Devotional: Do What You Ought to Do

Matthew 21:28-32

Sometimes we really don’t want to do what we ought to do. In this parable Jesus answers His critics, the chief priests and the elders of the people (v. 23) who are angry with Jesus because He had driven out of the temple those who were making money at the peril of poor people (v. 12). In the parable a man has two sons. He tells the first to go into the vineyard and work. He answered “I will not.” He gave the second son the same command, and he answered “I will sir.” Later, the first son changed his mind and went into the vineyard. Likewise the second son also changed his mind and did not go into the vineyard.

We are not told the nature of the relationship between the man and his sons. Did they get along? We are not told how each of them was feeling that day. We are told that the second son changed his mind and did what he ought to do. We do not always feel like going to work, but we know that we ought to. We do not necessarily want to forgive and reconcile with others, especially those who have hurt us, but we do because we know that we ought to. When we do what we ought to do we are doing the will of our Father in heaven. We know what we ought to do because God gives us His Word and His Spirit. We are told the right thing to do (v. 32). So, like the chief priests and the elders we have no excuse. Like the tax collectors and prostitutes we are to heed the way of God’s righteousness. We just need to do what we ought to do.