The Will of His Father

“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.”– Matthew 21:28-32

In a broader conversation with the chief priests and elders in the temple about His authority, Jesus tells a parable about a father and two sons. The father told each of them to work in the vineyard, and while the first son said he wouldn’t but ultimately did, the second said he would but never did so. Jesus asks these leaders who it was that did the will of his father, and they answered plainly that the first son did. As a result, they convicted themselves about their lack of obedience to the Father.

Jesus uses this simple illustration to try and help them see the changes they needed to make in how they were honoring Him, and therefore the Father (John 5:23). We can imagine how those priests and elders could have and probably should have been skeptical when Jesus first arrived on the scene. There had been false messiahs before Christ and there came others after Him. Just as the church today should be watchful for wolves, so should they have been. Accordingly, it may have been prudent to initially respond to Jesus’ call of discipleship with an “I will not”

However, Jesus did not only offer calls, but did wonders, signs, miracles, and prophecy-satisfying works. Over the course of His ministry, the prudent response was no longer to stubbornly refuse, but as His works and authority became evident, the leaders should have further modeled the first son’s behavior by changing their minds and becoming obedient.

“Honor your father” (Ex. 20:12) was the first neighborly commandment of the Ten. Amidst this graduation and wedding season, we can understand giving honor as setting aside time and energy for the graduate or couple. On this Father’s Day we may do the same to our earthly fathers by organizing events and giving gifts. This deliberate focus is one way to honor, but it isn’t the key way.

The critical aspect of honoring one’s father often comes down to every other day. Is the life you are living making your father proud of you? Does your conduct bring honor or shame to his name? It’s one thing to say to your father as the parable’s second son did “I go, sir”, but then do nothing beyond giving such lip-service. Jesus showed us what true honor is, by both saying and doing yes.

When Jesus was asked to do the most difficult, His response was “not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). He did the will of His Father, may we all follow his humble example.

Jason Budd