Have you ever felt God asking you to do some type of ministry that you believed was beyond your capabilities, and then you became reluctant? Did you say to yourself, “I’m never going to do that?” This is the way many people respond to the Lord’s call on their life. I’ve heard it said you should watch out when you say that you are never going to do something for God; for should you refuse, that’s the very thing He will have you doing. For example, one pastor told me that when he was young he said that he would never become a preacher, and yet he’s a minister today!
In Matthew 19:30, Jesus said, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” We sometimes interpret this verse to mean that those who are high and mighty in the world will be least in the eyes of God, and those who are meek and lowly will be exalted in His sight; and this could be a legitimate interpretation. However, you can also make the application that those who are expected to do great things for God will sometimes fail, whereas the ones we least expect to be used of God will be used by Him in a mighty way.
This evening we will look at what is commonly called “The Parable of Two Sons.” This particular illustration that Jesus shared will reveal how those whom we least expect to be used by God are often the ones He chooses.
Works without Faith (vv. 28-29)
28 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.” 29 He answered and said, “I will not,” but afterward he regretted it and went.
Jesus portrayed here a son who refused to obey his father and go to work in the vineyard; but for some reason or another, he later reconsidered and headed off to work. How many times have we observed a character in the Bible who initially lived in defiance to the Lord, but then wound up doing His will? We have seen this kind of behavior on numerous occasions.
For example, in Exodus chapters 3-4, Moses offered many excuses as to why he could not go as God commanded him. The Lord asked Moses to deliver the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, but he was reluctant to obey. Even though he initially didn’t want to go, he finally did as he was told. In Jeremiah chapter 1, the teenager Jeremiah acted just like Moses. He told the Lord that he was too young to serve as a prophet to the nations. He didn’t want to obey, however he eventually went.
Consider how Paul acted in the book of Acts. He persecuted the early church, killing many innocent followers of Christ (Acts 22:3-5). He was living in defiance against God, but the Lord humbled him by taking away his sight on the road to Damascus (Acts 22:6-16). Afterwards, Paul began preaching Christ to those whom he had formerly persecuted (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).
The Lord has a way of choosing the lowly, the outcast, the downtrodden, and even the disobedient to do His will. He selects those who outwardly exhibit little faith. I guess you could call this works without faith. Right? Some people are reluctant to go because they lack faith; nevertheless, they wind up going because they are compelled. Paul testified, “For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16, NIV). In 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, which is a very familiar passage, here’s what Paul had to say about being called:
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.
The Lord sometimes chooses those who are lowly, disobedient, or reluctant to do His will; and He does so in order to demonstrate His power. He chooses such individuals so “that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:29). Using a person who has been defiant against doing the Lord’s will requires a miracle. This is what Henry Blackaby calls a God-sized task, or something that only God can do. Only the Lord can work His will through someone who is living in defiance; and only God can cause the reluctant ones to go in His name.
A. W. Tozer said, “A true and safe leader is likely to be one who has no desire to lead, but is forced into a position of leadership by the inward pressure of the Holy Spirit and the press of the external situation.”(1) He continued to elaborate, “I think there was hardly a great leader from Paul to the present day but that was drafted by the Holy Spirit for the task, and commissioned by the Lord of the Church to fill a position he had little heart for. I believe it might be accepted as a fairly reliable rule of thumb that the man who is ambitious to lead is disqualified as a leader.”(2)
Faith without Works (v. 30)
30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, “I go, sir,” but he did not go.
Here we observe how the second son said that he would go to work in the vineyard; however, he did not. Many times we meet people in life whom we perceive to be great servants of the Lord. These individuals are highly visible, perhaps having a high “position” in society. They are always socializing and hitting it off well with others; they speak of great things that the Lord has shown them; and they make incredible promises that never come to pass. Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15).
C. Gene Wilkes, in his book Jesus on Leadership, says, “As long as ‘position’ is honored above discipleship – being a follower – church leaders will honor the ambitious over the obedient.”(3) We often tend to think that those who appear promising, or who say they will go, are the ones who are great in God’s kingdom and in His service. Keep in mind, however, that even though someone may seem amazing and obedient, it doesn’t mean they really are, for appearance can be deceiving.
An individual might say they have great faith in God, but when it all boils down do we see the evidence? James 2:17 and 19 says, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead . . . You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble!” Just believing in God is not enough to exhibit our obedience, because even the demons believe, and we know they don’t serve the Lord. Proclaiming that we have great faith in Him and are willing to serve Him doesn’t make us faithful. An individual is not faithful until they actually go as commanded. The late Rich Mullins said, “Faith without works is about as useless as a screen-door on a submarine.”
The Meaning of the Parable (vv. 31-32)
31 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. 32 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.”
From the previous verses I provided some spiritual application for understanding the kind of person whom God chooses and considers faithful in His kingdom service. However, let’s now consider the context and see whom Jesus was referring to when He told this parable. William Barclay commented on the meaning of this parable, and here’s what he had to say about it:
The original meaning is clear. The first son stands for the tax collectors and the sinners. Their lives looked like a blunt refusal to have anything to do with God; and yet when Jesus came they listened to Him and changed their lives to fit His message and meet His demands. The second son stands for the Scribes and Pharisees. All their lives was one long profession that they would serve God and obey His commandments, and yet when the Son of God came they refused to have anything to do with Him and in the end crucified Him.(4)
Verse 31 asks, “Which of these two did the will of his father?” Well, according to this passage, what was the will of the Father? Verse 28 says the will of the Father is to work in the vineyard. What does the vineyard symbolize? The vineyard is symbolic of the kingdom of God.
In the “Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers,” found further down in Matthew chapter 21, we learn how the tenants of the vineyard who refused to serve the Master were destroyed, and the vineyard was handed over to some other tenants (Matthew 21:41). This is actually what happens in “The Parable of Two Sons.” The Scribes and Pharisees, who were Jews and God’s elect, failed to take care of the vineyard; and so, the vineyard was given to some other tenants. These other tenants would be the tax collectors, sinners, the Gentiles, and simply put, those who are least expected.
Time of Reflection
Just because someone appears to be holy and claims to be doing God’s will doesn’t mean they really are. The Lord will sometimes choose those who seem to have no part with Him, or those who are humble and unseen in the eyes of men. He will choose people who run from Him for fear that they can’t live up to His standards, or who feel like they can’t serve Him adequately. He chooses this kind of individual because they have the right attitude. This type of person will more likely rely on God for his or her strength, instead of their own social or mental capabilities.
If you are running from the Lord’s service, then realize that God’s not going to quit pursuing you. He needs people who realize they are inadequate for His service; for He uses people like this. Ultimately, it’s the meek, lowly and disobedient who end up being obedient to Him. I encourage you this evening to slow down and listen to what God is telling you; because He wants to use you.
If you are someone who is running from God’s salvation, then stop running. In this parable, the Scribes and Pharisees (who were Jews) were among God’s chosen people and they should have entered His kingdom, but they didn’t because they were unfaithful. God instead chose the tax collectors and sinners, meaning that He chooses normal people to be His kingdom citizens. God is pursuing ordinary people to receive salvation and inherit all the riches of heaven; and you can enter into heaven one day if you will receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.
NOTES
(1) Hans Finzel, The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make (Colorado Springs: Victor, 1994), 31.
(2) Ibid., 31.
(3) C. Gene Wilkes, Jesus on Leadership (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1998), 71.
(4) William Barclay, The Parables of Jesus (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1970), 198.
