Pentecost 15: By What Authority?

September 25, 2011
Good morning and welcome, especially to those who are visiting with us on this Back to Church Sunday.


A Provincial Water Resources representative stops at a prairie ranch and talks with an old rancher. He tells the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for your water allocation."

The old rancher says, "Okay, but don't go in that field over there."

The Water Representative says, "Mister, I have the authority of the Province with me. See this card? This card means I am allowed to go wherever i wish on any agricultural land. No questions asked or answered. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand?"

The old rancher nods politely and goes about his chores.

Later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the Water Rep running for his life. And close behind is the rancher's bull. The bull is gaining with every step.

The Rep is clearly terrified, so the old rancher immediately throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs...

"Your card! Show him your card!"

“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” It’s a strong word, “authority”. The word "authority" is filled with meaning. When we hear the word there's a certain force about it. There may be even a certain intimidation about that word. We talk about the authorities and we rightfully have a sense of respect...maybe a sense of awe, maybe a sense of fear. The word "authority" denotes permission. It denotes privilege. It denotes power. It denotes rule, control, influence. When someone has authority that means they're on top of other people. They have responsibility beyond the norm. They are able to determine things, to decide things, to render judgments, to wield certain rights and privileges. And we say in the home there's authority resting with the parents. As in the opening joke, we hear of authority. In the government there are authorities, the police and those who govern us. In the schools there are authorities. In business, in the plant, in the job, in the Church, in any dimension of life there are authorities. People who have the privilege, the power, the permission to set the rules, to determine the judgments and the verdicts. (http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/2353)

“By what authority are you doing these things?” This is the question of the chief priests and elders, the very ones responsible for Jesus’ death. The concept of authority and who has it is still very much with us today.

To better grasp what is happening, we turn to our Gospel passage to put it in perspective. This story occurs the week before Jesus died. Now let me remind you of the setting. Jesus has concluded His Galilean ministry, concluded His Perean ministry, crossed the Jordan River, entered Jericho, healed two blind men, one by the name of Bartimaeus, brought Zacchaeus into the Kingdom and now He, in the midst of a procession, goes from Jericho up the hill to Jerusalem for Passover. Having arrived in the vicinity of Jerusalem, He stays in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus that first Saturday night. He arrived on Saturday, He stayed that night with Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

On Sunday, He awakened in Bethany to a great crowd that had thronged out of the city and gathered around the home to see Him. They knew Him as the miracle worker. They knew Him as the one who had raised Lazarus from the dead and they wanted to see Him and be with Him and hear Him and all of that. And so Sunday He spent with that multitude of people who had come to Bethany.

On Monday, He rose in the morning, sent His disciples to find the colt, the foal of a donkey to bring to Him, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah. He got on that colt and rode triumphantly into the city of Jerusalem while they threw palm branches and clothing in His path and hailed Him "Hosanna, blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the Son of David." They hailed Him as Messiah. It was His triumphal entry. He came in on that Monday and that procession ultimately ended at the temple. Then He returned to Bethany on Monday night to spend the night again in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

Tuesday morning dawned. He awakened and went again back into the city, this time He went directly to the temple. And when He came to the temple, He saw the wretched wicked devastation by the selfish money-changers and animal sellers and all of that, so He cleaned out the temple. And this infuriated the religious leaders who already despised Him and wanted Him dead. Now the flames are fanned even hotter and hotter. When He is just finished cleaning out the temple, little boys began to sing "hosannas" and to sing to praise Him and this infuriated the leaders even more, perhaps those little boys were the sons of Levites being trained in some of the temple activities. And when they see the temple being cleansed and in that cleansing He unmasks their hypocrisy and the falseness of their religious systems, the religious leaders are threatened more severely than ever. And when they hear the hosannas of those little boys, they know they represent the people who are on His side and who are enamored with Him. And in fear they work all the more feverishly to plot His murder. They cannot tolerate a person who exposes their false worship, who unmasks their rabid hypocrisy and so they must eliminate Him as fast as they can before a religious revolution takes place.

After cleansing the temple, Jesus returns to Bethany that night, again most likely spending it with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. And it is Wednesday morning. And on Wednesday morning, He goes back to the temple again. This time walking past the fig tree, which has been cursed, and teaching His disciples some profound lessons about false pretence and the power of prayer. And then on Wednesday, having passed that fig tree, proceeds directly back to the temple. And it is on Wednesday morning in the temple that we find Him in verse 23. He has cleansed the temple the day before. He now confronts the leaders and the people who are gathered there. It's almost as if He had to clean the place up before He could go back and minister. (http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/2353)

Now comes the question..... “By what authority?” Recall the municipal employee. His authority was identified by a badge, suggesting he had power given him. What about other signs of authority? You see someone coming up your walkway with a peaked cap, a badge, and holster with a gun and leaving a police cruiser on the street, you know this officer is in authority given him by the state. Often, we are reminded on the radio and in the news not to let someone into our home who does not have proper identification that proves they have authority of the organization they represent.

Who, then, does Jesus represent to these religious leaders of the day? In those days, the rabbis carried a lot of authority: they had hands laid on them and were ordained. The rabbis did not recognize Jesus as one in authority. Pay attention to His answer... He asks a question and shares a parable.

The question: “Did the baptism of John come from heaven or was it of human origin?” The religious leaders could not come up with a response.... “We do not know.”

And so, Jesus tells them a parable: Two sons are asked by their father to work in the vineyard. The reason there is a father and two sons is clear. Built into this relationship is a responsibility for obedience. Authority is very clear. There are two sons and the same question is answered. These are two bad sons apparently, as there is no third son who says “I will go...and then goes.”

Instead we have the responses...One son says “I will not go” and later changes his mind, while the other says “I will go, sir” and he did not go. When pressed for an answer as to which did the father’s will, the religious leaders answered the first. Jesus startles them by indicating the tax collectors and prostitutes are going ahead of them into the Kingdom. These leaders who would claim they are doing God’s work, and are pure, are fooling themselves. At one point, Jesus even says to the Pharisees, that they are like whitewashed tombs, clean on the outside, dead on the inside. They have the outward appearance of holiness but inside are far away from God’s will, even further than those deemed to be the worst in society. The tax collectors and prostitutes, after all, believed, but the religious leaders did not. This was evident in the fact that John the Baptist gave a message of repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Many heeded the message and turned their lives around. The religious leaders failed to listen and did not.

It’s a stern message for us today, isn’t it? We have religious leaders today as well, and if we understand authority correctly, these leaders, like pastors, and nursery, Sunday School, and confirmation teachers, and Vestry members, etcetera, all are given a certain amount of authority over other church members. What are they teaching? Are they gentle and humble and teaching in love? What do they believe? Is Jesus the Lord of our lives? Is He the One who has the ultimate authority? What does that ultimate authority look like? Is the authority Jesus gives utilized to build up God’s Kingdom? Or is it used to keep people in fear or to bully others? Is it found in humility, or in power used negatively?

If we are truly about coming to Christ and bringing Good News we must first give allegiance and all authority in our lives to Jesus. We must pay attention to His voice in our lives and His direction through the Holy Spirit. Only then will we see a difference, a transformation in our lives and in the lives of those around us, in Church and in our neighbourhood and world.

In our Old Testament passage, clearly we see the power and authority of God at work during the time of slavery in Egypt… the people are grumbling and God clearly says to Moses... “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the leaders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb.”

Moses obeys and clearly the question of God’s authority is answered. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, Paul recognizes the authority given by God and how that authority needs to be used.

“Be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition (or false authority) or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.”

Now think about that. If we truly regarded others as better than ourselves and acted in love and the best interests of others, this truly would be a different world. This does not mean pulling yourself down. Rather it means to recognize the servant ministry we are called to by our Lord Who Himself said “I have come not be to be served but to serve.”

As a religious leader, it is my task to ensure that our community is one that is built on a solid foundation. That foundation is one of love and the foundation is built on Jesus Christ, the cornerstone.

While I don’t have a badge, I am ordained and licensed by the bishop to function on his behalf in the parish. My task, my call, is to be a shepherd to the flock that is loved and called by God. As a result, I teach, I preach God’s Word, I prepare people to receive the sacraments. I celebrate the Eucharist and enable and encourage the ministry of all God’s Saints.

In fact, all of us who are baptized are potential leaders and gifted by God to use those gifts to God’s Glory. We all fall under the authority of our Lord. Let us pray: Gracious and loving God. We thank you for calling us into a servant ministry to bring Good News to the world you have created and redeemed. Help us to love you with all of our hearts, all of our minds, and all of our strength, through the Holy Spirit, and may all we do be to your greater glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.