I love when Jesus kicks our butts in the gospel.  Seriously.  Some people want shiny, happy gospel lessons for Sunday morning, full of sunshine and affirmation for hard work we’ve done not screwing up our lives completely.  Not me.  That’s my vision for lame.

So this morning, the lectionary dialed up a juicy one: Matthew 21:23-32.  I’ll break it in half.  Part 1:

When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, `From heaven,’ he will say to us, `Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, `Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Now, for serious squirmitude, nothing beats when Jesus confounds the big mucky mucks in charge.  They begin by questioning his authority to do what he is doing.  Let’s admit for a second, that they are being pretty rude, hierarchical, and defensive.  But let’s also admit that they are entrusted with the faith and are doing what they are supposed to do: defend it from the crack pots who claim to be doing GOD’s work, but are really listening to transmissions from outer space through tinfoil hats.  They just make the mistake of not trusting Jesus…

So Jesus responds by asking where John the Baptizer’s authority came from: GOD or humanity.  They recognize the double-bind he’s put them in and choose to plead ignorance.

What I love about this type of interaction is the cowardly place Jesus puts these people of notable arrogance.  They begin verse 23 ready to convict Jesus and just a few verses later are left pretending to be speechless.  It is a reversal of monumental proportions!  It is also humbling because we are so often those mucky mucks arguing over Jesus’s nature and authority.  Talk to a Calvinist about what Jesus came to do.  Then go talk to a Roman Catholic.  Then talk to an Episcopalian.  All will give you a different answer, not simply to where Jesus gets his authority, but what he came to do.

But Jesus goes on:

“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, `Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, `I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, `I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.”

So Jesus gives them an easy follow-up:  Which is more GODly, the one that says he isn’t going to do something and then decides to do it or the one that decides to do it, but doesn’t show up?  They get it right away: the one that does it.  Easy!  Nailed it!  But just as the mucky mucks think that Jesus has absolved them of their prickishness, he nails them: You had your chance with John.

Jesus doesn’t let us off the hook.  He doesn’t say, “Oh, but it’s Sunday and you’ve had a hard week!”  He doesn’t walk away from the leaders saying, “Oh, but they’re doing their best!”  He’s going right at them!

And don’t think that Jesus, in targeting the leaders should make us think that he only cares about those ordained or given some outward sign (of an inward and spiritual grace).  Nope.  He’s nailing us with this one, isn’t he?

Question:

When did you have the opportunity to follow through on what Jesus is calling you to do and didn’t?  Or when did you let others do the work you were called to do?