Matthew 21:23-27
When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
I wonder what answer would have satisfied the chief priests and elders. Keep in mind what’s been going on of late. Jesus entered the city to the adulation of adoring crowds and immediately went into the Temple and drove out the moneychangers, which means he upset their income system and potentially put them at risk with Rome.
That’s the “these things” they question his authority to do. Keep in mind also that Jesus is more or less a country preacher, a bumpkin from out of town. Capernaum and Galilee, the places from where Jesus hails, if not totally backwater towns, are at least the next closest thing. All of which makes the ruling religious officials of the capitol city Jerusalem not just curious, but down right offended by his actions. We might as well translate their question to be, “Where do get off doing these things in our city, hick?”
But Jesus refuses to be intimidated. Instead, he hits them where they live, in their fear for the position and place among the people. He asks them where John got his authority. John, too, was a preacher who challenged the status quo, who invited reform, and who was popular with the people. And they’re stuck. If they answer that John’s authority came from heaven, then Jesus can ask why they didn’t follow him. But if they say his authority was made up – in essence, that he had no authority – then they will offend the crowd who thought of John as a prophet.
And so they say nothing. And Jesus responds that he will similarly respond by not telling them from where his authority comes from.
So I’ll ask again: what answer would have satisfied them? And I think the answer is nothing. Authority, you see, is as much received as it is given, and they would under no circumstances give Jesus authority because he asked too much, expected too much, and wanted to change too much. Nope, they’re not going to give him authority to do those things.
What about us?
Prayer: Dear God, let us see both the wonder and the challenge of your Son’s ministry and message and respond in faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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