Matthew 21:23-32 The Authority of Jesus Questioned

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

“Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

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SERMON – WEARING MY PONCHO AND VOLUNTEER HAT…

A couple weekends ago – I loved working the water station at mile 24 of 26 for the marathon. One of my college alumni associations was going to work it together and I thought WHY NOT? I say that a lot – “Hey, why not?!!!”   

We worked the marathon by helping to hand cups out – of water or Gatorade – and of ENCOURAGEMENT – – I loved yelling WORDS OF ENCOURAGMENT:   “You’ve got this. – You’re almost there – just two more miles”                 so close to everyone walking that we could say “JUST WALK IT OUT – FINISH STRONG!”

And I loved seeing smiles. Was it necessary for me to see the reactions – no – I simply was there to help – But encouragement to encouragement? COOL! Fist bumps and thank you’s. But most importantly we got the people the water they needed. why anyone would want to run 26 or 13 plus miles or run any miles is beyond me – but I understand these folks have goals and hopes and the gumption to do it – they had a plan and preparation and did it.

At first I worked the station by raking cups – yeah – not leaves but cups! Clearing the path for runners to get to the cup holders, I raked empty cups towards the trash and out of the way – then halfway thru my shift, I SWITCHED – and served water with a hoop and holler, especially since we were mile 24, just 2 miles away from the finish. At mile 25 the music was blaring (I walked over there to check it out near the end) that water crew to do the macarena and electric slide in encouraging the runners who were still coming in – It was encouraging to see the young volunteers. It was a blessing to yell my heart out.

ESPECIALLY cool that most the runners had their names on their shirts!!! Fabulous.. I had no idea most would have names on their shirts. We could yell their actual names and if there was no name just cheer “you got this”. Catching a glimpse of faces, smiles, etc was really good. 5000 volunteers, 50000 runners.  WE CAN’T ALL RUN, BUT WE CAN BE CUP FILLERS! SPIRIT CUPS!

Yes the names and the words on the t-shirts, they spoke volumes in supporting causes, having those names was great, it became SO personal. And I thought – Thank God that God knows us by name, not just our names but in everything – remember Psalm 139:

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me… Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there;  if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. …    

AND I also thought about the other great scripture: God knows both our earthly given name and a new name reserved for each person in Heaven.

Jesus said to John in Revelation 2:17 “And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” Jesus, calls our names!!! Jesus is already making a spot at the dinner table. and so I thought it was cool that we were calling names and sending messages, all while serving water – .

OH – the WATER team….

I love that we can share the word of God together = and take this knowledge with us – out there into the world.  I know that the Lord wants us, at this point in time of our lives, to be the encouragers.  You know life is a marathon not a sprint. And we all need to keep moving – no matter how slow – and we all need to refill with water – real water and wow Living Water…

Remember the conversation between Jesus and the woman at the well – Jesus said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

Isn’t it great to know, from learning about Jesus, that Jesus has got this? Everything we see in the world will fade away and our life with Jesus in eternity will be our focus. And not thirst again! Just like marathon race people, may we find that last energy burst to keep going !

At the marathon, about 90% were running 10% walking when I arrived for the second shift as the stages were staggered at the start. So a bit later that percentage noticeably changed to then two thirds running with one third walking, then half and half, then most walking as darkness fell. We were in Central Park under the street lights by the zoo and museums – we were fine. I would say you are safer in a city of millions than a field of a few. We would consolidate tables as we were winding down, helping clean up as we went.

They instructed us how to hold the cups and the first few were difficult for me, Because my arm wouldn’t give way to let the cup go fast enough. But later it was less water, and more about talking, more encouragement – like some people even stopped to rest and chat. I appreciated the encouragement of the station captain and mirrored her, saying “welcome to the park”. Even if not running it out, they surely could finish. SO CLOSE

SO CLOSE – isn’t that our message to each other and to the world of people now – that our finish with Jesus coming back is SO CLOSE – and of course to each other and others that we are not getting any younger and that we do want to finish strong – and keep our eyes focused on Jesus – Jesus is the prize – that He awarded Himself to us for forgiveness. And we can walk with each other – we must – we should…

There was one particular marathon father I saw supporting his daughter, wow she was distraught but he was determined to help. There were team co-encouragers there. Many times for stragglers, I saw a friend or the whole family come out of the crowd and walk the last two miles, holding up their runner. They pushed on because this was now THEIR marathon – a personal journey – and not just a finish for the books. I saw a man pushing himself in his wheelchair backwards – kicking with his feet – with a team of walkers cheering him on –  this was a slow journey but a real one, his team members weren’t pushing him, he was getting himself going on that road –  backwards sitting but forward movement. I am sure he got there!

And it was getting darker and yet the people were still coming – even after the sweeper truck came – runners who didn’t make it as official finishers – BUT THEY WERE STILL WALKING. people kept coming – walking it home – they kept coming and we kept encouraging them…

AH – walking it home –   

In our TWO part scripture today – there were many questions being asked – and in these times, Jesus found Himself in direct conflict with the rulers and elders of the churches – who not just questioned Jesus –  they also questioned the whole scene when John the Baptist was starting his ministry –  Jesus knew this – That question Jesus asked: – Do you believe that John’s baptism was from human or heaven authority?

To answer a question with a question is an art, as well as a skill, as well as common occurrence for the rabbi teacher in Jesus. Jesus asked back in the form of a question – to be thought provoking, to show thought of His actions, by saying it should be clear He did what He did by GOD’S AUTHORITY, and Jesus came to plant seeds of knowledge that would surely sprout LATER (even in these skeptical rulers), after hearing of Him raised up from dead.

Here the questioners got quizzed themselves!!!.  That perhaps we could think of as a midterm question – and a tricky one if you weren’t studying – studying the prophesies – studying the signs of the times – studying the scenes –JESUS WAS DIRECTLY TALKING ABOUT HOW John the Baptist would tell the people: “I, [JOHN], baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, [john was talking about Jesus], whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John (by Heaven’s Authority) was “Preparing the Way”, fulfilling scripture.

And Jesus Himself also came to be baptized by John, And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Yet these chief priests and elders were suspicious of Jesus…  and asked Him questions… they would ask: “by what authority do you do these things?’ – probably including healing and talking about God and everything – a question to be accusatory. They wanted to make sure Jesus was not disrupting the status quo – and also not from an evil source of power –    **THEY ASKED QUESTIONS BUT HAD NO IDEA THEY WERE ALREADY LOOKING AT THE ANSWER – they were looking at the answer… JESUS…

* But they said “I don’t know” so not be questioned MORE by the people.

Walking it Home, which we are doing now – Jesus also asks us essentially: “Do you believe in ME?” – “Do you believe I can get you home?” These are like the final exam question of “DO YOU BELIEVE IN ME AS LORD AND SAVIOR?” The Lord wants us to know and accept Him and see us fulfilled with joy.

In the parable of the 2 sons – that Jesus asked, is key:  “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which did what his father wanted?”  “The first,” they answered.

We can get LOTS out of this scripture –understanding God – Jesus brought all the concepts of God’s forgiveness and the basics to the forefront of the conversations. God is clearly as a Father here – and He wants us to come- even if we come late – or straggle in – barely cross that finish line but finish because we believe in Jesus who finished it all for us. that is such the crucial message that Jesus brought time and time again to the people – you hear a consistent theme of us being lost – being defiant – being in sin – but God the Father is loving anyway being forgiving.  He wants us to finish the race.

The Father seeing the son actually enter the vineyard is a basic question about compliance – about not brushing off the situation giving a flippant answer – it is thinking of one’s path – certainly about the doing over the talking – you know WALK THE WALK and not just talk the talk…

Yes, in this parable, the vineyard was a place to work – and also the vineyard was a place to be – and certainly we all could (I certainly should) walk closer with Him, let Him guide our steps – trust Him and worship Him more fully with mind, heart and soul.  “Less of me, more of Him.”

The question using the brothers was then an open book test – love OPEN BOOK TESTS – yet  we study everything to know where to look – we are to know of Jesus AND to know Jesus in us is the saving grace, answering a final exam answer: Jesus.   BECAUSE IN OUR FINAL EXAMINATION, IT IS NOT JUST AN OPEN BOOK TEST, IT’S AN OPEN HEART TEST.

We have a marathon of life, and I found myself at our own city fun run and half marathon – the Italian Stallion ROCKY RUN! – last Saturday –  right at the Art Museum famous steps – cool huh? And actually no traffic at that early hour to get there and it was like divine intervention that I got a great parking spot… SO I grabbed not water cups but my sign encouragement to fill spirits and yell –  “Run Rocky Run” I yelled out – like the Forest Gump movie. I thought with the fun of last week this was cool too with the Rocky music etc… but I decided to move further out – half mile out – where the people were more sparse – and the sign I made to hold? Let me show you – “God Loves You” – Yeah! – I held above my Rocky sign the “God loves you” – and even though I needed no acknowledgement of the sign or my work in the vineyard – I needed and got that Holy Spirit whisper of “yeah – this is a good place – the best place for you to stand – this is a good morning activity in beautiful brilliant sunshine.” And I was not yelling “GOD LOVES YOU” – but I stood as a silent witness this time…

For us doing the work of the Lord is truly a blessing and we certainly can understand why Jesus walked the earth to teach and to bring His sheep to Himself. Jesus also tells us that God wants us to tell others about this GOOD NEWS – the whole plan – of the forgiveness which allows us once again to commune with God – to be forever walking WITH GOD… 

SO yes – at the Rocky Run – there was the walking in of the stragglers once again – what a perfect place to cheer – like a reverse parade where the runners are looking at you. The runners had time to read the simple sign with a sigh – and “yeah” – smiles – a few hands to the sky – a few “YES HE DOES” – and sometimes I thought – well time to wrap this up – or need to sit down – so I did rest and then I got back up to work the side of the race again – and there were more smiles and thank yous and even a couple photos were taken – yeah – and these ladies behind me who ran up and said “The people love your sign – what is on it?” – then they said:  “OH!” when they read it – “God loves you” – classic and true and not hidden…  there is no better sign than that…

I mention this not as a boast of my situation or that great parking spot that morning – but to say we all can find a place at the sideline cheering each other on – and encouraging those who are not sure if they should even join the race…  We need to work this harvest. Yes!  There are so many who say: “I can’t turn to God – I have been so unworthy”  – but we are to say “YOU ARE WORTHY BECAUSE HE IS WORTHY – GOD LOVES YOU”

If we stray, God rakes us in – if we fall, God picks us up, if we are thirsty – Jesus says: LET ME BE YOUR LIVING WATER. Half mile from the finish – that is where we are now… 

How often we are not in the moment – to know there is a race going on in everyone’s lives – how often we should just bring this message to others and give them the boost up.  People need to know: GOD LOVES YOU!

SO – how does this relate to our Jesus Scripture and Parable lesson? Well –  let’s talk about working in that vineyard… and what we still have to do – it is fine and good that we now have entered – but what is left? The harvest…

I leave you with this amazing scripture scene, Jesus and the woman at the well, in John 4. And there’s a small scene where the disciples come back and like from the village comes the woman with the people she told – Jesus would have seen them coming when telling the disciples –  “I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true.I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

As disciples, we can do these things, go out and work in the fields. Be saved and work together to share the Good News.  And keep running the race too –  AMEN…

Please pray with me – thank You Lord for our race and our mission – thank You Lord for our pace and our determination – thank You Lord for teaching and showing us the WAY – THANK YOU LORD FOR YOU.  Amen