Authority and Faithfulness

The past few weeks we have been following the Revised Common Lectionary gospel readings for Sunday. From now until Advent we are reading Jesus’ parables in the Gospel According to Matthew. Often we read and study a parable apart from its context. We treat them as little stories with morals. But parables can be perplexing. They can stir up questions and ideas. They provoke us into new ways of thinking.

This week’s gospel lesson is Matthew 21:23-32. To understand this text it is important to understand where this story is in the gospel and who Jesus is speaking with. This story is the beginning of a longer discussion between Jesus and the elites in the Temple. There is conflict and tensions are rising.

Before we begin:This is important! Intentional and unintentional antisemitic readings of these texts are common and we need to be careful and thoughtful to avoid that. Jesus’ conflict is with a particular group of leaders and not with all Jews. These leaders, the elite authorities, were the religious, legal, and economic rulers in Jerusalem. They had this power and authority because the Roman Empire allowed it. The gospel lesson today is the start of a contentious conversation about who has the authority to speak for God. It is not criticizing all Jews. It is not saying Christianity replaces Judaism.

Right before this week’s text, Jesus has entered Jerusalem riding a donkey. Christians remember this act on Palm Sunday. Jesus trial and crucifixion are approaching. After his entry into Jerusalem, Jesus goes to the Temple and he chases those selling and buying and changing money out. These are prophetic acts and they are intended to make a statement. When Jesus comes back to the Temple (v23) the ruling leaders challenge him, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Think about Jesus’ possible responses and how the authorities might counter them. If he claims his authority comes from God, in their eyes that’s blasphemy. If he claims that he is his own authority, they will say his authority is illegitimate.

Jesus responds by refocusing the question of authority from himself to John the Baptizer. Many people at that time believed that John the Baptizer was a prophet who prepared the way for the Messiah. Was John a prophet, or was he acting on his own authority? The focus is still on authority. Does it come from inside or outside the existing power structures?

The authorities answer, “We do not know.” To be honest, more church leaders need to say this more often. But here, they are trying to dodge the question. If they say that John is not a prophet, it will upset the crowds. If they say his authority came from heaven, they will have to accept what he said about Jesus.

Jesus then tells a parable and he asks, “What do you think?” A father asks their two sons to work in the vineyard. The first says, no and then changes his mind. The second says yes, but doesn’t go. Who does the father’s will?

This is a fairly straight forward parable. Remember it is aimed at a particular set of leaders and not aimed at all Jews. It is also not directed at a general audience. If we take this parable out of its context, out of its place in the narrative, we will miss the point. We limit the parable to an interpretation that our individual actions matter more than empty words. Or we look at it as a meditation on obedience. These are good things to think about, they are not the point here.

This parable is told to a group with authority and power. They are concerned with how to recognize a leader’s authority?

The parable gives Jesus’ answer. It’s the one who does the father’s will. Who that is may surprise you. It may not be who you expected And it may not be the one claiming authority.¹

For us the question is what, if anything, does this parable have to say to us today?

There is certainly no shortage of people claiming to speak on Jesus’ behalf. There are plenty who claim to know God’s will. Some are within the church and some are outside the church. Some hold the authority of political office. There are plenty of competing claims about what God desires and how we accomplish that.

If all the variety of claims to know God’s will is confusing, and it may be, reading Matthew’s gospel can help. Start at the beginning and pay attention to what Jesus says, and what he does. Jesus’ teaching is for us as individuals but also and just as importantly it is for us as society. Jesus has a lot to say about how we, as a society, live together in a just and faithful way.

How do we know who to believe? The parable tells us to look for the one who does God’s will. And that one may not be who we were expecting.

1. Just to be clear once again. Jesus is talking to a particular group of people in authority. He is not talking about or to all Jews. This point if this parable is NOT that all Jews are rejected and the gentiles/Christians are favored. Jesus conflict with the Jewish authorities is an intrafaith conflict. There aren’t any Christians at this point. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is Jewish. Matthew makes clear that Jesus an observant Jew, is David’s heir, and that Jesus takes his place among the prophets. ↩︎