Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.
In Mark 11, after Jesus drove foreign-exchange merchants and livestock dealers out of the temple, the leaders asked him, “Who gave you authority to do that?” (Mark 11:28).
Jesus knew they wouldn’t believe his answer, so he replied with a question, “Was John the Baptist’s baptism from heaven? Or did humans invent it?” (Mark 11:29-30).
The temple leaders said to each other, “Careful, this is a trick question. If we say John’s message was from heaven, he’ll say, ‘So, why didn’t you believe it?’ But if we say John’s message was human, we’ll get stoned because everyone thinks John was a prophet” (Mark 11:31-32).
So they answered, “We don’t know where John’s message was from.”
Jesus replied, “Then neither will I tell you where my authority is from” (Mark 11:33).
Some comments on this curious turn of events.
First, it’s not obvious to everyone when God is at work. The temple leaders had spent a lifetime studying their scriptures and practicing their religion. There’s no way they wanted questions from a rude 33-year-old newbie who had zero training and no credentials. They didn’t appreciate Jesus trespassing on their turf and criticizing the way they ran the temple.
I wonder, are we aware and receptive when God is on the move? Or like the temple leaders, do we want to practice our religion undisturbed by hard questions?
Second, Jesus didn’t give a straight answer to a simple question. He could have said his authority came from God. Instead, he responded to a question with another question.
Many of my questions Jesus doesn’t answer either. Why does God permit so much evil? Why doesn’t he answer more prayers? Why is the church so weak and ineffective? Maybe, like the temple leaders, I’m too foolish or ignorant or unbelieving to receive the real answers to my questions.
My third comment is that Jesus wanted the temple leaders to focus on something other than their sly questions. He showed them God was at work outside the confines of their temple religion. God was at work in Jesus’ miracles. He was at work in Jesus’ outraged response to temple abusers. God was at work in John the Baptist’s preaching and baptizing. But the temple leaders? They just couldn’t see God working in unexpected ways and through unconventional people like Jesus and John.
Let’s pray.
Our father, we have endless questions. But our duty is simple and clear. To believe in Jesus. To love others. To pray.
So we set our questions aside. We invite you to overturn the tables of our comfortable religion. As Jesus cast out the abusers in the temple, cast out our sins. Quash our self-serving, self-preserving instincts, and let us lose our lives and find them in the cross.
Amen.
I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.
YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube
Pray with Me 