Where Authority Comes From

 

Luke 20:1-8

The Daily Office Eucharistic Gospel for today leaves me with a lot of questions. But, of course, that’s not an unusual occurrence when I read various passages. Yet, this one catches my curiosity right from the beginning.

Jesus was teaching and “telling the good news” in the temple where ostensibly the people were listening and appreciating what he was saying. Who wouldn’t like hearing good news? There isn’t so much of it around that people can ignore it, can they? Yet, three groups of people:  the elders, chief priests, and scribes,  made their way to Jesus and openly questioned him about where he got his authority to teach such things. I know the temple officials were looking for false preachers who were encouraging belief in heretical theology; however, the temple was too holy to be open to those who preached such things.

As happened many times during Jesus’s life on earth, he answered a question with a question, turning the table on the officials and challenging them to respond.  Usually, the questions Jesus posed to his questioners dealt with judgment on what appeared to be something other than related to the original query. On this occasion, Jesus asked the officials about who told John he should baptize people? Where did the authority come from? It was a very canny question as it put the questioners in a quandary. If they said “heaven,” they would legitimize John as prophetic. As a result, his teachings would gain even more popularity and more followers every day. If they said “earth,” the followers of John would rise up and very possibly stone the religious leaders who refused to accept John as a prophet, a stance that many people believed in wholeheartedly.

The temple leaders could only answer that they did not know where John’s authority came from, which was an admission that they could not confirm or deny the question. This situation called for a “Yes” or “No” answer., “I don’t know” was not one that would win any points in an argument, like a draw in a chess game. Jesus’s words of “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things,” he gave the equivalent of “Checkmate” in two brief moves.

Another question that occurred to me was, where do we see this happening in our own time? Who has authority,  and where does it come from?  Religious sects and denominations, political parties, martial and judicial officials, and even groups like homeowners’ associations claim to have power and authority, yet where does this come from? Basically, it comes from the group that serves as an electoral board or some other group representing all those who claim allegiance to the person, group, or party seeking to be put in charge by a majority. Much of the time, the majority of the whole group decides the outcome. Still, now and again, the minority continues to fight to overturn the decision. Some groups may claim their authority comes from God, but can we always trust whether that is actually true or not? Do their words sound like words from God? Do the actions of the group mirror Godly acts? Do their fingers point at others to distract from their own shortcomings, or do they speak of God and the good works of God’s people?

The people in Jesus’s time would have had to make up their own minds as to whether or not John, or Jesus, for that matter, were telling the truth and were who they claimed to be. We have the same choice, based on the same information. As for others who seek to influence people and lure them to their particular faith, party, or group, we must ask our own questions and weigh the answers we receive. Will we select those who choose to lead us to good words and actions, or will we choose self-serving people who care only for themselves and those who support them?  Do we follow those who direct us to heaven or earth?

We have to choose wisely.

God bless.

 

Originally published under the title "Authority" at Speaking to the Soul on Episcopal Café, Saturday, June 12, 2021.