26/09/2026
A reflection on Matthew 21:23-32 by The Rev. Depia Leah Ngislawan-Omaweng (Visayas Missionary Diocese)
MEMORY VERSE FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2026
"... the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you." (Matthew 21:31)
In todayβs Gospel reading (Matthew 21:23-32), Jesus enters the Temple in Jerusalem and his presence has begun to create tension with the religious authorities. But just before this passage, Jesus cleansed the Temple and challenged the Templeβs worship system. So, when the chief priests and elders approach him, they want to know: βBy what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?β (verse 23). In other words, they are questioning Jesus' right to teach, to act, and to speak in the name of God. Jesus responds by asking them about John the Baptist: βDid the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?β (verse 25). They become afraid to answer because either response will challenge them. So, they simply say, βWe do not knowβ (verse 27). Jesus then tells them the story of two sons. The father asks the first son to work in the vineyard. The son says, βI will notβ (verse 29). But later, he changes his mind and goes. The second son says, βI go, sirβ (verse 30), but he does not go. Then Jesus turns the question back to the religious leaders: Which son did the will of his father? The answer is obvious: the first son.
Then Jesus said to them: βTruly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of youβ (verse 31). He said this not because their past was acceptable to the moral standard of society, but because they heard the message of John the Baptist, believed, and repented. They were willing to change their ways to better their lives in response to their renewed faith. Meanwhile, the religious leaders heard Johnβs message too, but they did not believe him. They had a religious appearance, they knew the right words, but they did not allow the message to change their lives.
In this teaching, Jesus reminds us that God not only listens to what we say but also looks at what we do with what we have said. Sometimes, we are like the first son. We may resist, or we may hesitate. But later, we realize that God is calling us, and we respond. Eventually, our βnoβ becomes a βyes.β And sometimes, we may be like the second son. We say the right words. We say, βYes, Lord.β But our actions do not follow.
The Gospel reading for today speaks not only to those who have wandered from God, but also to those of us who have been faithful for many years. Jesus reminds us that no one should presume that outward religion alone makes us close to God. At the same time, no one should believe that a difficult past has placed them beyond Godβs mercy. The words βgoing into the kingdom of God ahead of youβ therefore calls us to humility rather than judgment. We are not called to compare ourselves with those whom society considers sinful or unworthy. We are called to ask whether our own hearts are open to Godβs grace.
For someone who feels unworthy because of their past, this Gospel reading offers hope: you can still turn toward God. For someone who has become comfortable in faith, it offers a gentle warning: do not let religious appearance replace a living relationship with Christ.
The question then is, βAm I moving toward Christ?β Our response is not comparison but conversion; not judgment but mercy; not merely saying βYes, Lord,β but allowing that yes to become visible in the way we love, forgive, serve, welcome others, and in our willingness to participate in God's work.
A reflection on Matthew 21:23-32 by The Rev. Depia Leah Ngislawan-Omaweng (Visayas Missionary Diocese)
Image: "Parable of the Two Sons" by Mr. Andrei Nikolayevich Mironov (1975-), Russia
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