Two Sons

The parable of the two sons is a story from the Bible that appears in the Gospel of Matthew. It is a teaching of Jesus and serves to convey an important message about repentance and obedience to God. According to the story, a man had two sons. He went to the first son and asked him to go and work in the vineyard. The first son initially refused, but later changed his mind and went to work in the vineyard. The man then went to his second son and asked him to go and work in the vineyard. The second son agreed to go, but never actually went. When Jesus asks the listeners which son did the will of his father, they answer that it was the first son who initially refused, but later went and worked in the vineyard. Jesus then explains that the tax collectors and prostitutes, who were often considered sinners, would enter the kingdom of God before the religious leaders because they repented and believed in God, while the religious leaders, who claimed to obey God, did not actually do what God asked of them. The parable of the two sons serves as a reminder that true obedience to God involves more than just saying the right words or making promises. It requires action and a genuine change of heart. It also emphasizes the importance of repentance and forgiveness, as even the son who initially refused was able to make things right by changing his mind and obeying his father.