A Quick Word on Authority

A QUICK WORD ON AUTHORITY

What is the worst thing you can do to someone: other than nasty physical tortures, fingernails on the chalkboard or making them watch endless hours of Barney the Purple Dinosaur?  How about giving them the responsibility of accomplishing something without giving them the authority to make it happen?  What might even be worse is having someone do or say something, but not recognizing their authority to do or say it.

I used to be a pretty good golfer, when I had the time and money to play.  When I was in high school a friend and I went on a Saturday morning to play a local course.  We were dropped off and went into the pro-shop to pay where we were informed that because we were under 18 years of age we could not play until after 4 pm (it was only noon).  I looked at the guy behind the desk and with great indignation said, “Do you know who I am?”  I was shocked when he did not and offended when he said he didn’t even care!  When I informed him that I could undoubtedly beat anybody else on the course at that moment (not an empty boast since the week before I shot a 33 [that is two under par and pretty good for you non-golfers] on the same course) and there was no reason to think that we would hold up any other players, he just pointed to the door and said, “Come back at 4 pm.”  I think my challenge to play him for a dollar a hole just made him even more apathetic to our plight.

What does this have to do with authority, and more importantly the seventh chapter of John?  Jesus taught with an authority that did not come from man and was way beyond His perceived level of education.  But the judgment of men has never been the determining factor in the value or weight of the words of Jesus.  He made it clear that His authority was not His own, but came from His Father in heaven. 

It is not uncommon in the world today to find men and women respond to the teachings of Christ with apathy or anger; “I don’t care what it says in the Bible…who are you to say what is right or wrong?”  The authority of the Bible does not come from me or any other human who may teach the Truth…it comes from the One who gave us the Truth.  If you want to argue about it you will have to take it to the top!