NOTES for Mat 21:28-32
28 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. |
29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. |
30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. |
31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. |
32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. |
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"The road to hell is paved with good intentions," everyone knows this folk wisdom. Why is that so? The parable of the two sons leads us to reflect on this. We readily agree in words to do good, because then we enjoy the thought of our own righteousness. But we all lack constancy, patience, and diligence. And we become like seeds that fell on rocky ground. "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak," the Lord says at another time. But let us also think about the amazing gift of repentance that has been given to us. The possibility of a clean slate is always left to us. It is never too late to reject evil.
However, the idea of the unfulfilled good intentions of the son who said, "I will go," is only one possible interpretation. Another meaning can be ostentatious piety, which lets a person skim along the surface of life without entering into the depth of its problems.
Readings for 16 December 2025
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