Generous Souls

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ords are important, but most importantly are the actions that follow the words. Jesus used the “Parable of the Two Sons” to teach us this divine lesson and wisdom in three simple verses in Matthew 21:28-30.

In this parable, the father asked the first son to go and work in the vineyard, the son responds “No I will not”, but later changed his mind and went. Same instruction was given to the second son, he responded “Yes, I will”, but did not go. Jesus approved of the first son’s attitude, when the religious leaders to whom the question “which of the two sons did the will of the father” was posed. According to Jesus, the first son, who repented after saying no to the father did the will of the father. To Jesus, words are not as important as following it with action.

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Key Difference Between the Two Sons

1The first son

The first son, who did the will of the father repented. His heart and mind were changed and that moved him to go and work in the father’s vineyard. According to Jesus, sinners and harlots, drug addicts, hard core liars and cheats to mention, but a few may initially say no to the gospel message, but they will repent and enter the kingdom of God ahead of the Pharisees/religious leaders and those who profess to accept God’s grace today, but their deeds rejects His grace of salvation.

2The second son

Notice that the second son, who said yes, I will go, but did not go, did not have a change of mind. Meaning that he knew all along, he was not going to work in the vineyard in his heart, but told the father yes I will go. His attitude was that of deception and lies. Such was the attitude of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time. They professed to love God and serve Him, paying lip service and called other people “sinners”, but their hearts were far from Him. Today, many Christians are trapped in this attitude. They have accepted Christ as lord and savior, but their fruits shows otherwise. Keep in mind it is our fruits that will demonstrate whether we are doing the will of the father or not.

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Spiritual Lessons & Life Application

Jesus teaches us:

1To embrace the attitude of repentance of the first son, because it is eternally rewarding.

2To avoid the deception and lies attitude of the second son, because it could have irreversible eternal consequences.

3That doing the will of the father goes beyond mere words. Repentance should move us to act to honor the father’s will.

4That lip service (example Jesus I love you), is not enough. Obedience to his word and actually practicing and living the word is what he is looking for.

5That faith without works is dead. Living the word is a demonstration of our faith. We are just empty cymbals, if we only pay lip service to God.

6That we do the will of the father, when the grace we have believed and received teaches us to say no to all ungodliness.

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