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.

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.

The baptism of John -- where was it from? From heaven or from men?

 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders 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 about Jesus first act the morning 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 hose 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 mouths 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 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."  The leadership in the temple confronts Jesus about His cleansing of the temple.  What authority has He to do such things?  He's not a Levitical priest, He doesn't have the kind of authority of lineage they're looking for.  But He's not going to reveal Himself as Son to those who will not believe.  Instead, He asks them a question about John the Baptist.  My study bible says that both the elders' question and Christ's question 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 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 says that using their own principles, the elders convict themselves in their answer to Christ's parable. 

 Today's reading concerns questions of authority.  Where does authority come from?  What is the highest authority?  What if people don't agree on sources of authority, or fail to recognize authority?  All the questions point to Jesus as the Christ.  But they also give us an image of Christ in our world.  How about those who can't recognize Him or what He is?  What about those who don't want to have faith, and who block within themselves -- a form of what is called hard-heartedness in the Scriptures -- knowledge or understanding of authority that is truly present?  Everything in the events in Jerusalem will come down to Pilate's question to Jesus:  "What is truth?"  He will answer nothing to Pilate.  But of course the Truth is standing right in front of Pilate.  Here it is the same thing.  They ask Him, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?"  But of course, the answer is that He is the authority -- but this answer will not come from Him.  Instead He answers with a question to them about John the Baptist.  Their own fear of the crowds determines the ways in which they respond.  And that tells us another thing about authority.  It's very clever that Jesus asks them if John's authority for baptism came from men or from God, "from heaven or from men," as Jesus puts it.  The question puts out another, silent, question hidden within it.  It asks about their own authority and what they believe in.  Is their authority from men or from God?  Whom do they serve?  If their fear is more of men -- the people -- than God, what does that say about their own viewpoint on authority, or what they take for their authority?  The parable teaches about the ultimate authority, and what it looks like to follow the ultimate authority.  It's putting your action where your faith is.  It also separates saying and doing; it invites us to ask and wonder about hypocrisy (as Jesus so often does).  The repentant tax collectors and harlots, outward sinners, who eventually respond to the authority within John's baptism are those who honor the authority of heaven.  But what of them, the "authorities" in the temple?  Whom do they honor?  What do they honor?  Hard-heartedness is that which keeps us from fully loving God and thereby all that leads us to understanding and life.  What we see from this interaction is Jesus' admitted awareness, from the beginning, that their faith is lacking.  That acknowledgement, in His refusal to answer directly but rather with His own question to them, is an acknowledgement of their hard-heartedness.  He begins with the knowledge that their capacity for faith, for reception to Who He is, is lacking.  Their intention is to scoff, not to ask with open minds and hearts.  Jesus gives us a teaching here about people who confront us with their minds made up.  Better to accept the hard-heartedness and put our trust and faith in God than to attempt to reason or persuade.  This seems like a hard teaching, a hard saying, but we may find ourselves saved a lot of trouble by placing our trust where it belongs -- and not where it doesn't belong.  He is acting and teaching us to be "wise as serpents and simple as doves."  Let us learn from Him!

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 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."  We can immediately see the confrontational attitude of the religious authorities.  Who does Christ think He is?  He has come to Jerusalem and cast out the money changers, and the animal sellers, disrupting what was going on in the temple.  He must prove He has authority to do such things.  His ministry and His healings and teachings count as nothing toward this:  their authority is challenged, they did not sanction what He did.  He's not a Levitical priest, explains my study bible.  He doesn't reveal Himself to scoffers (we are reminded of His words teaching the disciples not to cast their pearls before swine), and so comes up with a different question challenging them instead.  What about John's baptism, so popular among the people that even those among the parties of authority in the temple came to him?   Both the question of the leadership to Jesus, and Jesus' question about John the Baptist, require the same answer, says my study bible.  Thus, the answer would lead a person to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  By not answering directly, Christ teaches 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 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 tells us that using their own principles, the elders convict themselves in their answer to Christ's parable.  He speaks directly to their hardness of heart.  They "do all the right things" for show, but their heart is not close to God.  It is the repentant sinners who are in fact closer to God than the leadership is.  Where is their faith?  The obvious is clear:  their real faith is in their own authority and position.

So Jesus takes us further into the question of what is faith -- how can it be that these religious authorities are of lesser faith than tax collectors and harlots?  The answer is to be found in repentance, in change of mind.  The tax collectors and harlots heeded the voice of the prophet, John the Baptist.  But the religious leadership did not.  We should note that this doesn't assume that "tax collectors and harlots" got their baptism from John and went right back to their old lives.  No, what Jesus is teaching us here is the power of the heart that finds its faith, that takes in truth, and changes lifestyle to reflect that truth.  Nominally "great sinners" were able to do that, but Jesus chastises these religious leaders because the faith of the sinners was more pure than theirs.  And there is a greater truth here:  that it is more important what we do right now than at any other time.  It's not only about repentance and our capacity to receive truth into our hearts, but it's also about time and how time gives us opportunity for change.  We don't rest on the past, we don't rest on our ancestors who may have done this or that.  Everything is about what we are doing right now, what we're capable of hearing and doing at this moment.  Are we in the place where we heed the voice of  the Father, as in the example of Jesus' parable?  Or have we said yes at one time and then not bothered to obey?  Of course, the parable also teaches us about faith as outward form, things done for show that don't really touch the internal life of the heart.  But really, Jesus teaches us that every moment is precious -- the "right now" is precious when it comes to living our call.  I don't believe that His words teach us that we must do this or that, some specific thing of outward show to others.  But they do teach us of the immediacy of the heart, the heart that is either open or closed -- or, in the words of Scripture, softened or hard.  For this, we need a heart that is open to God for change, for direction, for seeing where we step wrong and putting it right.  There will always be new ways in which "perfection" calls us toward something new, and to cast off something old.  Compassion will call us in a particular way, and discernment will also call for a greater adherence to a particular teaching we might not have taken so seriously in the past.  But it's the heart that always gets the call, that closes the door or opens it.  In today's example, the leadership fails to surrender authority to the one place from which all authority comes.  The truth that lies in the mystical call of God eludes them, because Jesus just doesn't appear in the right "form" for them.  This is what the tax collectors and harlots had no trouble seeing, and so would enter the kingdom of God before the religious authorities.  How do you need to "hear" today?  Where is righteousness?

"By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?"

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

In our current readings, Jesus has come to Jerusalem. In yesterday's reading, as His first act in Jerusalem, Jesus went to the great temple, and He cleansed the temple. He drove out all 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.'" Still in the temple, He healed the blind and lame, and many cried out "Hosanna to the Son of David!" The chief priests and scribes 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'?" He went and stayed in Bethany, outside the city. In the morning, returning to Jerusalem, He was hungry and saw a fig tree. 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?" His second day in the city, Jesus returns to the temple to teach. We recall His first act of cleansing the temple from yesterday's reading. This question is reasonable. But it is more than that: it is the crux of the matter. What is His authority? Why did He do what He did? Who gives Him this authority? While the chief priests and elders -- the leadership of the religious establishment -- perhaps ask for their own reasons, this question is central to our own understanding of our faith. My study bible notes here: "Since the chief priests and the elders cannot object to Jesus' miracles, they bring charges against Him for His chastisement of the tradesmen in the temple. Since He is not a Levitical priests and does not have the schooling normally required of a rabbi, Jesus is asked about His authority to cleanse the temple."

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 says of these men, "Because they are motivated by unbelief and hostility, Jesus does not answer, but confounds His adversaries with a question of His own." It's a very sly question, because the question itself once again begs us to hear what is contained in it. Truly, where does the authority for John's baptism come from? For us, once again in our faith, it is a serious question, at the heart of how and why we believe. It calls us all to discernment. The concern of these men is only with the crowds, with their place as leadership -- and what will the people do? These questions themselves, about Jesus' authority, and the authority of John, call us to a different place, if we listen in a certain way. They call us to the center of faith and grace: where does the authority of John and Jesus really come from? And Whose opinion should we take the most seriously if we want to get to the heart of the matter of faith, of grace and truth?

"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." Jesus' parable takes us closer and deeper into the reality of faith, and grace and truth in the heart. In chapter 15 of Matthew's gospel, Jesus quotes from Isaiah: "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me." Today's parable given by Jesus seems to be an example of this prophecy. My study bible says that "He mentions the tax collectors and harlots, presumed to be great sinners, to jolt His hearers into obedience." We also remember Jesus' parable of the vineyard, and those who would work in it. But again, the discussion here is central to our faith, to grace and truth. No matter where we start from, when we come to the place in the heart where faith begins, we are there with Him. This is why repentance is a great key to faith: when the true authority is recognized, His grace is right there.

Ultimately, today's reading is about the hardness of heart that keeps us from seeing what is right in front of us. Questions of authority -- the authority of Jesus to cleanse the temple, the authority of John to baptize -- these questions call us in faith to the place where faith begins. How do we perceive grace? How do we know the presence and the work of God? What the leadership fails to perceive themselves are the things we are truly called to by their questions. But Jesus Himself takes us to the true heart of the matter: that He is standing right before them is an opportunity for opening up their hearts, for seeing, and turning, for changing their minds. This is like the "wake up call" we spoke of in yesterday's commentary. And yet, they fail to hear Him, even though, as my study bible points out, He uses the example of tax collectors and harlots to jolt them awake. While these people ask their questions for their own reasons within their own hearts, let our faith turn us seriously to the questions posed, and to Jesus' answers which illuminate the true strength of faith and grace. Grace helps us to know what is in front of us, to know and understand the work of Spirit in our lives. And grace is present with us when we change our minds, when we are just willing to reconsider. God's love will take that crack in the opening of the door of the heart and makes its place there within us. This is the power of faith, of relationship, and of love. Grace and truth are in that place. Let us remember we must always be willing to let Him in, to truly see what is before us, where His presence is for us.