“But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 21:28 Mean?
Matthew 21:28 opens the Parable of the Two Sons, and Jesus begins with a question that demands engagement: "But what think ye?" He's not lecturing. He's involving His audience — chief priests and elders who have just challenged His authority (verse 23). The parable is a trap dressed as a question.
The setup is deliberately simple: a father, two sons, a vineyard, a request. "Son, go work to day in my vineyard." The Greek ergadzomai (work) is straightforward labor — nothing abstract or mystical. And "to day" (semeron) adds urgency. Not eventually. Not when you feel ready. Today. The vineyard is the standard Old Testament metaphor for Israel (Isaiah 5:1-7), and the father is God. The request to work in it is the call to obedience — real, tangible, today-not-tomorrow obedience.
The parable's power comes from the two sons' responses (verses 29-30): the first says no but later repents and goes; the second says yes but never shows up. Jesus then asks which one did the father's will, and the answer is obvious — the first. The point shatters religious pretension: God would rather have initial rebellion followed by genuine obedience than polite agreement followed by nothing. Saying the right thing and doing the right thing are not the same. The vineyard needs workers, not talkers.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Which son are you more like — the one who says no but eventually obeys, or the one who says yes but never follows through? Be specific about where this shows up.
- 2.Jesus aimed this parable at religious leaders — professional yes-sayers. Where in your spiritual life have you substituted verbal agreement for actual obedience?
- 3.The first son said no and then repented. Is there something God has asked you to do that you initially refused but now need to reconsider?
- 4.The vineyard needs workers, not talkers. What specific 'work' has God been asking of you that you've been agreeing to but not doing?
Devotional
Jesus tells a story about two sons, and it's a mirror. One says no to his father and then changes his mind and goes to work. The other says yes — respectfully, properly, with all the right words — and never shows up. Jesus asks: which one actually did what the father wanted? The answer is obvious. And that's the point.
The second son is the more dangerous one, and he's the one Jesus aims this parable at. The chief priests and religious leaders were professional yes-sayers. They had the vocabulary, the posture, the public commitment. They said all the right things about God's will. They just never did any of it. And Jesus says the tax collectors and prostitutes — the ones who initially said no to God, who lived in open rebellion — are entering the kingdom ahead of them. Because at some point, they turned around and actually went to the vineyard.
This parable asks a question that your Sunday attendance can't answer: are you actually in the vineyard? Not did you agree to go. Not did you post about it. Not did you tell your small group you'd be there. Are you actually working? Because God isn't tracking your verbal commitments. He's looking at the field. The son who said no and showed up is preferred over the son who said yes and stayed home. Your worst day of actual obedience outranks your best day of articulate intention.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
But what think you?.... See Gill on Mat 18:12.
a certain man had two sons. This is a parable; the design of which is…
But what think ye? - A way of speaking designed to direct them particularly to what he was saying, that they might be…
The Parable of the Two Sons, and the Explanation of it Peculiar to St Matthew
St Luke omits the parable, perhaps as…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture