For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him

 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

"But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which if the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

- Matthew 21:23-32

Yesterday we read that after His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "  Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?"  And Jesus said to them, "Yes.  Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?"  Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.  Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again."  Immediately the fig tree withered away.  And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

  Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  My study bible explains that since Christ is not a Levitical priest, the chief priests and the elders challenge His authority to cleanse the temple.  As Jesus is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, He confounds them with His own question about John instead.   Both the elders' question and Christ's question require the same answer, and therefore would lead someone to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  So, by not answering them directly, Jesus teaches us not to answer those who come asking about holy things with malicious intent.

 "But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which if the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."  Using their own principles, my study bible notes here, the elders convict themselves by their answer to Christ's parable.

What do you do in response to news?  Jesus emphasizes that in response to John's message (that it was time for repentance and preparation for the coming of the Lord), tax collectors and harlots believed him -- but the leadership (these chief priests and elders) did not.  While they question His authority, Jesus is questioning why they did not respond to the authority in the prophetic call of John the Baptist.  If we take a look at Matthew chapter 3, we can read John's message to the people:  "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"   To repent is to do an about face, to reconsider, to change one's direction.  In John's use of this word, it is a message to change one's direction in response to the news of the kingdom -- that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  Jesus tells them that tax collectors and harlots paid attention.  Those considered to be notorious sinners, tax collectors and harlots, were willing to consider what repentance would mean, and how to prepare for this day or this event -- that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  One would have to consider what that would mean for you or me, if we were to hear this news, that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  That it was time to re-think, to reconsider, and especially to reorient our lives to this imminent reality.  The real question is about an evaluation of our own lives in the face of this news.  Suppose we really took this as seriously as it truly warrants -- the Kingdom present, bursting through our sense of "normal."  What would we change?  What do we know we're not doing that is really and truly a "good" idea, what it means to be "good," and to do good.  That is, things that are time-tested and eternal that we know are important to spiritual health (and by extension to the rest of our health considerations as well).  Forgiveness is a huge consideration in the face of this news.  If the Lord were to appear in person in the world, right before us, could we really and truly answer well when it comes to considerations about what is really important and essential?  Have we let go of everything we can to God?  Cleaned up all the clutter in our lives, all the unresolved things that are hanging around?  Is there someone we need to make some effort at reconciliation with, even if the other person does not respond to us?    Do we need to clear the air?   Jesus makes a similar kind of analogy to the presence of the Kingdom when He speaks of bringing our gift to the altar, as the altar is the place of God.  Jesus says, "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23-24).  When we confess our sins, we pray about both things we have done and have left undone.  Is there something undone?  Is there love we need to express, someone who does not know that we love them, whom we'd like to get that message to, in one form or another?  Do we need to make an expression of kindness or love to ease our hearts?  All of these are things that we need to consider, especially if we think we will be "staring in the face of God," so to speak -- or as John puts it so much better (which Jesus will also say, and teach His disciples to say), "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."  With that reality truly present right before us, what do we consider then?  What becomes important in the face of that truth?  What becomes totally unimportant?  What do we wish to discard?  In the re-orientation (repentance) to the presence of that Kingdom, what do our priorities become?  All of these things Jesus says that tax collectors and harlots were willing to do.  They responded.  They changed.  What is it we need to let go of to do so?  What do we need to accept? What stands in the way?  Where do our true values, or careful reconsideration and re-evaluation, take us?  Nothing could be more important, and we know that this Kingdom is really and truly here.