'Who do you think you are?' - Weekly reflection 27th September 2026

 The Church had appointed a new minister and were looking forward to hearing her preach for the first time.

The sermon was delivered with a clear injunction at the end for some sort of action to be taken.

Next week the Minister preached the same sermon and again with the call for action. This continued for another two weeks. Eventually the Churchwardens approached the minister and said, we like what you are doing, but we have noticed you have preached the same sermon four times now.  Yes, the Minister replied, and when you have acted on that one I will give you another one!

A couple of weeks ago I went along to a J. John Preachers Session. He offered us twelve words all beginning with C. (I can send you a copy of them if you would like to see all twelve along with the many aphorisms he used to expand each word)

The final one was, Commission. He said, 'don’t take people on a journey and leave them at a roundabout without direction.' Adding, ‘the sermon doesn’t end when the preacher stops talking, but when the people stop walking.’

For those who follow the RCL the Gospel reading set for this morning was Matthew 21.23-32.

There is a question put to Jesus by the ‘authorities’ in the Temple asking what authority Jesus had to do the things he was doing. (He had for a moment stopped the functioning of the Temple by chasing people out and overturning tables. 

(He also called the blind and lame into the Temple and healed them. The intriguing link here is with David taking the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites – see 2 Samuel 5. 6-8, especially verse 8, ^“On that day,” David said, “whoever attacks the Jebusites should strike the windpipe because David hates the lame and the blind.” That is why people say, “The blind and the lame will not enter the temple.”)

Jesus then goes onto to tell a parable of two sons, not the one of ‘prodigal fame’ but having some echoes.

This parable is a key to understanding Jesus' view of ‘authority’ and what he saw as his vocation.  

Having been asked about his authority to do ‘these things’ Jesus answers with a question of his own. Much like a politician might do today in trying to deflect the question. However Jesus is not trying to deflect the question but to help the Leaders answer it for themselves.

Jesus references the ministry of John the Baptist, where had John got his authority to call people to repentance, was it from heaven or from human origin.  They find they are unable to answer directly and either ascribe John’s ministry to  being mandated by God or coming from human design. The answer is of course, both. John was appointed by God from birth and began his ministry being called of God to be herald of the coming Messiah. And yet, John, unlike Jesus, is conceived and born and brought up in the natural order of things.  This is 'incarnation' of a kind, God working through a defined human agent.  

And then onto the parable and the key phrase is in verse 29 (Matthew 21)

Having been asked to go and work in the vineyard the first son said no, (an absolute scandal to go against the ‘authority’ of a father!) – but then, ‘he changed his mind.’

That’s repentance, a change of heart and mind, that is the call of John the Baptizer. And more than a mere change of heart and mind but a change of direction. John challenges people to change their behaviour, not to merely talk the talk but to walk the walk.

Jesus picks this up and goes further in this message.

“Not all who say, Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father.” Matthew 7.21

To ram home the point Jesus says, ^32 “For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”

This leaves us with a powerful cautionary story. The Chief Priest and the Elders said to Jesus, ‘Who do you think you are?’ (hear that with an accusatory voice) – Jesus’s response, ‘Who do you think you are?’

Then hear that question put to us – ‘who do you think you are?’

May we say along with Paul, “So I am not the one living now—it is Christ living in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God. He is the one who loved me and gave himself to save me.”  Galatians 2.20.

Or, as in the words of a contemporary worship song, 'I'm no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God.'  https://youtu.be/f8TkUMJtK5k?si=JP_LC40vfjRPmKaq

How might living into that truth direct the course of your life, moment by moment, day by day and month upon month - for all of your days?