Bible Study recap: Matthew 21.23-32

Two threads here: one on authority and taking a stance; the other about forgiveness and taking action.

The Priests and elders refused to take a stand, hem-ing and haw-ing. Maybe they didn't honestly know where authority came from. Worried too much about popular opinion and fearing loss of people to a more permissive Greco-Roman faith/belief system, they shrugged off the question.

John the Baptist is the focal point for the discussion that Jesus artfully engineers them into admitting John had authority to lead and prophesy. That was not for debate, where that authority came from was the question.

Forgiveness is at the heart of the parable of the 2 sons. Actions speak louder than words, with the second son saying the right thing, but lacking in action. We're all guilty of not following through on something or another. What makes us so reluctant to commit in the first place?

All this within a framework of church anniversary. There's a reminder that there is value within each person: the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.

Also, Jesus was not one to give answers but encouraged us to find our own, that we have to participate in our own faith. He is always asking: What do you think?