Today, I am reading and commenting on  Matthew 21-22.

When the religious leaders came to Jesus and asked Him to site His authority to take the actions He had taken, and tell them who had given Him that authority, Jesus recognized that they were not asking in good faith.  They did not care what His answer was, they were asking this question in order to discredit Him no matter how He chose to answer.  So, rather than debate them on their terms, Jesus changed the context of the debate in a way which made their dishonesty obvious to those to whom they had intended to discredit Him.  And, to the more insightful of those listening, He also answered their question with His question.  By asking them whether John’s baptism was from Heaven of from man, Jesus was indirectly stating that His authority came from the same place as John’s.  A point He makes clear in the next thing He says.  Jesus tells them that John came to show them the way to righteousness, and that those who they looked down upon as depraved sinners listened to him and received righteousness, while those who presumed themselves righteous rejected him and remained without righteousness.  This makes the point that those who presume their own righteousness as a basis to condemn us as depraved sinners will never debate us in good faith.  We should make sure that we do not debate them on their terms.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.