authority
Notes
Transcript
Opening Prayer pg 23
Earlier in Matthew’s gospel, starting in chapter 5, Jesus teaches a great crowd of people what we have come to know as the Sermon on the Mount. He tells them what it means to be blessed - how the meek will inherit the earth, the pure of heart shall see God and to the persecuted belongs the Kingdom of God.
He teaches them that they are to be salt and light in this world. And to the surprise of many, I am sure, he claims to fulfill all of the law and the sayings of the prophets.
He teaches on anger, lust, divorce, the making of oaths, not retaliating when wronged - trust God to handle wrongs. Love your enemies.
He teaches how to pray and to not to be anxious.
Don’t judge and live by the Golden Rule.
Wrapping up his sermon, he warns the crowds that not everyone who calls him Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those that do the will of the Father. In fact, he claims that he is the one who will determine who enters and who is thrown out.
When he was done speaking, we are told:
And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Jesus taught as one with authority. He wasn’t reading from a manuscript, he wasn’t reporting what others had said, He spoke with authority.
Authority is defined several ways.
1. power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior
2. he power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.
On Wednesday, my family drove down to North Carolina for a quick visit with my son since he is leaving soon for 29 Palms. On the way down, as I was approaching the NC border, making pretty good time I might add, when I passed by a speed trap. As I looked in the rear view mirror, I saw the officer pull his car onto the road and Krista said “he got you” - I love when she offers obvious information. Now why would I stop for him - why not just wave and keep on heading south? Because I recognize his authority.
He has the car, he has the badge, and I know he has that authority of that county to enforce speeding laws. And so I pulled over - way over - to make sure he had room to walk up to the truck safely. As a side note, he showed grace and just gave me a verbal warning - I wasn’t going that fast (at least at that moment.)
Another illustration of authority. When I took my language requirements in seminary, my instructor for Biblical Greek was an authority on that subject. Not only was he fluent in Greek, he was an expert in ancient Greek, Roman and Jewish culture and was able to open up the rich meaning found in the original languages that is not always immediately obvious in English translations. His authority in his field of expertise gave me the assurance that what I was learning was true.
Jesus, by his very nature, commanded authority by those whose ears and eyes were open to it.
And as we know, this is part and partial to the fact that his actions backed up his words.
Another example is found in
And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
It was obvious to the crowds that Jesus’ authority came from God. Who could do the things he did if God did not allow it to be?
Now in our passage today, we find the chief priest and elders in Jerusalem questioning his authority.
It is important to look at what had occurred prior to their questioning him. This happens at the start of Jesus’ Passion week - by the end of this week he would be hanging on the cross. But you probably remember how the week begins. Jesus is riding into town on a donkey and the people are throwing their coats on the ground before him, waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna!” Treating him as royalty - as the coming Messiah.
He then enters the Temple and, seeing the money racket that had been allowed to set up shop - he starts flipping tables and driving out the money changers.
He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
These actions are what the chief priests and elders are likely responding to.
the following day they ask him “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”
In other words, “who do you think you are, what right do you have to act this way?”
Remember, Jesus did not go the formal, accepted route of becoming a Rabbi. He did not go to seminary, he did sit under respected teachers, he did not have a diploma on his wall.
He came from a backwater town and up until the age of 30, worked as a carpenter.
What authority would Jesus have to do what he was doing?
They really did not want to know about his authority. They wanted to trap him.
If he said his authority was given by God - then they would have declared him guilty of blasphemy and arrested him on the spot. If he claimed his authority was self-derived - they could dismiss him as being sorely mistaken.
Instead, Jesus skillfully turns the table back on them. I have a question for you - you answer mine, I will answer yours.
Where did John the Baptist get his authority to baptize - from heaven or from humans?
They couldn’t answer. They were not going to acknowledge John was a prophet sent by God - because the follow up would have been “why did you not listen to him?” and they could not say John’s authority came from humans, because most of the people around them, pilgrims arriving in Jerusalem for Passover, believed he was a prophet.
They sheepily responded “we don’t know.”
The religious leaders did not listen to John’s message of repentance - so why would they listen to Jesus’ message of belief.
The question before us is this:
Do you recognize Jesus’ authority in your life?
Jesus did not answer the question posed by the chief priest and elders, but he did follow up with the crowd, and with the chief priest and elders still present and listening, with the following parable.
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
John came with authority and called people to repent. The tax collectors and prostitutes were like first son, they would not do the work of the father, but then changed their minds. The religious leaders where like the second son, they talked the talked as one who lives to please the Father, but in rejected the message and did not change.
So again, Do you recognize Jesus’ authority in your life?
Are you a listener only, or do you apply his teachings to your life?
So often we find, even within church leadership, that the authority of Christ is rejected. Many choose to determine for themselves what parts of their lives Jesus is Lord and what parts are off limits.
God declared very clearly Jesus’ authority at his baptism.
and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Closing prayer 25
