Monday, December 16, 2024

16 December 2024 - the problem of authority


By what authority are you doing these things? 
And who gave you this authority?

They probably would have been happy to have an answer at either extreme. If Jesus was straightforward about his claim to divine authority it would give them something to criticize and possibly even condemn as blasphemy. If he conceded that he had no authority he could be summarily dismissed. Perhaps they assumed Jesus would not have felt free to make a good response since it was hard to imagine a response that could make everyone happy. If he gave an answer that was faltering and incomplete then he would look less appealing to onlookers. 

I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me,
then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. 
Where was John’s baptism from?
Was it of heavenly or of human origin?

Jesus turned them tables on these insincere questioners, as he so often did. It was not he that was concerned with the opinions of others but actually them. It was not he that was unwilling to take a straightforward stand for the truth. It was rather the chief priests and the elders whose answers were calculated and political. Had they been able to respond to Jesus' question sincerely it would have led to a sincere answer to the question they asked at first. There was a continuity between the mission of John the Baptist and the mission of Jesus. But as they had already been tiptoeing around whether or not the mission of John had been authentic they were in no position to hear an answer that Jesus gave about himself.

“If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us,
‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 
But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd,
for they all regard John as a prophet.” 

They didn't believe in the baptism of John but they were too afraid of what others thought to say so. How could such ones presume to have a fair conversation with Jesus, when they already had their own unspoken commitments against the ministry of John, a ministry of which Jesus availed himself at the beginning of his own mission? Jesus answered the questions of genuine seekers with truth. But to those who were only playing games he responded by catching them in their own cleverness.


He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end (see Job 5:13).

This Gospel should lead us to consider if we ourselves have been playing games with God. It's better to be honest even about a negative than to become trapped in a limbo of dishonesty. Only truth can lead to progress. Our refusal to be straightforward with God allows us to sustain a lukewarm faith at our own parallel. He very much wants to awaken us from our self-deception and lead us to become people of integrity. He can even make prophets of the most unexpected people to get our attention.

I see him, though not now;
I behold him, though not near:
A star shall advance from Jacob,
and a staff shall rise from Israel.


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