Scripture Daily

Context No. 2991 of 4322 · Matthew

Context · Reflection

Matthew 21:23-27: in context

23When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?” 24Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.” 27They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

As Jesus teaches in the temple, the chief priests and elders confront him: by what authority do you do these things, and who gave you this authority? Jesus answers with a question of his own. John's baptism, was it from heaven or from men? They huddle together: if we say from heaven, he will ask why we did not believe John; if we say from men, we fear the crowd, who hold John a prophet. So they answer, we do not know.

Jesus exposes their bad faith. They did not really want to know the source of his authority; they wanted to trap him. His counter-question shows that their problem is not a lack of evidence but an unwillingness to follow the truth wherever it leads. They had already refused John, so they will refuse Jesus. And their answer, we do not know, is a lie of convenience, the safe reply rather than the true one. When we bring God questions meant to trap rather than to obey, we forfeit the answer.

Do I bring my questions to God genuinely seeking the truth in order to follow it, or, like these leaders, calculating the answer that keeps me comfortable?

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