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Explanation for:
Matthew
21
:
27
And answering Jesus, they said: We know not. He also said to them: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
13
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Moreover, when the Jews responded deceitfully with, \\"We do not know,\\" Christ chose not to reply with, \\"I do not know either,\\" but instead declared, \\"Nor will I inform you.\\" If they had genuinely been unaware, it would have been appropriate for Him to instruct them; however, due to their malicious intent, Christ justly refrains from providing any answer. \\n\\n*****\\n\\nSee Matthew 21:23."},{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Through their response of ignorance, they uttered a falsehood. The Lord's reply could have mirrored theirs: \\"And I do not know.\\" However, since Truth cannot lie, He instead declared, \\"And I will not tell you.\\" In this manner, He revealed that they are aware yet unwilling to respond, while He remains silent because they refuse to acknowledge what they truly know. Following this, He shares a parable that serves as a rebuke to them, illustrating that the kingdom of God will be extended to the Gentiles."},{"author-name":"Anonymous Commentary (Opus Imperfectum)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":4,"exegesis-text":"He did not express, “And I do not know.” It was as though He conveyed, “You are aware because you are human, yet you reject this knowledge due to your evil nature; I understand because I am divine, but I will withhold it from you since you are unworthy. Deceivers, lacking an audience to mislead, will deceive themselves. Similarly, truth, if it has no one to redeem, will not endure suffering.”"},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"They required instruction on the divine origin of baptism and the divine mission of John; however, in order to avoid criticism and not appear as if they lacked faith, they hid the truth. Thus, Christ declares, ‘And I will not tell you what you desire to know, not because I hide the truth as you do, but because I deem you unworthy of an answer, as you act deceitfully.’"},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"How does Christ, who embodies Wisdom, respond to them? He ensnares the cunning in their own schemes. Similarly, He inquires about John, so that if they declare, \\"John's message was divine,\\" He can hold them accountable for opposing God by not accepting it. Conversely, if they assert, \\"It was of human origin,\\" He risks provoking the wrath of the people, who revered John as a prophet. Through this interaction, the Lord instructs us on the importance of answering questions without malice. Christ refrained from responding to the deceptive inquiries of the Jews, even though He could have easily provided a clear answer. From His example, we learn the value of humility; although the Lord possessed the authority to clarify His actions, He chose silence to avoid the appearance of self-promotion."},{"author-name":"Theophan the Recluse","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8983a6e0f4c3aecaae3fc_Theophan%20the%20Recluse.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":19,"exegesis-text":"When the Lord inquired about John the Baptist, the bishops and elders realized that regardless of their response, they would face unfavorable consequences. Consequently, they opted to feign ignorance. Their vested interests silenced them and prevented them from proclaiming the truth. Had they cherished the truth more than their own desires, their discourse and motivations would have differed significantly. Self-serving intentions obscure the truth, hindering it from penetrating the heart and stifling the development of genuine conviction, leading to indifference. This pattern remains constant: selfish pursuits are the primary adversaries of truth, followed by various other challenges that arise through their means. By examining the origins of all deceptions and heresies, we unearth self-interest as the root cause. In theory, the truth stands as the truth, yet in practice, it is obstructed in various ways, necessitating its replacement with a more convenient falsehood. For instance, materialists and nihilists reject the concept of God as Creator, Sustainer, and Judge, along with the notion of the soul's spirituality, as it restricts their pursuit of indulgence; thus, they discard it. The absurdity of their rationale reveals that they are not guided by truth, as their assertions rest on flimsy foundations. They desire things to align with their beliefs, and any thought echoing their views is accepted by them as evidence of truth. If they were to reflect honestly, they would quickly recognize their fallacies. However, due to their self-pity, they choose to remain in their current state."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"As they concealed their anger, they responded to Jesus, \\"We do not know the origin of John's baptism; our Sanhedrin has not yet reached a conclusion on this matter.\\" How humiliated and ashamed the haughty members of the Sanhedrin must have felt! They, the pledged interpreters of Holy Scripture and esteemed teachers of the people, were now forced to publicly admit their incompetence in recognizing the honor due to the prophets, all while debating the identity of Jesus. This experience must have been an unforgivable and unforgettable disgrace. Nevertheless, they managed to carry this national shame with a semblance of dignity. The question they aimed to use against the Lord ended up reflecting poorly on them, leaving them in an uncomfortable state of embarrassment and shame. In His compassion, Jesus chose not to interrogate them further, yet He deemed it unnecessary to respond to their inquiry. Instead, He stated, \\"And I WILL NOT TELL YOU BY WHICH POWER I AM DOING THIS.\\" Their deceitfulness rendered them unworthy of a reply. The Lord did not say He did not know but rather that He would not disclose the answer, for righteousness cannot speak falsely."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"I will inquire of you one matter: rather than addressing their malicious inquiry directly, the Lord skillfully ensnares those who aimed to entrap Him with their words. They had the opportunity to understand the authority under which He operated, yet they chose ignorance. By guiding them to reflect on John the Baptist, the Lord forced them to acknowledge their own dishonesty. The ministry of Jesus was an extension of John’s, both deriving from the same divine Source. The Lord posed the question, “Where was John's baptism from?” This inquiry encapsulated the essence of John’s entire mission as God’s messenger, prophet, teacher, and forerunner of Christ. The pivotal issue was, “Was John divinely appointed for his ministry, or was he merely a man who falsely claimed to be a messenger from God, thus misleading the people?” The challengers found themselves in a clear predicament. They were confronted with the implication of their failure to believe him, given that John had consistently and unequivocally testified about Jesus being the Messiah. Their response stemmed from their fear of public opinion: “We fear the people.” This illustrates the corruption within their hearts; they neglected God at every turn, prioritizing human approval instead. Even their concern for John was rooted in the opinions of the crowd rather than a recognition of his holiness, while their unwillingness to believe in Jesus Christ marked the root of their troubles (Chrysostom). They replied, “We do not know,” an evident deception; they were aware but chose not to admit it. Consequently, the Lord refrained from responding to their initial inquiry regarding His authority, for it was evident to both the questioners and the rest what His authority was through His question. “And I will not tell you,” declared the Lord—not because He lacked knowledge, but because He would not divulge it, “for the truth cannot speak unrighteously” (Jer.)."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"It is more appropriate to acknowledge our ignorance, to which they responded, 'We do not know the source of this.' With this reply, the Sanhedrin openly admitted its inability to assess the prophets or provide the people with direction regarding them. If it is unable to evaluate the prophets, it is even less capable of assessing the Messiah. 'And I will not disclose the authority by which I act,' Jesus responded to them."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Consequently, the religious leaders of Israel found themselves in the embarrassing position of declaring, “We do not know.” This response from those tasked with studying and elucidating the law and faith was a profound disgrace, particularly since it was made in front of a large crowd. Yet, in His boundless mercy, Christ chose not to press them for further answers but simply responded, “And I will not tell you by what authority I do this,” and thereafter continued to teach the people."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"At that moment, the adversaries of Christ, harboring ill intentions within, chose to admit their uncertainty, declaring, ‘We do not know from where.’ The Lord Jesus replied, ‘Neither do I tell you by what authority I perform these works.’ By referencing the ministry of John, all that was needed to challenge the Sanhedrin was expressed; this group first failed to acknowledge the Lord's Forerunner and subsequently denied the Messiah Himself."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"When Jesus Christ entered the temple on Tuesday and began teaching, His discussions with the crowd were interrupted by the chief priests and the scribes. They approached Him as representatives from the Sanhedrin, much like a previous delegation sent to John the Baptist (John 1:19, etc.), and inquired about the source of His authority—was it of divine origin or merely human? They wanted to know who had conferred this authority upon Him and by what means He had assumed this role. In response, Christ posed a question of His own: Was John the Baptist a prophet or a deceiver? Since it was evident that John was indeed a prophet sent by God, Christ's question offered a clear, albeit indirect, response regarding His own identity, as John had testified about Jesus being the Messiah. The chief priests and scribes recognized this implication, which is why they refrained from answering affirmatively. However, they feared responding negatively, as they were aware that the crowd revered John as a prophet. Thus, they replied, \\"We do not know.\\" In turn, Christ chose not to provide a direct answer to their inquiry."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Sanhedrin, having already resolved to sentence Him to death, aimed to create an illusion of justice and sought a pretext to accuse Him on either religious or political grounds. They wished to derive something from His words that could charge Him with ecclesiastical misconduct or imply suspicious political views. When they encountered the Lord again in the temple, they immediately posed a question through their members: By what authority does He perform such deeds? This inquiry likely pertained not only to His actions in the temple but encompassed all that He undertook as the Messiah. The Lord discerned their hidden intentions and, rather than respond directly, turned the question back to them, challenging their deceptive agenda. Who granted John the authority to act in this manner? Was his calling merely of human origin or was it Divine? If they had claimed the latter, they would have feared the unfavorable inferences drawn by those in their midst. However, they were equally cautious to refute it, knowing it could rally the common people, who revered John as a prophet, against them. Thus, they opted for a vague reply: ‘We do not know,’ prompting the Lord to respond to their inquiry with the same ambiguity. Had they answered truthfully, it could have led them, in one way or another, to the resolution of the very question they posed."}]}
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