Thu Dec 4- Matthew 21:28-32

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.'
<sup>-Simple farm setting...would make a lot of sense to the people of the day

29</sup>" 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
<sup>-This represents the tax collectors and sinners. Those that are outwardly rejecting the command, but later come to repentance and do God's work

30</sup>"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.
-This represents the pharisees and teachers of the law that said they would. Appear right, but do not do as they say.
-Maybe said yes and didn't do it because of laziness, possibly just to appear righteous.
-In either case, this is probably the worse of the two options because he goes against his word in a worse way than the first son.

³¹"Which of the two did what his father wanted?"
"The first," they answered.
-Jesus asks a question with an obvious answer.
-Obviously the most ideal would've been a son that said yes and did the right thing afterward.
-From this the better of the two was the one who acutally did the work. The one who responded to the work.
+This person must have had a change of heart to do the right thing.

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.
-Point of the parable comes across strong and clear against the teachers and pharisees.

³²For 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.
-Even in this strong message against them he gives them the opportunity to repent.

+This message still applies to us strongly as well when we decide to take up the cause of Christ and not follow thru with who we say we'll be and what we say we'll do.
+We should be cautions of the things we promise to God and work especially hard to follow thru with the strength God provides for us to do the work he asks of us to do.