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)
Lord Jesus mentioned two sons in the parable. They are two different kinds of people. The first son did not agree to his father’s request at first, but later he regretted and followed his father’s instruction; the second son agreed to his father’s request, but did not take action. Jesus went on to say that the first son refers to the tax collectors and prostitutes, they did not do God’s will and violated God’s commandments at first, but they obeyed Jesus’ teachings, they repented and stopped sinning and became new creation in Christ. They entered into the kingdom of God first; and the second son refers to those chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees. They knew God’s law, but they did not do the father’s will. John the Baptist and Lord Jesus came to preach, but they did not believe.
Jesus asked them who did the father’s will. There is no doubt that those tax collectors and prostitutes who believed in Jesus, although they were sinners, they repent and believed in Jesus.
Jesus told us through this parable that repentance is the key to salvation. The first son repented, he did the father’s will. In fact, the second son could also become a person who did the father’s will, if he repented, God would accept him, but he was not willing. Therefore, Jesus said that tax collectors and prostitutes entered the kingdom of God ahead of them.
May God bless you and your family. 🙏😊
