Matthew Chapter 21

photo by Gisela Giardino

Here is the link to Matthew Chapter 21, and a portion of verse 31.

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth……”

I actually started this contemplation with this fuller portion of the text.

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.

But as I went along, my attention became more and more focused on the shorter phrase.

The simple realization that the Gospels are the finest repository of truth that we could ever hope to encounter is profound beyond my ability to express.  I have been attempting in The Chapters thread to focus on these Gospels in consistent fashion.  Its easy in the midst of that to forget what an exceptional gift they are.

Item seven in my prayer structure involves being aware of my emotional response as I engage in contemplation.  I often find that difficult to do, but these straightforward words left me overwhelmed by feelings of thankfulness.  I ended up with a profound internal silence because there is no way to verbally express the depth and intensity of the emotion.

If I then go back to the context and the fuller quote, the truth just gains profundity.

These words are spoken to the “chief priests and elders of the people.”  Jesus is warning them to embrace repentance.

Why are they in need of repentance?  What have the done wrong?

The bottom line is they are in the process of rejecting Jesus and His teachings.  In other words, they are rejecting the truth of the Gospels.

In their arrogance, they regard their point of view as infallible truth.  Beyond that, they are actively blocking the truth of revelation as embodied by John the Baptist and Jesus from the masses in an effort to ensure their version of truth goes unchallenged.

Really, its easy to see why Jesus said what He said.  Compared to what these religious leaders are engaged in, the sins of tax collectors and prostitutes are minor.

Sitting here, I have no choice but to ask myself, how often do I seek to place my own personal version of truth ahead of what the Gospels offer?  How often am I guilty of the same thing these chief priests and elders are guilty of?

And then, am I truly repentant for the many, many, many times I have done this?