Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things

 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

"But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

Matthew 21:23-32

Yesterday, we read that after His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?"  And Jesus said to them, "Yes.  Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?"  Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.  Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again."  Immediately the fig tree withered away.

Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  My study bible says that "since Christ is not a Levitical priest, the chief priests and the elders challenge His authority to cleanse the temple.  As Christ is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, He confounds them with a different question about John.  Both the elders' question and Christ's reputation require the same answer, and thus would lead a person to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  By not answering them directly, Christ teaches us not to answer people who come asking about holy things with a malicious intent."

 "But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."  My study bible remarks that, "Using their own principles, the elders convict themselves in their answer to Christ's parable."

I've been told that Christ never defended Himself.  If we look carefully, however, at today's reading, we could say that He's very clearly defending something -- or perhaps we might say that He is protecting His ministry.  In fact, throughout the Gospels, Jesus is very protective of His disciples and of His ministry.  Protecting the secret of "His name" or rather His identity as Christ is one such example.  There may be all kinds of reasons why something isn't revealed except gradually.  Even now, as my study bible points out, at these pivotal moments in Jerusalem, Jesus does not fully reveal His authority, His Person as Christ.  This is important, because it teaches us about what is essential, what are priorities, the real heart of Jesus and His mission.  For those who should know better, but who resent Him, those who do not, in fact, seek an honest answer but to entrap Him ("with a malicious intent," my study bible says), there is not the open answer they desire.  Instead, they get a confounding answer, with the tables turned upon them.  Only those who would truly wish the truth will understand; others will be outraged at not having been able to trap Him.  Here we go to the heart of discernment.  What will best protect His ministry?  How will He protect His disciples, and those followers He even names here, tax collectors and harlots?  This is His mission, and it is the sword (of truth) that will divide those who love Him and those who do not.  I think it is important for us to understand how we must protect our own love of Christ.  It's not always appropriate to lay ourselves open to ridicule.  Neither is an open declaration always the only choice.  What is, instead, of the greatest importance is our love and dedication to Christ, our willingness to stay in prayer, to ask for direction, and to protect that relationship with Him that not only guards our lives but also seeks to protect others who love Him as well.  How best do we serve in that capacity where we protect our relationship to Him and those whom He loves?  While every human being is capable of this repentance and love, and we are not the judges, we still can discern a malicious intent, a frivolous waste of time in argument or conflict with such a person, a time to walk away, a time to deflect (like Jesus does here), and a time to speak up.  But we need His guidance for that.  We need our prayers.  He calls us to be wise as serpents and simple as doves.  Let us remember what He has given us today, in this reading.