De duobus filiis, quorum unus in vineam ivit
The Parable of the Two Sons
Jesus introduces the parable of the two sons to illustrate the nature of obedience and repentance.
He explained why and how the truth of his authority and preaching had to be revealed to others rather than to them, using the parable of the two sons. A man had two sons, and going to the first, he said, "Son." "Go today and work in my vineyard." But he answered, "I will not." Later, however, moved by repentance, he went. Coming to the other, he said the same thing. But he answered, "I'll go, sir." And he didn't go.
Allegory of Gentiles and Jews
The parable is interpreted as representing the Gentiles and the Jews, highlighting the contrast between initial disobedience followed by repentance and outward profession followed by failure.
The man who had two sons is God the Father, called 'man' because of the gentleness He showed toward humanity, and who created all people with a father's affection; and although He is Lord by nature, He still prefers to be loved as a Father rather than feared as a Lord. The first son, in time and origin—though not in dignity and the knowledge of God—is the people of the Gentiles, and the other is the people of the Jews; for the Gentiles were from the beginning. Noah, and the Jews from the time of Abraham. To work, however, in my vineyard. To do justice, which God planted generally in the nature of all people, but gave specifically to the Jews in the book of life; its various vines are the various kinds of justice. To the first son, he spoke first through the impression and awareness of natural law: 'Go, work'—that is, in the time of this age, do the justice of natural law, which is: 'Do to others what you want done to you, and do not do to another what you do not want done to you.' To work, I say, in my vineyard—that is, in the Church, outside of which there is no place for meritorious work. Yet He spoke to him not face-to-face as a human, but in the heart as God, imbuing the senses with understanding; for God has never ceased to move people toward good through hidden instincts. Chrysostom says: "God placed the spirit of the knowledge of good and evil in human beings so that, whenever we sin, it might silently accuse our actions, speaking quietly to the soul within the conscience: 'This is evil, and this is good.'" The first son, however—meaning the Gentiles—was openly stubborn in his thoughts, answering, 'I will not,' because he abandoned the good and chose the evil; for he did not obey the law of nature and abused his free will. Hence the same Chrysostom asks: "How did he say, 'I will not?'" In thought, it means. Therefore, anyone who has the knowledge of good and evil but abandons the good and follows the evil in his thoughts seems to answer the Lord's commandment with 'I will not'—that is, he acts against the understanding the Lord created for him. So says Chrysostom. But later, at the coming of the Savior, believing the preaching of Christ and the Apostles and moved by repentance, he worked in the vineyard of God and corrected his stubborn words through labor, because he submitted his neck to the Most High God and now pleases Him through the worship of the faith. To the other son, however, God later said through the giving of the Mosaic Law: 'Go and work in my vineyard, and do the works of justice.' In reality. He answers, 'I will go,' because he first vowed to serve God and bound himself to that service by accepting the Mosaic Law, saying to Moses: 'All that the Lord has spoken we will do.' But he didn't go, and what he answered with his mouth, he didn't fulfill in deed, because he didn't remain in the service of God, didn't observe the Law he had accepted, and even turned to idolatry and infinite evils; now he denies the worship of Christ.
The Judgment of the Wicked Ministers
Jesus uses the parable to expose the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, contrasting their failure with the repentance of tax collectors and prostitutes.
The Lord introduced this parable by questioning them, so that by their own answer he might expose those wicked ministers and have them condemned by their own judgment. When he asked, "Which of the two did the father's will?" They answered him, "The first," not realizing the parable was about them, and unaware that in their answer they were condemning themselves. The Lord therefore took it up and refuted them with their own words, confirming the judgment they had delivered, for it follows: Jesus says to them, "Amen, I say to you, that the tax collectors and the prostitutes—meaning not those who are such now, but those who were—will go before you into the kingdom of God," that is, into the Church militant. through faith and repentance, and into the Church triumphant through glory, while you are left outside through unbelief. The first son, because he did the father's will, is worthy of mercy; the second, because he neglected it, is worthy of rejection and punishment. Because he was saying to them: "Not only are the Gentiles better than you Jews, as you yourselves have judged; but even the worst of the Gentiles—namely, the tax collectors and prostitutes, who among you are clearly of the most shameful life—will be of greater merit before God than you, because it is better not to promise and to do the justice of God than to promise and to lie." And, according to Augustine, feigned righteousness is a double iniquity; this vice was then most prevalent among the priests and Levites. Therefore, according to Origen, this parable is directed toward those who promise little or nothing but show it by their works, and against those who promise great things but do nothing or very little in accordance with their promise. For today, alas! Many people, even those in religious life, don't just ignore the Scriptures. They even abandon the justice of natural law; and so, they aren't worthy of the mercy shown to the first son, but rather of the punishment due to the second. Chrysostom says: 'I believe that publicans are set forth as representatives of all sinful men, and harlots as representatives of all sinful women.' For although there are many sins in both men and women beyond these, avarice especially abounds in men, while fornication abounds in women. For a woman who sits shut away in her own home easily falls into the sin of fornication, because this vice is born easily from idleness and leisure. For whoever has their mind occupied with worldly cares doesn't easily fall into fornication. For this is the definition of love: the occupation of idleness. A man, however, who is constantly busy with the affairs of the world easily falls into the sin of avarice; he doesn't fall into fornication easily, unless he is very lascivious by nature. For the occupation of serious responsibilities generally shuts out the suggestion of pleasure; that is why this is characteristic of young people who have nothing to do: so says Chrysostom. Next, the Lord explains the reason for the Jews' rejection: their contempt for believing—a contempt made worse by the authority of John and the example of the conversion of sinners. For while tax collectors and prostitutes believed John and did penance at his preaching, the Jews themselves did not believe, even though they heard John's teaching and saw his works. He came to them in the way of righteousness, performing works of perfection and announcing Christ, who is righteousness itself. And they not only failed to do this, but even after they saw the tax collectors and prostitutes believing and doing penance, they weren't ashamed or moved to compunction so that they might believe, nor did they follow the example of those to whom they themselves should have been an example. From this follows the aggravation of their sin, because they were unwilling to either lead or follow those people in faith and penance.
Laity and Priesthood
The parable is applied to the contemporary states of the laity and the priesthood, warning against the dangers of spiritual pride and the difficulty of repentance for those who know the law.
The laity and the priests can be understood as the two sons; thus, the people are the first son, and the priest is the second. Hence Chrysostom says: "He speaks of two sons: the condition of the laity, and the order of the priesthood." Who is the first son? The people. For the people were created first; then the priests, to govern the people. For the people were not created for the sake of the priests, but the priests for the sake of the people, to work in the vineyard. And so, the people. Finally, the people of God began from the time of Abraham; the priests, from the time of Aaron. Laypeople are chosen for this very reason, because they take up a singular life. They seem to deny obedience to God. Priests, however, seem to promise obedience to God all the more, precisely because they are specifically established in God's ministry. For anyone appointed as a teacher of the people undoubtedly professes that he will be the kind of person a teacher ought to be. Therefore, a priest—and every cleric—even if he doesn't make a specific promise, still, by the very fact that he is appointed to teach others, seems to promise God tacitly that he will obey Him in all things. A layperson who outwardly professes a secular life but in reality strives to live spiritually is better than a priest who outwardly professes a spiritual life but in reality embraces a carnal one. And even a layperson who is doing penance is better before God than a cleric who remains in his sins. A layperson, however, will receive a priestly stole on the day of judgment—which is why all are anointed with chrism just as in the priesthood—but a sinful priest, stripped of the priestly dignity he once held, will be among the unbelievers and hypocrites. This is why a layperson, after sinning, easily comes to repentance; because they are occupied with worldly negligence and don't pay enough attention to the Scriptures, what is written in them always seems new. Consequently, when they hear about the glory of the Saints or the punishment of sinners, they are terrified as if hearing it for the first time, and while they long for good things or fear evil ones, they are pierced with compunction and quickly turn back to repentance. Yet nothing is more impossible than to correct someone who knows everything, and yet, while condemning the good, loves what is evil. For everything that is in the Scriptures is considered old and worthless before his eyes because of his daily meditation, and even whatever is terrible loses its impact through familiarity. Therefore, a cleric who is always meditating on the Scriptures is either going to observe them entirely and be perfect, or if he once begins to despise them, he is never stirred by them to fear. After all, who has ever seen a cleric quickly doing penance? And if they are caught and humble themselves, they don't grieve because they have sinned, but are troubled because they have lost their glory. Do you think the Lord, as if He were cruel, has denied repentance to clerics by saying, 'If the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted?' But considering it a natural state, He said this because there is no one to teach the one who is erring, who used to correct others.
Final Exhortation and Prayer
The chapter concludes with a summary of the spiritual lessons and a prayer for grace to live in true obedience.
I’m not talking about the common people, since they manage their lives according to the dictates of reason; rather, it’s the tax collectors and prostitutes—those who have enslaved themselves to worldly desires and carnal pleasures—who will go before you into the kingdom of God. Once they are converted, they cease to be what they were, whereas you deny in your actions what you seem to profess in your words, acting like a tree without fruit: you don't feed your Lord, but mock Him—this is Chrysostom. In the son who initially refused his father's command but later did it, we see represented those sinners who, by living wickedly, refuse to serve God, but later repent and work manfully. In the second son, who promised to do the father's will but didn't do it, we see represented those who promise to live virtuously but fail to follow through. Among these are many religious who profess to keep great things—namely, the evangelical counsels—while failing to keep even the commandments. Because of this, secular people, even sinners who later repent, are placed before them in the sight of the Lord, as it is said: 'Tax collectors and prostitutes will go before you into the kingdom of God.' Let no sinner, therefore, despair, and let no righteous person who has converted presume, since sinners, through repentance, sometimes go before others into the kingdom of God. PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, good Doctor, grant that I may believe the truth in my heart and confess it with my mouth and in my deeds, as is fitting; and grant that I may wisely avoid the snares and deceits of evil spirits and men. Grant me the grace to perform the justice of the natural law impressed upon our hearts and the written law given in the books, and to fulfill Your will in all things, so that I may not deserve the punishment of the second son, but rather the mercy of the first before You; and that I may find mercy with those who truly repent, both in the Church militant and in the Church triumphant. Amen.
Read the original Latin
Quod au em aperienda erat verilas suae p »testatis et praedicationis aliis et nun ipsis, et quare, indiravit per parabolam duorum tiliorum. ttomo quidam habebat duos filios, et accedens adprimum dixit : Fili. vade hodie, operare in vinea mea. llle autem respondens, ait : Nolo. Postea autem, poenitentia motus, abiit. Accedens autem ad alterum dixit similiter. At ille respondens, ait : Eo^ domine. , et non ivit.
Humo iste, qui duos filios habuit est Deus, scilicet Pater, qui dicitur homo ratione mansuetudinis quamadhominem habuit, qui etiam omnes homines paterno alfectu creavit; et cum sit natura Dominus, tamen mag-is vult diligi quasi Patrr, quam timeri quasi Dominus. Primus filius tcmpure et origiiie, non tamen dignitate et Dei co;^Miitione, est populus Gentium, alter populus Judaeorum ; quia Gentes erant ex temporc? Noe, Judaei autem ex tempore Abraham. Uperari autem vineam e. 4 facei e ju-titiam , quam generaliter quidem in naiura omnium hominuin Deus plantavit, specialiter autem Judaeis eam in libro vitae dedit; cujus diversae vites sunt diversae justitiarum species. Primo filio primum dixit per naturalis legis impressionem et notitiam : Vade, operare, id est in tempore hujus seculi, fac legis nataralisjustitiam quae est : Hoc facias alii quod tibi vis fieri, et quod tibi non vis fieri ae feceris alteri. Opcrare, inquam, in vinea mea, id estinEcelesia, extra qiiam non est locus operandi meritorie. Locutus est autem ei non facie ut horao, sed in corde ut Deus inMerens intellectum sensibus ; quia numqiiam Deus destitit homines mciiare ad honum per occultos instinctus.
Unde ait Chrysostomus : « Positit Deusspiritum scientiae boni et mali in hominibus, ut quotiescumque peccamus, ille in siienlio, quasi factum nostrum accuset, qui m conseientia tacite ad animam loquitur, dicens : Malum est hoc, et hoc bonum est. » Ille autem, scilicet primus fihus licetin cogitatu, superbe respondens, ait : Nolo, quia bonum relinquendo etmalum eligeudo aperte contumax fuit ; legi enim naluraii non obedivit, et iibero arbitrio abusus est. Unde ait idem Chrysostomus: « Quomodo dixit : Nolo ? in cogit itn. Qui ergo habens intellectum boni et mali relinquit bonum, et sequitur malum in cogitationibus suis, contra pra^ceptum Domini respondere videtur: Nolo, id est contra inttillectum suum creatum sibi a Domino facit : » haec Chrysostomus, Sed postea in adventu Salvatoris; ad praedicationem Christi atque Apostoiorumcredens, poenitentia motus, operatus est in vinea Dei, et sermonis contumaciam labore correxit, quia summo Deo colla submisit, et nunc cuitu fiilei ipsi placet. Alteri auiem filio Deus postea dixit, per MosaiCfB Legis dationem : Vade, et operare in vinea mea; et fac justitiae opera. Qui re. -pondens, ait : Eo, quia primum Deo servire vovit, et se ad serviendum Deo, per susceptionem Legis Mosaicae,obligavit,dicens Moysi : Omnia quse locutus est Dominus faciemus ; sed non ivit, et quod ore respondit, opere non implevit, quia in servitio Dei non remansit, et Legem susceptam non observavit, nec non ad idoJolatriam et ad iufinita mala declmavit, et nunc Ghristi cultum negat.
Induxit autem Dominus hanc parabolam, eos interrogando, utpropria responsione illos impielatis ministros argueret, et proprio judicio condemnarentur.
Cum ergo quae^isset : Quis ex duobus fecit voluntatem patris? iili respondentes : dicunt ei : Primus, non inteiligentes de semetipsis dictam parabolam, et nescientes, quia in responsione exprimerent condemnationem suam, Iiitulit er^o Dominus, et ex responsione propria il]o& confutavit, confirmans prolatam ab ipsis sententiam ; sequitur enim : dicit illis Jesus: Amen, dico vobis, quia publicani et meretrices, scilicet non qui tales sunt, sed qui fuerunt, prdecedent vos in regnum Dei,id e^t in Ecclesiam militantem,pi! r fidem et poenitimtiam, et in Ecclesiam triumphantem, per gloriam, vobis extra dereliclis, per infidelilatem. Primus enim tilius, quia fecit voluntatem patris, dignus est misericordia; secundns, quia neglexit, dignus est reprobatione et poena. Quia illis diceret : Non solum Gentiles meliores sunt vobis JudaeiSj sicutet ipsijudicastis ; sed el pessimi de Gentilibus, scilicet publicani atque meretrices, qui inter vos manifeste sunt turpissimae vitae, erunt majoris meriti apud Deum quam vos, quia nielius est non promittere, et facere justitiam Dei, qu im promittere et mentiri. Et, secundum Augustinum, simulata aequitas duplex est iniquitas; et hoc vitium potissime tunc vigebat in sacerdotibus et levitis. Igitur, secundum Origenem, p^des uti parabola ista adeos qui modicum quidem aut nihil promittunf, operibus auiem ostendunl; et contra eos qui magna promittunt, niliil autem vel parum, secundum suam promissionem agunt. Nam hodie, heu !
multi, etiam religiosi, nonsolum h^gis Scripturae. sed etiam lcgis naturalis justitiam derelinquunt; et ideo non misericordia cum filio primo,sed potius poenacuni secundo filio digni sunt. Ubi Chrysostomus : « Puto autem quod ex persona omnium virorum peccatorum, publicani ponantur; et ex persona omnium mulierura meretricum, meDE retrices. Quamvis enim multa sint peccata in viris et mulieribus, prseter ista, prsecipue tamen avaritia in viris abundat, lornicatio autem in mulicribus. Mulier enim qux in domo sua sodet inclu-a, facile pnccatum fornicationis incurrit; quia hocvitium lacile ex vacautia etotio nascitur. Nam qui sollicitudinibiis animum habet occupatum, non lacile fornicatioui oper. im dat; diffinilio enim amoris haec est vacautis i^assio. Vir aulem, qui in actibus rerum diversarum est assidue, avaritiae peccalum facileincurrit; in for-nicatione autem non facile, nisi furte multum sit lascivus.
Nam occupatio virilium sollicitudinum supfgestionem voluptatis plerumque excludit ; unde proprium est hoc adolescentium nihil agentium: » haec Chrysostomus. Deinde, subjungit l)ominus causam reprobationis Judasorum, quae est contemptus credendi, quem aggravat etsauctitas Juannis,et exemplum conversionis peccatorum ; quia, publicanis et meretricibus Joanni credentibus, et ad prsedicationem ejus pnenilentiam agentibus, ipsi non credideruntJoannidoctrinam ejusaudiendo, et opera ejus imitando, qui venit ad eos iii viajustitiae, qui opera perfectionis faciebat, et Christum, qui est ipsa justitia, annuntiabat. Et non solum hoc non fecerunt ; sed nec postquam publicanos et meretrices credentes et pcenitentes viderunt , confusi sunt, aut compuncti, ut crederent, vel illorum exemplum sequerentur, quibus ipsi exemplum esse debuerant; ex quo sequitur aggravatio peccati ipsorum, quia nec praecedere, nec sequi illos in fide et posnitentia voluerunt.
Laici etiam et sacerdoles duo filii possunt inttdligi : et sic populus prior filius ; sacerdos autem sccundus. Unde Chrysostomus: « Duos etiam tilios dicit : Jaicorum coriditionem, et ordinem sacerdotum. Quis est prior filius? Fopulus. Frior enim populus creatus esi ; deinde sacerdotes, qui regerent populum. Non enim populus propter sacerdotes creatus est; sed sacerdotes propter poUNUS IN YLNEAM lYlT. ETC, 213 pulum. Denique populus Dei ex temf)ore Abrahae coepit; sacer*dotes autcm, de tempore Aaron.
Kt popuiares, por hoc ipsurn quod singirlar'(jm suscipiuut vitam. denegire videntur obediuntiam Ueo. Sacer^dotes aulem magis videntirr obedienliain pr^ornittere Deo, prae ipue per hoc ipsum quod specialiier in miuisterio Dei consiituuiitur. Nam,qui doctor populi constituiiur, sine dubio pr )fitetur talem se fore, qualem oportet e^se doctorem. Sacerdos ergo,et omnis clericus, etsi specialiter non promitiat; tamen per hoc ipsum quod doctor constituitur aliorum, tacite promittere Deo videtur in omnibus obauditurum se Deum. Et melior est laicus, qui in prima facie secularem profitetur vitam, revera autem studet vivere spiritualiler, quam sacerdos, qui in prima quidem facie profiteturvitam spiritualem, revera autern complectitur vitam carnalem. Et melior est etiam laicus ante Deum poenitentiamagens, quam clericus permanens in peccatis. Laicus autem in die judicii stolam sacerdotalem accipiet, ideo et iu chrismate sic unguntur omnes sicut in sacerdotio ; sacerdos autem peccator, spoliatus sacerdotii dignitate quam habuit, erit inter infideles et hypociitas.
Unde et modo, secularis homo post peccatum facile ad poenitentiam venit ; nam occupatus negligentia seculari, dum Scripturis non satis attendit, sem[)er quae in Scripturis posita sunt nova ei videntur, ideoque, cum audierit aliquid de gloria Sanctorum, aut de poena peccaturum, quasi novum aliquid audiens expavcscit, et dum bona concupiscit, aut mala timet, comi»unctus ad poenitentiam cito recurrit. Nihil autem iuipossibilius, quam ijium corrigere, qur scit omnia, et tamen conlemnens bonum, diligit malum. Omnia enim quae sunt iu Scripturis, propter me(litationem quotidiarjam ante oculos ejus inveterata et vilia aestimantur; narn et quidquid terribile est, usu vilescit. Proptei'ea clericus, qui semper meditatur, Scripturas: aut omnino eas observaturus est, et erit perfectus; aut si semel coeperit illas contemnere, numquam excitatur in illis ut timeat. Quis enim aliquando vidit clericum cito poenitentiam agentem ? Et, si deprehensus humiliaverit semetipsum noQ ideo dolet, quia peccavit; sed conrmditur, quia perdidit gloriam suam. Putasne Dominus, quasi crudelis, clericis poeniientiam denegavit, dicens : Si sal infatuatum fuerit in quosalietur? Sed quasi naturaleesse considcrans, hoc (lixit, quia non est qui doceat illum errantem qui alios corrigeb it.
Ideo, non dico populares, quia secundum rationem veibi viiam suam dispensant ; sed publicani et meretrices,qui desidenis mundialibuset voluptatibus carnalibus seipsos mancipaverunt, praecedent vosin re^^num Dei, quia illi conversi desinunt esse quod erant, vos vero denegatis in opere,quod videmini profiteri in verbo,tamquamarborestoiiasine fructu habentes, non pascentes Dominum suum, sed deludentes : » haec Chrysostomus. Per proprium etiam filium, qui primo renuit patris praeceptum, sed postea fecit, significantur peccatores, qui male vivendo Deo servire negant ; sed postea poenitentes viriliter operantur. Per secundum vero filium, qui facere voluntatem patris promisit, et non fecit, significantur illi qui operari virtuose promittiint, sed non faciunt, de quiltus sunt multi religiosi, profitentes servare magna, scilicet evan;^eiica consilia, cum tamen non servcnt etiam pra^cepta ; pro[)ter quod seculares, etiam peccatores, sed tamen postea poenitentes, eis coram Domino praeponuntur, cum dicitur : Quia publicani et meretrices praecedent vos in regnum Dei. Nullus ergo peccatorditfidat,nulluse converso justus prsesumat, cum pe-^icatores, per poenitentiam, quandoque alios in regno Dei prsecedant. ORATIO Domine Jesu Christe, Doctor bone, da mihi veritatem corde credere, et ore atque opere, prout oportet, confiteri ; mdigiiorum spirituum ct hominum caiitela^, et astutias sapieuter declinare. Da mihi legis naturalis cordibus nostris impressae, et legis scriptae in iibris nol)is datae, justitiam facere; et tuam in omnibus voluntaiem adimplere, ut non cum secundo filio poenam, sed cum pnmo misericordiam apud te merear conse^ui ; ac cum vere poenitentibus gratiam in Ecclesia militante, et gloriam in triumphante misericorditer invenire. Amen.
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