Matthew 21:23-32: Jesus Couldn't Turn Their Eyes from Themselves

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.

“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.  - Matthew 21:23-32

 Why are we surprised when God values the same things that we do? He values those who have decided that the way they are living is not as fulfilling as they thought it would be. The tax collectors and prostitutes found that their position gave them some benefits: wealth and influence over others. But they knew inside that they had those instead of the favor of God.

Jesus talks about a life and a freedom from the indebtedness to things which were fading: their beauty, their influence, their money and their power. Jesus made life with God seem better than those things.

But the Pharisees on the other hand found their position gave them some benefits also: prestige, respect, influence over others and they did not realize that they had those instead of the favor of God.

Jesus talks about a life and a freedom from the indebtedness to this life of self-aggrandizement and influence that was fading. Jesus couldn't turn their eyes from themselves and so God seemed a poor substitute. 

God grant me vision to see Jesus as a good bargain and I a poor substitute.