(Matthew 21: 23-32)



And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?  And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.  And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.  He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.  And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.  For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.(Matthew 21: 23-32)

 

Jesus spoke many parables in the Bible. When a person realizes all of the more than thirty parables, Jesus says in Matthew 13:52 that he is the disciple scribe of heaven. So the disciples of Heaven『Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. 』 The owner of the house is God. The scribe of heaven has the power of the word of God.

Here's a parable: a big son and a small son. The oldest son did not go, saying he would go. However, the little son said he would not go and repented and went. Jesus asked, "Who did the Father's will?" The Jews replied that they were the second sons. In John 10: 15-16『As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 』 This is an expression for Israel and the Gentiles. The Little Son is the expression "other sheep that did not enter the sheepfold."
Jesus told the Jews in many parables that the priority of salvation would pass over to the Gentiles.

After Jesus healed the centurion's servants with the Word, in Matthew 8: 11-12,『And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 』 It means that the Jews will be kicked out. The background of Jesus' parable of the king's wedding feast was who would eat bread in the kingdom of God. This is the parable, saying that the Gentiles, not Israel, will be like that.

In Isaiah 49: 6『And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. 』 Isaiah said the salvation of the Gentiles. The reason God chose Israel is that all nations learn to model Israel. Israel failed and was destroyed by Rome. Salvation was passed on to the Gentiles.

The repentant publicans and prostitutes enter the kingdom of God first. They symbolize the Gentiles. However, the Pharisees and scribes thought they were great. A person who does what his Father wants is a person who repents and turns, like the prodigal son's parable.

However, when Jesus asked the Pharisees, he was saying that the second son was the one who did the Father's will. In response to this, Jesus said, "The publicans and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before you." Jesus' words are that the little son enters heaven first.

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