Three Parables about the Unfaithfulness of the Jewish Leaders
Matthew 22:1-14, Matthew 21:33-46, Matthew 21:28-32, Matthew 21:23-27
Teach the Text
by Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: When his authority is questioned by the Jerusalem leaders, Jesus, the faithful Son of God, tells three parables contrasting those who are faithful and do God’s will (even supposed sinners) and those who disbelieve and disobey (the Jerusalem leaders).

Understanding the Text

Two symbolic actions of Jesus—his entry as king into Jerusalem and his temple critique (21:1–22)—provoke a contest of authority with the chief priests and Jewish elders (21:23–27). Jesus refuses to answer their question about the source of his authority directly; instead, he tells three parables that provide an implicit claim of his messianic identity and implicate the Jewish leaders in their rejection of his identity and authority (21:28–22:14). In their rejection, Jesus contrasts them to those who have beli…

Baker Publishing Group, Teaching the Text, by Jeannine K. Brown