Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew Mark and Luke John Calvin
Matthew 21:28-32
MATTHEW 21:28-32
Matthew 21:28-32
28. But what think you? 1357 A man had two sons, and, coming to the first, he said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. 29. And he answering said, I will not; 1358 but afterwards he repented, and went. 30. And coming to the other, he spoke in the same manner. But he answering said, I [go,] Sir, and went not. 31. Which of the two did what his father wished? 1359 And they say to him, The first. Jesus saith to them, Verily I say to you, That the publicans and the harlots will go before you into the kingdom of God. 32. For John came to you by the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but the publicans and the harlots believed him. And you, when you had seen it, were not moved by repentance 1360 to believe in him.
This conclusion shows what is the object of the parable, when Christ prefers to the scribes and priests those who were generally accounted infamous and held in detestation; for he unmasks those hypocrites, 1361 that they may no longer boast of being the ministers of God, or hold out a pretended zeal for godliness. Though their ambition, and pride, and cruelty, and avarice, were known to all, yet they wished to be reckoned quite different persons. And when, but a little ago, they attacked
Christ, they falsely alleged that they were anxious about the order of the Church, as if they were its faithful and honest guardians. Since they attempt to practice such gross imposition on God and men, Christ rebukes their impudence by showing that they were at the greatest possible distance from what they boasted, and were so far from deserving that elevation with which they flattered themselves, that they ranked below the publicans and the harlots For as to the profession which they made of being eminent in observing the worship of God, and of being zealots of the Law, Christ tells them that it is quite as if a son were, in words, to promise obedience
1357"Mais que vous en semble?" — "But what think you of it?" 1358"Je n'y veux point aller;" — "I will not go to it." 1359"Lequel des deux feit la volonté du pere?" — "Which of the two did the will of the father?" 1360"Vous n'avez point eu de repentance apres;" — "you had not repentance afterwards." 1361"Car il oste a ces hypocritesssss le masque duquel ils se couvroyent;" — "for he takes away from those hypocrites the mask with which they covered themselves." "Et puis qu'il l'abusast, it n'en feist rien;" — "and afterwards deceived him, and did nothing of it."