Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me." They argued with one another, "What should we say? If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But shall we say, 'Of human origin'?"— they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet.
˜ Mark 11:29-32
I don't know about you, but if I got angry and demolished the whole system of sacrifices and money-changing at the temple, I would not go back there ever again. But Jesus goes right back the next day. The elders challenge him, asking by what authority he was doing such things. Instead of saying "OK, guys, I'm really sorry. I lost my temper. I'll pay for the things I destroyed," he asks them a question that completely confounds them: "Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" In their fear of further antagonizing the crowd, which regarded John as a prophet, the elders simply reply that they do not know. Jesus says, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."
This is an extraordinary moment in which Jesus could have saved his own life by cooperating with the authorities. Instead, he continues on the path to suffering and death by further incriminating himself. As a good Jew, he knows full well that the punishment for claiming to be God is death. Most of us would let our self-preservation instincts kick in and do everything possible to stay alive, but Jesus knows that his death and resurrection will change the world.
Sometimes in my work, I visit with people who are terminally ill. We often pray together, and patients and their visitors ask me the hard questions. Why can't God save my loved one? Why is this part of God's plan? The only thing I can answer is "because death doesn't mean the same thing to God that it means to us," and this is true. In our earthly life, we try to stave off aging and death because both are too frightening for some of us to face. And yet we all age, and we all die. To God, death is a transition into another life.
My favorite part of the funeral liturgy is the preface, "For to your faithful people, O Lord, life is changed, not ended; and when our mortal body lies in death, there is prepared for us a dwelling place eternal in the heavens" (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 382). In Jesus' resurrection, we see that God has power over death. He faces our greatest fear and overcomes it.
Reflect: What were you taught about death when you were growing up? How have your beliefs around death changed?
This Lenten Meditation can be found at Episcopal Relief and Development