“When he 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? Who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered them, “I will also ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did John’s baptism come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we’re afraid of the crowd, because everyone considers John to be a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
“What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go work in the vineyard today.’ “He answered, ‘I don’t want to,’ but later he changed his mind and went. Then the man went to the other and said the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he answered, but he didn’t go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him. Tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; but you, when you saw it, didn’t even change your minds then and believe him.” —Matthew 21:23-32
Hope in Christ comes through submission to him.
Indignation reveals what
Matthew 16:24-25, 21:12-13; 23-27
“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you that authority?” —Matthew 21:23
“There is perhaps no phenomenon which contains so much destructive feeling as moral indignation, which permits envy or hate to be acted out under the guise of virtue.” —Erich Fromm
“Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 1Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” —James 4:7-10
“It is therefore wiser to place ourselves in the shoes of Jesus’ opponents, to risk being confronted with the question of Jesus’ authority over and against our own claims to authority…we are just as prone to reducing Jesus’ authority to human terms as the chief priests and elders.” —Ira Brent Driggers
A submitting heart rests in
Matthew 21:28-32
“What we profess to believe has no value if it is not translated into obedience.” —Suzanne Dietrich
It doesn’t matter who you are, faith in Christ saves you.
“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
For Further Study:
Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10, James 4:7-12, Matthew 16:24-28
Resources: “Matthew: A Commentary by Douglas O’Donnell”
(https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/commentary/matthew/)
Discussion Questions:
When have you pushed back against authority in your life? What did you learn from the experience?
What is your reaction to the idea that following Christ means submitting to him?
What makes you indignant? How does following Christ threaten things that you would rather not give up?
How often do you project your faith outwardly while your heart is far from God?
What is the hope for you in Jesus pointing to the tax collectors and prostitutes?
How can you pursue deeper faith and submitting your heart to Christ?
To Prepare for Next Week:
Read and Meditate on Matthew 22