control bias and over-thinking

I want to dislike the Jewish religious leaders, but honestly I see too much of us in them.

This morning I read Luke 20, and was immediately struck by this interchange between the teachers of the law and chief priests and Jesus, recorded in verses 2-8: 

“‘Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,’ they said. ‘Who gave you this authority?’

“He replied, ‘I will also ask you a question. Tell me: John’s baptism —was it from heaven, or of human origin?’

“They discussed it among themselves and said, ‘If we say, “From heaven,” he will ask, “Why didn’t you believe him?” But if we say, “Of human origin,” all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.’

“So they answered, ‘We don’t know where it was from.’

“Jesus said, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.’”

Isn’t this a classic case of control bias (favoring courses of action that keep us in control) and over-thinking? Expecting an honest answer from Jesus, they carefully calculate all the potential outcomes of their own response; instead of instinctive honesty they dissemble and as a result compromise both themselves and their opportunity of being answered by Jesus.

More than that, their suspicion may have caused them to miss a clear hint, Jesus’ help in getting them to see the truth. One way of reading this passage is that Jesus wasn’t ready to tell them on whose authority he was acting; it wasn’t time yet, so he used a trick he knew would derail them. 

This morning I’m inclined to think that the two questions, the one they asked Jesus and the one Jesus asked them, are related. That a discerning answer regarding the heavenly origin of John’s baptism would shed light on the question of Jesus’ authority. Those two things were linked in prophecy for centuries before they were fulfilled in fact with the birth of these two men.

Finding that link, predicted through prophecy and forged hard in the desert, would have gone a long way toward enabling these religious leaders to see God at work. But their inward focus and  attention to power plays blinded them to the amazing, glorious reality that they were privileged to witness.

Do we sometimes miss God at work because we’re too focused on the impacts on our petty church politics or family dynamics? Can our control bias and over-thinking cause us to be left behind as Jesus moves ahead? 

I think they could. I pray we won’t let them.