RIGHT QUESTION, WRONG MOTIVE
Opening Prayer
As I come to your Word today, Lord God, help me to set aside any clutter, to listen without distraction, and hear what you would say to me.
Read LUKE 19:45–20:8
Jesus at the Temple
45 When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 46 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’[a]; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[b]”
47 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48 Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.
The Authority of Jesus Questioned
20 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2 “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”
3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: 4 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
5 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”
8 Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Footnotes
- Luke 19:46 Isaiah 56:7
- Luke 19:46 Jer. 7:11
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
The seat of prayer and worship is no longer the temple in Jerusalem, but is now in our hearts.When a new teacher came along performing miracles and teaching new things, it was right for leaders in the church to question his credentials. They had a duty to protect their ‘flock’ from being led astray. These leaders were asking the right questions, but with a very wrong motive.
In Acts we read that the Berean Jews were praised for being of ‘noble character’ when Paul went and preached the gospel to them. They didn’t just blindly accept or reject it, but ‘they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true’ (Acts 17:11).
These chief priests and teachers of the law should equally have been eagerly looking for the Messiah. When someone came along doing Messiah-like things and bringing new teaching, they should have searched the Scriptures with eyes of hope to see whether what he was saying and doing was in line with God’s Word. Jesus knew that these priests and teachers weren’t seeking truth or trying to protect the people from false teaching. They were simply trying to preserve their own position.
Apply
Like the Pharisees, we can easily become hard-hearted to anything that challenges our thinking or lifestyle—or accept unbiblical teaching because it makes us feel good. Ask the Lord to show you any areas where you are resisting his Word.
Closing prayer
Holy Spirit, keep the truth of Scripture before me, help me to always be focused on Jesus and what he has taught me, and eager to do what pleases him.
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