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There is a habit I have noticed in myself when I read some of Jesus’ parables.
I am remarkably good at deciding who all the difficult characters represent.
When Jesus talks about hypocrisy, somebody usually comes to mind. When he criticises religious leaders who make life harder for everyone else, I can probably think of a church, denomination or public figure who fits the description rather nicely. When Jesus tells stories about greed, pride or people who have become far too comfortable with their own importance, there is rarely a shortage of candidates.
The uncomfortable character in the story is regularly someone else. Perhaps that is one reason a particular moment in Matthew 21 has caught my attention this week.
Jesus is in Jerusalem, and tensions are rising. The chief priests and elders have already challenged him, demanding to know by what authority he is doing the things he does. Jesus turns their question back on them by asking about John the Baptist. Was John’s authority from heaven, or was it merely human?
They immediately realise they have a problem.
If they say John’s authority came from God, Jesus will ask why they did not believe him. If they say it did not, they risk angering the crowd, who regarded John as a prophet. So they quickly retreat into the safest possible answer.
“We don’t know.”
We know that it is not really an admission of uncertainty because Matthew lets us hear their private reasoning, and they know perfectly well what is at stake. They simply do not want to give an answer that might expose them.
