Matthew 21:28-32
“What think ye? 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? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily, I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.” — Matt. 21:28-32.
We have our Lord’s own explanation also of this parable. The chief priests and the elders of the people had come to Him, demanding by what authority He was acting. The day before He had entered into Jerusalem in triumph, fulfilling the prophecy that said,” Behold thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass.” Garments were strewn in the way, and branches of trees; and the multitude cried,” Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest!” He then went into the temple, and cast out those that sold and bought, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers; but He healed the blind and the lame who came to Him. At all this the chief priests were” sore displeased,” and in the morning they demanded of Him on what authority He did these things.
Our Lord then asked them a question respecting John; and because they could not, or would not, answer Him, neither would He told them by whose authority He had done those things. “But” — He would tell them something – “what think ye? A certain man had two sons,” and so forth. They were those who said,” I go, sir,” and went not. The people were to observe what the scribes and the Pharisees said, for they sat in the seat of Moses (Matt. 23:2), but they were not to follow them — they “went not.” They were blind leaders of the blind, and were not to be followed. He Himself would answer the question He had asked them: “John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not:” neither were they following Christ. On the other hand, those who made no profession — the publicans and the harlots — had believed John, and were entering into the kingdom of God before them. This parable is evidently spoken emphatically against the chief men of Israel.
Alas! we see the same great profession in these days. Men in high position in the so-called church assume to be God’s priests on earth, but, alas! are not many of them blind? By profession they say,” I go, sir;” but when we contrast Christianity with Christendom, we find that many of them” go not,” and they really mislead those that would know the way of life.
This parable may, indeed, have a wider application. Those who have heard the good news of salvation may be compared to those who say,” I go, sir,” and to those who say,” I will not.” Alas! how many who say,” I go, sir,” do not really go. They are satisfied with the lip service and the routine of observances, which, indeed, is but a solemn, but in many cases a fatal, way of saying,” I go, sir:” while God, in His mercy, is blessing His message of salvation to the careless and ignorant, and they believe the gospel of God (1 Pet. 4:17), and are saved.