Mt 21,23-27 – Monday of the Third Week of Advent
“By what authority do you do these things?” this is how today’s Gospel page begins. It is the question that arises when we realize that the presence of Jesus throws our balance into crisisforces our securities to tremble. Ultimately, the men of the temple do not fear Jesus because he does evil, but because he upsets an order that worked for them.
It’s paradoxical: sometimes we prefer a sterile order to a truth that frees us. Jesus doesn’t answer their question because he knows it’s not a real search. It’s a defense. When the heart closes, not even God can convince us. Because of this Jesus turns the tables by asking them about John’s baptism. It’s like saying: “If you have not recognized the truth sown in your heart by the prophets, how can you recognize the truth before you?”.
Their hesitation is ours: they know what to think, but they don’t know what to say. The truth is clear, but it is not convenient according to the logic of this world. And this is where the Gospel becomes a judgment on us too. How many times do we not choose what is right, but what protects us? How many times does the fear of losing the esteem of others prevent us from recognizing the voice of God? “We don’t know.” It is the saddest answer, because it does not arise from ignorance, but from lack of courage. It is the response of those who see the light but prefer to remain in the shadows. Yet, spiritual life grows only when we accept to be reached by the truth, even when it puts us in crisis.
Jesus does not reveal his authority to those who do not desire the truth, because it can only be understood by living it. The authority of Christ is the authority of love: illuminates, heals, frees. But it becomes visible only to those who stop calculating and he begins to trust. Only when we stop defending ourselves, Jesus finally manages to speak to us.
Monday 15 December 2025 – (Monday of the Third Week of Advent)
