The Farmer and His Two Sons

During the time of Jesus, the temples in Jerusalem were treating birds and animals without pity. Jesus sought to put an end to these cruel practices.

Jesus entered the temple and objected to the selling of birds in a sacred temple. The priests jointly questioned Jesus about his authority to raise such an objection. Jesus then related the following parable:

A farmer had two sons. He ordered the elder son to go and keep watch over the crops in the field.

The elder son said that he would not go. The younger son was asked to go and he agreed to go and keep watch at the field.

The elder son, though he had at first declined to go, felt it was not right to disobey his father and went to the field. The second son, despite his promise did not go to the field.

Jesus asked the priest, "As between these two sons, who do you think obeyed the father’s command?"

They replied, "The elder son. He acted upto his father’s command. The second son promised to go but did not go."

"Priests and teachers are proclaiming that they are adhering to the injunctions of the scriptures, but in actual practice are not following them. All of you are acting in the same manner," declared Jesus.