Matthew 21:23-32 Image

Matthew 21:23-32 (Evangelical Heritage Version)

23When Jesus went into the temple courts, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him while he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things?” and “Who gave you this authority?”

24Jesus answered them, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer it, I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?”

They discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the crowd, since they all regard John as a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”

He said to them, “Then I will not tell you by what authority I do these things.”

28“What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ 29He answered, ‘I will not,’ but later he changed his mind and went. 30He came to the second and said the same thing. The second son answered, ‘I will go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Amen I tell you: The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you in the way of righteousness, but you did not believe him. However, the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him. Even when you saw this, you did not change your mind and believe him.

Image

I.

Image. It’s all about image.

Celebrities carefully craft their image. It is essential to be around the right people; to endorse the right products; to avoid people who would damage the image. Every move, every word, every look is carefully crafted and calculating.

Were they the celebrities of their day? Perhaps you could say so. They certainly had an image. They wanted to protect that image at all costs. From their carefully-crafted image they derived their power.

Their posture—ramrod straight. A touch of aloofness—certainly arrogance; they had to make sure that certain people wouldn’t even rate a glance of acknowledgment. It was necessary to preserve the idea that they were in a class by themselves. They were the elites.

Any threat to their status had to be dealt with. Things were coming to a head. The events of today’s Gospel occurred during Holy Week. Jesus had been saying things and doing things that challenged the authority of the religious establishment. These things simply could not be allowed to stand.

“When Jesus went into the temple courts, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him while he was teaching and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things?’ and ‘Who gave you this authority?’” (Matthew 21:23, EHV).

To protect their image they had to challenge his image. Direct confrontation in front of those who had been fawning all over Jesus seemed a good strategy. They were the authority when it came to teaching—especially teachings of Scripture. Everyone knew that. Asking for his credentials was a strong move. Calculated.

“Jesus answered them, ‘I will also ask you one question. If you answer it, I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?’” (Matthew 21:24-25, EHV). When your whole plan is to carefully control everything about your image, it’s important to consider all the possibilities in your calculations. They hadn’t calculated Jesus answering their question with a question.

“They discussed it among themselves, saying, ‘If we say, “From heaven,” he will say to us, “Then why did you not believe him?” 26But if we say, “From men,” we are afraid of the crowd, since they all regard John as a prophet’” (Matthew 21:25-26, EHV).

It seemed that either reply would have a negative affect on their image. The problem was that John the Baptist had identified Jesus as the Messiah—as One who had come directly from God. If the leaders were to acknowledge this, people would ask why they did not admit Jesus was who John said he was. On the other hand, John the Baptist was considered to be a great prophet from God. If these leaders said that his words were only the words of a man, and not from God, that wouldn’t go over very well with their constituents.

“So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ He said to them, ‘Then I will not tell you by what authority I do these things’” (Matthew 21:27, EHV). Jesus’ refusal to submit to their interrogation was actually an assertion of his true authority. A refusal to answer cemented his image.

II.

Which image would you prefer to be identified with in the parable Jesus told?

“A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ 29He answered, ‘I will not’” (Matthew 21:28-29, EHV). This first son displays a total lack of respect in his answer.

As disrespectful as it was, perhaps you can remember some times when you could relate. Did your parents ever realize what was going on in your life? All the stress you were under? Even after you are older and on your own, they keep calling you and asking you to take care of something for them. At some point, you just throw up your hands in exasperation and say: “No!”

“But later he changed his mind and went” (Matthew 21:29, EHV). What was asked really wasn’t so unreasonable. The disrespectful reply was given in the heat of the moment. When it gets right down to it, you aren’t unwilling to help your parents. Without further complaint, you just go and take care of things.

“He came to the second and said the same thing. The second son answered, ‘I will go, sir,’ but he did not go” (Matthew 21:30, EHV). What a nice young man! He sounds so respectful when he answers. But the reality shows something else.

Was he avoiding confrontation? Maybe dad and son didn’t get along too well, and the easiest thing to do was just say what the ol’ man wanted to hear, and then ignore him. Dad would forget all what he had asked soon enough.

Was he just the empty-headed type? Perhaps this son had good intentions but just got busy doing something else and forgot what he had promised to do. Or perhaps he was just lazy and kept putting it off until the job was done and he wouldn’t have to participate anyway.

“‘Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said to him, ‘The first’” (Matthew 21:31, EHV). There really was no other answer to Jesus’ parable. In both cases, the initial image given by the son was the opposite of reality. The one who sounded disobedient and disrespectful was actually more obedient and respectful.

True obedience to God doesn’t involve just portraying an image. True obedience to God is not merely saying what God wants to hear, but doing what God wants done.

The carefully crafted image of the chief priests and elders was that they were righteous and godly. In reality, they were like the second son—all show and no go. They didn’t actually do the will of the Heavenly Father, but only wanted to appear like good sons.

III.

Remember the original question of the chief priests and elders: “‘By what authority are you doing these things?’ and ‘Who gave you this authority?’” (Matthew 21:23, EHV). They were trying to paint a picture—to assign an image to Jesus—the image of an imposter and a blasphemer and a fraud. That’s what they would present in a matter of mere days.

When Jesus answered by asking them about John the Baptist, he was reminding those who were listening in of what John said: “Look! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, EHV). John, an avowed and recognized prophet, had painted a wholly different image of Jesus than that these chief priests and elders were trying to paint.

You and I read the New Testament realizing the completed history of God’s saving activity. These events happened in Holy Week, as we look at things. For the Jewish people at the time, it was the week they would be celebrating Passover. The Passover lamb was a reminder to every Jewish person about the way God had rescued his people from the hands of the Egyptians long ago. But Passover was also designed to point ahead to the Savior God had promised to send.

John’s pointing finger had identified Jesus as that special sacrificial Lamb of God. Jesus asking about John during Passover week reminded them of the image John had painted of Jesus.

There were only two sons in the parable Jesus told, but perhaps some could see the image of the Lamb of God as a third Son. Jesus was not like the whining, disrespectful son, nor the son who said the right things, but then turned away and did something totally different. He was the Son who carried out his Father’s plan. He was the Son who really did take away the sins of the world. Paul said it in today’s Second Reading: “He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8, EHV).

IV.

Let’s change the image a little bit. When translating Jesus’ parable, nearly every translation speaks about the two sons, including the Evangelical Heritage Version from which our reading is taken. The Greek doesn’t use the word for “son,” however. It uses the word for “child.”

Jesus was painting a picture—presenting an image. He often called his followers “children.” The Old Testament people of God were known as the “Children of Israel.” Christians today are still called “Children of God.”

Think of that as you listen to Jesus’ last warning in today’s Gospel. Children need some guidance. “Amen I tell you: The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you in the way of righteousness, but you did not believe him. However, the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him” (Matthew 21:31-32, EHV).

The tax collectors and prostitutes were like the first son, who balked at his father’s wishes, but then turned and did what his father wanted. The initial image was of a bad son, but the reality is, that son turned around. Jesus says the tax collectors and prostitutes were entering “ahead of you” to the chief priests and elders.

There was still time, even for the chief priests and elders of the people. They still had life and breath. There was still time to repent. There was still time to be like the first son. Jesus is urging them and warning them not to be like the second son, who had a great image to start out with, but then turned and threw it all away.

There still is time. Don’t throw it all away. Jesus used his authority to accomplish what God wanted done—he took away the sin of the world. Jesus did it all to give you the image God demanded of you—perfection. Don’t just put on a show. Put on Jesus. Live your life as a Christian Child of God. Amen.