One day as he was teaching the people in the temple area and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and scribes, together with the elders, approached him 2 and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Or who is the one who gave you this authority?” 3 He said to them in reply, “I shall ask you a question. 4 Tell me, was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin?” 5 They discussed this among themselves, and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ then all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know from where it came. 8 Then Jesus said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
After Jesus drove the money changers out of the Temple, he continued to teach and proclaim the Good News in the Temple. Jesus’ actions heightened the tension between him and the religious authorities. The chief priests, scribes, and elders approached him and questioned the source of his authority and power. They were concerned with Jesus' growing authority and sought to undermine his teachings and actions in the eyes of the people.
Jesus responded to their challenge with a counter-question about the origin of John the Baptist’s baptism. This question was a strategic maneuver designed to expose the leaders’ insincerity and political motivations.
It placed the religious leaders in a challenging position. If they acknowledged that John’s baptism was of divine origin, they would implicitly admit that John was a prophet sent by God. Given that John had publicly endorsed Jesus as the Messiah (Jn. 1:29), this acknowledgment would force them to accept Jesus’ authority as well. On the other hand, if they denied the divine origin of John’s baptism, they risked provoking the wrath of the people, who regarded John as a prophet. If they refuse to answer Jesus’ question directly, the leaders expose their lack of genuine spiritual insight and moral courage.
Ultimately, the leaders chose to evade the question, opting to claim ignorance. This evasion exposed their lack of genuine spiritual insight and moral courage, revealing their primary concern with maintaining their own power rather than seeking or upholding the truth. In response to their evasion, Jesus stated that he would not reveal the source of his authority.
Heavenly Father, mercifully grant us the gift of your grace so that we may increase in faith, hope, and love. Bring us to a deeper understanding of your word and a renewed commitment to keep your commands. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
Comments