Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?" Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?"  They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'From men'—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet." So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."  Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' " 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did what his father wanted?"  "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
(Reader: This is the word of the Lord - Thanks be to God)
 

Post Communion Sentence

We praise and thank you, O Christ, for this sacred feast: for here we receive you, here the memory of your passion is renewed, here our minds are filled with grace, and here a pledge of future glory is given, when we shall feast at that table where you reign with all your saints for ever. Amen
 

Commentary

Philippians 2 v 5 – 11 is probably a quotation from an early hymn of praise to Christ. It is sometimes called the Kenotic Prayer, from the Greek kenosis meaning ‘to make empty’. There are clearly divisions and factions in the church at Philippi and Paul urges all parties to forget their pride and to live and work and think as one. We are urged to do the same. Anything less than this is unworthy of the Christ who came as the supreme example of humanity. It was because Jesus gave up all He had, including his life, and emptied Himself, made Himself nothing, that God exalted Him to the highest place of all. In making himself nothing and becoming human Jesus still retained the form of God, His essential nature and attributes, but effectively waived His status and accepted human limitations. He lived a life of humble obedience, limited to the resources God gives to all humans; the power of His Spirit, His Holy Word, and prayer, a constant dialogue and communication with the Father.

How strange then that this Jesus, who had emptied Himself of everything, posed such a threat to the Jewish authorities. But in maintaining the theme of this gospel, and our readings over the last few weeks, Jesus continues to redirect the tradition of Israel away from ritual legalism and a dominant priesthood towards a more personal commitment to, and relationship with, a loving and forgiving God. This approach threatened the religious authorities of the time, and anyone challenging this social and moral rigidity was automatically suspect by both Pharisees and Sadducees alike. And it’s not surprising that Jesus confronts them with the question of John's authority. John had been baptising people for the forgiveness of sins. Rituals for the forgiveness of sins were largely in the hands of the priests and the temple. That was one of its main functions. While there was technically nothing wrong with John's rather novel rite, in the eyes of those properly ordained to priestly tasks, it amounted to something of a maverick enterprise. Interestingly the issue for the Jewish leaders seems to be about authority not blasphemy. Were they perhaps more interested in maintaining the status quo rather than in trying to understand the word and nature of their God? Could someone like Jesus declare God's forgiveness, pronounce absolution?

Jesus’ final thrust that the tax collectors and prostitutes may have an advantage over these religious authorities must have been especially difficult to accept! It underlines the fact that the irreligious can sometimes respond to the words and prompting of God, and His forgiveness, more readily than those whose self-deceiving moral superiority makes them impervious to its appeal. How strange to us too sometimes that God does speak to people who are very different to ourselves. Stranger still, He sometimes chooses to speak to us through them. Ultimately, however, the principle involved in all of today’s readings is not words but actions. Just like ‘the chief priests and the elders of the people’, we will be judged, not by what we say, but by what we do. Sam Cappleman.
 

Meditation

In the Gospel reading the tax collectors and the prostitutes are like the first son. Initially they said no to God, but on hearing John the Baptist's preaching they accepted the word of God and started doing that which pleases God. The chief priests and elders, on the other hand, are like the second son. They too heard John's preaching, and even witnessed the responses of the tax collectors and the prostitutes. But they only feigned acceptance, and refused to accept John as a true messenger from God because he seemed such an unlikely character. Are there people in our lives who perhaps sometimes speak the word of God who we ignore, or only pay lip service to, because they too are unlikely characters? Sam Cappleman
 

Hymns

1. When morning gilds the skies 756

2. Jubilate everybody 394

3. All Hail the power of Jesus' name! 13

4. Glorious things of thee are spoken  173

5. Rejoice the Lord is King  575

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

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