Matthew 21

Mat 21:23 And when He had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him as He was teaching...

Jesus is finally in the big city,
the center of the world as they knew it.

And Jesus is in the temple.
THE temple.

And now he faces the chief priests and the elders.
the heavyweights,
the main dudes,
the top dogs in the religious hierarchy.

I would think if he should be able to hold a serious conversation with any men on earth,
it would be these guys, right?

He does give them the opportunity....
He asks them a straight question about John.
but out of fear they fail to respond,

Mat 21:27 And they answered Jesus and said, We cannot tell.

Immediately he begins speaking to them in parables,
just as he speaks to all the other common people in parables.

and boy, the parables he presents to them have a sting!

A man asks his sons to work in the vineyard, and the result is interpreted by Jesus himself.

Mat 21:31 Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you that the tax-collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

A housemaster plants a vineyard, and the interpretation by Jesus is:

Mat 21:43 Therefore I say to you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing out its fruits.

A king's wedding feast for his son

Mat 22:8 Then he said to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they who were invited were not worthy.
Mat 22:9 Therefore go into the exits of the highways, and as many as you shall find, invite them to the marriage.

OUCH!

It's easy for me to feel scorn for these religious authorities,
and it would seem I am in good company by doing so.

I know its wrong for me to judge,
I know I shouldn't have these hostile negative feelings regarding formal religion
and towards those who elevate tradition over
the message,
the love,
the truth,
the word,

but I know,
I am prone to the same weakness.

It's hard to admit,
but I'm way too proud of my own understanding.

I'm so blinded by confidence,
and insulated by fear,
that it wouldn't surprise me to learn that I had been in the presence of angels
and not realized it.
Would I have even recognized Jesus if I had been there?

I've been so pleased with my progress lately
that I feel a crash coming...
(oh God, anything but humility!)