Sermon, September 27, 2020

ACTING BY DIVINE AUTHORITY

September The exercise of authority is  a part of life as we know it.  However, very often, accepting the authority of another person can be a sensitive matter, especially where there real or perceived negative effect on the lives of others.  Usually, the problem comes when there is abuse of that authority.

Abuse is not only about how one person treats another.  It can involve being selfish, it can involve acting in manner that will help to maintain privilege and position.  It could be issues of bullying and harassing others, taking advantage of the perceived weaknesses of others.  It can also be asking a person to do something, while knowing that the effort will end in failure.

Jesus often of criticism and condemned any form of abuse of authority by the chief priests and elders.  So, it should not be surprising to us, and it did not surprise Jesus  that when he entered the temple court and began teaching, the chief priests and elders asked him “by what authority how you doing these things and who gave you this authority?”  They knew that in his preaching and teaching Jesus confronted and challenged their own abuse of authority.  That is why they went on the defensive by asking the question.  It is known that best form of defense is to attack. 

Questions about authority are sometimes asked in the church, or at the workplace, in fact in almost every sphere of life where people interact with each other.  Sometimes it is not verbalized, but attitudes tell it all, especially when changes are made to the “way we have done things for years”, even when the changes are meant to produce good results. 

The question was not just about to Jesus entering and teaching in the temple.  It also referred to the fact that he threw the money changers and those selling turtle doves out of the Temple, disrupting what must have been a lucrative trade.  Doves were used as sin offerings, but they were being sold for financial gain.  That was an abuse of the system.  They wanted to know who gave Jesus the authority to heal the blind and the lame, to curse of the fig tree and the other marvels they witnessed him doing

But there was something more to the question.  Asking it was a cover for their true intention.  They wanted to find something by which to accuse Jesus and to bring an end to his ministry and the impact it was having on the people.

Jesus did not give a direct answer but he countered by asking them about the origin of John’s baptism.  Was it, whether it was from heaven or from man?  Fearing that if they said it was from heaven Jesus would ask them why they didn’t believe John.  On the other hand, if they said from man, the people would have revolted against them because they saw John as a prophet.  Realizing that they were caught in a bind, they could not answer.  Nor did Jesus give the source of his authority.  These rulers were so obsessed with maintain their own position that they could not understand who Jesus was and the source of his authority.

Instead of a direct answer, Jesus told the parable of the  —the Two Sons. 

The first son represented the tax collectors and  prostitutes, the sinners and rejects of society, if you will.  He said he would not go to serve as asked but later he repented went to do the will of his father...  The second son who declared his intention to be obedient, but did not go, represented the rulers and authorities of the day, and one can say, the church in some respects today.  They represented those who would have committed to something but fail to follow through on their commitment.

Jesus asked the question: which of the two did what his father wanted?”  which one acted as sent and authorized by father?

They answered, the first.

Jesus used this parable to point to the errors of the chief priests and elders and by extension individuals and even the church today.  He used it to teach that, like the second son, we often have good intentions but at some point, fail to be obedient, not acting in accordance with the will nor authority of God.  They betrayed the offices they held 

This point must not be lost on the people of God.  Each of us must ask ourselves as we journey through life,  are we doing what our father wants of us?  are we acting on his authority, or are we acting on our own volition, doing what we want to do.

It is not enough to be observing rites and ceremonies like the chief priests and rulers.  The danger is that these rites and ceremonies can cause us to lose sight of the deeper things that God desires of us.  Others may see being busy in the community or in the church, as all that is needed.  These things have their places but if what we do is just for a show, just to impress others we are failing to do His will.  I suggest that if our works and actions are not positively impacting lives, if we are not showing the love and mercy of God in ways that lead others to a relationship with the Lord, we are failing to do His will.   You see my friends, while works making an impression does not mean we are doing what God wants of us. 

We will be like the second son who had good intentions and said “I will go” but who lost sight of those good intentions and did not live up to his commitment to serve God selflessly.  When we make a commitment to serve, we must be true to that commitment, true to ourselves and true to God.  We must not be detracted by what may appear to be more appealing and satisfying things in life or by the thought that this working for God is going to take up too much valuable time that could be spent on other things which we deem to be more important, while the work to which God calls us is left undone.  When that happens, we become as the son who said yes, I will go, but then did not.

I have intentionally reversed the order in which the sons were mentioned in the  parable.

When we examine the attitude of the first son who said, “l will not go”, but who then had a change of heart and went in obedience to the will of the father, we see in him ultimate obedience.  He came to understand that God’s call to him to go and serve was more important, more fulfilling than anything else.  He made the determination to repent of his ways and become obedient to his father.

So, when John the Baptist appeared on the scene preaching repentance, the gospel records that Jerusalem, and all Judea and all the country round about Jordan went to him.  These were “sinners” who accepted the need to repent,  these would have included, tax collectors and prostitutes.  Jesus is saying that those who acknowledge their disobedient state and turn their lives around are the ones who are usually deeply committed to do the will of the father, because , such a person would understand know how God rescued them and transformed life for them.  A church that has experienced the hand of God bringing her through trial and tribulation would be one that serves faithfully and with a deep sense of gratitude, firm commitment to a gracious and loving God.

The Acts of the Apostle records the account of a man name Saul who made murderous threats against Disciples of Jesus.  He was given authorization by the high priest to the synagogue at Damascus to arrest and persecute any who was found following the Way, as Follows of our Lord were called.  However, after he had his transforming experience on the road to Damascus, he became Paul, one of the most devoted apostles of Jesus.  His work, his witness to the love of God in Jesus Christ served to bring countless others to God through the love Jesus Christ.

We cannot claim to have lived lives of perfection and total obedience.  As individuals and as a church we have not always lived up to what God desires.  There have been times of falling away time when as Isaiah like sheep we have gone our own ways.  But when we turn again to God, and become obedient to him, he will work his will through our witness to touch the lives of others and bring glory to his name.   God will use those who may say “I have nothing to offer in his service”, but then recognize in the words of 1 Samuel 15:22 that “to obey God is better than sacrifice”.

As we are called to the service of God and each other, Paul admonition to the church at Philippi applies to us today.  He wrote in the Epistle to the Philippians and to all Christians that we have the same mind, the same approach to service that Jesus had in coming to dwell among us to humbly share with us in our experiences give his life for us.   We will know that lives are being touched by our work when we hear words of appreciation like ‘God bless you’ or get the silent expression of a smile or embrace indicative of our genuine service.  We are also assured that God under whose authority and call we serve will reward his faithful children. 

Jesus said,   “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”

Amen.