Matthew 21:23-32

New Testament for Everyone

The question about John

²³ Jesus went into the Temple. As he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him.

“By what right are you doing these things?” they asked him. “Who gave you this right?”

²⁴ “I’m going to ask you one question, too,” replied Jesus, “and if you tell me the answer then I’ll tell you by what right I’m doing these things. ²⁵ Where did John’s baptism come from? Was it from heaven, or from this world?”

They debated this among themselves. “If we say ‘from heaven,’ ” they said, “he’s going to say to us, ‘So why didn’t you believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say ‘from this world,’ we’ll have to watch out for the crowd, because they all reckon that John was a prophet.”

²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

“Well, then,” said Jesus, “nor will I tell you by what right I’m doing these things.

²⁸ “What d’you think?” he went on. “Once upon a time there was a man who had two sons.

“He went to the first one and said, ‘Now then, my boy, off you go and do a day’s work in the vineyard.’

²⁹ “ ‘Don’t want to,’ replied the son; but afterwards he thought better of it and went.

³⁰ “He went to the other son and said the same thing.

“ ‘Certainly, Master,’ he said; but he didn’t go.

³¹ “So which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

“I’m telling you the truth,” Jesus said to them. “The tax-collectors and prostitutes are going into God’s kingdom ahead of you! ³² Yes: John came to you, in accordance with God’s righteous covenant plan, and you didn’t believe him—but the tax-collectors and prostitutes believed him. But when you saw it, you didn’t think better of it afterwards and believe him.”