Every once in a while, we hear of people putting their foot in their mouth by trying to act smart and end up saying something foolish or stupid. When we are so full of ourselves, when we think we know it all, when we look down at others, we may sometimes try to show off our so-called superiority, only to be shot down or humbled, especially when we are cornered with a response which we are unable to counter. Some are even so thick-skinned that even when they have been proven wrong, their minds have been so conditioned to think that they are still right and everyone else is wrong, no matter how silly or absurd their arguments may be.
Today’s Gospel gives us an example of some people who have put their foot in their mouth. These people who are known as the chief priests and elders of the people knew very well who Jesus was and also who John the Baptist was, but they were unable and unwilling to admit and change their ways. Instead, they had the gall to ask Jesus: “What authority have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?” As a result, Jesus shot back a question to them which left them cornered and unable to answer. They knew what the answer was, since they could still “argue it out this way among themselves”, but pride had infested into them and they were stubbornly refusing to admit the truth.
In some cases, we too may have inadvertently put our foot in our mouth, especially when we lack humility and a willingness to admit our mistakes. At the end, we may only cause ourselves to look foolish, and we may even lose our status or credibility. Are we willing and able to walk humbly before our God, and let Him change our lives, our behaviour and our attitudes, or are we still stubborn and adamant in remaining as we are?