Which of the two did the father’s will?” They said, “The first.” And Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before you.
Jesus sums up the parable by compelling the religious leaders to pronounce the “verdict” themselves: that the first son was the one who did the father’s will. When they admit this, Jesus immediately applies the truth they have spoken to them, revealing that true obedience to God comes not from status, but from a heart changed by repentance. The tax collectors and prostitutes represent people who were once far from God, yet, hearing the truth, repented and turned back, while the religious leaders, who were faithful in words, rejected His will in deeds. This saying shows God’s righteous judgment: the gates of the kingdom are open to all repentant sinners, but closed to those who proudly think they have earned God’s favor, yet are not humbled in heart. Jesus teaches that the path of salvation begins not with outward, deed-based piety, but with sincere repentance and obedience.