Mark
11:27-33
Jesus and his disciples arrived in Jerusalem again, and as he was walking through the Temple area, the chief priests and other Jewish leaders* came up to him demanding, “What’s going on here? Who gave you the authority to drive out the merchants?” Jesus replied, “I’ll tell you if you answer one question! What about John the Baptist? Was he sent by God, or not? Answer me!” They talked it over among themselves. “If we reply that God sent him, then he will say, ‘All right, why didn’t you accept him?’ But if we say God didn’t send him, then the people will start a riot.” (For the people all believed strongly that John was a prophet.) So they said, “We can’t answer. We don’t know.” To which Jesus replied, “Then I won’t answer your question either!”
Food for thought
Did you notice in this, and in all other instances, that whenever people asked Jesus a question, he would answer by asking the questioner a question of his? Like today, some people came up to Jesus and asked him, «Who gave you the authority to drive out the merchants?» they asked. «Who gave you authority to do this?» Jesus answers them by another question: «I’ll tell you if you answer one question!»
Jesus does this all the time in the gospels; he interrogates the interrogator; he questions the questioner, he tells the teller and as in today's gospel he questions his questioner. What does this mean for you and me? It means, if we ask Jesus, Jesus will ask us; if we answer Jesus, Jesus will answer us. It means that it is by telling Jesus that Jesus tells us, it is by opening up to Jesus that Jesus opens up to us, it is by loving Jesus that Jesus loves us; it is by giving to Jesus or for Jesus' sake that Jesus gives us, it is by forgiving that we are forgiven; it is by loving that we are loved. Etc.
Let me give you an example. In Matthew 16:13 Jesus asks his disciples, «Who do people say the Son of Man is?» The disciples begin to say all they have heard people say about Jesus. Then Jesus asks them, «But what about you?» he asks. «Who do you say I am?» Simon Peter answers, «You are the Christ. You are the Son of the living God.» Jesus replies, «Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! No mere man showed this to you. My Father in heaven showed it to you. Here is what I tell you. You are Peter. On this rock I will build my church. The gates of hell will not be strong enough to destroy it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. What you lock on earth will be locked in heaven. What you unlock on earth will be unlocked in heaven.»
This was a tremendous revelation about Peter. Now notice that as soon as Peter tells Jesus, Jesus tells Peter; as soon as Peter says who Jesus is, Jesus tells Peter who Peter is: «Here is what I tell you. You are Peter...» Until this moment, Peter did not know really who he (Peter) was or what lay ahead for him until Jesus started to reveal Peter to Peter. And Jesus did not start to tell Peter until Peter started to tell Jesus. So, the principle is clear: tell Jesus and Jesus will tell you, answer Jesus and Jesus will answer you, know Jesus and Jesus will make you know yourself, give to Jesus and Jesus will give to you...!
Now, it is your turn, try it. Don't be like the people in today's gospel, «We can’t answer. We don’t know. To which Jesus replied, "Then I won’t answer your question either!"»
Jesus and his disciples arrived in Jerusalem again, and as he was walking through the Temple area, the chief priests and other Jewish leaders* came up to him demanding, “What’s going on here? Who gave you the authority to drive out the merchants?” Jesus replied, “I’ll tell you if you answer one question! What about John the Baptist? Was he sent by God, or not? Answer me!” They talked it over among themselves. “If we reply that God sent him, then he will say, ‘All right, why didn’t you accept him?’ But if we say God didn’t send him, then the people will start a riot.” (For the people all believed strongly that John was a prophet.) So they said, “We can’t answer. We don’t know.” To which Jesus replied, “Then I won’t answer your question either!”
Food for thought
Did you notice in this, and in all other instances, that whenever people asked Jesus a question, he would answer by asking the questioner a question of his? Like today, some people came up to Jesus and asked him, «Who gave you the authority to drive out the merchants?» they asked. «Who gave you authority to do this?» Jesus answers them by another question: «I’ll tell you if you answer one question!»
Jesus does this all the time in the gospels; he interrogates the interrogator; he questions the questioner, he tells the teller and as in today's gospel he questions his questioner. What does this mean for you and me? It means, if we ask Jesus, Jesus will ask us; if we answer Jesus, Jesus will answer us. It means that it is by telling Jesus that Jesus tells us, it is by opening up to Jesus that Jesus opens up to us, it is by loving Jesus that Jesus loves us; it is by giving to Jesus or for Jesus' sake that Jesus gives us, it is by forgiving that we are forgiven; it is by loving that we are loved. Etc.
Let me give you an example. In Matthew 16:13 Jesus asks his disciples, «Who do people say the Son of Man is?» The disciples begin to say all they have heard people say about Jesus. Then Jesus asks them, «But what about you?» he asks. «Who do you say I am?» Simon Peter answers, «You are the Christ. You are the Son of the living God.» Jesus replies, «Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! No mere man showed this to you. My Father in heaven showed it to you. Here is what I tell you. You are Peter. On this rock I will build my church. The gates of hell will not be strong enough to destroy it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. What you lock on earth will be locked in heaven. What you unlock on earth will be unlocked in heaven.»
This was a tremendous revelation about Peter. Now notice that as soon as Peter tells Jesus, Jesus tells Peter; as soon as Peter says who Jesus is, Jesus tells Peter who Peter is: «Here is what I tell you. You are Peter...» Until this moment, Peter did not know really who he (Peter) was or what lay ahead for him until Jesus started to reveal Peter to Peter. And Jesus did not start to tell Peter until Peter started to tell Jesus. So, the principle is clear: tell Jesus and Jesus will tell you, answer Jesus and Jesus will answer you, know Jesus and Jesus will make you know yourself, give to Jesus and Jesus will give to you...!
Now, it is your turn, try it. Don't be like the people in today's gospel, «We can’t answer. We don’t know. To which Jesus replied, "Then I won’t answer your question either!"»
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