Daily Devotional For Thursday, January 22, 2026

Good morning ‘Southside! I pray that your week has been one where you grew closer to our Lord. We are making our way through the Gospel of Matthew and today we come to a rather interesting parable Jesus tells in Matthew 21:8-32:

“But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ (29) The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go. (31) ‘Which of the two obeyed his father?’ They replied, “The first.” Then Jesus explained His meaning: ‘I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. (32) For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins” (NLT).

This is going to be one of three parables Jesus gives that depicts God’s indictment, sentence and execution of the current Jewish religious leadership. Jesus is not rejecting Israel, but their godless religious leaders who rejected Him. Some have mistakenly concluded that Jesus is making a comparison between Jews and Gentiles, but He is not. He is making a comparison between those who accept Him versus those who reject Him. As we make our way through these 3 parables, we have to make a choice: will we follow Jesus into discipleship or despise Him ourselves?

Some see in this parable similarity with the Parable of the Prodigal Son, but on a smaller scale. We can certainly see some similarities here between these 2 parables. This father’s command to his son to go work in the vineyard reminds the reader how God had commanded His people through the Old Testament Law to go and do certain things as well. Like the tax collectors and prostitutes, the first son refused to obey his father and then later changed his mind and did obey his father. Then the father gave his second son the same command and he said he would obey and did not. He represents the Jewish religious leaders who knew and heard God’s commands and simply chose to not obey them after they said they would.

To make this point about the Jewish leaders refusing to heed God’s word to them, Jesus reminded them how they failed to listen to John the Baptizer. This goes with our previous devotion when the Jewish leaders asked Jesus about where He got His authority and He asked them to tell Him where John the Baptizer got his. They refused and Jesus refused to answer their question. Jesus’ point was that it was obvious that John the Baptizer’s authority came from God to call the Jewish leaders and Jewish people to repentance, but their pride got in the way.

In this parable the father represents God and the first son represents sinners who heard God’s call to repent, obey and be discipled refused at first but then later did repent. The second son represents the Jewish religious leaders who heard God’s call to repentance, to obedience and discipleship, and said they would but refused. What we see there is that true beliefs reveal themselves over time. Both sons responded immediately to their father’s command, but each other later acted differently. Each son changed their mind and when they finally did act, each one revealed what mattered most to them. Here are a few conclusions we can draw from this parable:

1. This parable teaches us that those who seem the furthest from God (tax collectors and prostitutes) may in reality be the ones who repent and experience the forgiving grace of God. And those who considered themselves the closest to God may be the ones God rejects. Jesus does not close the door on the religious leaders, but He did dispute their assumed citizenship in heaven later.
2. Our initial obedience to repent and come to Christ, wherever that was, does not equate to our present obedience now. Our present state reveals our present obedience and discipleship. No matter what our initial promise to God was, that holds no water in the present. What counts today is our actual obedience, repentance, and discipleship.
3. We are in no position to judge where God is working, who He is working on and with.
4. We tend to judge people from outer appearances. In this parable the religious leaders judged the tax collectors and the prostitutes. To them, such people God had rejected for obvious reasons. Anyone can come to Christ – anyone.
5. Years ago some churches required that if you came to Christ, you had to clean up your outer appearance – get a hair cut, shave, and etc. Jesus refutes such requirements because salvation is by faith and through God’s grace only – not from any of our works. 

Reflection Assignment: Who is it you know or know of that you think is far from God and is most unlikely to come to Christ? Do you ever think, feel or act as if your own self-righteousness is better than some sinners? Now before you think or say, “NO!”, what would the Lord say to you about this? The main sin among church attenders and members is prideful self-righteousness and Jesus’ point is this may keep them out of heaven. What do you think and why?

Scripture To Meditate On: Matthew 6:1, "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven” (NASB).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, please forgive me when I am quick to judge others thinking I am better than them. Only You know people’s hearts and motives. Please give me a repentant heart, a confessional heart and a heart or obedience and discipleship. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!”

I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly