The Gospel of Matthew 21:23-32
When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.
Let us Pray: Loving God, Open our ears to hear your word and draw us closer to you, that the whole world may be one with you as you are one with us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Authority matters. Jesus was questioned by the religious leaders as to what authority He had to do the things that He was doing and to teach the things that He was teaching. There was an authority, you see, there was no denying that Jesus was doing great works and teaching like no one else had taught. The religious leaders didn’t dispute that, but they wanted to know who He thought He was to do these things in the first place. Jesus has been in and out of the temple a few times and now He is back in the temple, Now, He is once again teaching. However, the religious leaders have an issue because this is their turf. The temple is under the authority of the chief priests and the elders. They want to know just who He thinks He is. We all know the answer to this question. Jesus has the authority to teach in the temple because He has been sent to earth by the Father for the purpose of bringing people to God. Jesus carries the very authority of God. He has all authority! Wow! Authority? Jesus could have really “unloaded on them” regarding His authority! He could have said many things about His authority, but He didn’t. Rather, He simply asked them a question about authority… “John’s baptism – where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?” Jesus’ opponents huddled together and discussed how to answer Him. If they answered that John’s authority came “from heaven,” Jesus would justly accuse them of not following John’s heavenly teachings, and if they answered “from man,” they were afraid of the reaction of the crowds because they knew the people believed that John was a prophet sent by God. So, the cowards simply replied to Jesus, “We don’t know where John received his authority.” “Then Jesus said, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.’” (Matthew 21: 27) Jesus told them that by their flagrant, rebellious disobedience to God’s will, it would be much more difficult for them to enter heaven than it would be for openly sinful people like thieves, prostitutes, tax collectors, murderers, etc, who later repented, believed in Him and followed the will of God. Christ received his authority directly from God, and in obedience he humbled himself. Christ’s authority also comes from those who call him Lord, who seek to do his will. Which brings us to the parable Jesus uses to teach this lesson on authority. He wanted to show that actions speak louder than words. He used this exchange to expose what the leaders really felt. What they really felt about John and about Jesus’s authority. As he describes two sons, who are each given the same direction to go to work in their father’s vineyard, the connection between authority and obedience becomes clear. One says he will go, and doesn’t, while the other refuses, but then changes his mind, and does what he was told to do. “Which did the will of his Father?” Jesus asks. The Temple leaders relax a bit. This isn’t a trick question, after all. The answer is obvious. The one who went to work, even after he said he would not. Then Jesus looks at these priests and elders, and they suddenly know they’ve been had once again. You see, they weren’t able to answer the question Jesus had asked them about John the Baptist’s authority. They got into an argument among themselves trying to come up with an answer that would appease the crowd and uphold their own honor, but that wasn’t possible. So, they said, “we don’t know.” What they meant was, “We aren’t willing to commit. We don’t want to look bad in front of the people.” Jesus then uses this parable to draw the unmistakable conclusion that they, the chief priests, and elders, are the second son who has failed to do the father’s will. “You preach and preach, but you never practice the words you proclaim.” Then, Jesus uses the parable to teach that appearances can be deceiving. It isn’t what we say, it’s what we do that shows our commitment to faith. It isn’t our lip service God wants; it’s our repentance. It isn’t our fancy words; it’s our obedience that matters to God. Knowing this puts us in the hot seat too: How do we respond to Christ’s authority? It’s what we do, not just what we say, that counts. So, let us renew our own commitment to be faithful followers of Jesus, so that our witness draws the attention of people who need reaching. Let us renew our determination to grow in friendship with God, to make new friends with whom we can share a life of faith, and to heal the broken world that cries at our doorstep. Then let us rejoice, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.
Let us Pray: Redeeming Sustainer, visit your people and pour out your strength and courage upon us, that we may hurry to make you welcome not only in our concern for others, but by serving them generously and faithfully in your name. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 