Matthew 21:28

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. BUT WHAT THINK YE? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard-for true religion is a practical thing, a "bringing forth fruit unto God....

This conclusion shows what is the object of the parable, when Christ prefers to the scribes and priests those who were generally accounted infamous and held in detestation; for he unmasks those hypocrites, (33) that they may no longer boast of being the ministers of God, or hold out a pretended zeal for godliness. Though their ambition, and pride, and cruelty, and avarice, were known to all, yet they wished to be reckoned quite different persons. And when, but a little ago, they attacked Christ, they falsely alleged that they were anxious about the order of the Church, as if they were its faithful and honest guardians. Since they attempt to practice such gross imposition on God and men, Christ rebukes their impudence by showing that they were at the greatest possible distance from what they boasted, and were so far from deserving that elevation with which they flattered themselves, that...

28-32 Parables which give reproof, speak plainly to the offenders, and judge them out of their own mouths. The parable of the two sons sent to work in the vineyard, is to show that those who knew not John's baptism to be of God, were shamed by those who knew it, and owned it. The whole human race are like children whom the Lord has brought up, but they have rebelled against him, only some are more plausible in their disobedience than others. And it often happens, that the daring rebel is brought to repentance and becomes the Lord's servant, while the formalist grows hardened in pride and enmity....

Verse Matthew 21:28. _A_ CERTAIN _MAN HAD TWO SONS_] Under the emblem of these two sons, one of whom was a _libertine, disobedient_, and _insolent_, but who afterwards thought on his ways, and returned to his duty; and the second, a _hypocrite_, who promised all, and did nothing; our Lord points out, on the one hand, the _tax-gatherers_ and _sinners_ of all descriptions, who, convicted by the preaching of John and that of Christ, turned away from their iniquities and embraced the Gospel; and, on the other hand, the _scribes,_ _Pharisees_, and _self-righteous people_, who, pretending a zeal for the _law_, would not receive the salvation of the _Gospel_....

BUT WHAT THINK YE? - A way of speaking designed to direct them particularly to what he was saying, that they might be self-convicted. TWO SONS - By those two sons our Lord intends to represent the conduct of the Jews, and that of the publicans and sinners. IN MY VINEYARD - See the notes at Matthew 21:33. To work in the vineyard here represents the work which God requires man to do. I WILL NOT - This had been the language of the publicans and wicked men. They refused at first, and did not “profess” to be willing to go. REPENTED - Changed his mind. Afterward, at the preaching of John and Christ, the publicans - the wicked - repented and obeyed. The s

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 21:1 _Triumphal entry into Jerusalem_. (Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29; John 12:12.) MATTHEW 21:1 We have come to the last week of our Lord's earthly life, when he made his appearance in Jerusalem as Messiah, and suffered the penalty of death. If, as is believed, his crucifixion took place on the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, the triumphal entry must be assigned to the ninth, which day was reckoned to commence at one sunset and to continue till the follow-lug evening. Th

BUT WHAT THINK YOU?.... Matthew 18:12 A CERTAIN MAN HAD TWO SONS. This is a parable; the design of which is to show the hypocrisy and deceit of the Scribes and Pharisees, in pretending to works of righteousness, and not doing them; and to reprove them for their disbelief and rejection of John's ministry; and to make it appear, that the worst of sinners in the Jewish nation were preferable to them; and that many of them were, and would be, happy, when they would be miserable. By the "certain man", in the parable, God is designed; who, though he is not a man, nor to be represented by any human form; yet, as man is the image of God, he is therefore, in an improper and figurative sense, compared to man, and set forth by him; which may be allowed in a metaphorical and parabolical way: and though the Son of God only assumed human nature, and really became man; yet God, the Fa

Matthew 21:23. _And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto, him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?_ Jesus knew that these men came to him for no good purpose, mad that willing were only trying to trip him up in his speech. He was always willing to teach when men were willing to learn, but he did not care to cast his pearls before swine. Therefore, mark the holy caution, the sacred ingenuity with which our Lord replied to these men. Matthew 21:24. And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or o

VINEYARD See "vineyard," margin reference, (Matthew 20:1). (_ See Scofield) - (Matthew 20:1). _...

9. THE KING ENTERS INTO JERUSALEM. The Parables of the Two Sons and the Householder and His Vineyard. CHAPTER 21 1. The King Enters Jerusalem. (Matthew 21:1 .) 2. The Second Cleansing of the Temple. (Matthew 21:12 .) 3. The Fig tree Cursed. (Matthew 21:18 .) 4. His Authority Impeached and His Question. (Matthew 21:23 .) 5. The Parable of the Two Sons. (Matthew 21:28 .) 6. The Parable of the Householder. (Matthew 21:33 .)