Our Lord and Saviour knew that the "religious leaders" and other "educated" supposed-"teachers" of His day were more aligned with their manmade doctrines than with Scripture. He exposed their hypocrisy. In Matthew 23:2-3, Jesus taught, "The ((typical)) scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; BUT do NOT ye after their works: for they say, and do not ((what they say to do))."

In Matthew 15:1-9, Jesus proved that they were more concerned with their doctrinal traditions than with the Scripture. When they asked Jesus (in verse 2), ""Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?" Jesus responded with a question back at them. "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" Indeed, Scripture must ALWAYS be greater than any tradition or manmade doctrine.

Of course, such an ability of our Lord to TRULY teach the TRUTH created vast astonishment. Mark 1:22: "And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the ((typical)) scribes." We see this also in Matthew 7:28b-29: "((T))he people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the ((typical)) scribes." That is, Jesus taught with greater precision and TRUTH than those who had been "educated" in the doctrines for years and years. Of course, the Spirit of God needs no such "education" to so accurately teach. Alleluia! Indeed, we see why in John 7:15-16: "And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will DO his will, he shall know of the doctrine..." Praise the LORD! Jesus was showing that, just because so-called "religious leaders" are supposedly "educated", if they do not DO God's will, they obviously must not and do not know the TRUE doctrine of the LORD. Conversely, if one DOES the Will of God, he will know the LORD's TRUE doctrine. Alleluia!

Because Christ Jesus so astonished them, the "educated" "leaders" sought to find out where Jesus had obtained such knowledge and "authority" ---thinking that such could only come from years of much learning. We have an account of this both in Luke 20:1-8 and Mark 11:27-33. The account is also given to us in Matthew 21:23-27:

"And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. "The baptism of John, whence ((i.e., from where)) was it? from heaven, or of men?

"And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell.

"And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things."

Indeed, our Lord and Saviour set yet another example to be followed. (He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.) He again used his answer-questions-with-a-question technique. He also showed that the children of the world do not need to be told everything because they will not receive TRUTH anyway!

© June 4, 1995, The Standard Bearer
P.O. Box 765, O.O.B., ME 04064

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