Jesus Taught by Questioning and arguing (Contd):
Quoting Scripture: Even during the cleansing of the temple by driving out all those who misused it, Jesus taught the people asking a question quoting Isaiah 56: 7 and Jeremiah 7: 11. "Then he began to teach them, and said, 'Does not Scripture say, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?" But you have made it a robbers' cave' " (Mark, 11: 17).On hearing what Jesus said about them the Chief priests and the Doctors of the Law wanted to do away with him. However they were incapacitated in executing their intentions because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. This state of mind of the crowd put fear into the minds of the Chief Priests and Doctors of the Law about Jesus who went out of the city when evening came (See Mark, 11: 15-19).
Counter-Questioning: There was an occasion when Jesus put a counter-question to the question posed to him by the chief priests, lawyers and elders. The cleansing of the temple agitated the minds of the authorities to such an extent that they wanted to go to the root of it all. So when Jesus was walking in the temple court at Jerusalem, the chief priests, lawyers and elders approached him and asked him about the source of his authority and the person who gave him the authority to act in the way he had done. Jesus knew that giving them a straight answer would not do any good as they would refuse to understand it either by feigning ignorance or by quoting the Law of Moses. To trap those hypocrites in their own conceits, Jesus had to introduce a non-controversial figure who had never gone anywhere near the temple of Jerusalem. Hence he put a condition for answering their question fulfilling which he would answer their question about his authority. "The baptism of John, was it from God, or from men? Answer me" (Mark, 11: 30). By this question Jesus put the Jewish authorities in a dilemma they could not get out of. They argued among themselves about the two possibilities. They knew that if they said it was from God , immediately he would ask why then did you not believe him. If they said that it was from men, the people would not spare them as they held John to be a prophet. "So they answered, 'We do not know'. and Jesus said to them, 'Then neither will I tell you by what authority I act" (Mark, 11: 33).
Judgment of Israel: At the end of the parable of the vineyard let out to the vine-growers by the owner who goes abroad, Jesus asks a question: "What will the owner of the vineyard do?". The parable describes the tremendous amount of care the owner took to plant, nurture, develop and protect his vineyard. When the season came the owner sent servants one after another to the tenants for his share of the produce. The tenants mistreated all of them, beating some and killing others, instead of parting with the share of the owner. Although frustrated, the owner had one last hope in the respectability of his son whom he thought would be honored by the tenants. But the tenants thought otherwise and planned differently seeing the heir to the estate coming to them. In their perverseness the tenants said to one another that if only they could kill him, the entire property would be theirs. So they seized him and killed him and flung his body out of the vineyard. After narrating this parable Jesus asked the above question to which he himself gave the answer. The answer was a judgment on Israel: "He will come and put the tenants to death and give the vineyard to others" (Mark, 12:9).
God's Ways: In order to teach further the significance of his own mission, Jesus asks another question quoting Scripture. "Can it be that you have never read this text: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the main corner-stone. This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes' "? (Mark, 12: 10-11). Jesus teaches here God's ways of working out our salvation as against our own ways of seeking it. God is impartial and just in His ways and would not mind even rejecting the builders entrusted with the task of building up, if by their acts they actually pull down. The builders must conform themselves to the ways of God and choose the same criterion of selecting the right building blocks. Otherwise the rejected stone would become the corner-stone and the builders themselves would be rejected.
Caesar and God: A second time the Jewish authorities wanted to arrest Jesus as they saw that the parable was aimed at them and yet they had to let Jesus go free because they were afraid of the people. Therefore, to trap Jesus in his own words, the Pharisees joined forces with the men of Herod's party and a delegation from them was sent to Jesus. The delegation was very tactful and used all their charms to praise Jesus without any reservation announcing their conviction that Jesus was an honest man. Not only that, he was of such sterling character, in the opinion of the delegation, that Jesus never cared for anyone however high the person was placed when it came to teaching the way of life God requires. Any lesser mortal would have definitely fallen for their charms reciprocating which in a so-called decent manner would have been the first priority . Jesus already saw through their motives and it was confirmed without any doubt as soon as they put their question to him. "Are we or are we not permitted to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor? Shall we pay or not?" (Mark, 12: 14). It was a very straightforward question the answer to which does not allow any qualification. "Yes" or "No" was the answer they expected. Was it not Jesus himself who taught that we should be satisfied with saying yes or no as anything beyond it comes from the evil one? Either way he would be trapped as a traitor to the Roman Emperor or to his own people. Jesus saw through the craftiness of the question and asked them why they wanted to entrap him. In order to give an answer to their question that would set the stage for all relationships between God and the humans, Jesus asked for a coin that was in daily use among them. On inspecting it he wanted to know whose head and inscription were engraved on it. The delegation was quick in answering that it was Caesar's when Jesus gave his momentous decision that has been accepted ever afterwards as undisputed throughout the world. "Then Jesus said, 'Pay Caesar what is due to Caesar, and pay God what is due to God' " (mark, 12:17). The only reaction of the delegation was to hear him with astonishment.
The Reality of resurrection: After the Pharisees, it was the turn of the sadducees to question Jesus for the purpose of confirming their disbelief in the resurrection of the dead. Jesus demolished their arguments with the aid of Scripture after which a lawyer wanted to know which commandment was the first of all. Both Jesus and the lawyer agreed on the priority of the commandment of loving God without neglecting the love of neighbor. Jesus praised the lawyer as not being far from the Kingdom of God as he noted that loving God and one's neighbor was far more than any burnt offerings or sacrifices (See Mark, 12: 18-34).
The Ultimate Question: As the culmination of his method of teaching and preaching by means of questions and arguments, Jesus asked a question directed against the teachers of the law at a time when no body dared to put a question to him. Jesus wondered aloud when he was teaching in the temple how the teachers of the law could maintain that the Messiah was the "Son of David". He himself gave the reason for his attitude of wondering about it quoting Scripture. "David himself said, when inspired by the Holy Spirit, 'the Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet"! David himself calls him "Lord"; how can he also be David's son?' " (Mark, 12: 36-37). the deeper meaning of the "Messiah" was implied here that was revealed through his death, resurrection, ascension and sitting at the right hand of the Father to those who believed in him. (To be Contd).
Quoting Scripture: Even during the cleansing of the temple by driving out all those who misused it, Jesus taught the people asking a question quoting Isaiah 56: 7 and Jeremiah 7: 11. "Then he began to teach them, and said, 'Does not Scripture say, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?" But you have made it a robbers' cave' " (Mark, 11: 17).On hearing what Jesus said about them the Chief priests and the Doctors of the Law wanted to do away with him. However they were incapacitated in executing their intentions because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. This state of mind of the crowd put fear into the minds of the Chief Priests and Doctors of the Law about Jesus who went out of the city when evening came (See Mark, 11: 15-19).
Counter-Questioning: There was an occasion when Jesus put a counter-question to the question posed to him by the chief priests, lawyers and elders. The cleansing of the temple agitated the minds of the authorities to such an extent that they wanted to go to the root of it all. So when Jesus was walking in the temple court at Jerusalem, the chief priests, lawyers and elders approached him and asked him about the source of his authority and the person who gave him the authority to act in the way he had done. Jesus knew that giving them a straight answer would not do any good as they would refuse to understand it either by feigning ignorance or by quoting the Law of Moses. To trap those hypocrites in their own conceits, Jesus had to introduce a non-controversial figure who had never gone anywhere near the temple of Jerusalem. Hence he put a condition for answering their question fulfilling which he would answer their question about his authority. "The baptism of John, was it from God, or from men? Answer me" (Mark, 11: 30). By this question Jesus put the Jewish authorities in a dilemma they could not get out of. They argued among themselves about the two possibilities. They knew that if they said it was from God , immediately he would ask why then did you not believe him. If they said that it was from men, the people would not spare them as they held John to be a prophet. "So they answered, 'We do not know'. and Jesus said to them, 'Then neither will I tell you by what authority I act" (Mark, 11: 33).
Judgment of Israel: At the end of the parable of the vineyard let out to the vine-growers by the owner who goes abroad, Jesus asks a question: "What will the owner of the vineyard do?". The parable describes the tremendous amount of care the owner took to plant, nurture, develop and protect his vineyard. When the season came the owner sent servants one after another to the tenants for his share of the produce. The tenants mistreated all of them, beating some and killing others, instead of parting with the share of the owner. Although frustrated, the owner had one last hope in the respectability of his son whom he thought would be honored by the tenants. But the tenants thought otherwise and planned differently seeing the heir to the estate coming to them. In their perverseness the tenants said to one another that if only they could kill him, the entire property would be theirs. So they seized him and killed him and flung his body out of the vineyard. After narrating this parable Jesus asked the above question to which he himself gave the answer. The answer was a judgment on Israel: "He will come and put the tenants to death and give the vineyard to others" (Mark, 12:9).
God's Ways: In order to teach further the significance of his own mission, Jesus asks another question quoting Scripture. "Can it be that you have never read this text: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the main corner-stone. This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes' "? (Mark, 12: 10-11). Jesus teaches here God's ways of working out our salvation as against our own ways of seeking it. God is impartial and just in His ways and would not mind even rejecting the builders entrusted with the task of building up, if by their acts they actually pull down. The builders must conform themselves to the ways of God and choose the same criterion of selecting the right building blocks. Otherwise the rejected stone would become the corner-stone and the builders themselves would be rejected.
Caesar and God: A second time the Jewish authorities wanted to arrest Jesus as they saw that the parable was aimed at them and yet they had to let Jesus go free because they were afraid of the people. Therefore, to trap Jesus in his own words, the Pharisees joined forces with the men of Herod's party and a delegation from them was sent to Jesus. The delegation was very tactful and used all their charms to praise Jesus without any reservation announcing their conviction that Jesus was an honest man. Not only that, he was of such sterling character, in the opinion of the delegation, that Jesus never cared for anyone however high the person was placed when it came to teaching the way of life God requires. Any lesser mortal would have definitely fallen for their charms reciprocating which in a so-called decent manner would have been the first priority . Jesus already saw through their motives and it was confirmed without any doubt as soon as they put their question to him. "Are we or are we not permitted to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor? Shall we pay or not?" (Mark, 12: 14). It was a very straightforward question the answer to which does not allow any qualification. "Yes" or "No" was the answer they expected. Was it not Jesus himself who taught that we should be satisfied with saying yes or no as anything beyond it comes from the evil one? Either way he would be trapped as a traitor to the Roman Emperor or to his own people. Jesus saw through the craftiness of the question and asked them why they wanted to entrap him. In order to give an answer to their question that would set the stage for all relationships between God and the humans, Jesus asked for a coin that was in daily use among them. On inspecting it he wanted to know whose head and inscription were engraved on it. The delegation was quick in answering that it was Caesar's when Jesus gave his momentous decision that has been accepted ever afterwards as undisputed throughout the world. "Then Jesus said, 'Pay Caesar what is due to Caesar, and pay God what is due to God' " (mark, 12:17). The only reaction of the delegation was to hear him with astonishment.
The Reality of resurrection: After the Pharisees, it was the turn of the sadducees to question Jesus for the purpose of confirming their disbelief in the resurrection of the dead. Jesus demolished their arguments with the aid of Scripture after which a lawyer wanted to know which commandment was the first of all. Both Jesus and the lawyer agreed on the priority of the commandment of loving God without neglecting the love of neighbor. Jesus praised the lawyer as not being far from the Kingdom of God as he noted that loving God and one's neighbor was far more than any burnt offerings or sacrifices (See Mark, 12: 18-34).
The Ultimate Question: As the culmination of his method of teaching and preaching by means of questions and arguments, Jesus asked a question directed against the teachers of the law at a time when no body dared to put a question to him. Jesus wondered aloud when he was teaching in the temple how the teachers of the law could maintain that the Messiah was the "Son of David". He himself gave the reason for his attitude of wondering about it quoting Scripture. "David himself said, when inspired by the Holy Spirit, 'the Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet"! David himself calls him "Lord"; how can he also be David's son?' " (Mark, 12: 36-37). the deeper meaning of the "Messiah" was implied here that was revealed through his death, resurrection, ascension and sitting at the right hand of the Father to those who believed in him. (To be Contd).
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