"Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you." (Matthew 21: 31)
and also
"Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." (Matthew 21: 43)
Here, Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees once again.
He had shared that a camel would more easily thread through the eye of a needle compared to a man entering into the Kingdom of God.
In the last two verses of the Gospel of Matthew, the last two with the phrase Kingdom of God, Jesus glorifies the publicans and the harlots, then the Gentiles, who will enter into the Kingdom ahead of the Jewish leaders.
Why?
Because they have nothing. They have no standing, no wealth, nothing in the flesh to glory in:
"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:" (1 Corinthians 1:26)
The ostracized, rejected groups, the men and women during Jesus' earthly minister who boasted in nothing: they willingly received Jesus, and everything with Him.
They did not try to earn anything from God. They did not presume anything of themselves. They recognized the grace of God in Christ.
And while the religious leaders would be offended by the phrase "Kingdom of God", those who willingly received Jesus would also boldly receive this Kingdom.
Amen!
The Kingdom of God is all about His grace, and the Spirit of God quickened Matthew to identify His Kingdom directly as "The Kingdom of God" five times.. Receive God's superabounding grace today!