A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 21:23-27
When Jesus had come into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached 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 in reply, “I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?” They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet.” So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” He himself said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Encountering Christ
Jesus is confronted by the chief priests and elders who demand to know by what authority He does what He does. On the surface, it sounds like a reasonable question. In reality, it is not asked in good faith. It is a challenge, a test, an attempt to trap Him.
Jesus, as He often does, turns the question back on them. He asks about the authority of John the Baptist. And suddenly, the very men who claim to be the guardians of truth are exposed. They begin to calculate. They worry about appearances. They fear losing control. Rather than speak the truth, they choose the safest answer: “We do not know.”
And that is the heart of this passage.
These religious leaders were not ignorant. They were unwilling. They knew enough to answer, but not enough to surrender. Their authority mattered more to them than the truth standing right in front of them.
Jesus does not argue further. He simply names the reality. If they refuse to be honest about John, they are not ready to hear the truth about Him.
It forces us to ask a hard but necessary question: When God speaks into our lives, do we respond with faith—or with calculation? Do we listen for truth, or do we look for the answer that protects our comfort, our image, or our position?
Authentic authority in the Church has never come from titles alone. It comes from obedience to God, from humility, from a willingness to say “yes” even when the cost is high. John the Baptist understood that. He didn’t protect himself. He pointed to Christ and got out of the way.
The leaders in today’s Gospel couldn’t do that. Their fear of the crowd revealed their fear of God.
For us, the call is clear. Discipleship demands honesty—honesty with God and honesty with ourselves. The Lord does not ask us to have all the answers, but He does ask us to be sincere, to be teachable, and to be faithful.
If we truly want to recognize Christ’s authority in our lives, we must be willing to let go of our own.
That is not easy. But it is the only path that leads to truth, freedom, and real conversion.
Action of the Day
1. Stop Calculating and Start Telling the Truth – Each day, ask one honest question in prayer:
The religious leaders weren’t confused—they were calculating. Most spiritual stagnation comes not from ignorance, but from avoidance. Growth begins the moment we stop managing appearances and start being honest with God.
Name it plainly in prayer. No justifications. No spin.
2. Obey What You Already Know – Identify one area where you already know what God is asking of you—and do it this week.
People often say they want clarity, when what they really want is permission to delay. God rarely reveals the “next step” until we are faithful with the current one.
Forgive. Apologize. Make the call. Go to Confession. Return to Sunday Mass. Serve where you’ve been resisting.
3. Choose Conviction Over Image – Make one decision this week based on faith, not on how it will be perceived.
The leaders feared the crowd more than God. That temptation is alive and well today—social pressure, family pressure, cultural pressure. The Gospel always forces a choice.
Speak the truth with charity. Set a boundary. Witness to your faith quietly but clearly. You don’t need to be loud—just faithful.
4. Learn from John the Baptist, Not the Crowd – Each day, intentionally decrease your need for control and increase your trust in God.
John the Baptist didn’t protect his position—he pointed to Christ. The crowd shifts. God does not.
Pray simply: “He must increase; I must decrease!” Then act accordingly.
5. Replace “I Don’t Know” with “Lord, Teach Me” – When faced with a hard moral or spiritual question, resist the easy escape.
“I don’t know” can be humility—or it can be avoidance. The difference is whether we are willing to seek the truth once it is revealed.
Seek counsel. Read Scripture. Ask the Church. Then be prepared to act on what you learn.
Audio Reflection:
