Authority

We all have seen or have had or have been the little bratty kid who defiantly looked into some grown-up's face and said, "You aren't the boss of me!!"  My wife recently witnessed a father/daughter exchange where the 13 year old girl told her dad, "You know I always win", complete with the condescending tone.  If you are like me, even the retelling of these scenes makes you want to grab a paddle and have a short and sweet conversation with these two.  Everyone is asking, "What's wrong with these kids today?!"  Additionally, we are seeing more and more people drifting by the millions into the morass of relativism ... "If that works for you, cool, but it's not my thing."  I present to you that one of the root causes for both of these sad developments is a disrespect for authority.  It seems we human beings are born with a default to wanting to do what we want to do when we want to do it the way we want to do it.  Hmmm .. sounds a whole lot like the lie of the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

 

It is no wonder that Jesus was so amazed and astonished at this Roman officer's reply.  He not only recognized authority when he saw it, he honored the authority..."Lord", and he trusted and believed in the ability of the authority to fulfill his request.  He was living a submitted life.  He understood that there was a "boss of him."  As long as there is a growing refusal to acknowledge an ultimate authority, we will continue to see a growing "anything goes" spirit in our world.  Unfortunately, it has been gaining ground in our churches, our families, and our own hearts.

 

So, who's the boss of you? 

 

Grace and Peace,

 

Tom