Devotional Thoughts: you decide - whose authority ... will you follow?

Looking at Matthew 21:23-32. A series of dialogs with the religious leaders of the day. It continues on in verse 33-46 but will only take a look at the 2 shorter episodes this morning.

Previously, Jesus had chased out the merchants from the Temple.

The religious leaders wanted to know, on whose authority did Jesus upset the apple cart?

Jesus could have answered them but sometimes it is better to answer a question by asking a question!

So Jesus asked them, "Did John's baptism come from heaven or was it merely human?"

The religious leaders were stuck. If they said human, the crowds would object because John was viewed as a prophet which would be of god and heaven. If they said heaven then they should have accepted John which they didn't. So they said, we dunno!

Jesus said then, I won't answer your question.

But they knew the answer. They had a "problem" with authority because they didn't want to follow John nor Jesus.

Jesus then sticks it to them with the story in verse 28-32.

Jesus says what do you think about this? A son is asked to work in the vineyard and he said he wouldn't but later on decided to work in the vineyard; the other son is asked to work in the vineyard and he said he would but didn't. Jesus asks, who was obedient?

They reply, the first son, of course.

Jesus tells them tax collectors (probably the most reviled males in society) and prostitutes (probably the most disreputable females in society) will get to the Kingdom of God before the religious leaders because when John the Baptist preached turn from your sins and these people did and the religious leaders didn't.

Jesus continues to take it to them in verse 33-46. We'll look at that next time.

Lord, have mercy on me a sinner. Help me to cast aside any pride of place and position and follow you. Guide me to see the people you place in my life as people in need of you. Give me wisdom to know how to answer people's questions when they ask about Jesus by direct answer or asking them a question to get them to think things through. Amen.