Jesus was in the temple precincts when he posed a question to his audience by using a parable. A group of chief priests and elders had just interrupted his teaching. They challenged his authority to teach. “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority? ” He shot them down by posing a clever question to them. He told them that he would give them an answer if they would tell him, and the crowd, if John’s baptism was of human origin or heavenly origin. This question stumped them because they had not supported John. If they said the baptism was of heavenly origin, Jesus and the people would question why the religious leaders didn’t believe in him. If they said his baptism was of human origin, they would anger the people because John was very popular among them. They declined to answer. So Jesus also declined to answer their questions. But then, looking straight at them, he asked their opinion on the parable he was about to relate about a man who had two sons.
It was a simple story. One day a man asked both of his sons to go out to work in his vineyard. The first son said, “No way!” But he had a change of heart and later went into the vineyard. The second son said, “Sure.” But he never went. Jesus ended the parable with this question to them. “Which of the two sons did the father’s will? ” The answer was a no-brainer. “The first.”
The religious leaders had no idea what Jesus was about to hit them with. “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you! When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe in him, but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds.” That punch wasn’t enough, though. Jesus followed his response with two more parables – the Parable of the Tenant Farmers and the Parable of the Wedding Feast. Let’s stay focused on this Parable of the Two Sons.
We have to acknowledge that neither of these sons was perfect. One gave lip service to his father’s request, but ended up disappointing him. The other son, at first, aggravated his father with a negative response, even though he eventually responded to his father’s request.
Jesus was pointing primarily at the religious leaders. They gave his Father lip service. They scrupulously followed all the religious laws but never had a conversion of heart. Jesus told the religious leaders that while sinners heeded John’s call to repent, they smugly rejected his message. In Jesus’ eyes, they were worse than the prostitutes and the tax collectors who were condemned by the “righteous” religious leaders. The “sinners” were lost but searching, and Jesus loved them for it.
As Christians trying to follow Jesus by taking on his values, it would be good for us to listen to his teachings. They’re perfectly clear when he’s fighting with the Pharisees. Matthew’s Gospel records many of these encounters, but they’re in the other Gospels as well. I’ll conclude this reflection with a few of Jesus’ statements from Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus’ attitude toward those who are self-righteous and condemn others is clear and uncompromising.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the kingdom of heaven before human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. (Matthew 23:13)”
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside you are full of plunder and self-indulgence. (Matthew 23:25)”
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. (Matthew 23:27)”
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners. (Matthew 9:12-13).” Jesus calls everyone to a change of heart–a change of attitude. He calls us to his loving heart.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light. (Matthew 11:28-30)”
