Gospel in Art: The chief priests and elders asked questions

Question Mark. Light installation at l'église St Paul, Paris. 2007 © Studio Robert Stadler

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 12 December 2022
Matthew 21:23-27

Jesus had gone into the Temple and was teaching, when the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him and said, 'What authority have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?' 'And I' replied Jesus 'will ask you a question, only one; if you tell me the answer to it, I will then tell you my authority for acting like this. John's baptism: where did it come from: heaven or man?' And they argued it out this way among themselves, 'If we say from heaven, he will retort, "Then why did you refuse to believe him?"; but if we say from man, we have the people to fear, for they all hold that John was a prophet.' So their reply to Jesus was, 'We do not know.' And he retorted, 'Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.'

Reflection on the Light Installation

The real question the chief priests and the elders of the people were asking was: Jesus, are you really the Messiah? They asked Jesus this question in an indirect way. How annoying… they should have just come out with the question and ask Jesus out straight! Anyway, the question is also directed at us, especially in this time of Advent: do we really believe that Christ whose birth we will celebrate in 13 days' time is truly the Messiah? This is the central question of our Christian faith.

But questions are good, as they help us to grow while we are seeking answers. We would be lazy disciples and learners if we were never to ask any questions. Asking questions not only helps us to find answers, but also helps us to remember those answers. If we just accept everything without question, we would forget most of what we learn. But if we struggle to find the answers or even never get the full answers, then the effort of searching itself makes us grow so much already.

In our reading, we see Jesus not engaging with the questions he is being asked, as the question wasn't properly put to him. He always wants us to be straight with him. He doesn't engage in futile discussions, so a genuine openness and directness is needed when we ask questions. Our artwork was an installation done by Robert Stadler at l'église Saint Paul (Quartier du Marais) in Paris, as part of an all-night light festival in 2007. Illuminated balloons made up a question mark in the nave of the church... asking questions inside the church space.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/

Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-21-23-27-2022/