Journey to Easterনমুনা

Authority

When I first started to lead Bible Study groups, a mentor told me to listen out for the question behind the question. Often, there’s a deeper reason why someone is asking about this verse or that topic. Getting to the root of their inquiry usually is more constructive or telling than dealing with the surface question.

Something similar is happening here between Jesus and some Jewish leaders who, in the preceding verses, were ‘looking for a way to kill Him’. Their question about authority is gazumped by Jesus’ own question about authority. Apart from stumping these antagonists, Jesus’ question about John the Baptist reveals the underlying heart and motivation of their surface question.

Ever catch yourself doing a similar thing? You or I can have questions about what Jesus says and does. We can demand to know what gives Him the right to lead us. But is the real question more to do with why we struggle to accept what has been said and done by Jesus – who already revealed the authority given Him by God?

Written by BEN McEACHEN