Authority

Jesus came and told His disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

My first thought when I heard these verses be read in church this morning was "not again." It's one of those verses that one hears over and over again. Sometimes I feel like repetition dulls meaning. One hears something so often that they roll their eyes, assume that there is nothing new they can learn from it, become bored. As it turned out, we aren't having a sermon today:a deacon is giving his testimony from mission trips.

But something new occurred to me upon reading these familiar verses, particularly because it is a week after Resurection Sunday. Jesus has all authority. God gave it to Him.

The message that my peers, teachers, employers, coworkers, media, etc. would have me believe is that I have no authority. I shouldn't talk about my faith. I should be angry with the people who have authority over me. But that is not at all what Jesus says. He says that HE has the authority. He is giving His disciples that same authority. The disciples that are created by Jesus' disciples are also given that same authority. I have authority. God gave it to me through Jesus.

We hold these truths to be self-evident... but do Christians act as if they have authority? I don't. I don't think I'm alone in that. Maybe that's a sin. I don't know how I should act (turn the other cheek?), whether humility and pride can coexist. I don't have all the answers... I am still looking for them.