Parable of two sons

In the Gospel of Mathew 21.28-32, there is a parable about a father and his two sons.The father said to the first: 'Son, go to work today in the vineyard', to which he said,  'I will sir, and he did not go' (v.29). When he  asked the other son similarly to go, he said, 'I will not, yet he afterward regretted it and went'! 

I use the photo of two cows in a farm to illustrate that there is something or other that would call for attention every day in a farm or vineyard. If these two cows are not taken for grazing, they suffer. 

The father cared for what needed to be done in the vineyard for which he solicited the attention of his sons, who were also theirs of the vineyard. The father addressed the first one as 'son' to remind  gently of  his affection towards him and his privilege and responsibility to be involved in the upkeep of the vineyard.  The sons were co-heirs of the vineyard. The first son could not go beyond a verbal consent, that too addressing his father as, sir! He lived in the house but regarded his father as an employer!  The second son was impulsive to refuse his father's request, but regretted later and went to the vineyard.

This contrasting responses of the two sons give us a pointer to understand relationships in our homes. It seems that the first son stayed distant from his father. He was keen to be noticed to be responsible by his father! But it did not grieve him to disappoint his father. He was dichotomous in his behaviour towards his father, externally consenting but inwardly disregarding!   

The second son had a feeling heart towards his father. He came to his sense soon to consider-whom   had he refused! He would have recalled the intimacy between them. He regarded the vineyard as his own, I presume. He wanted to stay intimate to his father and value his father's invitation to be responsible as an heir of the vineyard. His regret grew out of this consciousness of his intimacy with his father and what he owed in response to what his father has bestowed upon him. 

The two son's behaviours are reflections of their attitudes and relationships with their father. 

It is only as much as we are drawn towards each other in our homes, there is a prospect of trustful relationships and consenting responses. Fathers and Mothers are responsible to sow the seeds of endearing relationships between parents and children at home!

Jesus spoke this parable to highlight to the jews about their reluctance to accept Jesus and His teachings.

But most parables have several layers of meaning!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)