When we live for the approval of man, we prevent ourselves from hearing God. If our souls are full of the sound of the voices of the world around us, it becomes incredibly difficult to discern the voice of the Spirit. Jesus’s conversation with the Pharisees in regards to the source of his authority is a perfect illustration of this point. Matthew sets the scene;
And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Matthew 21:23-27
Jesus is in the temple, supposedly the realm of the chief priests and pharisees’ authority. He’s teaching the people, and if Jesus’ recorded teachings throughout the Gospels are any indicator it was probably some thought provoking, controversial stuff that he was saying. Driven by fear of losing face and authority in their own realm, the leaders approach Jesus with a question that’s meant to trap him. Jesus, as is his way, turns their trap on them and reveals what they truly care about and are listening to.
“Who gave you this authority?”
The question the leaders ask seems like a fairly straightforward one. Who gave you the authority to teach in the temple? To heal? Jesus has already answered this question multiple times before in various ways. The problem is, the leaders can’t hear him – they can’t receive what he’s saying because they care more about the opinions of the crowd than they do about the word of God.
“Neither will I tell you”
Seeing their fear of man, Jesus turns a question back to them. The response of the Pharisees and priests to this question is the telltale sign. They apparently don’t really know or care where John’s authority came from. They care about how the crowd will respond to what they say, a thing that prevents them from hearing from Jesus where his authority originates.
I wonder how often we don’t hear an answer from God because we’re more focused on what the crowd, the people around us, will think? How often do we cut ourselves off from powerful encounters with the ever-living God by being more concerned about the opinions of short-lived people?
Proverbs 29:25 declares that “the fear of man is a snare.” Jesus warns earlier in Matthew’s Gospel that those who live for applause from men won’t receive rewards from God (Matt 6:5-6).
I don’t want my love of people’s opinions to deafen me to what Jesus is saying. I want to be a man who cares most about what the Lord is saying. I want to respond with honest answers to Jesus’ challenges and questions, and be able to hear what he says and obey without fear of what people will think.
That’s not an easy path to walk. We’re so wired within our flesh to care most about the most foolish of things, but I intend to work at heart change, by the power of the Spirit, until it becomes a reality. Will you join me?
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