I am aware of the dangers of authority, or perhaps more accurately, of authoritarianism. There is a tremendous danger in rigidity, in rejection of individuality, in rampant conformity.
Religion is frequently associated with authoritarianism. When we read in Luke 4 that the people ‘were amazed at his [Jesus'] teaching, for his message was with authority,” we begin to think of the authoritarian excesses.
But the people listening to Jesus had lives full of authoritarians. Their king was Herod, for goodness sake, and he was a puppet of Rome. Their religious experience was guided by people who were incredibly detailed about rituals and routines and restrictions. They were constantly being told how their lives were to be run.
Somewhere in all this, however, something was lacking. In all of the self-confidence and arrogance and cultural and political demands, there wasn’t anyone with clear authority, anyone who could speak with the calm assurance of the one who is really in charge. Those who are trying to maintain position bluster and threaten and beg and bluff. Those who know that they are in charge don’t need such theatrics. They know what is true and speak what is true and can care and encourage and equip.
And that’s what the authority of Jesus was about. He knew that he was in charge, no matter what other people believed. And everyone who heard was amazed that someone, finally, didn’t just believe what was true, he was what was true.
And that kind of authority doesn’t need to be authoritarian.
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Tags: advent, advent 2007, authority, Jesus
December 16, 2007 at 8:40 pm
thank you agian jon. this ads a lot more depth to someting steve, sara and i were talking about (well more accuratly “steve was teaching us”) was spiritual authority. It does not require a position of power (in the way the world looks at it) it is something given to everyone who bealives because we have been lifted up and seated at the right hand of god with jesus. this of coarse does not give us power to do what we want but it does give us power to accomplish gods work in everthing we do, we just need to listen to god and learn to use, assert, impliment (i think the last one works best) our authority or more accuratly the authority given to by god.