Authority and Obedience

Matthew 21:23
In Matthew 21:23 reads: ‘And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

Authority and obedience are topics that are still very much alive today. However, we like to decide for ourselves what we will do or not do, what we think or believe, what is right or wrong. We like to consider that we are autonomous individuals. But in doing that, it is not hard to become a law unto ourselves. We are each entitled to our own opinions, that is, as long as yours doesn’t clash with mine. And of course, I’m right. There are of course many areas of life that individual autonomy does operate, such as our choice of food, clothing, our career choice, etc. But there are other aspects of life in which we are in no way free to be a law unto ourselves. Decisions pertaining to Christian faith fall within this arena: such as matters pertaining to sin, grace, salvation. The elders and chief priests who came to Jesus believed that they were the authority, the arbiters of truth. They would tell you that they obeyed God, but it was in the way interpreted for their own desires.

God means for us to hear his Word, believe it, and do what he says. This is especially true when it comes to how we know Him and how we receive his salvation. Both are expressly through Jesus. God’s desire is that we would believe in Jesus and receive his forgiveness and salvation freely through faith, although it cost Jesus much suffering and his very life.

Pastor Darryl

Photo by steve pancrate on Unsplash