Bible Study series: Matthew 21:28-32. Once again, this parable is directed at the Jerusalem and temple establishment. God will build a new community, not of the high and mighty or religious elites, but of the lowly and needy.
A warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn, so let’s learn together. I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click on this link:
In the next link to the original chapter, I comment more and offer the Greek text. At the bottom you will find a “Summary and Conclusion” section geared toward discipleship. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Matthew 21:28-32
28 What do you think? A man had two sons, and he came up to the first one and said, “Go today, child, and work in the vineyard. 29 In reply, he said, “I am unwilling.” But later he changed his mind and went. 30 Coming up to the other one, he said the same thing. In reply, he said, “I will, sir,” and he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of the father? They said, “The first one.” Jesus said to them: “I tell you the truth: the tax collectors and prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God. 32 For John came to you in the pathway of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. But when you saw this, you did not repent later in order to believe in him. (Matt. 21:28-32)
Comments:
Jesus had challenged the temple system by the four signs of the Messiah, outlined in previous posts, and now he challenges the temple establishment with this parable and the next one.
The first son = tax collectors and prostitutes who refused at first, but then changed their minds and repented.
The second son = the Jerusalem and temple establishment, who said they would work, but disobeyed and did nothing.
28-32:
This parable links to the previous dialogue between Jesus and the two groups of religious leaders. He is still talking to them.
It is amazing that Jesus could tell the parable “on the fly” or ex tempore or spontaneously. Have you ever tried to tell a story, just like that, out of the blue? It’s very difficult. I see Jesus as very intelligent–a genius–just on a human level.
This short parable is clear enough. The tax collectors and prostitutes heard John the Baptist’s preaching and at first said no, but then repented or changed their minds. The religious leaders say a loud yes, but then don’t do what God wants, which will be revealed in more detail in the Great Denunciation (Matt. 23). In this parable, the religious leaders should have repented as John told them to.
“I tell you the truth”: see v. 21 for more comments.
Tax collectors: You can learn more about them at this link:
Quick Reference to Jewish Groups in Gospels and Acts
Regardless of these historical details, the main point is that tax collectors were considered bad in the eyes of the people.
“prostitutes”: the old Law of Moses had ambiguous commands about prostitutes. Lev. 21:9 says the daughter of a priest who turned herself into a prostitute shall be burned with fire, because she shamed her priestly father. And v. 7 says that a priest shall not marry a prostitute. It does not say that she shall be put to death for being one, even though she was unconnected to priests. And Deut. 23:17 says that no one shall bring the fee of a prostitute into the house of the Lord. It does not say she shall be hunted down and executed for adultery. It is almost as if the prostitute was tolerated or recognized as part of ancient Israelite society, and apparently here too. Jesus assumed they existed and wanted them to repent.
“kingdom”: Let’s look more broadly into the kingdom. As noted in other verses that mention the kingdom in this commentary, the kingdom is God’s power, authority, rule, reign and sovereignty. He exerts all those things over all the universe but more specifically over the lives of people. It is his invisible realm, and throughout the Gospels Jesus is explaining and demonstrating what it looks like before their very eyes and ears. It is gradually being manifested from the realm of faith to the visible realm, but it is not political in the human sense. It is a secret kingdom because it does not enter humanity with trumpets blaring and full power and glory. This grand display will happen when Jesus comes back. In his first coming, the kingdom woos people to surrender to it. We can enter God’s kingdom by being born again (John 3:3, 5), by repenting (Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:5), by having the faith of children (Matt. 18:4; Mark 10:14-15), by being transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son whom God loves (Col. 1:13), and by seeing their own poverty and need for the kingdom (Matt. 5:3; Luke 6:20; Jas. 2:5). The kingdom has already come in part at his First Coming, but not yet with full manifestation and glory and power until his Second Coming.
5 The Kingdom of God: Already Here, But Not Yet Fully
Bible Basics about the Kingdom of God
Questions and Answers about Kingdom of God
Basic Definition of Kingdom of God
1 Introducing the Kingdom of God (begin a ten-part series)
GrowApp for Matt. 21:28-32
1. Time for a soul checkup. How is your will and obedience? Do you say “yes!” but not do what he says? Or do you say “no!” and change your mind and then do it?
2. In other words, are you a little stubborn and a little deceptive or compliant and softhearted? What would instant obedience to the Lord look like in your life?
RELATED
9. Authoritative Testimony in Matthew’s Gospel
1. Church Fathers and Matthew’s Gospel
2. Archaeology and the Synoptic Gospels
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
SOURCES AND MORE
To see the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the bottom. You will also find a “Summary and Conclusion” for discipleship.
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 