What Jesus meant when he said the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering heaven before you

Here's the verses:

St. Matthew 21:31 ... Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
St. Matthew 21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Jesus was talking to the self righteous priests and told them that because they saw sinners repenting at the preaching of John the Baptist and did not discern that it was of God and repented themselves of their sins that the harlots (whores) and publicans (tax collextors) were entering into heaven before them.

There's 2 meanings on entering into heaven and 2 other meanings, one for each harlot and publican.

For entering heaven Jesus meant that the self righteous cannot receive the Spirit of Jesus, the other is that though they (whomever falls into such category) perish they will see the repented sinner enter into heaven before their faces.

But what Jesus meant about the whores was not just the physical prostitutes but the spiritual prostitutes who worshipped other and false Gods, not just repented Hebrews but repented Gentile converts.

The 7th commandment to not commit adultery is referring to spiritual adultery. The 10th commandment includes the physical adultery.

The tax collectors (publicans) were hated by the Hebrews generally because they worked for their occupiers the Romans, therefore Jesus meant generally those who are hated.

...the hated and the repented non-Hebrews go into the kingdom of God before your face.

Sinners don't get a pass without repented of all their sins. Be afraid and cling to Jesus and he will show you what you must suffer to be delivered and found worthy from his final judgment. Life is not about others but your refining and sanctification process through a relationship with Jesus, fully committed to obeying all of his commands.