Knowing our ground

 ‘…And who gave you this authority?’’ (Matthew 21:23)

Matthew 21:23-27 (Year A: Trinity+15)

In Ireland viewers of a late-night TV show are familiar with political controversy. It is a form of entertainment (and sometimes enlightenment). Typically, the interviewer exposes one of the interviewees (not infrequently a senior politician or some such person). The style is confrontational.

Being questioned about our beliefs and actions can sometimes be challenging.  From the banal every-day to the occasional moment of serious exchange on big ideas and profound beliefs we may encounter a certain degree of puzzlement – even hostility and derision. This is natural. We should never take ourselves and others that seriously.  In any case, there is always some ray of truth and learning in the other brought out in conversation.

But, this is not the point of today’s story in the Gospel of Matthew.  Jesus is getting a grilling by the religious authorities of his time. They want to know – they demand to know – on what authority he says and does what he says and does.  Jesus outsmarts them by throwing the question back – knowing well their lack of integrity and manipulative purpose. Throughout the entire gospel stories is a constant – the self-confidence of Jesus. Whether as a child in the temple taking and answering questions on weighty matters or in the heat of polemical discourse with ‘the chief priests and the elders of the people’ Jesus displays complete confidence in his mission and in his message. 

We, too, can take a leaf from this.  Notwithstanding our own uncertainties as well as our petty and not so petty betrayals we need to stand on firm ground. This is the ground of our truth, our knowing and our experience.  In harmony with that truth that embraces all human experience we can stand without shame or without the need to constantly justify ourselves to human authorities.

‘Know thyself’ is  wise and essential starting point for any mission.