Matthew 21:30
Then the man went to the second son and told him the same thing. 'I will, sir,' he said. But he did not go.
Then the man went to the second son
This phrase introduces the second part of the parable, emphasizing the father's consistent approach to both sons. The Greek word for "man" here is "anthrōpos," which can denote a human being or, in this context, a father figure representing God. The father's approach to the second son mirrors his approach to the first, highlighting God's impartiality and fairness in His dealings with humanity. Historically, this reflects the Jewish understanding of God as a just and equitable Father, who offers the same opportunities for obedience and service to all His children.

and told him the same thing
The repetition of the father's request underscores the uniformity of God's call to His people. The Greek word "autos" (same) signifies that God's expectations do not change based on the individual; His commandments and desires are consistent. This reflects the scriptural truth that God's Word is unchanging and applicable to all, as seen throughout the Bible. The historical context here is the Jewish tradition of oral teaching, where repetition was a key method for ensuring understanding and compliance.

'I will, sir,' he said
The second son's response is outwardly respectful and compliant. The Greek word "kyrie" (sir) is a term of respect, indicating acknowledgment of authority. This phrase highlights the importance of verbal assent and the appearance of obedience. However, it also sets the stage for the contrast between words and actions. In a conservative Christian perspective, this serves as a warning against mere lip service to God, emphasizing that true obedience is demonstrated through actions, not just words.

But he did not go
This phrase reveals the crux of the parable's message: the disparity between intention and action. The Greek word "ouk" (not) is a strong negation, underscoring the son's failure to follow through on his promise. This reflects a common biblical theme where actions speak louder than words, as seen in James 2:17, "faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead." Historically, this would resonate with Jesus' audience, who were familiar with the religious leaders of the time, often criticized for their hypocrisy. The conservative Christian perspective sees this as a call to genuine faith and obedience, where one's actions align with their professed beliefs.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Father
Represents God, who calls His children to work in His vineyard, symbolizing His kingdom.

2. The Second Son
Represents those who verbally commit to God's will but fail to follow through with action.

3. The Vineyard
Symbolizes the kingdom of God and the work He calls His followers to do.

4. The First Son (from the previous verse)
Represents those who initially resist God's call but ultimately obey.

5. Jesus' Audience
Primarily the chief priests and elders of the people, whom Jesus addresses in this parable to illustrate their failure to act on their professed beliefs.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Action Over Words
True obedience to God is demonstrated through actions, not just verbal commitments.

Self-Examination
Believers should regularly assess whether their actions align with their professed faith and commitments to God.

Repentance and Change
Like the first son, there is always an opportunity to repent and align actions with God's will, even after initial resistance.

Authentic Faith
Authentic faith is characterized by a willingness to follow through on commitments to God, reflecting a heart transformed by His grace.

Accountability in Community
Encourage accountability within the Christian community to support one another in living out commitments to God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the response of the second son in Matthew 21:30 challenge us to reflect on our own commitments to God?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our actions align with our verbal commitments to God, as emphasized in James 1:22?

3. How can the parable of the two sons help us understand the importance of repentance and change in our spiritual journey?

4. What practical steps can we take to avoid the hypocrisy of saying 'I will' to God but failing to act, as seen in Luke 6:46?

5. How can we foster a community of accountability that encourages authentic faith and action, in line with Romans 2:13?
Connections to Other Scriptures
James 1:22
This verse emphasizes the importance of being doers of the word, not just hearers, which aligns with the second son's failure to act.

Luke 6:46
Jesus questions why people call Him 'Lord' but do not do what He says, paralleling the second son's empty promise.

Romans 2:13
Paul speaks about the importance of being justified by doing the law, not just hearing it, which relates to the actions of the sons.

Ezekiel 33:31
This passage describes people who express devotion with their mouths but whose hearts are far from God, similar to the second son's response.

Matthew 7:21
Jesus teaches that not everyone who calls Him 'Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father.
The Authority of JesusJ.A. Macdonald Matthew 21:23-32
A Bad Promise Well Broken; a Good Promise SacrificedDr. Talmage.Matthew 21:28-32
A Hasty Refusal and a Wise RetractationE. TempleMatthew 21:28-32
A Mist of Well- WishingH. Ward Beecher.Matthew 21:28-32
A Resurrection of Dead ResolutionsH. W. Beecher.Matthew 21:28-32
Address to Young MenDean Vaughan.Matthew 21:28-32
Aids to Weak ImpulsesH. W. Beecher.Matthew 21:28-32
Basilar and Coronal CorruptionH. Ward Beecher.Matthew 21:28-32
Christian DiligenceMatthew 21:28-32
Christian Sonship and ServiceA. H. Stoate.Matthew 21:28-32
Culture the Faint Impulse to a Nobler LifeH. W. Beecher.Matthew 21:28-32
Determined Sinners have RepentedDr. Talmage.Matthew 21:28-32
Doing God's WillMatthew Pool.Matthew 21:28-32
Doing is ObedienceMarcus Dods.Matthew 21:28-32
General Drift of the ParableMarcus Dods. D.D.Matthew 21:28-32
Go, Work To-DayMatthew 21:28-32
God's Vineyard EverywhereW. Rudder, D. D.Matthew 21:28-32
He Repented: Change of Mind for the Better UnusualJohn Trapp.Matthew 21:28-32
Immediate Obedience WiseB. Keach.Matthew 21:28-32
Impulsive Goodness May Conceal CraftH. W. Beecher.Matthew 21:28-32
Lost OpportunitiesMatthew 21:28-32
Man Organized with a Principle of InstantaneityH. W. Beecher.Matthew 21:28-32
Obedience Forced and NaturalMarcus Dods.Matthew 21:28-32
Occasional GoodnessE. Paxton Hood.Matthew 21:28-32
Opportunities NeglectedMatthew 21:28-32
Our Most Real DangerH. Ward Beecher.Matthew 21:28-32
Our WorkT. Raffles, D. D.Matthew 21:28-32
Profession and PracticeAnon.Matthew 21:28-32
Promptness in WorkChristian TreasuryMatthew 21:28-32
Ready to Promise, But Slow to PerformJohn Trapp.Matthew 21:28-32
Religious ProfessionMarcus Doris, D. D.Matthew 21:28-32
Say Well and Do WellJ. R. Bailey.Matthew 21:28-32
Self-Conceit in MoralsH. Ward Beecher.Matthew 21:28-32
Small Value of PromisesMatthew 21:28-32
Swift Tongue; Slow FootE. Paxton Hood.Matthew 21:28-32
The Benefit of Momentary IlluminationH. W. Beecher.Matthew 21:28-32
The Moral Nature Injured by the Stimulation of UnfulfilledH. W. Beecher.Matthew 21:28-32
The Necessity of WorkW. Rudder, D. D.Matthew 21:28-32
The Parable of the Two SonsW. Jay., R. Winter, D. D.Matthew 21:28-32
The Parable of the Two SonsB. Keach.Matthew 21:28-32
The Two SonsW. M. Taylor, D. D.Matthew 21:28-32
The Two SonsJ. C. Gray.Matthew 21:28-32
The Two SonsJ. Vaughan, M. A.Matthew 21:28-32
The Two SonsExpository OutlinesMatthew 21:28-32
The Two SonsW.F. Adeney Matthew 21:28-32
The Two Sons; a ContrastThe HiveMatthew 21:28-32
To-DayW. Rudder, D. D.Matthew 21:28-32
Truth to Rule the Life Must Awaken Personal InterestE. Temple.Matthew 21:28-32
Two SonsR. Tuck.Matthew 21:28-32
Well-Wishing not Well-DoingH. Ward Beecher.Matthew 21:28-32
Wishing and WillingH. Ward Beecher.Matthew 21:28-32
Work for GodN. H. Parr, M. A.Matthew 21:28-32
Work for JesusC. H. Spurgeon.Matthew 21:28-32
People
David, Jesus, John
Places
Bethany, Bethphage, Galilee, Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, Nazareth, Zion
Topics
Answering, Didn't, Likewise, Manner, Sir, Spoke
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Matthew 21:30

     5973   unreliability
     8718   disobedience

Matthew 21:28-32

     1075   God, justice of

Matthew 21:28-44

     4538   vineyard

Matthew 21:28-45

     7555   Sadducees

Library
The Stone of Stumbling
Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.'--MATT. xxi. 44. As Christ's ministry drew to its close, its severity and its gentleness both increased; its severity to the class to whom it was always severe, and its gentleness to the class from whom it never turned away. Side by side, through all His manifestation of Himself, there were the two aspects: 'He showed Himself froward' (if I may quote the word) to the self-righteous
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Coming of the King to his Palace
'And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2. Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto Me. 3. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4. All this was done, that it might he fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5. Tell ye
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The vineyard and Its Keepers
'Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

A New Kind of King
'All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass.'--MATT. xxi. 4, 5. Our Lord's entrance into Jerusalem is one of the comparatively few events which are recorded in all the four Gospels. Its singular unlikeness to the rest of His life, and its powerful influence in bringing about the Crucifixion, may account for its prominence in the narratives. It took place probably
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

June the Twenty-First Room for the Saplings
"Children crying in the temple, saying Hosanna!" --MATTHEW xxi. 1-16. Children's voices mingling in the sounds of holy praise! A little child can share in the consecrated life. Young hearts can offer love pure as a limpid spring. Their sympathy is as responsive as the most sensitive harp, and yields to the touch of the tenderest joy and grief. No wonder the Lord "called little children unto Him"! They were unto Him as gracious streams, and as flowers of the field. Let the loving Saviour have our
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Christ and the Unstable.
TEXT: MATT. xxi. 10-16. WE have lately seen from several examples that what is properly to be regarded as the suffering of the Saviour, that is, His pain on account of sin, and of the opposition which it offered to His divine work, did not begin merely with the time which, in a stricter sense, we indicate as His period of suffering, but accompanied Him from the beginning of His earthly life, and more especially during His public career. We shall consider this to-day more closely in connection with
Friedrich Schleiermacher—Selected Sermons of Schleiermacher

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xxi. 19, Where Jesus Dried up the Fig-Tree; and on the Words, Luke xxiv. 28, Where He Made A
1. The lesson of the Holy Gospel which has just been read, has given us an alarming warning, lest we have leaves only, and have no fruit. That is, in few words, lest words be present and deeds be wanting. Very terrible! Who does not fear when in this lesson he sees with the eyes of the heart the withered tree, withered at that word being spoken to it, "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever"? [2949] Let the fear work amendment, and the amendment bring forth fruit. For without doubt, the
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

A Sermon to Open Neglecters and Nominal Followers of Religion
If the whole of us were thus divided into two camps, and we could say these have made a covenant with God by sacrifice, and those on the other hand are still enemies to God by wicked works, looking at the last class we might still feel it necessary by way of personal application to make a division among them; for although all unbelievers are alike unpardoned and unsaved, yet they are not alike in the circumstances of their case and the outward forms of their sins. Alike in being without Christ, they
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 13: 1867

Another Royal Procession
When our Lord was here on earth, he was a humble man before his foes, a weary man and full of woes, and only now and then did some glimpses of his native royalty burst forth from him; he had now and then a day in which his regal rights were assumed and his royal position was claimed. He is gone from us now as to his actual presence, but he is with us spiritually, and his spiritual presence here is not unlike what his bodily presence was in the days of his flesh. For the most part, the glory of his
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 18: 1872

The Withered Fig Tree
Flippant persons have spoken of the story before us in a very foolish manner. They have represented it as though our Lord, being hungered, thought only of his necessity, and, expecting to be refreshed by a few green figs went up to the tree in error. Finding no fruit upon the tree, it being a season when he had no right to expect that there would be any, he was vexed, and uttered a malediction against a tree, as though it had been a responsible agent. This view of the case results from the folly
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 35: 1889

Hosanna!
Assuredly, this honor paid to our Lord was passing strange; a gleam of sunlight in a day of clouds, a glimpse of summer-tide in a long and dreary winter. He that was, as a rule, "despised and rejected of men", was for the moment surrounded with the acclaim of the crowd. All men saluted him that day with their Hosannas, and the whole city was moved. It was a gala day for the disciples, and a sort of coronation day for their Lord. Why was the scene permitted? What was its meaning? The marvel is, that
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

Sermon for Palm Sunday
How a man ought in all His works to regard God alone, and purely to make Him his end without anything of his own, and shall freely and simply perform all these works for the glory of God only, and not seek his own, nor desire nor expect any reward. Wherewith he may do such works without any self-appropriation or reference to time and number, before or after, and without modes. How the Divine Word speaks and reveals itself in the soul, all in a lofty and subtile sense. Matt. xxi. 10-17.--"And when
Susannah Winkworth—The History and Life of the Reverend Doctor John Tauler

"Because the Carnal Mind is Enmity against God, for it is not Subject to the Law of God, Neither Indeed Can Be. "
Rom. viii. 7.--"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Unbelief is that which condemns the world. It involves in more condemnation than many other sins, not only because more universal, but especially because it shuts up men in their misery, and secludes them from the remedy that is brought to light in the gospel. By unbelief I mean, not only that careless neglect of Jesus Christ offered for salvation, but that which is the
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Prophecy.
PROPHECY. Isaiah iii. 13; liii. "Behold, my servant shall deal prudently; he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: so shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
William Paley—Evidences of Christianity

How to Work for God with Success.
Son, go work to-day in my vineyard.--MATT. xxi. 28. Compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.--LUKE xiv. 23. I am to speak of some needful qualifications for successful labor; and I say:-- First, that there are certain laws which govern success in the kingdom of grace as well as in the kingdom of nature, and you must study these laws, and adapt yourself to them. It would be in vain for the husbandman to scatter his seed over the unbroken ground or on pre-occupied soil. You must plough
Catherine Booth—Godliness

Synopsis. --A Clearer Conception of Miracle Approached. --Works of Jesus once Reputed Miraculous not So Reputed Now
IV SYNOPSIS.--A clearer conception of miracle approached.--Works of Jesus once reputed miraculous not so reputed now, since not now transcending, as once, the existing range of knowledge and power.--This transfer of the miraculous to the natural likely to continue.--No hard and fast line between the miraculous and the non-miraculous.--Miracle a provisional word, its application narrowing in the enlarging mastery of the secrets of nature and life. At this point it seems possible to approach a clearer
James Morris Whiton—Miracles and Supernatural Religion

Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
(from Bethany to Jerusalem and Back, Sunday, April 2, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXI. 1-12, 14-17; ^B Mark XI. 1-11; ^C Luke XIX. 29-44; ^D John XII. 12-19. ^c 29 And ^d 12 On the morrow [after the feast in the house of Simon the leper] ^c it came to pass, when he he drew nigh unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, ^a 1 And when they came nigh unto Jerusalem, and came unto Bethphage unto { ^b at} ^a the mount of Olives [The name, Bethphage, is said to mean house of figs, but the
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Barren Fig-Tree. Temple Cleansed.
(Road from Bethany and Jerusalem. Monday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXI. 18, 19, 12, 13; ^B Mark XI. 12-18; ^C Luke XIX. 45-48. ^b 12 And ^a 18 Now ^b on the morrow [on the Monday following the triumphal entry], ^a in the morning ^b when they were come out from Bethany, ^a as he returned to the city [Jerusalem], he hungered. [Breakfast with the Jews came late in the forenoon, and these closing days of our Lord's ministry were full of activity that did not have time to tarry at Bethany for it. Our
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Finding the Fig-Tree Withered.
(Road from Bethany to Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXI. 20-22; ^B Mark XI. 19-25; ^C Luke XXI. 37, 38. ^c 37 And every day he was teaching in the temple [he was there Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, but he seems to have spent Wednesday and Thursday in Bethany]; and every night { ^b evening} he went forth out out of the city. ^c and lodged in the mount that is called Olivet. [As Bethany was on the Mount of Olives, this statement leaves us free to suppose that he spent his nights there,
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

In Reply to the Questions as to his Authority, Jesus Gives the Third Great Group of Parables.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) Subdivision A. Introduction ^A Matt. XXI. 23-27; ^B Mark XI. 27-33; ^C Luke XX. 1-8. ^c 1 And it came to pass, on one of the days, ^b they [Jesus and the disciples] come again to Jerusalem: ^a 23 And when he was come into the temple, ^b and as he was walking in the temple [The large outer court of the temple, known as the court of the Gentiles, was thronged during the feasts, and was no doubt the part selected by Jesus and his apostles when
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

In Reply to the Questions as to his Authority, Jesus Gives the Third Great Group of Parables.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) Subdivision C. Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen. ^A Matt. XXI. 33-46; ^B Mark XII. 1-12; ^C Luke XX. 9-19. ^b 1 And he began to speak unto them ^c the people [not the rulers] ^b in parables. { ^c this parable:} ^a 33 Hear another parable: There was a man that was a householder [this party represents God], who planted a vineyard [this represents the Hebrew nationality], and set a hedge about it, and digged a ^b pit for the ^a winepress in it
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The First Day in Passion-Week - Palm-Sunday - the Royal Entry into Jerusalem
At length the time of the end had come. Jesus was about to make Entry into Jerusalem as King: King of the Jews, as Heir of David's royal line, with all of symbolic, typic, and prophetic import attaching to it. Yet not as Israel after the flesh expected its Messiah was the Son of David to make triumphal entrance, but as deeply and significantly expressive of His Mission and Work, and as of old the rapt seer had beheld afar off the outlined picture of the Messiah-King: not in the proud triumph of war-conquests,
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Second Day in Passion-Week - the Barren Fig-Tree - the Cleansing of the Temple - the Hosanna of the Children
How the King of Israel spent the night after the triumphal Entry into His City and Temple, we may venture reverently to infer. His royal banquet would be fellowship with the disciples. We know how often His nights had been spent in lonely prayer, [5077] and surely it is not too bold to associate such thoughts with the first night in Passion week. Thus, also, we can most readily account for that exhaustion and faintness of hunger, which next morning made Him seek fruit on the fig-tree on His way to
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Third Day in Passion-Week - the Events of that Day - the Question of Christ's Authority - the Question of Tribute to Cæsar - The
THE record of this third day is so crowded, the actors introduced on the scene are so many, the occurrences so varied, and the transitions so rapid, that it is even more than usually difficult to arrange all in chronological order. Nor need we wonder at this, when we remember that this was, so to speak, Christ's last working-day - the last, of His public Mission to Israel, so far as its active part was concerned; the last day in the Temple; the last, of teaching and warning to Pharisees and Sadducees;
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

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