The Saviour's application of the Parable, Part 2.

"Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him," Matt 21:31-32. (Read Luke 13:22-29)

We have noted how inexcusable has been the rejection of the gospel by the chief priests and the elders. While they had heard the gospel preached by John the Baptist and had seen others obeying, they obstinately refused to heed God's call.

1. Oftentimes it is the most unlikely persons who obey the gospel. The privileged miss out! "Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. . . . . . . but the publicans and the harlots believed him," 31-32.

These are notorious sinners yet they believed John the Baptist and went "into the kingdom of God."

2. Please notice what happens to you when you get saved. How wonderful is little phrase: "go into the kingdom of God." That is what happens when you get saved! You enter a new world! "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new," 2 Corinthians 5:17.

3. God notes the rejection of the gospel and takes action. Further down the chapter, the Saviour is speaking to the same rejectors and says: "Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof," Matthew 21:43. "Shall be taken" means to lift up and away. "And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full," Matthew 14:20. That which is not used is taken away. Please, boys and girls, take note of this.

4. Such rejection of the gospel makes hell worse for such men. "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them," 2 Pet 2:21. "And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee," Matt 11:23-24.

I leave you with this solemn warning against rejection of the gospel. Please take heed today.