NOTES for Mar 11:27-33

Answering a question with a question is entirely in the Jewish spirit. But Jesus never does anything by accident, and of course He answers a question with a question neither to win an argument nor in order to avoid answering (when He did not consider it necessary to answer, He usually simply remained silent). The counterquestion clearly has a purpose. But what is it? The question itself concerns a burning issue: John, his preaching, the washings (“baptisms”) he performed, and his very death as a righteous martyr were on everyone's lips. It is no surprise that the people considered him a prophet, a man of God.

But perhaps the point lies neither in the question Jesus asked nor even in the answer His questioners give Him. It lies in how they answer. Their main purpose is not to seek the truth, nor even to give an answer as such, but to protect their own authority and personal safety.

The situation is typical, for dialogue with Him is still conducted in much the same way. We often ask Him a question, receive no answer, and wonder why. He in turn asks us a question whose answer is often obvious, and watches to see what matters to us: He Himself, God, the truth, or our personal well-being. If our well-being comes first, He does not answer. Not because He condemns and rejects us, but because any further conversation has lost all meaning.