Short Prayers 37: The Authority Of Jesus Questioned

Matthew 21: The Authority of Jesus Questioned

When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to 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, ‘I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?’

And they argued with one another, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say to us, “Why then did you not believe him?” But if we say, “Of human origin”, we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.’ So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’

And he said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Meditation on the Authority of Jesus Questioned

In this interchange Jesus sounds a bit like a Washington politician getting interviewed on television. “Just give me a straight answer, Jesus!” But clever Jesus takes control of the conversation, turns it around, and puts the questioner into a dilemma. No matter how the questioner answers Jesus, a problem will result. Suddenly, this is a delicate situation. I could imagine Jesus chuckling to himself.

God has a question for you. Yes, you. Does God’s question make you anxious? Do you squirm? Do you equivocate? Or, do you pretend you just didn’t hear it?

HOLY WEEK PRAYER

Holy Spirit, ready us to receive your probing questions and provide honest answers. We trust your grace to love us regardless of those answers. Amen.

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Ted Peters is a Lutheran pastor and emeritus seminary professor. He is author of Short Prayers and The Cosmic Self. His one volume systematic theology is now in its 3^rd edition, God—The World’s Future (Fortress 2015). He has undertaken a thorough examination of the sin-and-grace dialectic in two works, Sin: Radical Evil in Soul and Society (Eerdmans 1994) and Sin Boldly! (Fortress 2015). Watch for his forthcoming, The Voice of Public Christian Theology (ATF 2022). See his website: TedsTimelyTake.com.