Who does he think he is?

Exodus 17:1-7/ Matthew 21:23-32

I am a little embarrassed to say that one of my favorite TV shows right now is the Big Bang Theory.  Here we have this group of really intelligent scientists who can solve the most complicated mathematical equations but yet struggle to carry on a conversation with Penny, the aspiring actress/waitress next door.  They understand the intricacies of science but yet can’t understand sarcasm or how to tell a joke and yet somehow the most socially inept of them all becomes their leader and of course, hilarity ensues. 

Sheldon is super smart but he is also the most difficult to get along with and the most out of tune with the real world, and yet, he is captain of this crew.  Who does he think he is?  How did get this position of authority?  Why do the others follow him?  You would think eventually they would all get tired of him putting them down, belittling them, stirring up trouble and manipulating them to do what he wants and leave.  But they don’t. 

The temple priests are wondering the same thing about Jesus.  Who does he think he is?  The scripture right before this is the day Jesus comes riding into Jerusalem on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday.  The Jewish people are singing and dancing in the streets as he arrives into town calling him King and the first place he goes is into the temple, stirring up trouble.  This is the day he throws all the money changers out of the temple turning over tables and causing a huge disruption to normal temple life. 

So, when the priests find him teaching in the synagogue the next day they decide to ask him- Who do you think you are?  What gives you the right to come in here and cause all this trouble?  Why are you all of a sudden in charge around here- your invading our territory?   They knew who Jesus was of course.  This isn't the first time they have heard of him. 

This is the first time the Gospel writer of Matthew brings Jesus to Jerusalem but his reputation precedes him.  This is the unlearned man who teaches with authority and wisdom like he knows the scriptures and their meanings by heart.  This is the man who eats with the untouchables of society and heals the sick.  And this is the man who has gained enormous popularity among the people. 

Who does he think he is?  When the priests ask him he immediately proves his authority, not by showing a credential or offering a list of miracles or references, he turns the tables and puts them on the spot. The priests were the ones who were supposed to be in charge.  They are the most learned, well versed religious people in the temple and part of their job was to flesh out all these false prophets who claimed authority so, of all people, they should be the ones who can figure it out. (Feasting on the Word) 

So Jesus asks them a question.  Not about the law, not about scripture, not about him but about John the Baptist. How did John get his authority?  Who was John the Baptist?  This seems to come out of nowhere but they will soon know the connection. 

It would be like asking Sheldon why Penny is mad or how he’d hurt someone’s feelings. He knows lots of information but he doesn't experience empathy and struggles with relationships so he has no way of knowing about other people’s feelings.

The priests knew lots of things about God but this is the one question which they can’t seem to find the answer.  John was one of them, born into the family of priests, given authority the same way they had received their authority from God but they didn't want to claim him because they all thought he was crazy.  They thought he was a fake but because so many others thought he was a prophet, they were afraid of losing their own authority if they denied he was from God- so they did nothing, they refused to take a side.  They couldn't or wouldn't answer the question- Who was John the Baptist?

Since they can’t seem to come up with the correct answer, Jesus being the smart-alack that he is says; then I won’t answer your question either. 

Instead he asks them another question, he tells them a parable that they will certainly know the answer to.    Who is the son that does his father’s will?  The one who gives lip service or the one who does what is asked?  Of course the one who believes is the one who acts.  So once again the tables are turned and it is no longer the authority of Jesus or John the Baptist which is on the line, but theirs. Who do they think they are?  

They had spent their whole lives learning about God but didn't have a personal relationship with God.  They had spent all their time learning but not doing, seeing but not believing, and putting everyone else down for not knowing enough when God was right in front of their eyes. 

We can often be critical of the priests because we know the story.  We know that Jesus is God, we know that John the Baptist was a prophet foretold in the Old Testament, and we know how Jesus loves to take what we think is real and turn it upside down. 

Jesus wants us to see ourselves in these two sons and in the stories of the priests. He wants us to ask ourselves the same question asked of him… Who do we think we are? Are we the person who has a lot of knowledge, talks a good game, recites scripture and claims a Christian faith but then does nothing? Or do we want to be the one who believes enough to act whether or not they know all the right words to say, come from the right family or attend the right church? 

Maya Angelou a now famous writer known as much for her difficult childhood as her poetry and prose was once asked what her greatest accomplishment was.  Her response captures what Jesus is teaching us in this parable.  “I'm grateful to be a practicing Christian. I'm always amazed when people say, "I'm a Christian." I think, "Already?" It's an ongoing process.”  (2002 Palm Beach Post Interview)

Our faith is not something we can accomplish.  It is something that we strive for and work towards; it is in the actions of trying to do the will of God, living, being, working, giving, that we become not just the person who claims faith but the person who is faithful and practices the skills which we hope will bring us in line with the will of God.

The Jewish priests didn't start out this way.  They came from the line of Aaron who was there in the beginning with Moses.  He and the Israelite people, even though they complained, still followed.  Even though they tested God and Moses, they continued to do the work of faith, which for them was stepping into the desert, practicing their faith and learning to trust God more and more with each step they took.  They may have whined and complained a lot but their actions showed their true faith.

Do our actions show our true faith?  Are we giving lip service to God who deserves our faithful actions? 

I think that in the very last episode of The Big Bang Theory, Penny, the ditsy blond with barely a High School diploma, will be the one who solves the problem of String Theory which has plagued Sheldon, the brilliant PhD from the beginning.  It will be something so simple and clear, that has been right in front of his nose the whole time but one he just refused to acknowledge.      

In these stories, Jesus tells us and the priests that the answer we are looking for is right in front of us.  It isn't about how much we know or whether this is your first day in church or 1,000th.  It is about being willing to recognize the authority of Christ and follow his example to love, heal and care for others.  It is about being willing to step into the wilderness of life, knowing that God will provide and be willing to take that next step of faith.  

The word of hope in this scripture comes as Jesus is debriefing them on the correct answer the priests have just giving him.  “I assure you the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering God’s kingdom ahead of you.” 

This may not sound very hopeful to some but these are his examples of people who turned their lives around after accepting the word of God spoken through John, following the example seen in the life of Jesus and told in the scriptures.  They are the ones who know God in this life, and know where Jesus and John get their authority.  In Jesus mind as he tells the parable of the two sons.  They are the ones who said they don’t believe yet have changed their minds and are doing the will of God. 

Jesus tells the priests that these misfits will enter the kingdom first, not because of some preferential treatment but because of their willingness to step out in faith and do God’s will; they in fact see God in their actions and experience the kingdom of God in the here and now.  We don’t have to wait to experience the kingdom of God.  We don’t have to die to meet Jesus.  As we live our lives in service of Christ, as we care for others and show mercy and compassion- this is where God’s Kingdom touches the earth.

Those who believe but don’t act will just have to wait and see but the people who act on their faith don’t have to wait, they see Jesus in the here and now and so can we.