Who gave you this authority?

Now when he came into the temple, the chief priests and the 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 likewise 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

In yesterday's reading, we reviewed Jesus' first acts of cleansing and healing in the temple after he came into Jerusalem, in what is called his "Triumphal Entry." At that time, he was questioned by the authorities in the temple, as they were outraged by the people who greeted Jesus in the temple calling him "Son of David." We also read of the withering of the fig tree, as a symbol of the rejection of the leadership - the failure to recognize what was in their midst and to produce the "spiritual fruits" Jesus seeks. These are the fruits of faith. Today's reading expands on the themes of yesterday's, as Jesus once again is in confrontation with the leadership in the temple.

Now when he came into the temple, the chief priests and the 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?" My study bible notes here: "Since the chief priests and the elders cannot object to Jesus' miracles, they bring charges against him for his chastisement of the tradesmen in the temple. Since he is not a Levitical priest and does not have the schooling normally required of a rabbi, Jesus is asked about his authority to cleanse the temple." One thing that has characterized Jesus' ministry is this compelling power of faith that meets him in an immediate sense - that answers to his persona, to the authority conveyed by the Person that he is. He has no customary credentials that others can look to in order to certify that he has authority to teach. In some sense, all of the encounters of faith that Jesus commands come by response to his Person - to what he is and who he is. He cannot point to a famous rabbinical teacher with whom he has studied, as do other teachers or scribes, for example. And the questions that have come to him, such as when he was rejected in his home country, reflect this same concern. The leadership in the temple, of course, have their own fears connected with his authority and his ministry.

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 has a note that reads, "Because they are motivated by unbelief and hostility, Jesus does not answer, but confounds his adversaries with a question of his own." What I like about this passage is Jesus' complete devotion to his own ministry and understanding of what is happening. He doesn't mince words and he doesn't waste his time. Neither does he give away his own authority in the slightest. He understands their motives, he sees right through them. They don't want an honest discussion; rather they are trying to trap him with questions about authority. So, he simply replies by asking a question of his own that illustrates what their "trap" is missing: whose authority was that of John the Baptist? He knows that in front of the crowds, they will say nothing - and he does not give them room to maneuver out of their own fear and hypocrisy. He makes fools of them through his own wit and intelligence, and he doesn't give an inch when it comes to the importance of faith and authority.

"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 likewise 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 says that "He mentions the tax collectors and harlots, presumed to be great sinners, to jolt his hearers into obedience." So Jesus gives us a rather shocking contrast for the benefit of the ones who have put to him this question: he compares the leadership of the temple to the tax collectors and harlots - and the presumed sinners come out better than they do. The "sinners" have the capacity to repent, to listen to what John had to say. And even though the leaders' wavering answer to the previous question reflects the respect they understand is due to John, they still did not embrace John's ministry. This is an example of the failure to repent, to "change one's mind" (which is the meaning of the Greek word for repent, "metanoia"). We must be willing to "relent" (as Jesus says they should have done), to call ourselves into question, to change when change is necessary, otherwise we fail to do our spiritual duty when faith calls us forward in new ways. My study bible notes that another translation for the word used as "relent" is also to "regret it." The Greek root is similar to the word for "repent" but includes a note of regret or remorse.

I think it's important that we understand the purpose of authority and what it means given the events and teachings in this passage. What is authority for? This book - the gospel of Jesus' ministry - teaches us so much about what authority is and how it compels us to faith. Authority is not the stuff of stern punishments and rules. It is not something that comes with compulsion or force or manipulation. Authority, in these texts, comes from righteousness. It comes from truth. And its characteristic is love - its instrument is mercy. Do we repent when we learn something better? when something holy is in our midst that may challenge all our way of doing things, our set assumptions about how to operate? Authority - of the deepest sort - is that which commands our faith, and asks us to go forward. It will always, to my mind, tell us to go forward in closer and deeper relationship to the Father, because behind that greater authority is love, the love that calls us home to this place of loving relationship to Creator. Mercy is the means wherein this is achieved. All we have to do is recognize it and respond. So, where is our sense of authority? In what do we put our faith? And how do we respond with faith when we are challenged? Jesus teaches us about the authority of Personhood - the authentic reality that he is. He also teaches us about the righteousness of John the Baptist, and the leadership's failure to properly respond to that. So, they are taught by Jesus within his own sense of authority, which is greater than theirs. Elsewhere we are told that the common people delighted in his verbal trouncing of his adversaries, especially when they could not respond to him. Let us think today about authority, and what righteousness and its power conveys to us about authority - and the love that characterizes its strength, and calls us home toward its foundation. This is the leadership we need, in every situation.