How Dare You?!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen Jesus doing some pretty audacious acts. We’ve seen that he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt. He purposefully had set this up so that he would fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy. Every other act that Jesus had performed could in some way fulfill prophecy, just about. But the riding into Jerusalem on a donkey was the only act that was specifically and audaciously done to fulfill prophecy. Then we saw Jesus cleansing the temple. He took on an entire bazaar of people and drove them out, declaring that they’ve made the temple a den of robbers, just as was said about the people in Jeremiah’s day.
At that point, Jesus began to teach in the temple. No longer did he teach in the synagogues. No longer was he walking and talking. He went straight to the temple each day and brazenly taught the people ideas that would contradict what they had been taught for decades.
And what we see this morning, is that he leaders could no longer tolerate this man called Jesus. And so they look to discredit him in front of everyone. But in this moment, if we look a bit deeper, we find ourselves in this story. In this moment we see a dialogue between Jesus and the religious leaders that expose four truths about human nature. The first is that it is human nature to question. Then we see it is in our nature to avoid. Thirdly, we deflect. Finally, it’s in our nature not to be satisfied.
Natural to Question
Natural to Avoid
Natural to Deflect
Natural to be Unsatisfied
One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up
and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.”
He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me,
was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?”
And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’
But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”
So they answered that they did not know where it came from.
And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
It is Human Nature to Question
It is Human Nature to Question
It’s the last week of Jesus’s life and he has been spending everyday in the temple. Generally speaking, as we saw last week,
And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him,
but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.
Now, we see specifics. The religious leaders are angry by Jesus’s bold assertions and actions, and so they come to him and for all intents and purposes say, “How dare you?!”
One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up
and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.”
In other words, as with many times before, Jesus’s authority is being called into question. It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned it, but you may remember that this is a theme of Luke. He speaks of Jesus’s authority quite often. He uses the word authority or lawful (same Greek root word) more than 20 times. In this case, they want to know not just about healings or teachings, but really about the last two major actions Jesus took. The riding in on a colt and the cleansing of the temple. Who gave him such authority. The high priest certainly did not authorize him to drive people out of the temple. The Romans didn’t grant him the power to ride into town claiming to be the king.
Who gave him the authority to waltz into Jerusalem like he owns the place?
How easy it is the feel that same way when it comes to Jesus. We may not use the words, “How dare you?!” or even “By what authority,” but we question what he is doing and why he is doing it. Our nature is bent toward self-actualization and self-gratification. It is bent on going our own way. When someone steps in to deter us or change our direction, to give us commands that we are to follow or give proof that we are in the wrong, we naturally rebel against it. We question the person’s authority, their right to tell us what to do. What right do you have to change what I’m doing? Stay in your own lane, bro! Mind your own business.
We don’t want that from other people, we don’t want that from Jesus either. That’s our human nature coming out of our hearts. So when Jesus talks to us about marriage, about finances, about himself, or when by his Spirit he begins to call for changes in our actions so that we can be delivered from our own sins, it is natural to rebel against it and call his authority into question.
Jesus came into Jerusalem and began changing how things were done. He cleansed the temple—the temple that was under the direction of the high priest. He was messing in affairs that did not seem to concern him. He was messing with years of tradition. But brothers and sisters, those traditions are not always communal traditions. In this case—the cleansing of the temple—it was communal. It involved everyone who was there for the Passover. But often times, our traditions are not so much communal as they are personal. We have personal traditions and familial traditions that may be sacrosanct to us, but in fact may need to change. Perhaps it isn’t so much a tradition as just something you do. And you’ve been feeling the Spirit moving for you to put it away.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
And our nature rebels against words like these. How dare he tell me what to do? What gives him the right? And we know the answer, but we don’t want to face the answer.
It is Human Nature to Avoid
It is Human Nature to Avoid
This takes us to the next truth. It’s human nature to avoid, specifically avoid the pain and fear. Paul wrote that the human condition is one that suppresses the truth in unrighteousness. We see that plainly in the next couple of verses in Luke 20:3-6
He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me,
was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?”
And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’
But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”
Jesus confronted the religious leaders with his own question. It’s a simple enough question with a simple enough answer. But it is a question that would expose the leaders to scrutiny. They had two choices. They could say he was given authority by God. But that would open up scrutiny from Jesus. He would ask, why didn’t you believe him? After all, John was the one who testified that Jesus was the Messiah. If John was a prophet of God and John prophesied about Jesus’s identity, then the religious leaders should have no problem with Jesus himself.
Choice number two was to say that John was authority by man. Most likely that would not just be any man, but a rabbi. This may at first seem like a better choice. John was a disciple of some rabbi. Unfortunately, that rabbi was not very sound and therefore, John the Baptist was not one that could always be trusted. It would seem logical enough. But there’s one problem: the people loved John the Baptist not as a rabbi (or a rabbi’s student) but as a prophet. And let’s not forget, he was martyred. He had his head chopped off. So how could they speak ill of someone who had been killed for his teachings and one that everyone loved? If they said he was authorized by some man—even some rabbi—when the people believe him to be a prophet of God, they would be stoned.
So they feared the pain of Jesus’s scrutiny and humiliation before the people and they feared pain from the people themselves.
We find ourselves in this same dilemma don’t we? Except, as believers it might even be worse! On the one hand we are afraid of our neighbors, schoolmates, fellow-workers, and if we’re Harrison Butker, perhaps of the media (though he seems to be handling it like a trooper). We are afraid of being lambasted, metaphorically stoned, by those around us. We are afraid of being ostracized, alienated, ignored. And so we try to avoid the pain.
Yet at the same time, we know that we will be scrutinized by Christ. Jesus said that if we are ashamed of him, he will be ashamed of us. And so here we are between a rock and a hard place. We want to avoid the pain of alienation and humiliation and we are afraid of being scrutinized as well.
It is Human Nature to Deflect
It is Human Nature to Deflect
And so what do we do? We often deflect. We turn the heat away from us and onto something else. And this might be deflecting in our prayer life or in our social life. The religious leaders hoped to avoid pain and scrutiny by giving a non-answer.
So they answered that they did not know where it came from.
How easy that is to do—give non-answers. “You’re one of those religious nuts aren’t you?” “It’s not a religion; it’s a relationship.” What does that even mean? I hate to break it to anyone who says this; it’s both; it is both a religion and a relationship. It is a religion based on a relationship. According to Dictionary.com a religion is “a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.” Sounds like Christianity to me!
Many times we deflect by changing the topic of conversation. We steer it away from spiritual matters so as to not ruffle any feathers or to lose status with whoever it is we care about or want to impress or think well of us. We deflect by ignoring the conversation altogether; we have an opportunity to speak on behalf of Jesus, but we just stay quiet. Just as long as the heat doesn’t stay on me.
Still we can deflect in our own prayers. We know that what we need to do is confess our shortcomings and failures. We know that repentance is necessary, and yet we avoid those things. We deflect to praise and thanksgiving and supplication and intercession. Every time we are hit with a conviction of the Spirit, we bury it deeper down and think and pray of other things.
And in case, you’re thinking , didn’t Jesus deflect the question from the religious leaders too? the answer is no. He did not. He asked them a related question. He knew it, they knew it, and probably the people knew it too. Remember in their discussion, the leaders acknowledge this was what he had done. If they say John was from God, his next question would be, then why did you not believe him? They knew that John had proclaimed Jesus the Messiah.
It is Human Nature to be Unsatisfied
It is Human Nature to be Unsatisfied
This leads us to the last truth. This one might be a bit harder to see in the text, but I think it’s true nonetheless. It is human nature to be unsatisfied. I say this because we want answers from Jesus and when we don’t get the answer we’re looking for, we don’t like it. We’re unsatisfied, dissatisfied.
And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
How hard would it have been for Jesus to say, “I get my authority from the Father? From God? From Above?” How difficult would that have been? He’s said similar things before.
For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.
So why couldn’t he—why wouldn’t he—say it now? We’re left unsatisfied with his non-answer. I’ve always read this part of the gospel narratives and leave going, “Why wouldn’t he just answer?” I’ve always read this portion being unsatisfied with his reply. But let us remember a few things. Two are from the book of Proverbs. And one is simply common sense.
Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
These men had come to Jesus to humiliate him in front of everyone. They were not truly interested in Jesus’s source of authority. They were scoffers and he would not answer them.
But they were also fools.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.
Jesus was ending the conversation with these fools. If they would not hearken the courage enough to give him a straight answer, then they did not deserve to hear his answer either.
But the last thing we need to remember is this: Jesus never has to explain himself to us. We want to put God in the Dock as C. S. Lewis would say. We want to put Jesus on trial and pepper him with all of our whys and what-fors. But in reality, he does not answer to us. He is King and we are not. He is God and we are mere mortals.
Those who thought they had authority over the people and over the temple were calling into question the very one who had granted them their temporal power. Like Jesus told Pilate when questioned by him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above...” The same is true for these leaders as well as for us. We have not been granted any such authority over the Son of God. And we find that to be unsatisfying. We want him to answer our questions rather than learn to be content with his rule.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As we finish this portion of Luke, we’ve seen four truths about our own nature as human beings. We tend to question, avoid, deflect, and be unsatisfied with what Jesus does and/or says. And yet, in spite of all of this, Jesus—the Father and the Spirit—still give us grace and mercy, forgiveness and love. Sometimes we may not understand it all. But that’s okay. As long as God understands, we don’t have to. It is he who reigns. It is he who rules. It is he who has given the Son all authority in heaven and on earth. It may be a mystery to us at times how God could become man, walk among an unbelieving and ungrateful people, die on their behalf, and rise again. It’s mind-blowing when we haven’t been inoculated to it.
But if we can accept this mystery of Christ’s redemption, then let us accept further mysteries as well: like what is God doing? Why did Christ say this? Why is the Spirit moving me to change this part of who I am? We may not understand now. But that’s okay. Let that be okay.
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Prayer
Our heavenly Father,
Let us stand before you as the new creation that we are. May we battle our human, fleshly natures that want to question you, avoid pains and fears, deflect when feeling uncomfortable or convicted, and be unsatisfied when you do not answer. Instead, may we accept your providence and sovereignty over every aspect of our lives—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Let us be able to face the fears and pain knowing you are with us and in our weakness your strength is made perfect. May we embrace the conviction of the Holy Spirit as conviction unto holiness and uncomfortable moments as moments to grow in Christlikeness. May we always be satisfied in your love and good pleasure, even when we don’t get the answers we are hoping to receive.
In Jesus’s name, we pray. Amen.
