Parable of Two Sons

Parable of Two Sons article by Lary R. Hale

I want to look at a certain short parable of Jesus today, that shows clearly that we can’t judge anyone according to the appearance, which Jesus also admonished us to not do (Jn. 7:24). “But 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” (Mat. 21:28-31). Of course Jesus was specifically talking to the elistist religious crowd among God’s people, but the same principal applies universally, simply because people are people. I couldn’t count the times I’ve heard someone say something about their great devotion to God, and then see them fade into obscurity. And I’ve seen plenty of times where someone has said they couldn’t do this or they couldn’t do that, and yet they ended up making the grade with God’s help. I taught my sons while they were growing up that the last reason to believe anything is because someone said it. And that truth only grows and expands in my sight and hearing every day that I live. There are religious folks who speak with such an authoritative spirit about their elitist doctrines, that if one does not really know the truth of God himself, he would have to believe they were speaking for God. And yet they know nothing at all, except what they and others like them think erroneously (Prov. 18:2). And on the other hand I have heard honest, simplistic people who confess their confusion as to what really is true, speak more truth with just that statement then a hundred authoritative religious elitists who speak on and on about mysterious nonsense that did not originate with God.

Jesus knew better than to be committed to the words and supposed faith of men: “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man” (Jn. 2:23-25). And those who have truly been made free by continuing in his word [and they are few] also know to not be committed to the words and appearances of holiness of men (Jn. 8:31,32; Mat. 23:27,28). And those who are truly led by God’s Spirit in all things, do not measure their righteousness by the overt unrighteousness of sinners who are caught up in evident sins; for they know that these may be closer to the kingdom of God than many who have a religious and churchy appearance of righteousness, even as Jesus alluded to with the publicans and harlots, as opposed to the Pharisees and Sadducees. In the end, the only righteous judgment is to judge all things by “believing all things [and] hoping all things” (I Cor. 13:7). For “[love] suffereth long, and is kind,” and that sounds a whole lot like the way God has judged all men since the beginning: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” And again: “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. (I Cor. 13:4; II Pet. 3:9; Lk. 6:35). Because we can never really tell what the hearts of men are, by what they say or what they appear to be. Amen.