Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
Mark 11:33They came to this conversation with an agenda, not a genuine question. And Jesus knew it.
Mark 11:28Authority given by God can only be received by those willing to be genuinely open.
Mark 11:33They did not want an answer. They wanted a trap. If He claimed divine authority, they could charge Him with blasphemy. If He claimed human authority, they could dismiss Him. They came to this conversation with an agenda, not a genuine question. And Jesus knew it.
His question about Johns baptism would have answered their question perfectly, if they had been willing to follow it honestly. But they were not. They calculated the political cost of each possible answer and chose silence. If they answered honestly, they would have to respond honestly to Him. They were not willing to do that.
So the door stayed shut. Not because Jesus refused to answer, but because they refused to be answered. You cannot receive from someone you have decided in advance you will not submit to. Authority given by God can only be received by those willing to be genuinely open.
This is the last word of Week Four, not an outsider rejecting Jesus, but the most religious, most educated, most powerful religious leaders of their generation, choosing to stay closed. It is a warning to anyone who has been around faith long enough to become immune to it.
Drop the Agenda
Is there somewhere you are more interested in questioning Jesus authority than in surrendering to it? Find the place where you are demanding explanations instead of simply obeying what He has already said clearly.
- Where am I calculating the cost of every answer?
- What agenda am I bringing to Jesus?
- What door have I kept closed by pretending I was still deciding?
- What would genuine openness look like?
- Am I more interested in questioning or surrendering?
- Where have I become immune to faith?
- What has the religious system kept closed in me?
- What has Jesus already said clearly that I am still arguing with?
Lord, I am done calculating the cost of every answer. I am done coming to You with an agenda. You are who You are. I do not need more credentials. I submit. Open whatever I have kept closed by pretending I was still deciding. In Jesus name, Amen.
This is the last word of Week Four: not an outsider rejecting Jesus, but the most religious, most educated, most powerful religious leaders of their generation, choosing to stay closed.
With love, Claire