Authority.

Who has it?  How do you get it?  What can be done with it?  How is it delegated?  What is the right amount of authority to have, and to have over us? 

Authority is one of those topics that nearly everyone has an opinion on because our nature is such that we generally want to be in charge — at least in charge of ourselves, and often we desire to be in charge of others as well.  We don’t like the way others plan things, organize things, or do things, and we definitely don’t want them telling us what to do.  Authority isn’t so bad if we are in charge of it — if we are in control — but then again, that isn’t really authority, is it?

I love the story I have heard from Ken Davis about a high school class that gets a substitute teacher for a day.  As is often the case with substitute teachers, the class pushes him to the limit, and beyond — seeing what they can get away with.  The classroom becomes chaotic — students running around, airplanes flying, chalk erasers and various items thrown around the room and at the teacher.  The commotion is so great that the principal hears from down the hall and walks into the room to see what is going on.  The scene is wild and out of control, the noise making it impossible to be heard.  The principal grabs the first person he sees and sets him in the hall, telling him not to move.  As the principal re-enters the room, the silence is deafening.  Everyone is silent and not moving, putting on their best behavior in hopes of convincing the principal that they were not a part of the earlier chaos.  In his frustration, now it seems like it is the principal who is out of control as he repeatedly yells, “Who’s in charge here?”!  . . . “Who’s in charge here?”!  . . . “Someone answer me!”  . . . “Where is your teacher?”  Finally, one of the students slowly raises their hand and quietly says, “Sir, I believe the teacher is out in the hall where you set him.”

When I reflect on that story, it raises questions in my mind about authority.  Who was the authority in this story?  The obvious answer for most people is the principal.  If authority exists, we expect it to take charge and make things happen.  We want it to be in control — at least according to our definition and comfort level.  We might even look at the story and say the students were the authority, at least for a time.  But that’s not really true.  It may appear that way.  We often mistake control and rebelling against authority as authority itself, but they are entirely different things.  In this story, the students never had authority; they were simply rebelling against it.  The authority that is often missed in the story is that of the substitute teacher.  What?  Did I read that correctly?  Yes!  The substitute teacher had authority.  Was it responded to positively?  No!  Was the class conducted in the way he had hoped, planned, and set forth? . . . Probably not.  Yet his authority existed — it did not depend on absolute obedience by the class.  It did not even need any obedience by the class.  Rebellion does not necessarily mean a lack of authority.  It does mean that in the presence of authority, consequences are on their way. 

Throughout the Bible, we read that God is authority.  Psalm 47:8 says, “God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.”  God has authority over the nations.  As we read Biblically, historically, and currently, we might say, “Yeah, right.”  God’s authority over the nations often doesn’t fit our image of what that should look like.  Actually, God’s authority over the nations has rarely, if ever, resembled what mankind has thought it should be.  Particularly when thinking of God, we tend to replace the word authority with the word control.  When we equate control with authority, we begin to wonder about God.  If God has authority (control) over nations, why did the Pharaoh become so powerful and enslave God’s people?  Why did the nations invade Israel and Judah and take the people captive?  Why did the Romans, with Caesar and Herod come to power?  Why did Nero bring about such persecution of Christians?  Why did evil people throughout generations rise to power and control nations in ways that have been harmful to many people?  Many people will ask, “Where was God’s authority over the nations then?“. 

Actually, God’s authority over the nations was the same place then as it is now — and the same as it is in your life and mine.  Nations, and individuals, have shown a habit of rebelling against God’s authority.  This in no way means His authority doesn’t exist.  What we choose to do with God’s authority does not empower it nor does it cause it to cease to exist.  It does mean that nations and individuals should expect the consequences that will come.  Our free will — our ability to choose — puts us in a position of accepting or rejecting God’s authority.  As with any authority, there is a price to pay for rejecting it, but we choose.  

As you reflect on the authority God has as a Sovereign God, what will you do with it?  It is my prayer that you choose to live under that authority rather than rebel against it and receive the consequences for that decision.