Matthew 21:28Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Christ once more admonishes the Jews through parables, referencing their disobedience alongside the submission of the Gentiles, who had previously been cast aside. The two sons symbolize the experiences of both the Gentiles and the Jews.

The Lord presents two categories of individuals. One group includes those who made an initial commitment, like the Jews who declared, ‘All that God hath said, we will do and obey.’ The other group consists of those who initially rebelled, including tax collectors, sinners, and Gentiles. Though these individuals initially turned away from God's wishes, ultimately they repented and chose to follow Him. Observe the insight of Christ: He did not first claim to the Pharisees that tax collectors and sinners were superior, but rather engaged them in a way that highlighted their own understanding. They recognized that among the two sons, the one who truly fulfilled his father's wishes was the one who acted on them.

The two sons depicted in the parable found in the Gospel of Luke represent the wise and the extravagant. The prophet Zechariah refers to them by stating: I will take two staffs for myself, one I will name the staff of favor and the other the staff of oppression, and with these, I will care for the flock (Zech. 11:7). The text of interpretation cites Zech. 11:8. The first staff symbolizes the Gentiles, relating to the natural law: Go, work in my vineyard, meaning do not do to others what you would not want done to you (Tov. 4:15). According to the new Synodal translation: What is hateful to yourself, do not do to anyone else.

Dear brothers and sisters, I urge all of you who are called by the name of the faithful and honored to be referred to as the people of Christ. Let us uphold the integrity of our name and not tarnish our faith through unrighteous actions. It is insufficient simply to identify ourselves as believers; we must demonstrate our faith through our deeds. Scripture recounts the story of a father who had two sons. He instructed the first son to "Go and work in the vineyard." The son made a promise but ultimately failed to act. The father then gave the same instruction to the second son. Though this son initially refused with words, he later fulfilled his father's will through his actions. Thus, the first son deserves reprimand, while the latter is worthy of commendation (Matthew 21:28-31).

What do you believe you are? Specifically, in relation to the matters I am about to discuss. Since they hesitated to acknowledge the origin of John's baptism, fearing the exposure of their lack of faith, He aims to illustrate their self-condemnation as nonbelievers through a parable. He states: ‘A certain man had two sons, and he went to the first, saying, 'Child, go and work in my vineyard today.' The son replied, 'I will not,' but later, moved by repentance, he went. In this parable, the man represents God, the loving Creator, and his two sons symbolize the Gentiles and the Jewish people as His offspring. The son who initially declined but eventually went signifies the Gentile nation, while the son who promised but did not follow through represents the Jewish nation.

Who is this but the Creator of all humanity, who cherishes them with a parental love, the God who chose to be loved as a father instead of being feared as a master, despite His rightful position as Lord? This is why, at the outset of the commandments, He did not instruct, “And thou shalt fear the Lord thy God with all thy heart,” but rather proclaimed, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5). The absence of love is characteristic of a master’s authority, not a father’s care. In the parable of the two sons, the elder represents the Gentiles, who trace their lineage back to Noah, while the younger symbolizes the Jews, who trace their roots to Abraham.

The Lord posed a new inquiry to the representatives of the Sanhedrin, a question that left them without any means to respond, despite its connection to their profound disgrace. He presented His inquiry through a parable. "Perhaps," He suggested, focusing on the scribes, "you will find it simpler to respond to this narrative. WHAT DO YOU THINK? A MAN HAD TWO SONS, AND HE APPROACHED THE FIRST SON, SAYING, ‘SON, GO AND LABOR IN THE VINEYARD TODAY.’"

The parable of the two sons illustrates a profound lesson. Jesus posed a question to those gathered: “What are your thoughts on this?” He shared a story about a man with two sons, whom he directed to work in his vineyard. One son initially declined the request, but later felt remorse, changed his mind, and went. The other son claimed he would go, yet ultimately did not fulfill his promise. Jesus asked which of the two truly obeyed their father’s wishes. They correctly identified the first son.

Since the scholarly leaders of the people were present, He conveyed several parables closely connected to them and to the Jewish community at large. Among these was the parable of two sons, where the first initially refused to carry out his father's wishes but later repented and acted, while the second son promised to obey but never went through with it. He then asked them, "Which of the two did the will of his father?" Naturally, they responded, "the first." He then revealed the profound significance of their answer. It demonstrated that even the tax collectors and sinners, despite their evident and disgraceful violations of the law, were guiding them—the esteemed and respected scribes of the holy nation—toward the kingdom of heaven. These individuals, whom they looked down upon and despised, had entered through the gates while they still remained open.

“What are your thoughts on this?” With this inquiry, the Lord aims to focus their attention on the message He is about to convey, prompting them to evaluate their own actions. “Christ leads the Jewish leaders to judge themselves through the example of another. Because they hesitated to acknowledge their wrongdoing directly, Christ employs a parable to direct them toward His intent. When they, unaware of the parable's true meaning, declare their judgment, He in turn reveals to them the core message of the parable” (Chrysostom). - “A certain man had two sons”: in this context, the man represents God; the first son symbolizes tax collectors and sinners, capturing all who are sinful; the second son represents the Pharisees, scribes, and others who view themselves as righteous (Matt.

As was common practice, the Lord Jesus Christ continued His teaching, utilizing poignant parables to reveal to the Jews their lack of repentance and their hardened hearts. He emphasized the grim outcome that awaited them, prompting them to judge their own condition. What do you perceive yourselves to be? He asked His audience, aiming to capture their full attention: 'A certain man had two sons, and upon approaching the first, he said, 'My child, go work in my vineyard today.' He responded, 'I will not,' but later felt remorse and went. The father then approached the second son and said the same thing, to which he replied, 'I will go, Sir,’ but he did not go.