The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-02-27


these things?" The question of the
scribes was a proper one, even
though their spirit and purpose in
asking it may have been wrong. Any
man who claims to have authority
over others should expect to be
asked that question and be prepared
to give an honest answer.
i. Authority Rejected wv. 41-44).
On the previous day our Lord had
made His kingly triumphant entry
into the city and many had ac-
claimed Him (see Wv. 37-40); but the
city as whole-and especially its
leaders, both religious and govern
mental-had rejected Him.
AS He came toward the city the
next day and it spread out before
Him in beautiful panorama, His ten
der heart was broken and He wept.
His tears were not for Himself, but
for the people who had rejected
Him. We are told that the word
used "for weeping here does not
mean merely tears" but ''rath-.
er the heaving of the bosom, and
the sob and cry of a soul in agony"
(Morgan).
That is how He feels about you
who reject His authority today, for
the city Of Jerusalem represented the
attitude of all unbelieving humanity.
He loves you, sinner, and weeps
over your rejection Of Him; but just
as He ultimately had to reject the
city because it rejected Him, He will
have to condemn you in your sin if
you continue to reject Him. Why
do it?
II. Authority Asserted wv. As, 46).
The act Of Jesus in cleansing the
temple was very bold, for He held no
position in the temple and He had no
police powers. Only a man with a
disordered mind or in a frenzy of
anger would assume such authority
if it did not belong to him. This
means that Jesus acting as He did
here, quietly, deliberately, and in
telligently, was declaring by His
deed that the one whose authority is
above and back of all human author
ity had come to cleanse His Fathers
house.
It is a striking scene. Let us see
in it all the gracious majesty, pow
er and authority of the Son of God,
our Saviour and Lord.
III. Authority Accepted WV. At,
49,.
The people ''were very attentive"
or more effectively, as in the Re-
vised Version, they "all hung upon
him." How remarkable it is that
''the common people heard him
gladly" mark 12:3O, while the
learned leaders, both in religious
and political circles, hated and re-
jected Him.
That situation has continued
throughout the centuries. Let us not
be disturbed or confused by the fact
that SO many leading" men and
women (thank God, not all of them,
by any means) reject or question
the claims of Christ. 1t is the very
thing we ought to expect.
Young people, be not at all dis
turbed by that supposedly conclu-
sive statement, scholarship is
agreed" for usually it proves to be
wrong. Don't be surprised if some
leading novelist, or tycoon of the
business world, is not follower of
Christ.
Meet Jesus yourself and you will
learn to love Him and want to serve
Him. Get the balanced judgment
of "the common people" who have
really met the Lord, and you will
find the right way-God's way.
Nv. Authority Defended (20:1-8).
Humanity speaking, the priests and
scribes were right when they chal-
lenged Christ. He had no official
position which justified His acts and
His words. But note carefully that
the very fact that He, in return for
their ''Tell us" replied, "Tell me-"
indicates that the human authority
which had a right to challenge 9TH
er human authority had now met
the One who is ''the head of all
principally and power" He had
supreme right to say, Before l an
swer you, tell me-"
We are apt to regard the answer
of Jesus to their question as a skill
ful evasion of a difficult situation,
but it was far more than that. If
they had replied honestly to His
question regarding John, and adj
mitted that His authority was from
heaven, Jesus would probably have
said, "Then what did he say of me?"
He would have reminded them of
the statement of John that he was
not worthy to loose the latchet of
His shoes, of his prophecy of the
judgment to come, of the baptism
of fire (see Luke 3;16-17, of the day
when John called Him "the Lamb of
God, which taketh away the sin of
the world John 1920.
Here was proof concerning His au-
thority, but they did not dare to ask
for it because they did not want it.
You too, reader, if you have ques-
tons regarding the claim of Christ
to authority over your life may have
a satisfying answer, but only if you
honestly want it and will receive
it with open mind and heart.