BY WHAT AUTHORITY?
A meditation on Mark 11:27-33
Jews answer a question with a question. It is an ethnic technique common in
Rabbinic Literature (for example in the Talmud). All the four Gospels provide
ample examples (as many as 30) where Jesus answered questions with questions. This text is one of those examples.
Let's begin with a question: What things? Jesus was asked a question: "By
what authority are you doing these things?" At the end of the text Jesus
answered (or said, really, because he did not answer the question) but said:
"Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
What things? Previous to this text, there is the story of Jesus cursing a fig
tree because it did not have fruits, then smashing money counters in the temple
and chasing away money changers. (By the way, money changing is still a very
lucrative business in Jerusalem today). Are these the things he is being
questioned about? May be! And as the Jews would say, there is a high
probability of this possibility!
Elsewhere too, Jesus' authority was questioned when he healed or forgave
sins, and perhaps even when he fed the hungry.
So, the purpose of Jesus asking a question for a question, and the principle
behind this whole Jewish ethnic technique is to help one – the questioner –
examine issues critically. The danger is that often, the deepest issues are
passed by while actions are merely superficial.
Let me give an example for illustration: Last week, in a small discussion
group, we watched a video of a pastor illustrating how listening to God's – what
he called - whispers is often discomforting, challenging and even involves taking risks. He talked about his church, how they experienced expansion and attracting diversity. That was very good and certainly in accordance with what God would desire.
Before long, they started a special ministry to serve an increasing Hispanic
membership in the congregation. Then, lo and behold, they were facing a deep
issue: Most of the growing Hispanic membership was what is known as
undocumented, aliens, illegal immigrants... Some in the congregation started
asking: What shall we do? By what authority are we doing these things?
God's commands regarding the stranger, the poor, the widow, the orphan –
without qualification – is very clear. Jesus' examples are equally very clear.
So the church was led into looking critically at the larger immigration
issue.
The major part of the so-called broken system that resulted in 11 million
"illegal immigrants" is in the question: By what authority? Often
the question is debilitating, causing inaction or at best simply looking at
issues on the surface only.
A meditation on Mark 11:27-33
Jews answer a question with a question. It is an ethnic technique common in
Rabbinic Literature (for example in the Talmud). All the four Gospels provide
ample examples (as many as 30) where Jesus answered questions with questions. This text is one of those examples.
Let's begin with a question: What things? Jesus was asked a question: "By
what authority are you doing these things?" At the end of the text Jesus
answered (or said, really, because he did not answer the question) but said:
"Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
What things? Previous to this text, there is the story of Jesus cursing a fig
tree because it did not have fruits, then smashing money counters in the temple
and chasing away money changers. (By the way, money changing is still a very
lucrative business in Jerusalem today). Are these the things he is being
questioned about? May be! And as the Jews would say, there is a high
probability of this possibility!
Elsewhere too, Jesus' authority was questioned when he healed or forgave
sins, and perhaps even when he fed the hungry.
So, the purpose of Jesus asking a question for a question, and the principle
behind this whole Jewish ethnic technique is to help one – the questioner –
examine issues critically. The danger is that often, the deepest issues are
passed by while actions are merely superficial.
Let me give an example for illustration: Last week, in a small discussion
group, we watched a video of a pastor illustrating how listening to God's – what
he called - whispers is often discomforting, challenging and even involves taking risks. He talked about his church, how they experienced expansion and attracting diversity. That was very good and certainly in accordance with what God would desire.
Before long, they started a special ministry to serve an increasing Hispanic
membership in the congregation. Then, lo and behold, they were facing a deep
issue: Most of the growing Hispanic membership was what is known as
undocumented, aliens, illegal immigrants... Some in the congregation started
asking: What shall we do? By what authority are we doing these things?
God's commands regarding the stranger, the poor, the widow, the orphan –
without qualification – is very clear. Jesus' examples are equally very clear.
So the church was led into looking critically at the larger immigration
issue.
The major part of the so-called broken system that resulted in 11 million
"illegal immigrants" is in the question: By what authority? Often
the question is debilitating, causing inaction or at best simply looking at
issues on the surface only.
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