In Mark 11:27-33 Jesus begins a series of disputes with the religious leaders in the temple. This first dispute is initiated by the Chief priests and Scribes who demand to know where Jesus' received His authority to cast out their money changers. Jesus counters with a question regarding John the Baptist's authority. Jesus asked, "was it from heaven or from man?" The religious leaders' true colors showed through as they failed to answer. Their failure to acknowledge that John's baptism was from God insured that they would not accept the word of God grounded in the writings of the prophets as the final authority. We must learn from this that we cannot elevate the authority of anything in this world above the authority of Scripture to determine who God is or what He requires of us.

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