KJV - Luke 20:1-8 And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders, (2) And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority? (3) And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me: (4) The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? (5) And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not? (6) But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet. (7) And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was. (8) And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
NIV - Luke 20:1-8 One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, 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 from men?” (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, ‘From men,’ 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.”
Preaching can sometimes be stressful because, more often than I like to admit, I am informed that I say things incorrectly. Not that I preach error, just that my mouth may work faster than my mind. For instance, I may mistakenly place Moses on the ark with all of the animals. Just a slip of the tongue, but I have a congregation of people that will point it out.
Jesus had a similar situation....but on steroids! He was constantly being followed by Pharisees and lawyers in hopes that they would catch him in a real quandary with the Law of Moses. They were not looking to correct him, or even embarrass him. They were looking for a reason to kill him.
Luke 11:54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
So is the situation that we find in the text today. The chief priests come to Jesus questioning him in hopes they can find a legal reason to kill him. The question that they ask is important: “By what authority do you do these things?” That is a great question that we each individually ought to seek out. We will examine that answer tomorrow. But for today, I want to examine the mindset that we pretend to seek answers and knowledge, but it is only a pretense.
When the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus this question, they were not deeply concerned for truth. They were not out to seek knowledge. They did not really care about truly understanding the will of God. They only asked to catch Jesus in a occasion that they could justify killing him.
Can we not...Do we not too sometimes make a pretense that we are seeking knowledge about the will of God, but in fact have no desire to apply the facts that are found? Here is a fact that we MUST realize and cannot get around.
Matthew 7:1-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
JESUS says that only a FEW will find there way through the gate that leads to life. That means by definition that MOST will find their way through the gate that leads to destruction. Is that what the religious world teaches? Not at all. Most people sees it exactly opposite. That means there are a lot of religious people that BELIEVE they are saved but are not! How can this be? Because too many people only PRETEND to seek knowledge of Salvation therefore they never find it...but they believe they do.
Matthew 13:10-16 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? (11) He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. (12) For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (13) Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. (14) And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: (15) For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (16) But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
This dialogue was given to the disciples after Jesus gave the parable of the Sower. They wondered why he spoke in parables instead of just coming out and saying what needed to be said. The key to his answer is in verse 15. He said that many people if not most people will not TRULY hear because they have closed their own ears to the truth so that they do not have to change. In short, people want to do want they want to do and they do not want to change to please God. So they fool themselves into thinking they are “being religious”.
What about you? Do you only hear what you want to hear or are you willing to read the Bible with an open mind with at true desire to glean what God intended for us to understand?
Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Reflecting His SON,
Dennis Hogan
Minister, North Hardin Church of Christ
1804 Sam Stewart Dr.
Radcliff, KY 40160
Questions, comments or further explanation? Contact me at: dennis.hogan@icloud.com
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