Christ is the authority

Gospel

Mark 11:27-33

I will not tell you my authority for acting like this

Jesus and his disciples came to Jerusalem, and as Jesus was walking in the Temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, ‘What authority have you for acting like this? Or who gave you authority to do these things?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you a question, only one; answer me and I will tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism: did it come from heaven, or from man? Answer me that.’ And they argued it out this way among themselves: ‘If we say from heaven, he will say, “Then why did you refuse to believe him?” But dare we say from man?’ – they had the people to fear, for everyone held that John was a real prophet. So their reply to Jesus was, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.’

Reflection

In this exchange, Jesus refuses to play by the rules of those seeking to trap him. Rather than defending himself, he turns the question back — exposing that their real problem isn't ignorance, but fear. They knew John was a prophet. They simply couldn't afford to say so. Their "we do not know" wasn't honest doubt; it was a calculated evasion dressed up as uncertainty.

Jesus meets dishonest questions with a kind of holy silence. He doesn't owe clarity to those unwilling to act on it.

Question for reflection: Is there a truth I already know in my heart that fear or pride is keeping me from acknowledging?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you see through every evasion — including my own. Give me the courage to be honest with myself and with you, especially when the truth costs something. Free me from the fear of what others think, so that I can recognise your authority in my life and respond to it with an open and willing heart. Amen.

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