2026 Pentecost Devotions II
Friday, September 25
Matthew 21:23-27
23 When [Jesus] entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why, then, did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for all regard John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
“… 24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. …”
As usual, Jesus verbally defeats his detractors. In this case, by asking a question about John the Baptist that stifles the chief priests and elder’s question. By turning the inquiry around, Jesus exposes their hypocrisy. They are less concerned about what heaven would say than what the crowd thought. They feared the crowd more than God.
Sometimes, we find ourselves in similar situations. Someone approaches us espousing arguments and reasoning that flies in the face of the Gospel. Yet, because of the people around, and fearing the risk of embarrassment, we don’t challenge the false or misleading narrative. As such, others walk away not knowing what to believe nor where you yourself stand. Like the priest and elders, we find ourselves on the hypocritical side of the fence.
Of course, that’s not only true in defense of the Gospel but also in other fields where we feel strongly. Before the racist, we often demur. Before the bigot, we often remain silent. Before the abusive, we often hold our tongue. Before the vulgar, we often clam up.
This story about Jesus reminds us that sometimes the best answer is the one that turns the question back on the questioner. While we may not have the savvy of Jesus, we can try to speak the truth in love.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you showed forth Your detractors as hypocrites. Give me the words to speak the truth in love, and give me the courage to do so. Amen.