DGeMs- Daily Gospel eMessage
Dear Friend in the Lord,
Challenging Jesus: The chief priests, scribes and elders challenged Jesus’ authority for expelling money changers from the Temple. Ponder on, “When we try to ‘challenge’ the Truth and Authority of Jesus and the Church. . . we will surely not find the deep peace, fulfillment and Joy in our hearts; our pride will lead us to destroy our lives and our faith.”
Fr Philip Heng, S.J.
Mark 11:27-33
Jesus and his disciples came to Jerusalem, and as Jesus was walking in the Temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, ‘What authority have you for acting like this? Or who gave you authority to act like this?’
Jesus said to them, ‘And I will ask you a question, just one; answer me and I will tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism, what was its origin, heavenly or human? Answer me that.’
And they argued this way among themselves, ‘If we say heavenly, he will say, “Then why did you refuse to believe him?” But dare we say human?’ – they had the people to fear, for everyone held that John had been a real prophet. So their reply to Jesus was, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.’