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Explanation for:
Matthew
21
:
28
But what think you? A certain man had two sons; and coming to the first, he said: Son, go work today in my vineyard.
11
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Christ once more admonishes the Jews through parables, referencing their disobedience alongside the submission of the Gentiles, who had previously been cast aside. The two sons symbolize the experiences of both the Gentiles and the Jews."},{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The two sons depicted in the parable found in the Gospel of Luke represent the wise and the extravagant. The prophet Zechariah refers to them by stating: I will take two staffs for myself, one I will name the staff of favor and the other the staff of oppression, and with these, I will care for the flock (Zech. 11:7). The text of interpretation cites Zech. 11:8. The first staff symbolizes the Gentiles, relating to the natural law: Go, work in my vineyard, meaning do not do to others what you would not want done to you (Tov. 4:15). According to the new Synodal translation: What is hateful to yourself, do not do to anyone else."},{"author-name":"Anonymous Commentary (Opus Imperfectum)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Who is this but the Creator of all humanity, who cherishes them with a parental love, the God who chose to be loved as a father instead of being feared as a master, despite His rightful position as Lord? This is why, at the outset of the commandments, He did not instruct, “And thou shalt fear the Lord thy God with all thy heart,” but rather proclaimed, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5). The absence of love is characteristic of a master’s authority, not a father’s care. In the parable of the two sons, the elder represents the Gentiles, who trace their lineage back to Noah, while the younger symbolizes the Jews, who trace their roots to Abraham. To the first son, He said, “Son, go work in my vineyard today.” This present moment signifies the current age. How did He communicate with His sons? Not face to face as humans do, but in the heart, as God does. While humans may convey words to the ear, God imparts understanding to the mind."},{"author-name":"John Damascene","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88f1652142a026a0c6d53_John%20Damascene.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":8,"exegesis-text":"Dear brothers and sisters, I urge all of you who are called by the name of the faithful and honored to be referred to as the people of Christ. Let us uphold the integrity of our name and not tarnish our faith through unrighteous actions. It is insufficient simply to identify ourselves as believers; we must demonstrate our faith through our deeds. Scripture recounts the story of a father who had two sons. He instructed the first son to \\"Go and work in the vineyard.\\" The son made a promise but ultimately failed to act. The father then gave the same instruction to the second son. Though this son initially refused with words, he later fulfilled his father's will through his actions. Thus, the first son deserves reprimand, while the latter is worthy of commendation (Matthew 21:28-31). In a similar manner, we ought to remember the renunciation and covenant we made during our Baptism. We must reject the devil, his angels, and all his works to remain true to our vows. The manifestations of evil include: adultery, strife, envy, hostility, discord, quarrels, hypocrisy, gossip, anger, malicious intent, judgment, slander, and sorcery. Signs of a lack of faith include: unforgiveness, hatred, superficial love, lust, greed, indulgence, and drunkenness. Serving the devil is marked by pride, vanity, self-centeredness, arrogance, and an obsession with outward appearances. Having renounced all these, let us cling to Christ and rejoice in virtuous living—purity, chastity, poverty, patience, peace, love, compassion, mercy, generosity towards the needy, decency in our actions, appearance, and conduct, justice, humility, and particularly in the humiliation of Christ. By partaking in His sufferings, we can also share in His glory, offering a living and pure sacrifice to God the Father in the Church of the firstborn, in a place of joy."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The Lord presents two categories of individuals. One group includes those who made an initial commitment, like the Jews who declared, ‘All that God hath said, we will do and obey.’ The other group consists of those who initially rebelled, including tax collectors, sinners, and Gentiles. Though these individuals initially turned away from God's wishes, ultimately they repented and chose to follow Him. Observe the insight of Christ: He did not first claim to the Pharisees that tax collectors and sinners were superior, but rather engaged them in a way that highlighted their own understanding. They recognized that among the two sons, the one who truly fulfilled his father's wishes was the one who acted on them."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"What do you believe you are? Specifically, in relation to the matters I am about to discuss. Since they hesitated to acknowledge the origin of John's baptism, fearing the exposure of their lack of faith, He aims to illustrate their self-condemnation as nonbelievers through a parable. He states: ‘A certain man had two sons, and he went to the first, saying, 'Child, go and work in my vineyard today.' The son replied, 'I will not,' but later, moved by repentance, he went. In this parable, the man represents God, the loving Creator, and his two sons symbolize the Gentiles and the Jewish people as His offspring. The son who initially declined but eventually went signifies the Gentile nation, while the son who promised but did not follow through represents the Jewish nation. The Gentiles did not initially pledge their allegiance to God, yet they later chose to obey, believing in both God and Christ. Conversely, the Jews made a commitment, declaring in Exodus (Ex. 19:8): 'All that the Lord has spoken we will do and obey.' Nonetheless, they later faltered, failing to remain faithful to Christ and God. Focus on this single aspect of the parable and clarify its meaning, omitting the rest, as we have touched on this in other parables. Its inclusion here with a degree of obscurity serves a purpose, allowing the Jews, unaware of their connection to the parable, to arrive at the correct conclusion."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Lord posed a new inquiry to the representatives of the Sanhedrin, a question that left them without any means to respond, despite its connection to their profound disgrace. He presented His inquiry through a parable. \\"Perhaps,\\" He suggested, focusing on the scribes, \\"you will find it simpler to respond to this narrative. WHAT DO YOU THINK? A MAN HAD TWO SONS, AND HE APPROACHED THE FIRST SON, SAYING, ‘SON, GO AND LABOR IN THE VINEYARD TODAY.’\\""},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"“What are your thoughts on this?” With this inquiry, the Lord aims to focus their attention on the message He is about to convey, prompting them to evaluate their own actions. “Christ leads the Jewish leaders to judge themselves through the example of another. Because they hesitated to acknowledge their wrongdoing directly, Christ employs a parable to direct them toward His intent. When they, unaware of the parable's true meaning, declare their judgment, He in turn reveals to them the core message of the parable” (Chrysostom). - “A certain man had two sons”: in this context, the man represents God; the first son symbolizes tax collectors and sinners, capturing all who are sinful; the second son represents the Pharisees, scribes, and others who view themselves as righteous (Matt. 21:32-33). - “Go, work in my vineyard”: the vineyard symbolizes the Church of God (cf. note to Mt. 20:1); to work in the vineyard signifies engaging in acts of devotion within the Church, fulfilling God's will, adhering to His commandments, embodying virtues, and leading a good, righteous life."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The parable of the two sons illustrates a profound lesson. Jesus posed a question to those gathered: “What are your thoughts on this?” He shared a story about a man with two sons, whom he directed to work in his vineyard. One son initially declined the request, but later felt remorse, changed his mind, and went. The other son claimed he would go, yet ultimately did not fulfill his promise. Jesus asked which of the two truly obeyed their father’s wishes. They correctly identified the first son.\\n\\nThen Jesus elaborated on the significance of this parable. The Lord, through John, has called you to a change of heart, an essential step for entering the Kingdom of God, and has sought the genuine fruits of that repentance—He has invited you to labor in His vineyard. He has also reached out to tax collectors and sinners. It may have seemed that you, who take pride in your understanding of the Scriptures, would be more inclined to heed His invitation than those publicly labeled as transgressors. You often presented yourselves with an air of righteousness, proclaiming, “I am coming, Lord,” while remaining stationary. You did not heed John's call either. In contrast, the tax collectors and sinners, having initially rejected God's will, came to their senses upon hearing John's message, repented, and answered the call to work in God's vineyard. You witnessed their transformation but did not repent or accept John’s testimony. Thus, it is evident that the tax collectors and sinners are leading the way to the Kingdom of God; indeed, many of them will enter, while you stand to be excluded. \\n\\nThe members of the Sanhedrin, who arrived at the temple as accusers, now found themselves in silence, condemned before Jesus and the multitude."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Since the scholarly leaders of the people were present, He conveyed several parables closely connected to them and to the Jewish community at large. Among these was the parable of two sons, where the first initially refused to carry out his father's wishes but later repented and acted, while the second son promised to obey but never went through with it. He then asked them, \\"Which of the two did the will of his father?\\" Naturally, they responded, \\"the first.\\" He then revealed the profound significance of their answer. It demonstrated that even the tax collectors and sinners, despite their evident and disgraceful violations of the law, were guiding them—the esteemed and respected scribes of the holy nation—toward the kingdom of heaven. These individuals, whom they looked down upon and despised, had entered through the gates while they still remained open."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"As was common practice, the Lord Jesus Christ continued His teaching, utilizing poignant parables to reveal to the Jews their lack of repentance and their hardened hearts. He emphasized the grim outcome that awaited them, prompting them to judge their own condition. What do you perceive yourselves to be? He asked His audience, aiming to capture their full attention: 'A certain man had two sons, and upon approaching the first, he said, 'My child, go work in my vineyard today.' He responded, 'I will not,' but later felt remorse and went. The father then approached the second son and said the same thing, to which he replied, 'I will go, Sir,’ but he did not go. The Jews, failing to grasp the parable's message and considering themselves beyond reproach, answered, 'The first.' Meanwhile, in the Lord's mind, the vineyard represented His gracious kingdom, to which both John the Baptist and Himself called all the children of Israel, heirs to the ancient promises of God (Rom. 9:4). Publicans and sinners, who seemed to be wayward sons of the heavenly Father, embraced this call with repentance and entered the saving path toward God's kingdom. In contrast, those who perceived themselves as leaders of the spiritually blind, illuminators of those in darkness, and guides for the foolish—who thought they possessed wisdom and truth through the law (Rom. 2:19-20)—the scribes and Pharisees who had taken away the key to understanding (Luke 11:52), outwardly zealous for the law and its commandments, were revealed to be disobedient children, unyielding foes of the Kingdom of God. 'Truly I say to you,' the Lord declared to them, 'the publicans and harlots will enter the Kingdom of God before you; for John the Baptist came in the way of righteousness, and you, being the representatives of the people, should have been the first to affirm the undeniable truth of his message, yet you did not believe him, while the publicans and sinners did, demonstrating their repentance.'"}]}
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