In Exodus 29 and 30, God carefully and deliberately forms the priests. They’re washed before they’re clothed, they wait before they serve, and they move through repeated acts that shape their awareness of His holiness. Nothing is rushed. God doesn’t invite them into His presence casually or allow them to assume familiarity. Instead, He establishes rhythms that teach His people how to live near Him without losing reverence. Holiness is learned slowly, and proximity is something to be received, not rushed.

Matthew 21 tells a different story, but it presses on the same issue. Jesus is standing in the temple, teaching openly, when the religious leaders confront Him. They aren’t asking questions because they’re listening. They’re asking because they think they already know how authority works. Jesus answers with questions and parables that expose the real problem. They aren’t short on knowledge. They’re short on openness. God is right in front of them, and they miss Him because they’re too certain they already understand Him.

The tension in Matthew 21 isn’t ignorance versus intelligence. It’s certainty versus attentiveness. The leaders are confident in their position, confident in their systems, and confident in their right to judge. What they aren’t is receptive. Jesus makes it clear that the kingdom of God isn’t missed because people don’t try hard enough. It’s missed because they stop paying attention. Familiarity has dulled their awareness, and confidence has replaced humility.

Taken together, these passages invite us to slow down and examine our own posture before God. They ask whether our routines have replaced reverence, whether our experience has replaced listening, and whether we’ve confused confidence with faithfulness. God remains patient in both stories. He keeps teaching, keeps inviting, and keeps confronting when necessary. He doesn’t step away when people miss Him. He stays present and calls them to see again.