By What Authority?
Serm0931 Rev. Scott A. Bradford
Mat 21:23-32
3-20-11 Uvalde 2nd Lent
Comedian George Carlin (of whom I am not a fan, and often think he is either vulgar or brash) once said “I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don’t have as many people who believe it”.(1)
Someone once said “Nothing intoxicates some people like a sip of authority”(1)
Robert Lindner said “Authority has every reason to fear the skeptic, for authority can rarely survive in the face of doubt”(1)
“Authority, from the Latin word auctoritas, means invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command.(2)
Interesting word “Authority”. When Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he quickly drew the attention of the Chief Priest and the Elders, and they came to Jesus and asked him “By what authority are you teaching these things?”
Here is what they may be really asking by our own standards?
• Do you have a proper seminary education?
• Of what school are you credentialed?
• Who asked you to raise your right hand, and gave you the authority?
• Who made you deputy sheriff? Who swore you in?
• Did someone say “By the authority vested in me” and pass on to you some right?
• Who made you deputy dawg?
• Who gave you permission to hold a Bible Study in our courts?
I think it is interesting that our first thought about this text is the very questioning of the authority by the Priest and Elders, in other words “who gave you permission to do this?” but what I think was happening that we sometimes fail to see is that “Jesus was speaking with authority”. And it was this authority that was lacking in the very teaching of the Priest and the Elders and so they questioned it!
Many of you have been in church, or churches for all your life. You have experianced many teachings and sermons from many different Pastor's but the one thing you would recognize is when the Pastor or Teacher is speaking with "Authority", especially when it is filled with the power of God!
They could have said “He speaks with authority!” And then asked “Where do I get some of that?” Instead they want to question the authority of Jesus. The question of where Jesus authority comes from does seem to get answered in the the Gospel of Matthew, but in other places and in other ways:
• Jesus “taught the crowds” with authority (Mat 7:29)(3)
• He had “authority to heal, even at a distance” (Mat 8:9)(3)
• Jesus had “authority to forgive sins” (Mat 9:8)(3)
• “At the climax of the Gospel he declares that God "has given him all authority under heaven and earth", including specifically to teach (Mat 28:18-20)(3)
Interesting enough he then challenges them with a question about where the authority for John’s baptism comes from? A question to which they didn’t want to answer, because if they answered incorrectly, then those listening in might question their authority. “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” The people had accepted John the Baptist as a Prophet, and if a Prophet then of the same authority as Abraham, or Moses, or Elijah!
So unwilling to answer, Jesus turns to a story that is a parable. A parable of two sons. 28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ 29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”
If you will let me re-name this passage “The Parable of the Chief Priest and the Sinner”. Remember it is the Chief priest, the Pharisees and the Leader’s to whom Jesus is talking. They asked him “By What authority do you teach?” And he instead gives them this parable, that he says is about two sons: A Chief priest and a Sinner (or any other believer).
And what he is essentially saying to the Chief Priests is this: You say you are going to serve God, and yet you don’t! You don’t claim the very authority that God has given you. And then along comes a sinner who receives the righteousness of God, and though they once said “I’ won’t go serve” no go and serve and they are the ones who receive the authority.
A friend of mine sent me this story from her son Eric, who currently is in the Navy stationed in San Diego, but has spent a number of years in Japan. Eric received this story from a Japanese friend: “a friend of his in Japan was trying to catch a train heading south but they were in the middle of a 3 hour black out. He would have to wait until the power came back on. So he plopped himself down outside the station to wait.
A homeless man came over to him (one he had passed almost daily at that station) and offered him a piece of his cardboard to help him stay warm while he waited. This man that he had basically ignored all the time, was now reaching out to him to help him by offering a portion of the only thing he had to give.”
Eric, or his mother says: “There are 2 points to this story:
#1 - In Japan, this is a perfect example of what the people are like - sharing and caring for others in any and every situation.
#2 - In America, it doesn't matter what we have or what we own. When all of our earthly possessions are taken away, we will suddenly find ourselves on the same playing field as everyone else.”
And while I don’t disagree with those points, I think story fit right to the heart of what Jesus was saying to the Chief Priest. Who in this story is the one that was doing right? Who in this story was acting with the authority they had been given. I don’t know anything about the first man, but let’s even for the sake of argument make him a business manager, or better yet, make him a Chief Priest. And along comes life’s problems, earth quakes, and blackouts, and commuter trains stalled. And the Priest (no offense to Eric’s friend, who is just part of the story) sits down- helpless!
Nearby, is someone whom we in society who think helpless, or an outcast. And yet the homeless man, the one who said “I won’t go” acts with authority and shares what little he has. And Jesus says to the Chief Priest “Truly I tell you”, (paraphrased) these kind of people “tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”
Not because for most of their life they were great people and truly lived their entire life for God, but at some point and time they discover the power of God over their lives and they not only claim the authority, but they go and live it!
I said a couple of weeks ago about getting ready to turn 50 in 11 months and how that is changing my perspective. Some people have come up to me and said “Scott, don’t be afraid about turning 50!” And I want to clarify. My comments had nothing to do with turning 50 or any fear of my future. My point is simply this, that with whatever days I have left I have this deep yearning to make sure it somehow makes a difference for God!
In other word’s I want it to have authority!
A great part of the word Authority is the word “Author”. Hebrews 12:2 tells us “Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”. God is the Author of my life, and yours, and I want us to live with the Authority that he has given us!
- I want us to teach with Authority
- Heal with Authority
- Pray with Authority
- Speak words of life over our families and friends with Authority
- Claim the power of God in marriages with Authority
- Command evil and demons to be cast out with authority (How many of you ever cast out demons? That is what I thought! But if you did would you say it in a whimpy voice "Could youm please go away?" or would you command "In the Name of Jesus be gone!"?
- Break sinful ties and addictions with Godly authority
- I want us to LIVE with Jesus authority!..
