TRANSLATION MATTHEW 21: 28

“So what about this? A man had two children, and he went to the first and said, “Child, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “No, I won’t,” but later, he had a change of heart and went. The father went to the other one and said the same. He answered, “Yes, Sir,” but he did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Amen, I am telling you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going before you into the Rule of God; for John came to you in the way of justice, and you did not trust him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes put their trust in him, and you saw that, but later you had no change of heart, and did not trust him.

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This parable is directed to the same group of civic and religious leaders. It is fairly blunt; Jesus is not ashamed to use the well-known folk-wisdom trope of the ‘two sons’ ( Indeed this is a short version of the “Prodigal Son’ in Luke’s gospel). He gives it just enough detail to make a story. There are tiny flashes of character. The father does not expostulate when the first son says, no. The second son shows some smarminess in calling his father, Kurios (Sir). There is also a degree of mischief in reducing the Rule of God, to a single request for help.

The Greek word, ‘metemelethete” is important, as meaning a moment of repentance, change of mind or heart.” indicating the right response to God’s call, not being in the right, or promising obedience, but a change of heart followed by action. The leaders of the people are put in the role of the smarmy, uncooperative second child.