Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.” Matthew 21:31b

Jesus doesn’t say the established leaders will not get into the kingdom of God, just that the tax collectors and the prostitutes (despised, suspect, worldly people who are interested in shortcuts to pleasure and riches) are getting in first.

Church planting can be like this too. Who is the most desperate for change? Who is the most interested in something new? The people who are hurting the most. The thing is, though, they come really wounded. They have generations of sinful history and baggage, or they are suffering the consequences of many bad choices. As we try to build a dependable, respectable church with these people who come first, we often wonder what “really” matters to God?

Jesus cuts through all the cultural laws and goes back to the ten commandments:

Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

 ¹⁸ “Which ones?” he inquired.

   Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother,’