Two Stories That Speak to the Heart (Matthew 21:28-46)
Have you ever said you’d do something—and then didn’t follow through? Or maybe you refused at first, but later changed your mind and did the right thing. In Matthew 21:28–46, Jesus tells two powerful stories that speak directly to our hearts. These stories—called parables—teach us about obedience, rejection, and what it means to be part of God’s kingdom.
Let’s walk through them together.
Story 1: The Two Sons
Jesus begins with a simple story: A father asks his two sons to go work in his vineyard.
-
The first son says, “No, I won’t,” but later changes his mind and goes.
-
The second son says, “Yes, sir,” but never goes.
Jesus then asks a question: “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
The answer is clear—the first son.
Jesus used this story to show the difference between saying the right thing and actually doing it. Some people—like the religious leaders—talked a lot about following God, but they didn’t truly obey Him. Others—like tax collectors and people who had messed up—had said “no” to God in the past but later turned to Him in real repentance.
The lesson? What matters most is what we do, not just what we say. God cares about hearts that are willing to change and obey, not just words that sound good.
Story 2: The Wicked Tenants
Next, Jesus tells a more serious story:
A landowner plants a vineyard and rents it out to some tenants. When it’s time to collect fruit from the harvest, he sends his servants. But instead of giving him what’s his, the tenants beat or kill the servants. Finally, he sends his son, thinking they’ll respect him. But they kill the son too, hoping to take over the vineyard.
Jesus then asks: What will the landowner do?
The people answer: “He will bring those wicked men to a terrible end and rent the vineyard to others who will give him his share.”
This parable is a picture of how God sent prophets to His people over the years, but many were rejected, mistreated, or killed. Then He sent His Son—Jesus—and the religious leaders were planning to kill Him too. The story warns that rejecting God’s messengers, and especially His Son, leads to serious consequences.
Jesus Makes It Clear
Jesus continues by quoting a verse from the Old Testament:
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” (Psalm 118:22)
He’s talking about Himself. The leaders were rejecting Him, but God was making Him the foundation of something new—His kingdom.
Then Jesus says something bold: “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to people who will produce its fruit.” In other words, God’s kingdom isn’t about titles, traditions, or religious appearances. It’s about people who actually live for Him.
How the Leaders Responded
The religious leaders realized Jesus was talking about them. They didn’t like it. In fact, they wanted to arrest Him—but they were afraid of the crowd, who believed Jesus was a prophet.
Instead of taking Jesus’ words to heart, they rejected Him even more. Sadly, they fulfilled the very story He just told.
What This Means for Us
These two parables still speak to us today. Here are a few key lessons:
-
Obedience matters more than appearances. It’s easy to say the right things, but God wants our actions to match our words.
-
God is patient—but not forever. He gives us many chances to respond, but we shouldn’t ignore His voice.
-
Jesus is the cornerstone. He’s either the foundation of your life—or the one you stumble over.
-
God’s kingdom is for those who bear fruit. That means people who live out their faith with love, humility, and obedience.
Final Thoughts
Jesus told these stories to open hearts and challenge pride. He wasn’t trying to be harsh—He was trying to wake people up. He wanted them, and He wants us, to truly follow God, not just pretend.
So here’s a question to think about:
Are you more like the son who talked a good game but didn’t obey—or the one who changed and did what was right?
And another:
Is Jesus the cornerstone of your life—or are you keeping Him at a distance?
God is still looking for people who will respond to Him with real faith, real change, and real fruit. Let’s be those people—starting today.
Matthew 21:28-46 (WEB)
21:28 But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went. 30 He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I’m going, sir,’ but he didn’t go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”They said to him, “The first.”Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.33 “Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country. 34 When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit. 35 The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them the same way. 37 But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, then killed him. 40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”41 They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers who will give him the fruit in its season.”42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,‘The stone which the builders rejectedwas made the head of the corner.This was from the Lord.It is marvelous in our eyes’?43 “Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation producing its fruit. 44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them. 46 When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to be a prophet.