set against those who belittle true order while thinking themselves obedient.
An initial refusal does not have to be final, but the right response when God calls is to obey without delay. It is unsafe to delay obedience to the Holy Spirit's appeal because the invitation may never come again. Every cherished sin weakens character and strengthens habit and brings physical, mental, and moral depravity, and even after repenting and setting the feet in right paths the mold of the mind and familiarity with evil make it difficult to distinguish right from wrong, and through formed wrong habits Satan will assail again and again.
There is more hope for publicans and sinners than for those who know God's word but refuse to obey it. The hope lies with the sinner who sees he has no cloak for sin, who knows he is corrupting soul, body, and spirit before God, who becomes alarmed lest he be eternally separated from the kingdom of heaven, who realizes his diseased condition and seeks healing from the great Physician. Such are received and not cast out, and the Lord can use them as workers in His vineyard.
Call to Work Today
The verse lays on Christians the duty to use their abilities in God's service, for everyone who believes has work to do and must not remain idle, but has a part in God's vineyard and is called to cooperate with God through faithful, wholehearted, disinterested work from which God expects fruit. That lesson applies to those responsible for establishing work in foreign fields, who should be given ample advantages and not be hindered in their efforts. The one who does the Father's will is the one who actually goes and works, not the one who agrees but does nothing, for obedience is proved by action and not by words alone. Those who claim to be God's people are called to decided action in going to work today in the vineyard by promulgating the truth in many ways as missionaries more anxious for the salvation of souls than for the wages they will receive. The Lord is well pleased with such workers, and when His witnesses labor under the Holy Spirit's guidance stripped of all selfishness, souls are converted by their earnest, patient, persevering efforts.
Its lesson calls students to show usefulness by doing the work, beginning with humble tasks and making faithful use of opportunities. In schools this means faithfully cultivating the land and disinterestedly caring for the buildings, to gain experience in cultivation of the soil and manual labor that fits them to take hold of any line of mission work and to instruct others as they have been instructed. Such practical labor drives out the love of sports and amusements. The I will not describes the faithless sinner in his refusal, warning against rejecting Christ's call and teaching instead that sincere service should be entered when He calls.
Open refusal that makes no pretense of obeying is less dangerous than disobedience that regards itself as obedience, yet those who in thought, word, or deed belittle or disparage the gospel ministry because it does not sustain them in erratic movements stand on perilous ground. They are led into false paths that deny present truth and must learn from the parable true obedience and order in God's work. A child's words are not enough, so when a child fails to do an assigned duty the parent should hold the child accountable and require the work to be done rather than let the neglect pass.
The father is God and the vineyard is His church, also the world, and the call is to go and work today, with the first son refusing at first and afterward turning and going while the second promises to go and does not. The refusing son stands for open sinners with no profession of piety, including publicans and harlots, who at first live in sin and bluntly refuse God's command. When John's call to repentance convicted them of sin, many confessed, were baptized, forsook sin, and entered real service, so repenting meant more than changing words. By going at last he did his father's will and entered the kingdom before self-righteous leaders who had light yet rejected the warning, proving obedience by deeds not words. His frank refusal earned no credit, for open disobedience remains sinful and delay is unsafe, yet open sinners who see their need and turn can be received, healed, and used as workers, and every believer is therefore called to faithful work today without idleness.
Setting and Symbols
Jesus put this parable to priests and rulers immediately after they claimed not to know whether John's baptism was from heaven or of men, having become entangled in the net they had spread for Him. He used their acknowledged ignorance as the occasion to set their true position before them and to add another warning to the many already given, in keeping with His custom of letting circumstances furnish the opportunity for His lessons. His aim was not to humiliate His opponents nor to rejoice at seeing them in difficulty, but He drew from them the judgment that the first son did his father's will, and on that judgment declared that publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before them.
In the parable the father means God and the vineyard means the church, also pictured as the world, and the command is to go work today in the vineyard. Words are of no value unless accompanied by appropriate deeds, so the command brings the test of sincerity to every soul, asking for deeds as well as words and for faithful, disinterested use of all knowledge in work for the Owner of the vineyard. Its lesson is to be studied as calling for practical, faithful labor that fits workers for mission service.
The parable belongs to the chapter's warning, illustrated by the fruitless fig tree, against professing to serve God without bearing fruit in life to His glory. It distinguishes profession from actual service, in that a refusal may be followed by a change of heart and obedience, which is shown by going.
The verse forms one half of a contrast between a son who says he will not go and afterward goes and a son who agrees to go but does not go. Its "I will not" describes the faithless sinner's refusal, warning against rejecting Christ's call and teaching instead entrance into sincere service when He calls. Obedience is proved by action rather than profession, so saying yes to God while refusing the work He calls for is a false promise, and some treatments of the parable explain chiefly this other son's false profession of obedience while refusing to act.
Repentance That Obeys
The son who said he would not go and afterward repented and went stands for open transgressors who make no profession of piety, including publicans and harlots and unbelievers, who at first live in sin and give themselves to wicked ways and associations, openly refusing to come under the restraint and obedience that God's law imposes. He is the class despised and denounced as infidels who make no claim to piety and no profession of obedience. His first answer was a blunt and contemptuous refusal of his father's command to work, a refusal of John's teaching and of God's requirements.
When John's preaching of repentance fell on their ears because the kingdom of heaven was at hand, it convicted their hearts and showed them the sinfulness of sin and called them to repentance to prepare the way for the Messiah. Many received his message, saw their error, confessed their sins, were baptized, were drawn to Christ, and turned to God. They believed him and repented of their neglect and obeyed.
His afterward repenting and going means more than changing an answer; it means changing course, forsaking sin, being converted, and doing works of righteousness by entering service and working in the vineyard. Sincerity is shown by deeds and not by words, and his changed action rather than his first words is what counts. By what he finally did rather than by his first words he did his father's will.
Those he represents entered the kingdom of God before the self-righteous leaders who had great light but rejected the warning, whose profession of obedience was not matched by action. Their changed response placed open sinners who obey in better condition and with better prospects than professors who do not obey. Obedience and sincerity are proved by action rather than words, so saying yes to God while refusing the work He calls for is a false promise, and professed holiness and promises to serve God are not genuine when pledged work is left undone.
The son was neither condemned nor commended merely for his refusal, for refusing obedience deserves no credit and frankness in refusal is no virtue. Refusal to obey God remains sinful, insulting, defiant, and approaching blasphemy, and not being a hypocrite does not make one any less really a sinner. Open disobedience that makes no pretense of obeying God is less dangerous than disobedience that regards itself as obedience, as with unbelievers set against those who belittle true order while thinking themselves obedient.
An initial refusal does not have to be final, but the right response when God calls is to obey without delay. It is unsafe to delay obedience to the Holy Spirit's appeal because the invitation may never come again. Every cherished sin weakens character and strengthens habit and brings physical, mental, and moral depravity, and even after repenting and setting the feet in right paths the mold of the mind and familiarity with evil make it difficult to distinguish right from wrong, and through formed wrong habits Satan will assail again and again.
There is more hope for publicans and sinners than for those who know God's word but refuse to obey it. The hope lies with the sinner who sees he has no cloak for sin, who knows he is corrupting soul, body, and spirit before God, who becomes alarmed lest he be eternally separated from the kingdom of heaven, who realizes his diseased condition and seeks healing from the great Physician. Such are received and not cast out, and the Lord can use them as workers in His vineyard.
Call to Work Today
The verse lays on Christians the duty to use their abilities in God's service, for everyone who believes has work to do and must not remain idle, but has a part in God's vineyard and is called to cooperate with God through faithful, wholehearted, disinterested work from which God expects fruit. That lesson applies to those responsible for establishing work in foreign fields, who should be given ample advantages and not be hindered in their efforts. The one who does the Father's will is the one who actually goes and works, not the one who agrees but does nothing, for obedience is proved by action and not by words alone. Those who claim to be God's people are called to decided action in going to work today in the vineyard by promulgating the truth in many ways as missionaries more anxious for the salvation of souls than for the wages they will receive. The Lord is well pleased with such workers, and when His witnesses labor under the Holy Spirit's guidance stripped of all selfishness, souls are converted by their earnest, patient, persevering efforts.
Its lesson calls students to show usefulness by doing the work, beginning with humble tasks and making faithful use of opportunities. In schools this means faithfully cultivating the land and disinterestedly caring for the buildings, to gain experience in cultivation of the soil and manual labor that fits them to take hold of any line of mission work and to instruct others as they have been instructed. Such practical labor drives out the love of sports and amusements. The I will not describes the faithless sinner in his refusal, warning against rejecting Christ's call and teaching instead that sincere service should be entered when He calls.
Open refusal that makes no pretense of obeying is less dangerous than disobedience that regards itself as obedience, yet those who in thought, word, or deed belittle or disparage the gospel ministry because it does not sustain them in erratic movements stand on perilous ground. They are led into false paths that deny present truth and must learn from the parable true obedience and order in God's work. A child's words are not enough, so when a child fails to do an assigned duty the parent should hold the child accountable and require the work to be done rather than let the neglect pass.