Parable of the Two Sons

We all make promises, but how many of us can say we always keep them? What we will find out is there is often a gap in what we promise and what we actually do. The parable of the two sons teach us that our belief should result in obedience, not out of duty but because we are loved.

Outline

I. Context

II. The Two Sons

III. A warning to those who proclaim but never act

IV. Comfort in an unlikely example

Questions

1. What does it feel like to have someone make a promise to you and then not keep it?

2. Read Matthew 21 and look for all the fulfillment of prophecies from the Old Testament. How could the religious leaders miss these obvious clues about the Messiah?

3. Which is more like your story, the first or second son?

4. As you take stock of your life, where is there a gap between what you confess with your mouth and how you live? What is the way to close the gap?

5. Why does Jesus point to the prostitutes and the tax collectors as examples of faithfulness? What about their lives is noteworthy compared to Jewish leaders?