Slideshow image

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

27 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

29 Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”

31 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)

33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

 

These verses are very straight forward and really help us understand how important it is to read, study and reflect on God’s teachings as presented in the Bible. The chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders were the authority figures that kept the synagogue running and open during this time. They made sure that the “law” was followed but they did not understand that behind the law was a God who loved all people.

This lack of understanding caused them not to react with love to God’s people and therefore God sent messengers to spread his word directly to his people. When the messengers God sent in the form of prophets weren’t respected, God then sent his son. The issue was that the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elder’s perspective was so jaded that they were never going to accept Jesus as the Messiah, so Jesus didn’t waste his valuable time on them.

So today, to prevent ourselves from becoming jaded we need to open a daily dialogue through prayer with God, read his word with a receptive open mind that reflects on the messages he sends while sharing the word with our family and friends. Doing this allows us to grow in understanding of God’s unconditional love while it increases our faith and helps us to live a balanced life as we move towards eternity with a loving and ever-present God.

Let us pray: Father help us to feel, see and share your message of unconditional love to all the people we see and interact with today, tomorrow and every day until you come to our world again. Amen.

Robert Carrothers robert.carrothers@gmail.com