In Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus talks about the parable of the two sons in response to the chief priests and the elders of the people who asked him by what authority is he doing what he is doing. Jesus says,
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and whent.
Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing.
He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
‘Which of the two did what his father wanted?’
‘The first,’ they answered.”
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”
The story of the two sons is interesting. The first son has a raw and honest answer, but reconsiders and changes his mind. The second son is very polite and respectable, but then resonsiders and changes his mind.
Jesus asked, “which of the two did what his father wanted?” What’s interesting is that the answer is not based on what each son said, but on what each son did. Neither son did what they said they were going to do.
James 2:24, “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.”