Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things

 

 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 an 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 of 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 

 

Then 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 (see yesterday's reading, above).   But Jesus is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, so in His response, He confounds them with a different question about John.  The question of the elders and priests, and also Christ's question, both require the same answer -- and therefore would lead a person to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  In not answering them directly, my study Bible says, Jesus teaches us not to answer people who come asking about holy things with a 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 an 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 of 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."  Here is an example of the oratorical skill of Christ:  in using their own principles, the elders convict themselves in their answer to Christ's parable.  

Jesus is clearly not afraid to turn the tables on His inquisitors, the people whom He sees are not asking in good faith.  He has no problem using His exceptional skill with language, He gives us a taste of what it is to see and hear the Word (Christ, the Logos) using His power of truth to catch these rulers in the temple in their own trap, their own game with Him.  Repeatedly, Jesus has shown the signs (or "fruits" if you will) of His ministry that are expressions of the time of the Messiah.  Even in yesterday's reading, even in the temple in Jerusalem just prior to what we read today, Jesus heals the blind and the lame (see yesterday's reading, above).  But still, the authorities are bent on one thing and one thing only:  they desire heartily to prove that Jesus has no real authority, and they need not pay attention to Him.  In fact, they work to destroy Him because the people follow Him and hence His ministry is a rival to their authority.  All the signs He has done do not provoke faith in them, nor a recognition of what and who He is, although they are the very ones responsible for the spiritual state of the people, for the understanding of Scripture and of Jewish spiritual tradition.  So, we come to this point of conflict in the temple.  It is with great alacrity that we should also make note of the humor here.  Although the issues are deadly serious, and Jesus will pay with His life through their plotting against Him, in point of fact His skill makes light of them.  They entrap themselves in their own words and their own game of seeking to "capture" Jesus in the issue of authority.  They are so sure of themselves and their own authority, and they are so fearful of the people because of their own hypocrisy, that they fall right into His own skillful response to them.  Mark's Gospel tells us that when Jesus responds to the questions of the scribes with His own question teaching about the Son, "the common people heard Him gladly" (see Mark 12:35-37).  John's Gospel tells us that after these authorities send the temple police to arrest Jesus at an earlier Feast of Tabernacles, they return empty-handed.  When they are questioned why they have failed to seize Jesus, all they can reply is, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  (see John 7:45-52).  Although today we know these stories and understand them, we can only speculate on what a surprising Person and ministry is present in Jesus to the people.  John tells us that at the same Feast of Tabernacles the people were afraid to speak openly because of the religious authorities, although among themselves they debated regarding Jesus (John 7:10-15).  But Jesus nonetheless speaks with His own authority that comes from His own Person, and is not afraid to entrap the religious authorities in their own traps laid for Him, to the delight of the people who listen to disputes.  There is an element of what we might call sarcastic humor involved here, the same flavor of ridicule we might find in Elijah mocking the prophets of Baal when Baal fails to ignite their sacrifice:  "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened" (see 1 Kings 18:20-40).  For the true God of Israel is not missing from anywhere, is fully capable of working through prophets like Elijah and the one who came in the spirit and power of Elijah, John the Baptist (Luke 1:17), and of appearing in this world as the Incarnate Son who stands before them and whom they seek to challenge.  And here, as the prophets before Christ have spoken through the word of God to them, the Word of God is able to entrap them in their own arguments, and dismiss their questions regarding His authority.  We have to ask questions about ourselves today.  Are we capable of discerning truth amid a tissue of lies and pretensions?  Can we recognize truth although it is clothed in all kinds of hypocrisy and all the skills of modern means of communication and social media of all types?  Let us consider the importance of spiritual truth at the heart of everything, behind the scenes of all that we see and hear and perceive with our earthly senses, giving meaning and form and context and true order behind all things.  For Christ is still there with us, only His love and truth call to us in our hearts.  Are we capable of hearing and responding?  Can we hear Him through His word in the Scripture and its potent echoes today?  Do we hear Him gladly?  How do we respond to those who scoff at our faith?

Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you

 

 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 of 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, following 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.  It notes that as He is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, He confounds them with a different question about John.  Both questions require the same answer; they would lead a person to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  But by not answering them directly, Jesus teaches us not to answer to people who come asking about holy things with a 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 of 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."  My study Bible says that, using their own principles, the elders convict themselves in their answer to Christ's parable.  

Christ's parable is interesting, as it illustrates for us something that we touched upon in yesterday's reading and commentary.  It is an illustration of Jesus' earlier quotation to the religious leadership of the words of Isaiah:  "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me" (see Matthew 15:8-9, Isaiah 29:13-14).  If we finish that quotation from Isaiah and take it further, we see the action of the Lord:  "Therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden" (Isaiah 23:14).  In a sense, it is a prophecy of the ministry of Jesus, in which wonders are openly performed, and yet the wisdom of the wise is perishing with this leadership, for they have no discernment, and are far too busy protecting their positions to honor the wisdom of Christ.  It's also a quotation that echoes through the centuries regarding our own attitudes and hearts when we do the same.  There is always a challenge of valuing the wisdom of God over our conventional or worldly attitudes about what is expedient and desirable.  So often we look for faith simply to affirm whatever it is that we are currently living, to help us to accept what seems to be the zeitgeist of our current affairs or events in our lives, to make our lives easier and less bumpy.  But if we take a look at Christ, the last thing He seems to do is make the lives of His disciples "less bumpy," so to speak.  No, He draws them out of the conventions of their world and into a new life, in which their own identity is realized through His wisdom and where the Spirit will lead them.  Isaiah affirms this as proper in his words, that we must draw near to God with our hearts:  what we offer to God is nothing less than ourselves, and God will shape an identity in us, draw out what is possible, help us to define and correct misconceptions, and draw us toward something new and possibly a self-identity we could not expect in our limited perspectives otherwise.  So often this is true in the lives of the faithful, and we can see it illustrated throughout the Bible, and especially in the lives of the Twelve.  Jesus' parable of the two sons illustrates how we can draw near to God with our lips, and yet our hearts are far away.  It is also a vivid illustration of how faith is more than confession, but must also be lived.  There is no separation between what is in the heart and what we do, but our lives are rather both together, and so our lives are lived out.  Everyone else may not clearly understand the meaning of our actions, but in the long run it is the true state of the heart that plays out, for good or ill, for the love of God or the love of something else.  In today's reading, Jesus shows us what it is to stand up for truth, even when one wants to avoid casting pearls before those who will simply trample upon them.  A great feat, indeed.  Let us remember that it is Christ who is our true Judge, who knows the heart -- and that ultimately it is the heart that must be open to His truth.

Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you

St. Matthew the Evangelist (former tax collector for the Romans).  Mid-19th century, Palekh school, Ivanovo Region, Russia

 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 of 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, following 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, as Christ is not a Levitical priest, the chief priests and elders challenge His authority to cleanse the temple, which was the first thing He did on the previous day, immediately following His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (see yesterday's reading, above).  It notes that as Christ is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, He instead responds with a different question about John, intended to bring about an illuminating answer both to their question and to His.  The correct answer to both is the same; therefore leading to the conclusion and confession that Christ has come from heaven.  My study bible says that as He does not answer them directly, He teaches us not to answer people 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 of 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."  My study bible points out that, using their own principles, the elders convict themselves in their answer to Christ's parable. 

Jesus turns the arguments of the leadership back against them.  They fear the people; their chief concern is retaining their places as leaders, not a spiritual truth, not the truth of Christ (which, as experts in Scripture, they should already know and recognize).  Their envy and jealousy for their positions is key to it all.  How do they retain their places?  Even their lack of honor to John as a prophet is down to a zealous guarding of their own positions of authority.  And there we come down to their question of Christ, after He has cleansed the temple of those who bought and sold:  What is His authority?  It all comes down to that, because what they care about is their power, their position.  In effect, their own version of leadership is making the point to the disciples that Christ has repeatedly taught.  It is how one serves even the least among them that determines true leadership, and this is the way He wants them to be as future leaders of His Church.  It is the not-so-well hidden motivations of these leaders that make them vulnerable, and, in effect, weak.  It is their unaddressed concerns for position over all else that lend corruption and will lead to the horrific injustice they will commit by sentencing and taking Jesus to death by the Romans.  But, as we know, with God even this injustice will be used to trample down the author of injustice, and death itself.  But in the meantime, we should observe closely what is happening here:  Jesus is exposing flaws we should take note of, and He's also not afraid to address the truth.  He flips hypocrisy on its head in the ways in which He tells the parable of the the sons who say one thing but do another.  In effect, the leadership's hypocrisy is like that of the falsely "obedient" son, and the notorious sinners such as tax collectors and harlots who became followers of Jesus who are like the second, true son.  When Jesus teaches the disciples that they must take care how they treat the least among them, He emphasizes the importance of knowing ourselves, and being willing to take decisive action to cast away those impulses that lead to abuse.  But these leaders do not hold themselves to that standard.  Let us be clear that the Gospels contain members of the leadership, Pharisees and wealthy men, who do follow Christ and are themselves righteous men.  Unfortunately they will not hold sway over all the others, even if they try (see, for example, Nicodemus' objection to the abuse of the Law in the way that Jesus is tried, and the false answer he's given by others).   Christ exposes the truth, and let us be very clear that this is the action of the Cross and of Christ's work in our own lives.  He wants for us the truth that makes us free, and that is unafraid to face the things within us, our flaws as well as our great potentials with God's grace.  Let us attend and watch closely, for even a rebuke from Christ is an act of love (Revelation 3:19).  In this confrontation are the seeds and possibility of repentance, for all concerned.  That is the way with Christ's truth, it invites us to the freedom of finding who we are and what we really need to be about, what we need to do.  In our own lives, He calls us to pay attention.  When will it be too late, or what would it lead to before we think and change?

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.