Matthew 21:18–32

The Barren Fig Tree

^18aNow in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry.

¹⁹And seeing a lone ^afig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He ^*said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.

²⁰And seeing this, the disciples marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?”

²¹And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, ^aif you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.

²²“And ^aall things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

^23aAnd when He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him ^bwhile He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”

²⁴And Jesus answered and said to them, “I will also ask you one ¹thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.

²⁵“The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

²⁶“But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the crowd; for they all regard John as ^aa prophet.”

²⁷And they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Parable of Two Sons

²⁸“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the ^avineyard.’

²⁹“And he answered and said, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went.

³⁰“And the man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered and said, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go.

³¹“Which of the two did the will of his father?” They ^*said, “The first.” Jesus ^*said to them, “Truly I say to you that ^athe tax collectors and prostitutes ¹will get into the kingdom of God before you.

³²“For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but ^athe tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even regret afterward so as to believe him.