The Spiritually In and Out. Some surprises. Matthew 21 28-31 | Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Jesus “self-destructing.” Telling the truth regardless of the consequences.

The Parable of the Two Sons

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.

One son was outwardly acquiescent to his father, and in agreement what the father wanted.

However, in reality, he did what he pleased.

The other son engaged with what his father wanted, and initially refused to obey him, though he ultimately came around and did it.

And so he actually did what his father wanted.

So the ones whom the religious establishment considered as sinners, the prostitutes and tax collectors, initially said No, later repented, and so entered the Kingdom of Heaven. Whereas the outwardly righteous may have have their hearts far from God.

We may be the son who says Yes, when outwardly we are good church-goers, and clean livers. Inwardly, we might be full of malice, envy, worry, anxiety, and hatred.

The one who is open about his failures, turns and does God’s will would be the one who enters the Kingdom of God.

The Greek for repent is μετανοέω, metamoeo, to completely change one’s mind, to radically change direction.

The fruit of one’s life shows whether or not one is obedient to God.