Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” 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. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” (Mark 11:27-33, NRSVue)
I wonder this all the time, what is the answer they want to hear to that question?
Not because what someone wants to hear will change my answer. It might change the manner in which I say it or the method I use to deliver it. You see, the truth is the truth even when people do not accept it, or want to hear it.
The religious leaders asked Jesus about his authority when they already knew the answer, and Jesus asked them a question they knew the answer to but also knew that giving that answer would convict them.
Mark Twain’s most famous genuine quote about truth is “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” When you make up stories or answers based on the people or the context you had better be sure you remember everything you say.
That is what is great about being who you are all the time. No need to remember anything.
Be who you are and answer the same way all the time.
Just speak truth. It is always the right thing to say.
