28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ 29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. (Matthew 21:28-32)
In this parable, the Lord Jesus mentioned two sons. The first son did not agree to his father’s request at first, but later he repented and obeyed his father’s command; the second son agreed to his father’s request, but did not act. Jesus continued to say that the first son was the tax collectors and prostitutes. They did not obey God’s will at first and violated God’s commandments. However, because they listened to Jesus’ teachings, they repented and stopped sinning, became new creations in Christ, and entered the kingdom of God first; the second son was the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees. They knew God’s law, but they did not obey God’s commandments. They did not believe when John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus preached to them.
Jesus asked them who was the one who obeyed the Father’s commandments, There is no doubt that those tax collectors and prostitutes who believed in Jesus, although they were sinners, they repented because of their belief in Jesus and became people who obeyed the Father’s command.
Jesus used this parable to tell us that repentance and baptism are the key to be born again and be saved. Jesus said that unless a person is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God, unless a person is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. The first son repented and obeyed his father’s command. In fact, the second son could also become a person who obeyed his father’s command. As long as he repented, God would accept them, but they were unwilling. So Jesus said that tax collectors and prostitutes would enter the kingdom of God before them.
May God bless you and your family.
