Matthew 21:23-27

Matthew 21:23-27

And after he came into the temple, the chief priest and elders of the people came to Him while he was teaching, saying, “In what authority do you do these things?  And who gave you this authority?”  And after answering Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one word, which if you speak to me I will also tell you in what authority I do these things.  From where was the baptism of John?  Out of heaven or out of mankind?”  And they were reasoning in themselves while saying, “If we say ‘Out of heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Therefore, for what reason did you not believe by him?’  And if we say, ‘Out of mankind,’ we are afraid of the crowd.  For all have John as a prophet.”  And after answering they said to Jesus, “We have not known.”  He also was saying to them, “Neither will I say in what authority I do these things.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Here is an interesting point.  The chief priests and the elders of the people don’t argue that Jesus has authority.  They’ve seen what He’s done.  They’ve seen the effects of His work.  He has authority.  They don’t argue that point.  What is important in this passage is not that they are denying Jesus’ authority; rather what is important is that they do not recognize the source of the authority.  They don’t recognize that Jesus’ authority comes from the Father.  They just don’t see the Father working through Jesus when they look at Him.  It’s sad that they missed the power of God.

Have you ever been in a position where you missed God at work because your perspective wasn’t right?  Why might a person be in that position?  Have you ever had someone miss what God was doing through you?  How does that feel?

Second Thought:

The chief priests and the elders expose their humanity in this passage.  There is a reason they don’t recognize God at work in Jesus.  They care too much about their station in life!  If they were interested in God’s power, they would have been humbled and submitted to John the Baptizer.  They didn’t want to give up their station as religious elite, so they didn’t listen to John.  They also are afraid of the crowd.  If the crowd should turn against them, they will no longer be the social elite, either.  Why do the religious leaders in Jesus’ day miss God’s hand at work?  They miss it because they care more about their station in life than submitting to God.

How important is your station in life?  Are you willing to give it up in submission to God?  In the end, what will truly last: your position in this world or your position with God?

Third Thought:

Jesus’ conclusion to this passage is commonly held as shrewd.  But I don’t think we truly understand its application in life.  We think that Jesus’ answer is shrewd because clearly the chief priests and the elders aren’t interested in truth and submitting to God’s power.  If they aren’t willing to submit, then they won’t genuinely hear Jesus’ answer, either.  So why answer them?  That’s why Jesus is shrewd.  But the application of this truth is lost on us.  We don’t often give ourselves permission to simply not defend ourselves when confronted with an opponent who is predisposed to not even being willing to listen.  We think we have to stand up for God.  We think we have to put our head on the chopping block.  We think we have to go down swinging.  But that’s not what we see Jesus do here.  Jesus knows the chief priests and the elders will crucify Him.  But He doesn’t go down swinging.  He saves the argument.  He saves His energy for the people who are actually open to listening to Him.  This is an example that I know I need to get better at imitating.

How often do you find yourself in pointless arguments with people who aren’t even open to listening to your answer?  Why is it best to save our energy for those who are open to listening and change?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 21:28-32