By God's Authority or Man's?

Monday of the Third Week of Advent

Gospel of Matthew 21:23-27


When Jesus had come into the temple area, the chief priests and elders of the people approached him as he was teaching and said, "By what authority are you doing these things?  And who gave you this authority?"  Jesus said to them in reply, "I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things.  Where was John's baptism from?  Was it of heavenly or of human origin?"......So they said to Jesus in reply, "We do not know."  He himself said to them, "Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Jesus' Trick Question  Throughout the Gospels, Jesus answers a question with a question.  He often doesn't provide a clear cut answer.  This allows his message to continuously evolve and adapt over time.  When asked, "By what authority?" Jesus doesn't want to "spill the beans" as to who he truly is and why he's teaching and performing miracles.  John the Baptist has been murdered. It's too soon for Jesus to succumb to the same fate.  Instead, Jesus throws out that trick question.  The scribes realize they are in a "Catch 22" predicament.  They can admit John's baptism is from "heavenly origin" that will prove Jesus right all along, or they can answer "of human origin" upsetting the crowds who see John as a Prophet.  The scribes and priests simply answer, "We do not know." A neutral response seems the best "solution" to potential conflict.

How many times in our lives do we simply say "I don't know" when we do know the right answer? Do we simply choose to act ignorant so we can protect our egos?

Human Authority   All of us must obey authority. It's part of protecting society from total dysfunction and chaos. We have laws in place to keep us safe.  Even though most of us don't like it, we are required to pay the IRS income taxes every year.  We should obey traffic signs, not speed through school zones, and keep the bottle away from the wheel!  Authority abounds us everywhere we go. It's part of a civil society.  Do we choose to obey human authority or ignore it?

Divine Authority  The ultimate authority comes straight from God. He created us and molded us in his image.  So often people  simply ignore God's authority.  We can do whatever we want.  We can say whatever we want.  It's all about "I am the authority of my own life!"  People think they don't need to believe a holy figure!  It's all about me, me, and more of me.  Unfortunately, when we become our own authority figures, and push away from God, despair results. Just like people who break laws go to prison, people who disobey God's Commandments and teachings risk being excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven.  People may think, "Oh no big deal. This Christ figure is a joke."  This is a sad reality.  I pray that by the power of the Holy Spirit those who do not believe in Christ will one day respond to his "divine authority" with a hope and joy. Clearly there is so much to look forward to in heaven!

-J.