This Week’s Gospel Reflection

Scripture

Matthew 21:23–32

And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

Reflection

One of the things I love about Jesus is that He rarely seems to be concerned with proving Himself or winning arguments about His identity and authority.

In this passage, the chief priests and elders come to Jesus with a question about authority: “By what authority are you doing these things?” It is a question about who has the right to speak, who has the right to act, and who has the right to lead. But Jesus knows their question is not really an invitation to conversation. They are testing Him. They are not asking in order to understand, but in order to find an answer that will allow them to dismiss Jesus, protect what they already know, and continue with business as usual.

So Jesus asks them a question. Rather than defending His authority, Jesus invites them to examine their own. What do they believe? What are they willing to consider? Are they more committed to discovering truth or to protecting what they already believe? Then Jesus tells them a story about two sons. One says no to his father but later changes his mind and goes. The other says yes but never goes. Jesus asks, “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” The first son’s story reminds us that a person’s first response does not have to be their final response. There is room for reconsidering. There is room for repentance. There is room for the Spirit to change our minds, redirect our hearts, and move us from resistance toward willingness.

Perhaps this is one of the gifts hidden in the story: saying no is not necessarily the end of the conversation with God. Sometimes it is where the conversation begins. The first son’s no created space for him to wrestle, reconsider, and ultimately respond differently.

That feels important for those of us who work in a university. We spend much of our lives helping people learn, grow, question, reconsider, and become. Yet sometimes we forget that we are still becoming, too. Jesus does not seem interested in perfect people or polished answers. He is interested in hearts and minds that remain open and responsive to God.

As we begin another academic year, perhaps the question worth carrying with us is: Where is Jesus inviting my yes to become more authentic and embodied in the way I teach, lead, serve, and care for others?

And perhaps we can hold that question with a little grace—for ourselves and for one another—remembering that sometimes the most faithful yes is the one that comes after we have been honest enough to say no.

Prayer

Jesus,

Thank You for the way You meet us where we are and invite us to look more honestly at what is happening within us.

Help us notice the places where our words and our lives are not quite aligned. Give us the humility to acknowledge when we have said no, resisted, or simply failed to follow through. And give us the grace to know that a change of attitude and action is always possible with You.

As we begin this new academic year, help us live our yes to You in the ordinary moments of our work. In our classrooms and offices, in conversations and meetings, in the ways we welcome students and care for one another, help us reflect Your love and Your truth.

Give us eyes to notice, ears to listen, and hearts willing to respond when You invite us to go.

May the work we do and the way we do it bear witness to Your truth and grace.

Amen.

Past Reflections