October 13, 2021
Now when [Jesus] came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which, if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: “The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” Matthew 21:23-27
A key concept to the dilemma of the chief priests is revealed in these words: And they reasoned among themselves . . . Oh, how often we confer with flesh and blood (Galatians 1:16) when we already know through God’s Word and His Spirit what we ought to be doing. Recognition of the authority of our Lord leads to spiritual growth in revelation of knowledge and understanding. The reverse is also true. Do not allow your spiritual life to shrivel away!
The news of Luther’s appearance before the Diet created an excitement in the air. But Aleander, the papal legate assigned to Luther, was furious. He saw Luther’s appearance as an affrontery to the sovereign authority of the infallible pontiff, as condemnation had already been pronounced! The papal bull declaring Luther’s excommunication along with Aleander’s representations succeeded in convincing Charles to demand a retraction from Luther. Not content with this victory, the legate circulated strong messages of Luther’s “sedition, rebellion, and blasphemy” among the German princes, prelates, lords, knights, and other dignitaries of church and state—because he knew that the laws of Germany would not allow the execution of the pope’s sentence without their vote. In addition, he eloquently cast contempt on any and all followers of Luther, saying: “In Luther’s errors, there is enough to warrant the burning of a hundred thousand heretics. How far superior to them is the Catholic party in number and power!”
Long in training, Aleander went to great lengths to present papal rule in a favorable light. The weapons of “number and power” have been claimed against the Truth in every age. But the Lord moved a secular member of the Diet to speak a very different message regarding the effects of papal tyranny. (To be continued . . .)
Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” Luke 6:26