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Christ’s Object Lessons
of the people, who believed John to be a prophet. So they said, “We
can not tell.”
Then Christ gave the parable of the father and the two sons. When
the father went to the first son, saying, “Go work today in my vineyard,”
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the son promptly answered, “I will not.” He refused to obey, and gave
himself up to wicked ways and associations. But afterward he repented,
and obeyed the call.
The father went to the second son with the same command, “Go
work today in my vineyard.” This son made reply, “I go, sir,” but he
went not.
In this parable the father represents God, the vineyard the church.
By the two sons are represented two classes of people. The son who
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refused to obey the command, saying, “I will not,” represented those
who were living in open transgression, who made no profession of
piety, who openly refused to come under the yoke of restraint and
obedience which the law of God imposes. But many of these afterward
repented and obeyed the call of God. When the gospel came to them
in the message of John the Baptist, “Repent ye; for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand,” they repented, and confessed their sins. (
Matthew
3:2
).
In the son who said, “I go, sir,” and went not, the character of
the Pharisees was revealed. Like this son, the Jewish leaders were
impenitent and self-sufficient. The religious life of the Jewish nation
had become a pretense. When the law was proclaimed on Mount Sinai
by the voice of God, all the people pledged themselves to obey. They
said, “I go, sir,” but they went not. When Christ came in person to set
before them the principles of the law, they rejected Him. Christ had
given the Jewish leaders of His day abundant evidence of His authority
and divine power, but although they were convinced, they would not
accept the evidence. Christ had shown them that they continued to
disbelieve because they had not the spirit which leads to obedience.
He had declared to them, “Ye made the commandment of God of none
effect by your tradition.... In vain they do worship Me, teaching for
doctrines the commandments of men.”
Matthew 15:6, 9
.
In the company before Christ there were scribes and Pharisees,
priests and rulers, and after giving the parable of the two sons, Christ
addressed to His hearers the question, “Whether of them twain did
the will of his father?” Forgetting themselves, the Pharisees answered,