You can understand what their problem was. The day before, Jesus entered the city with considerable fanfare, like he was headlining a parade, riding on a donkey like he was some big deal, crowds losing their minds shouting “Son of David!” spreading coats and branches in his path so the dust of the road would not touch his feet. If that wasn’t enough, he marched straight into the Temple and went berserk.  Flipping tables, dumping kiosks, he shut down the religious hustle of merchants selling religious ware and gouging foreigners on the currency exchange. With heaven-fueled fury, Jesus shouted the ancient scripture of how they had made this holy place of prayer into a sanctuary for thieves.

No shocker here. Jesus just would not make friends, work with, or make it easier for the religious bosses to do their job. His challenges were open threats, and this pretty much sealed the deal. The next day, they confronted him right in the middle of his teaching ready for a showdown. They went straight for the jugular.

Question Authority

“By whose authority did you drive out the merchants from the Temple? Who gave you such authority?” Ok, given the drama of the day before, it was a fair question. On the other hand, it also was opened ended, the kind of thing that could go anywhere, even boomeranging on themselves. Any lawyer will tell you: don’t ask what you don’t want to hear. Big mistake, guys.

Here’s the wild part; they were mad about how he disrupted the operations of the Temple. But they don’t mention the fact he healed blind folks that same day. What they didn’t note or ask about was where he got the power to do that. Shouldn’t that have spoken volumes, made them stop and think? Not at all. Not even a pause.

Question Control

Their real issue was control. The chief priests ran Temple life, the center of their worship with God. But that authority did not come as it used to, from the blessing of God who had gathered and called them to lead and serve. These days, the chief priest was appointed by the Roman government.

Huh? A religious position was a political appointment?

Yep, and with it went a measure of land and wealth, aside from prestige and power, all tied with keeping Rome happy. Jesus’ disruptive display wouldn’t sit well with their superiors, and they needed to squash him right now. Passover, the highest holy day of the Jews, was only a few days away. Jerusalem would be teeming with the faithful making their pilgrimage to the Temple. If the Romans saw the priests were losing their grip on the people, things would go ugly fast.

Question Influence

You can understand what their problem was. People were excited about this guy, not about them. Even kids were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David,” like it was a block party without parental restraint. The other leaders, the ones who were allowed some voice in the Temple and synagogues, only had clout because the people respected them. With the people all excited instead about this teacher/healer, their power was slipping. This guy had to be stopped, right where everyone could see it. Now was the time.

Question on Condition

So, Hey Jesus, on whose say so are you making all this trouble?

Jesus doesn’t flinch, shrink away at all. He accepts the question on one condition, basically throwing it back in their laps. “I’ll tell you who gave me the authority to do these things if you answer one question: Did John’s baptism come from heaven or was it merely human?”

Shrewd, Jesus, oh so shrewd. If they say John the Baptist preached and baptized by the power and inspiration of God, then the next question would be why did you reject him (or by extension, Jesus)? It would highlight what everyone knew anyway, that is, for whom these religious leaders were really working. But if they said JTB was acting on his own, oh my, the crowds would really make them pay for that.

Yep, caught between politics and the populace, they were boxed in. The only answer they could muster was, “We don’t know.”

Question Faith and Belief

Now, you can understand the real issue. Their own question challenged the source of faith. Do you believe or claim to believe what you say you do because it smooths the way, gives your life at least a semblance of morality to be called upon when the appearance of taking the higher road is advantageous?

Or do you actually believe what you preach? Do your convictions really rest with confidence due to beliefs that have been long examined and weighed in openness to who God is and what God says? Do you wrestle with how it aligns with your own perspectives of what a higher power should be or do for you?

If you don’t pick either lane, by default this is your answer: You simply take it on your own authority. Or maybe instead, you refuse to make the stand, hide behind your own, “I don’t know.” As it is, agnosticism is not an avenue that Jesus will concede.

Question in Story

Jesus probes the issue with a parable. A man with two sons asked them to work in his vineyard. One son said he wouldn’t but later changed his mind and went anyway. The other son agreed to work, but never showed up on the job. Simple story followed by a simple question: “Which of the two was obeying his father?”

We all know actions speak louder than words. The son who did as asked by his father was the obedient one. Good enough answer. But Jesus wasn’t done. He stabed deep to reveal who his criticizers really were. “I assure you, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.” Get the full impact of this now: Jesus said this right in the Temple! Actions speak louder than words, but he said that right in their house. Thunderous words.

John preached repentance; the priests hammered people for not keeping 613 laws. Jesus ate with and associated with despised agents of the Roman IRS and offered restoration to women of the night; the Temple police were hypocrites, judging and profiting by the systemic oppressions of the day. Jesus healed, reversed and restored persons to what God created them to be; the religious elite only wanted to preserve and protect what served them.

Question of Integrity

Yeah, you can see their problem was. Some claim authority by virtue of position. That’s all these Jewish leaders had going for them. But real authority, that which effectively influences and leads, comes from who you are matching what you do, correspondence between who one is and what one does. It links itself by words and deeds, proclamation and firm policy, promises lining up with follow-through. It is honesty and truth that has been tested, proved and lived out, not just worn like a badge. Authority holds the bar high in its standard but allows that those who have missed the mark can come back later and serve in recognition of the request made upon them.

Question Requires Response

You can understand what their problem was. And in the end, everybody has to answer the question of where Jesus got his authority. A choice as to who Jesus was then and now still stands.

Who do you say he is?  “I don’t know” doesn’t cut it.

Jesus won’t concede that.

Matthew 21:23-32

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