Of course Jesus’ teaching have much broader implications than just their historical context.  There are at least two important lessons in this parable about building the reign of God.

The first is that it is not what you say, but what you do that is important.  The chief priests and the elders said all the right things, but their actions did not reflect their words. 

Paul makes the same point in the familiar introduction I Corinthians 13: “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”  No matter how brilliantly we may speak about theology or how we may say all of the “right” things, it is a fraud if our actions do not reflect genuine faith.

The second lesson is equally important.  It is one that we tend to forget sometimes when we talk about others, and one we forget when we “beat up on” ourselves. It is not who you were, but who you are that counts with God.  Or maybe even better said, it is not who you were, but who you are becoming that counts with God.  The prostitutes and tax collectors may have had shady pasts, but they had hearts open to God and were willing to let God work in their lives to turn things around.

Oh if we could only get it through our heads and hearts that God really is in the forgiveness business!  God does not forgive in little bits, holding on to grudges only to drag them out again on some rainy day.  “As far as the east is from the west, so far God removes our transgressions from us.”  (Psalm 103:12)  There is NO past that can block your relationship with God if you are willing to let go of it.  It is never too late to turn and follow where Jesus leads!

When [Jesus] entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.  Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?”

And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’  But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.”  So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”

And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

"What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’

He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went.

The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go.

Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of 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 after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.