Mark 11:27-28
When
people feel threatened they will do some unusual things. Fear is a very
powerful emotion. People have been killed because of fear’s power to overtake
rational thought. Fear is one of our most basic emotions. God put it in us to
protect us from harm. Fear is a God thing. And one of the greatest sources of
fear is the fear of being alone, separated, unconnected to other people.
Infants
overcome fear when their parents respond appropriately to their cries for
safety and security. When the infant is held and comforted, their fear drops.
They learn that they are important and that others will respond to them when
they need help. They are worthwhile and others can be trusted. When infants are
not cared for properly, then they develop a fear response that can last a
lifetime. They learn that they are not worthy of response, that others can’t be
trusted to meet their needs, or both. Their lives become detached from others,
or stuck in a yoyo of pull for connection and pushing away from others.
The
religious leaders of Jesus’ day were driven by fear. They saw the things Jesus
was doing. They heard the power of His teaching and its ability to cut right
through their carefully constructed superstructure they had built around the
Law and the LORD, and they felt threatened. Their jobs were at stake. Their
place in society was at stake. Everything they believed about themselves and
the world around them was at stake. For them this was not a dry academic issue.
If they believed what Jesus was saying and doing, everything in their lives
would have to change.
Jesus
is in town for the Passover Festival. This third day of His visit He arrives
back in Jerusalem and is walking in the Temple Courts, the area outside the official
Temple. This courtyard is where He caused a ruckus two days previously when He
drove all the commercial activities out. This place was supposed to be a place
of prayer.
He
is walking around and is approached by three groups of religious leaders. They
have formed an alliance to deal with the Jesus problem. They have in mind
catching Jesus in some claim that would warrant His death. Their powers are
limited, so they must plan their move well. It must be a coordinated effort, or
they won’t succeed.
So
they gather to question Jesus. They want to put Him on the spot, catch Him off
guard. They start by questioning the nature of His authority. What kind of
authority is it? Is it civil or religious authority? Is it authority that will
overthrow the system, or authority that will exist within or alongside the
system? This first question and its answer will define their role in the future
if Jesus isn’t stopped. Their survival is on the line.
The
second question is equally important. It is about the origin of Jesus’ authority.
Who gave you this authority? Is it just Jesus full of Himself, or is He sent
from someone else? Jesus doesn’t have any inherent right to authority because
of His lineage or status in society. There were many people who were descendent
of King David. He wasn’t born into the right family or educated by the right
people. He is a common craftsman from a backwater town. Lately He had been
hanging around will all the wrong people.
Someday,
people will be questioning us about our authority to do the things we will be
doing. They will want to shut us down, stop our caring for the poor and acts of
kindness. They will want to muzzle our boldness in sharing the fact that Jesus
is the only way. They will threaten us with punishment, even death. They will
put us in prison, labor camps and kill us. They will do to us what they are
doing to other Jesus-followers in Iraq and other Muslim countries. Are you
ready to tell the truth about your authority?