Matthew 21:31

The leaders rightly identify the first son as the one who did the father's will, and Jesus declares that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom ahead of them. Repentant sinners outrun self-righteous religion.

Cross-references · 22

• Luke 7:29All the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, acknowledged God’s justice. For they had received the baptism of John.
• Luke 7:37–50When a sinful woman from that town learned that Jesus was dining there, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume.
• Matt 7:21Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
• Rom 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
• 2 Pet 3:9The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
• Rom 5:20The law came in so that the trespass would increase; but where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
• Matt 20:16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
• Rom 9:30–33What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
• 1 Tim 1:13–16I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
• Luke 15:10In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
• Matt 9:9As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.
• Luke 19:9–10Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham.
• Luke 15:1–2Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus.
• Luke 19:22His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?
• Matt 18:3“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
• Matt 12:50For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
• Acts 17:30Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
• Job 15:6Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you.
• Matt 6:5And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.
• 2 Sam 12:5–7David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
• Ezek 33:11Say to them: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
• Matt 5:18For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

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