"By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?" (Mark 11:28)
The question of the high priest, the scribe and the elder, the representative of three parties in Sanhedrin was two.
First, “By what authority are you doing these things?” ‘these thing’ might mean narrowly a temple cleaning incident and widely the entire things that Jesus had done in his official life. Considering this question only they seemed did not bother about Jesus’ activity itself. They asked about his authority to do these things, which was his qualification. It meant, “You are not a priest, a scribe and an elder then by what qualification do you teach people, heal the diseases and argue the rights and wrong of the merchandizing activities in the temple?”
Second, “And who gave you authority to do this?” It was a resource of his authority. Jesus didn’t receive a regular Rabbi education. They knew it. Despite knowing this point they questioned such question to Jesus in order to corner Jesus. The fact Jesus was acquitted of the sin of blasphemy later already predicted in such question.
It is no exaggeration to say that Jesus was crucified on the cross by a religious authority. Considering the essence of religion the religious leaders should try to save life. However, they killed the one who strived for saving life. This fact is related to not merely religious matter but the entire human history. The authority often used violence to others.
Of course we cannot flatly reject authority. The authority as a teacher, a doctor and a conductor is compulsory. The problem will be authoritarianism. Authority is the power internally given but authoritarianism is the power externally made. Authority is a volunteering power but authoritarianism is oppressing power. Those who do not have authority eventually take the way of authoritarianism.
The question of the high priest, the scribe and the elder, the representative of three parties in Sanhedrin was two.
First, “By what authority are you doing these things?” ‘these thing’ might mean narrowly a temple cleaning incident and widely the entire things that Jesus had done in his official life. Considering this question only they seemed did not bother about Jesus’ activity itself. They asked about his authority to do these things, which was his qualification. It meant, “You are not a priest, a scribe and an elder then by what qualification do you teach people, heal the diseases and argue the rights and wrong of the merchandizing activities in the temple?”
Second, “And who gave you authority to do this?” It was a resource of his authority. Jesus didn’t receive a regular Rabbi education. They knew it. Despite knowing this point they questioned such question to Jesus in order to corner Jesus. The fact Jesus was acquitted of the sin of blasphemy later already predicted in such question.
It is no exaggeration to say that Jesus was crucified on the cross by a religious authority. Considering the essence of religion the religious leaders should try to save life. However, they killed the one who strived for saving life. This fact is related to not merely religious matter but the entire human history. The authority often used violence to others.
Of course we cannot flatly reject authority. The authority as a teacher, a doctor and a conductor is compulsory. The problem will be authoritarianism. Authority is the power internally given but authoritarianism is the power externally made. Authority is a volunteering power but authoritarianism is oppressing power. Those who do not have authority eventually take the way of authoritarianism.
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