27They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28"By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?"
29Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30John's baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!"
31They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 32But if we say, 'From men'...." (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)
33So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."
Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."
Hot on the heels of Jesus' entry to Jerusalem and his clearing of the temple comes this account of a confrontation in the Temple.
Those who think they are in charge ask Jesus who has given him the right to do what he has done and to say what he says.
Jesus' responds by asking them about what they thought of John the Baptist, when they cannot give an answer, he states that he will not answer them.
Nice
But what does it mean, what was going on etc.
What are your thoughts as you read this? What questions do you have? What do you not understand?
Post comments.
I'll be back later!
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8 comments:
Why does Jesus not just tell them who he is?
It is a remarkable way to answer a quetion and has a superbly impressive effect. After boldly approaching Jesus with what they assume is a difficult question to answer, the response it elicits from the Pharisees and teachers of the law is great - they get pretty well stumped.
Wish I could think that quickly and have that perception and clarity at times!
Yep, really remarkable, apparently that's how the rabbis did it, answer a question with a question. What I love about Jesus' question is that it puts the ball firmly back into their court. They say, so who are you, what gives you the right to do all these things? And Jesus says to them, who do you think I am?!
But what has that got to do with us today?
I agree it is really irritating when Jesus answers a question with a question but then it does leave you wondering why?.....
Jesus was in control we know that from the rest of the Gospels so he must have known this was going to happen so why does he allow it and why is it recorded? There must be some reason to allow the encounter. What is he trying to show us and what is he trying to teach us?
I see a crowd - is this how they did it then or is this a group seeking to intimidate in numbers or to bully or are they frightened? Are they threatened by a new boy on the block who is better than them and is upsetting the old order?
It seems that their intent is not very loving for elders or teachers hardly consistent with the law. Jesus sees in to their hearts and must know this.
Yes they are trying to trap Jesus but he does not allow this - in control again.
Jesus seems to be making a point of saying he is too clever for them - but that does not feel right. Jesus loves them for all their ill intent so would he really answer in this superior tone? Would he seek to embarass them or belittle them by his question? If yes this does not seem very loving. If no then what is he doing and how? Is he trying to teach or show them something that they do not realise themselves by reflecting back to them their hearts and motivations? Does their refusal to answer allow them a loving exit without loss of face but having received a lesson -whether or not they understood that?
If so what is the lesson he seeks to teach? Jesus indirectly answers their question about authority by pointing to John the baptist and hence God as well, but the question cleverly reveals what they value the most and what motivates them. It shows that to them their status in society and affirmation as leaders is more important to them than the truth thus forcing them to lie and say they do not know the answer.. so in their hearts they must know the answer but they value their earthly idols of status etc too much and turn away from affirming God's authority.
If that is right then what is Jesus teaching us about acknowledging his authority in our lives? Do we value our earthly power more than our relationship with God? What realy motivates us in our hearts money, status, affirmation, recognition. Do we let those motivations control us and persuade ourselves that they are justfied? Do we abuse our power in the way the elders tried to for eaxmple as a parent with a child controlling because we can, teacher with a pupil - belittling because we can or marking more generously to make results seem better, manager with a team member pushing because we can or billing more than we should to make ourselves seem better than others? How do we react when threatened by a new team member who is better than we are? In any situation where we have power and authority over others,
the model must be to respond lovingly and to aknwoldge that all earthly power and authority ulitmately comes from God. What do you think - is this right? Is Jesus being loving or clever( or both) and what lesson does he teach us for today?
Interesting why answer a question with a question? What's the best way of seeing if someone understands something or has thought it through? Well to ask them a question.
This formed part of the tradition of the Rabbis. Asking questions forces people to think for themselves and not simply repeat parrot fashion soemhting they may have taught.
So the crowd would not be too surprised that he asks a question.
We have the boys in charge versus the new boy on the block.
Jesus asks them to consider the evidence and to think for themselves, who is he? What are the implications?
I think you're right to see that they have excahnged love for Yahweh for an earthly idol. because they serve 'power', 'rules' and the status quo, they are unable to think through the question.
The nature of sin.
Embracing Jesus, involves a massive paradigm shift. Away from me and my world and to God.
I also think it is right to see this episode in the light of the whole gospel accounts. Jesus will have looked on them and loved them.
But our temptation is to think ' oh Jesus he is so clever, and so sharp'. That's to miss the point.
The point is who do you think I am, and what are the implications...?
Us today, well it is easy to see us as so not like the rulers, teachers, priests etc. But hold on, these are God's people. Called out of Egypt by God, called to be a light and a blessing to the nations. Called to be distinctive. Called to love God.
Get the drift.
What makes this so powerful is that their story could be our story.
Ok so their story is our story, after all are we really so different today?
If that is the case where does this leave us when we ask questions in prayer?
Jesus says he will not answer because they will not answer him.
Re: Prayer
What's our motive when asking questions in prayer? What was the motive of the rulers when asking Jesus? Jesus does not answer them as they wish him to answer but he does direct them to the answer if only they will see it.
When we pray, are we asking in recognition of the authority of Jesus? I hope so.
But if Jesus asks us something, do we owe it to him to answer....
Well, Jesus didn't answer the pharisees' question directly because they didn't really want an answer to it, only to trap Jesus. And, of course, he turned the tables on them very neatly, exposing their hypocrisy yet again. But the question is a vital one, nonetheless - a variant of the "who is this Jesus" question that keeps cropping up in all the Gospels. The answer, and the implications of it, are the story of the whole New Testament of the history of the church and of our own lives.
So, I don't think it follows that, because Jesus did not deal directly with the pharisees' trick question, He won't deal with our genuine ones - though perhaps not always in the way we expect.
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