Where do we learn to question authority?
From the earliest age, we learn to question authority. It all begins with mom and dad and that defiant child saying, "No mommy! No daddy!" And it only gets worse with age! Where do we learn to question authority?
In school, we are taught to question authority. Don't trust your parents' beliefs and values. Don't trust the Bible. Don't trust right and wrong. Don't trust your conscience, government, politicians, evil corporations, history, or traditional values. Ben Franklin is credited with saying, "It is the first responsibility and duty of every citizen to question authority." This is hammered into us by television, the media, bumper stickers, music, and the internet.
Not even science is exempt. A few years ago, global warming was accepted as irrefutable fact. Now there is tremendous skepticism. We even distrust God's authority-- if not in principle, then certainly in deed! The only absolute authority we really trust is ourselves. "I know what's best. I know what's right for me and what's true. I trust myself!"
You might say that we've learned to be an authority unto ourselves. This is how we protect ourselves. It's an ego-defense mechanism. "I'm not going to hurt me, so I trust only me. Not parents, not government, not religion, not others, but me." At the core of this rebellion against authority is distrust! But along comes Jesus Christ saying, "Trust in me. Believe. Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me."
Our Lord seeks absolute authority over all of life. He does not want a compartment, or a portion, but all of our heart, mind, body, and soul; even all of our relationships! He refuses to be anything less than the King of kings and Lord of lords. These are the terms of discipleship. God is seeking total surrender and total trust!
But we have our reservations. We have our questions. Our questions are quite a bit different than God's questions.
Our questions tend to deny God's authority.
We especially see this throughout Mark 11 and Mark 12. Here is a case in point. Mark 11:27-28 (NIV) is immediately after Jesus has thrown the money changers and merchants out of the temple and confronted the chief priests for turning the temple into a den of robbers. "They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 'By what authority are you doing these things?' they asked. 'And who gave you authority to do this?' "
Here is the dirty little truth about their question. They didn't care about the answer to their own question. It didn't matter who gave Jesus the authority, whether it was the God of Israel or not. They weren't open to the answer. They were protecting their turf. They had resolved not to be under anyone's authority. However, I am afraid that this same thing is often true of us.
What's it say about us when the King of kings and Lord of lords can't even pull rank on us? I'll tell you what it says. It says we're lost, that we're rebels, that we're outsiders, imposters, pretenders, and hypocrites. The chief priests, teachers of the law, and the elders were hiding behind their questions. Are you?
Jesus uses questions to draw out discipleship.
Mark 11:29-33 (NIV) says, "Jesus replied, 'I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism-- was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!' They discussed it among themselves and said, 'If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'From men'....' (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) So they answered Jesus, 'We don't know.' Jesus said, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.' "
We see this same scenario in Mark 12:13-15 (NIV). "Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said, 'Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn't we?' "
Interesting enough, the Herodians were attempting to thrust Jesus into the middle of their politics. According to the Erdman's Bible Dictionary, the Herodians were a political party who actually favored paying taxes, nationalism, and extending government authority over all of life. The opposite of the Herodians were the Zealots. The Zealots hated paying taxes and hated the Roman government. If they could label Jesus a Zealot, they could undermine his authority and have him arrested as a rebel.
So here is what you have with the Herodians. You have people who see themselves not under the authority of God, but being under the authority of a political party. This same thing is true today. Too often, our lives are defined by our political affiliations instead of by people under the authority of God. When it comes to politics we need to ask ourselves, "Does it matter what God's will is on this political matter or that? Can God's authority transcend your political views?"
We can ask the same thing about our theological positions. In Mark 12:18-23 the Sadducees constructed an elaborate doctrinal question about the resurrection. The Sadducees strictly adhered to the literal words of scripture. The Pharisees adhered to the oral traditions that had been passed down through the generations. The Sadducees and Pharisees were divided into two opposing camps, not unlike Protestants and Catholics today.
It didn't matter what answer Jesus would give. They would always be Sadducees and Pharisees. Not even the Son of God could dissuade them from their fixed positions. Not even Billy Graham, not even a voice from heaven, not even writing on the wall, not even Michael the archangel could dissuade them.
Do the questions matter when we have no intention of recognizing Jesus' authority?
Is Jesus a Democrat or a Republican? Is Jesus Protestant or Catholic? Do the answers even matter when our questions proceed out of a rebellious heart? Do the answers even matter when we have no intention whatsoever of recognizing the authority of Jesus Christ?
In Mark 12:28 (NIV) says, "One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him (Jesus), 'Of all the commandments, which is the most important?' " Here we go again! This teacher of the law wants to know which commands of God carry the greatest weight, and which commands are less important.
A lot of times we play this same game as Christians. It's called the "degree of sin game." What are the grave, mortal, unforgiveable sins? And what are the lighter sins that I can do and get away with? Come on now, we all do this. Here are the big sins I should fear, while over here are the small sins that are no big deal.
Well, what if the sins you don't think are a big deal really are a big deal to God? Are you open to placing yourself under the authority of God in every area of your life, or just in the areas you choose? It's the attitude behind the question that is the problem!
I love Jesus' response in Mark 12:29-31 (NIV). " 'The most important one,' answered Jesus, 'is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.' "
Everything in our lives is to be under the authority of God.
The whole scope of our lives is to be under the authority of God. Every area of our lives and our relationships with others matter. In Mark 12:32-34 (NIV) there is actually an amazing breakthrough with the teacher of the law. " 'Well said, teacher,' the man replied. 'You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.' When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.' And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions."
I remember when I was in high school and college. I wrestled with a lot of questions. But the one question that really matters is this-- are we even open to the answer? Are we open to considering God's authority? Are we open to trusting someone other than ourselves? Will God's word be the final word for us over our politics and over our theological and doctrinal and denominational positions? Are we open to total surrender of all our heart, mind, body, soul, and relationships?
Mark 12:1-12 (NIV) says that Jesus told a meaningful parable. "He then began to speak to them in parables: 'A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.' "
"He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard."
"What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Haven't you read this scripture: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away."