In the Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32), Jesus intends the chief priests and elders to convict themselves, as David did under Nathan's parable, though they did not respond. Both sons hear the same command to work in the father's vineyard. The first openly refuses, yet later repents and obeys, representing flagrant sinners who, convicted by John the Baptist and Christ, turned from iniquity and obeyed God. The second son professes respect and obedience but never acts, exposing hypocrisy. He represents the scribes, Pharisees, and self-righteous people, including many in mainstream Christianity, who feign zeal and piety while producing the works of the flesh rather than the fruit of the Spirit. Hypocrites are harder to convince than open sinners because they deceive themselves and follow their own standards of godliness, while the flagrant sinner knows he is evil. The first son's actions show the proof of repentance: complying with the Father's will and doing good works through the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees rejected John's witness and trusted their own righteousness, seeing no sin and therefore no need to repent. By contrast, God's true church, the Bride of Christ, makes herself ready by repenting, overcoming sin, valuing Christ's sacrifice, and obeying the Father and the Son, with tremendous long-term rewards.