Authority: Meditations on John 10

Authority is often heard as a dirty word in our day.  Those in authority are the ones who take from the poor and give to themselves; or the ones who manipulate systems for their own advantage; or the ones who write laws for those who funded their seats in government; and the list goes on.  When we see authority abused, we are often inspired to rebel against such evil-- even our nation has its origin in such struggle.

But corruption of what is good, does not abolish the goodness of the original, any more than a bad marriage condemns all marriages.  Authority is originally conceived as good, by God who gives it for the good of those under it, and we see reflections of that good, even in our broken world.

Here we see the police officer, who surrenders his own body to save a child.  Here we see a fire fighter give his body to the flames in order to save a trapped family.  Here we see soldiers place themselves between our nation and the evil intentions of others, trading their lives that we may retain our own.

And there are many others.  Fathers and mothers who sacrifice for their children through daily labor and patient teaching; siblings who suffer and sacrifice for each other; public servants who despite scorn do their duties well; even pastors and servants in the church, who lay aside earthly acclaim for the good of their people, while their peers pursue money and numbers and novelty.

Knowing that our sinful eyes in a sinful world, would be conflicted by the corruption we would see, Christ our Savior comes, and shows us what Authority really is.  While we, when we have been given authority, rarely use it well, Christ shows us how God envisions the use of divine authority.

In Jesus, we see God, imbued with all authority in heaven and on earth, choosing to take the form and role of a servant.  In Jesus, the eternal Son of God made flesh, we see authority exercised in love and compassion, driving out tormenting demons and withering disease.  In Jesus, we see the Author of Life submitting Himself to the pains of death, that He might both lay down His life, and take it up again.  In Jesus, we see the Victor over sin, death, and the devil, giving freely of what He has won, to we who so desperately need His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation.

Here, my brothers and sisters, is real Authority, exercised in true faith, hope, and love.  Jesus never gives up on us, nor the plan of salvation He and the Father and the Spirit set in motion from the early days of creation.  Jesus does not use His authority for His own benefit, but rather that He might give His name among men, so that all who believe in Him might live with Him forever.  Jesus indeed reigns over all, and through His exercise of authority, life and love and grace are multiplied to the children of men.

May our eyes ever see beyond the pale reflections and corruptions of authority that plague our world, to the wondrous authority of Jesus our Savior, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.  Amen.