This past Sunday, the Bible reading that I focused on in preaching to the congregation here was from Mark 1:21-28. In there, Jesus teaches at a synagogue, and the people are amazed at the authority that He demonstrates as He teaches. He then backs up that authority by driving out an unclean spirit. And that word "authority" really got me thinking.
How do you define authority? A lot of the time, I believe we tend to confuse it with power. Now, the two are connected. You have authority because you have power (which is the ability to do something), but you also have responsibility for that power. Maybe an example will help.
For those of you who travel in a car early in the morning during the school year, one thing you probably encounter are school crossings. Flashing lights, crosswalk guards, and stop signs. When the lights are flashing, the guard has the authority to make you stop your car while kids are in the crosswalk.
However, if I grab a stop sign and try to do the same, I may have the power to make a few cars stop, but a policeman would probably give me a ticket for doing that. Why? Because I don't have the authority, or responsibility, to do that. Sure, my sign might get a few people to stop, but that's not what I'm supposed to do. A few designated people are assigned that authority, at specific times, and in specific locations.
Jesus has not only power, but authority. And yet, I am constantly amazed at how He asserts His authority. He doesn't go around telling people to do what He says simply because He says so, or because He has the power to make them do it. Instead, Jesus serves, and in serving, what we find is that we recognize His authority over us. We willingly follow Him, not because He has commanded us to do so, but because we see His care, concern, and compassion toward us, and willingly follow Him. We put ourselves under His authority willingly because of what He has done for us, and not because He insists that He is the God of the universe, who has the authority to judge us and command us what to do.
Imagine what that kind of authority would be like in your life. What if you served others in such a way that they willingly listened to you and followed your lead? I believe that's the kind of authority that God desires for His people to practice in this world.
How do you define authority? A lot of the time, I believe we tend to confuse it with power. Now, the two are connected. You have authority because you have power (which is the ability to do something), but you also have responsibility for that power. Maybe an example will help.
For those of you who travel in a car early in the morning during the school year, one thing you probably encounter are school crossings. Flashing lights, crosswalk guards, and stop signs. When the lights are flashing, the guard has the authority to make you stop your car while kids are in the crosswalk.
However, if I grab a stop sign and try to do the same, I may have the power to make a few cars stop, but a policeman would probably give me a ticket for doing that. Why? Because I don't have the authority, or responsibility, to do that. Sure, my sign might get a few people to stop, but that's not what I'm supposed to do. A few designated people are assigned that authority, at specific times, and in specific locations.
Jesus has not only power, but authority. And yet, I am constantly amazed at how He asserts His authority. He doesn't go around telling people to do what He says simply because He says so, or because He has the power to make them do it. Instead, Jesus serves, and in serving, what we find is that we recognize His authority over us. We willingly follow Him, not because He has commanded us to do so, but because we see His care, concern, and compassion toward us, and willingly follow Him. We put ourselves under His authority willingly because of what He has done for us, and not because He insists that He is the God of the universe, who has the authority to judge us and command us what to do.
Imagine what that kind of authority would be like in your life. What if you served others in such a way that they willingly listened to you and followed your lead? I believe that's the kind of authority that God desires for His people to practice in this world.
I have often wondered if the words "Authority" and "Author" are connected. I like to think that one of the reasons God has authority over us is because he has authorship of us (both our creation in general and our faith)
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