A simple parable, one of the favorite teaching tools of Jesus and in this case leaves those who would try to trap and discredit him the victims of their own trap. In Matthew 21:23 the chief priests confront Jesus…questioning his authority. Jesus cleverly gets by their trap by asking them to first answer a question for him. 

Matthew 21:23-25   (NLT)

23 When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”24 “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. 25 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

What about John the Baptist…did he have the authority to baptize others. This type of verbal sparing Jesus excelled at. Parables were addressed to and mainly concerned the chief priest, elders, and the Pharisee. It was these groups who had opposed Jesus, and whom He had just thwarted. They would not answer his question, knowing full well it would expose them as hypocrites or displeasing the crowd .Jesus then declined to answer their question (Matthew 21:27) before telling them two parables. He had given them the opportunity to speak their opinion, because of their refusal maybe they would give their opinion about a story…a parable. Jesus told them two parables, the parable of the two sons (Matthew 21:28-30) Here we address the ‘do or don’t’. Neither of the son’s involved in these parables were perfect, both showed disrespect…a point to remember here is that the first son refused to do as his father asked but later repented and complied with his father’s will. The other son was deceitful when he agreed to do as his father asked and never went to work in the vineyard. The point is one son repented for his disrespect, and did the father’s will, the other lied and did not do his father’s will. Then Matthew adds Jesus’ response to the priests’ and elders…Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. What is notable here is that Matthew was a tax collector when the Lord called him. Many sinners and prostitutes upon hearing the good news repented of their sins. These religious leaders like the other son pretended to respect and promised obedience but did not go and do the will of God. Isaiah spoke to this… Isaiah 29:13…

And so the Lord says,
“These people say they are mine.
They honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me
is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.

In this parable, John’s “baptism” and Jesus’s authority “to do these things” were both from God. Do we go through this life allowing old habits and distractions to be our guide? Or do we choose to seek the will of GOD, repent and do the Father’s will?

Life is Good

jk