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

 

 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 he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,'  but he did not go.  Which if 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; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

 

- Matthew 21:23-32 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem,  He 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 those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be a 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.  And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." 

 

  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."  My study Bible explains that as Christ is not a Levitical priest, and therefore has no formal institutional authority in the temple, the chief priests and the elders challenge His authority to cleanse the temple.  Jesus is careful not to reveal His Messianic identity to scoffers, and so He confounds them with a different question with John.  Both the elders' question and Christ's question back to them require the same answer, and therefore would lead a person to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  By not answering them directly, my study Bible notes, 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 if 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; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."   My study Bible notes that using their own principles, the elders convict themselves in their answer to Christ's parable.  

So, once again we come to the question of authority.  This question of what is authority, or who is authoritative, continues to come up in Christ's ministry.  It is a question that most concerns the religious authorities, for as far as they are concerned the administration and regulation of the practices of the temple and of the faith belong to them.  It is in this context that Jesus asks them the question, regarding John the Baptist and his ministry:  "The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  John the Baptist was during his lifetime considered a holy man and greatly revered among the population.  We remember that John died while he was imprisoned in Herod Antipas' palace, as Herod's wife wanted him beheaded.  John the Baptist had criticized their marriage as unlawful.  John's widespread reputation for holiness was such that his opinion meant a great deal to the common people; hence Herod's imprisonment of John and his wife, Herodias', desire to have John beheaded.  In the context of Jesus' time and place, authority is indeed significant, or perhaps we might say it is everything.  The rulers in the temple hold their places because they hold authority according to the law and practices established by Moses and subsequent tradition.  Herod holds his place because of the authority given by Rome, just as Pilate does.  So the question of authority becomes one that invests every decision, and seemingly every turn of Christ's ministry.  Christ is even rejected in His hometown of Nazareth because the neighbors believe they already "know" Him and are both astonished and indignant that He suddenly has knowledge and speaks with an authority they themselves do not acknowledge.  For some reason, this is the place we continually find as a stumbling block in the Gospels.  Where is Jesus' authority?  Where does it come from?   In Luke's Gospel, the people express their astonishment at a kind of authority that comes seemingly out of nowhere:  "For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out" (Luke 4:36), and let us not forget that it is, indeed, a type of authority Jesus wields that commands the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.  Right in the beginning of Christ's ministry at Capernaum, Mark tells us that the people "were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Mark 1:22).  Jesus speaks on His own authority, not quoting from a famous rabbi or a historical opinion, as do the scribes.  The unclean spirits periodically cry out to Jesus, indicating a recognition of status and authority and power:  "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!" (Mark 1:24).  So much so, that He commands them not to speak, so as not to reveal His identity.  In today's reading, it is those in leadership who wish to silence and be rid of Him who demand to know by what authority He cleansed the temple, and who exactly gave Him that authority.  But neither will He reveal His identity directly to them; and instead, He asks them about the authority of John, which they are afraid to answer.  We're left to ponder that truth works with authority despite the fact that there are those who vehemently do not wish to recognize it as such.  Truth has its own way of acting and playing itself out, working its way among us -- and we might say this is because truth itself, particularly where justice is concerned, is rooted in spiritual reality.  Jesus tells us, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6)  affirming this for us.  If Truth is therefore a Person -- and a divine Person -- then how are we to think of it?  We must consider that truth is a more powerful concept than we can understand on purely material or worldly terms.  And therein we come to the question of authority.  When worldly institutions or powers do not affirm the authority of truth, then how do we turn to that truth?  How can we recognize Christ's authority?  The popular recognition of St. John the Baptist as a holy person is something that informs us today regarding sainthood in the Church.  Saints are not saints because they are declared so, but first are in some sense organically understood as the effects of their lives are felt in the lives and communities of those around themselves.  As such, the people recognize John, and so these religious authorities fear to answer Jesus' question.  When Jesus will warn of false prophets to come, He speaks of a dynamic that also teaches us about recognizing saints, "By their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:15-20).  So that we may ponder this question of authority, this demand to know by what authority Christ heals, or cleanses the temple, or does any of the things we've read about in His ministry, let us consider what the fruits of that ministry tell us of His authority.  What would they communicate to you?  And how is it that these religious leaders cannot perceive the authority behind His ministry?  How is it that these men, experts in the Scripture and the history of Judaism, do not know that authority themselves?   Christ's answer, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things," would seem to speak to that failure.

 

 

The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?

 

 Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

 

- Mark 11:27-33 

 

Yesterday we read that the next day after Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." 

 Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."   My study Bible explains that, as Christ is not a Levitical priest, the chief priests, scribes, and elders challenge His authority to cleanse the temple.  As Christ is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, it says, He confounds them with a different question about John.  Both the elders' question and Christ's question require the same answer, and therefore it 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. 

Today's reading raises the central question of authority.  The chief priests, scribes, and elders demand to know what authority Jesus has to cleanse the temple (see yesterday's reading, above).  He has no "inherited" authority such as the lineage of the Levitical priests.  But Jesus makes a comparison through His own question:  through whom did John the Baptist have authority to preach and to baptize?  John also had no "earthly" authority for what He did.  But Jesus brings in the central question:  Was it from heaven or from men?  In other words, was John the Baptist granted authority in some worldly or earthly way, from a human institution, to do what He did?  Nevertheless, could they say that this authority by which John baptized did not come from heaven?  The religious leaders will not answer His question.  Their fear is more of the people who are present for the Passover feast, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So, we must ask ourselves, how did the people count John to be a prophet?  In the stories of the Old Testament prophets, they also were so often individuals who spoke up against the establishment of the powers-that-be, in opposition to the religious authorities in place, and to the "favored" prophets of kings.  How is a prophet recognized?  In a modern world, and throughout Christian history, saints have played similar roles, most often gathering recognition through the laity long before sainthood is officially a declaration of a religious authority.  The role of the prophets was like the one John played, they came to call the people back to God -- recalling God's word and authority when human institutions had strayed from that.  As in the parable of the Wicked Vinedressers which Christ will tell during this Passover feast in Jerusalem in Mark 12:1-12, the prophets are sent by God to call us to the proper fruits of the spirit, to remind us of our proper relationship to God, and especially the religious leadership.  They are sent by the vineyard owner, who is God the Father, who has now sent His Son, Christ.  In this sense is John the Baptist's ministry also "from heaven."  It opens up the question we must all ask ourselves, "What is 'of men,' and what is 'of heaven'?"  How do we know which is which?  How do we know what is saintly and what is not?  How may we discern the ways in which God calls us?  The great question posed here to Christ is one of authority, and yet there have been so many signs of heavenly authority working through Christ already.  Those who ask this question clearly choose not to see that which interferes with their own authority, that which they do not want to see -- as did many leaders before them to the prophets who were sent earlier.  Jesus teaches us also, as my study Bible notes, that we should not respond to people who ask with a vicious intent.  If there is a request by someone who does not in any way want to know the truth, especially a religious or spiritual truth, then one is not under obligation to respond.  Jesus' question regarding John the Baptist exposes the religious authorities' own bad faith; they are unwilling to answer truly because of the multiple mixed motivations here, and the ulterior motives involved.  They are afraid of the people, who count John the Baptist to have been a prophet, but their loyalty is not to God.  Let us turn to Christ in prayer so that we, also, may stand in the truth and find the discernment He asks of us.  For how will we know what is from heaven and what is "from men?"  This is why we place all things in the hands of God, including our own motivations and desires, to find where God would lead us.

Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you

 

 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 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, following 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 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.  And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

 

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."  My study Bible explains that since Christ is not a Levitical priest, the chief priests and the elders challenge His authority to cleanse the temple.  It notes that as He is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, He confounds them with a different question about John.  Both questions require the same answer; they would lead a person to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  But by not answering them directly, Jesus teaches us not to answer to 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 says that, using their own principles, the elders convict themselves in their answer to Christ's parable.  

Christ's parable is interesting, as it illustrates for us something that we touched upon in yesterday's reading and commentary.  It is an illustration of Jesus' earlier quotation to the religious leadership of the words of Isaiah:  "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me" (see Matthew 15:8-9, Isaiah 29:13-14).  If we finish that quotation from Isaiah and take it further, we see the action of the Lord:  "Therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden" (Isaiah 23:14).  In a sense, it is a prophecy of the ministry of Jesus, in which wonders are openly performed, and yet the wisdom of the wise is perishing with this leadership, for they have no discernment, and are far too busy protecting their positions to honor the wisdom of Christ.  It's also a quotation that echoes through the centuries regarding our own attitudes and hearts when we do the same.  There is always a challenge of valuing the wisdom of God over our conventional or worldly attitudes about what is expedient and desirable.  So often we look for faith simply to affirm whatever it is that we are currently living, to help us to accept what seems to be the zeitgeist of our current affairs or events in our lives, to make our lives easier and less bumpy.  But if we take a look at Christ, the last thing He seems to do is make the lives of His disciples "less bumpy," so to speak.  No, He draws them out of the conventions of their world and into a new life, in which their own identity is realized through His wisdom and where the Spirit will lead them.  Isaiah affirms this as proper in his words, that we must draw near to God with our hearts:  what we offer to God is nothing less than ourselves, and God will shape an identity in us, draw out what is possible, help us to define and correct misconceptions, and draw us toward something new and possibly a self-identity we could not expect in our limited perspectives otherwise.  So often this is true in the lives of the faithful, and we can see it illustrated throughout the Bible, and especially in the lives of the Twelve.  Jesus' parable of the two sons illustrates how we can draw near to God with our lips, and yet our hearts are far away.  It is also a vivid illustration of how faith is more than confession, but must also be lived.  There is no separation between what is in the heart and what we do, but our lives are rather both together, and so our lives are lived out.  Everyone else may not clearly understand the meaning of our actions, but in the long run it is the true state of the heart that plays out, for good or ill, for the love of God or the love of something else.  In today's reading, Jesus shows us what it is to stand up for truth, even when one wants to avoid casting pearls before those who will simply trample upon them.  A great feat, indeed.  Let us remember that it is Christ who is our true Judge, who knows the heart -- and that ultimately it is the heart that must be open to His truth.