Matthew 21:23-27
When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
• People who are caught up in hierarchies, ranks, and differentiating people (by any number of criteria) tend to overplay authority. They tend to love outer authority. “Who said you could do that?” Or, “You can’t touch THAT!” Or, “No one gave you permission.” Outer authority always originates from some power outside. Someone may grant it, or they may withhold it.
• Inner authority, on the other hand, is something you know to be true from the inside of yourself. Spirit touches spirit . . . God’s Spirit confirming to your spirit a thing's veracity. You don’t need an outside agent to tell you it’s true or right or wise. You know from your own inside.
• Jesus had both kinds of authority. His outer authority came from his Father. But he also had inner authority. He didn’t need the religious leaders and legal authorities to tell him what was right and wrong. He knew truth from the inside.
• Think of a time you knew from within yourself that something was true, even when it flew in the face of what those around you were saying. What courage did you have in your inner authority? Did you have anyone in your life at that time who could affirm your inner wisdom?
Showing posts with label inner authority. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inner authority. Show all posts
Monday, December 16, 2019
Monday, December 17, 2018
Third Monday of Advent - December 17, 2018
God's Word in the Outsider
Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17
Matthew 21:23-27
Today's readings have a "who-do-you-think-you-are?" feel about them.
The Old Testament reading from Numbers introduces Balaam, the prophet, to our Advent experience. But Balaam is not a prophet of Israel. He is an outsider. He has been called a prophet for hire. The king of Moab, Balak, hires Balaam to curse Israel, with the promise of a great reward if the curse allows Balak a military victory over Israel. Balaam commits to speak what he hears. He will not be bought. He will not curse when all he hears is blessing. Four times he blesses, when all Balak wants to hear are curses. Ultimately, Balak gives up on Balaam and sends him home. Balaam stays faithful to the revelation of God, despite the personal consequences.
In the Gospel reading, the chief priests and elders question Jesus' authority to teach in the Temple. Jesus was not a part of the religious institution (the Temple hierarchy) and was not credentialed to lead the people. The question, "By whose authority do you do these things?" implies a snarky, "Who do you think you are?"
In both stories, God's word comes to those who stand outside the normal institutional structures, those who are not insiders, those who are non-traditional.
God's word usually shows up where we do not expect it. God's Spirit is revealed to us when we are not looking.
All of us have our own predictable prompts -- places, experiences, practices -- to which we run when we want to hear a word from God or when we need to discern our next step forward.
Advent invites us to be alert for the unexpected, to wander off the grid, to look outside the usual, to move away from the norm. Certainly you may hear God's voice in an Advent sermon or a Christmas musical. But don't miss God's word in the red kettle bell-ringer . . . in a child's face . . . in a greeting from the stranger . . . in an act of kindness at the grocery . . . in a phone call from a longtime friend.
For Reflection:
Be alert for how God's word comes to you today. Especially be attentive to persons who are outside religious structures, who have little training or credentials in God-speech. In short, notice those whose authority comes from God, not from institutions or power structures.
Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17
Matthew 21:23-27
Today's readings have a "who-do-you-think-you-are?" feel about them.
The Old Testament reading from Numbers introduces Balaam, the prophet, to our Advent experience. But Balaam is not a prophet of Israel. He is an outsider. He has been called a prophet for hire. The king of Moab, Balak, hires Balaam to curse Israel, with the promise of a great reward if the curse allows Balak a military victory over Israel. Balaam commits to speak what he hears. He will not be bought. He will not curse when all he hears is blessing. Four times he blesses, when all Balak wants to hear are curses. Ultimately, Balak gives up on Balaam and sends him home. Balaam stays faithful to the revelation of God, despite the personal consequences.
In the Gospel reading, the chief priests and elders question Jesus' authority to teach in the Temple. Jesus was not a part of the religious institution (the Temple hierarchy) and was not credentialed to lead the people. The question, "By whose authority do you do these things?" implies a snarky, "Who do you think you are?"
In both stories, God's word comes to those who stand outside the normal institutional structures, those who are not insiders, those who are non-traditional.
God's word usually shows up where we do not expect it. God's Spirit is revealed to us when we are not looking.
All of us have our own predictable prompts -- places, experiences, practices -- to which we run when we want to hear a word from God or when we need to discern our next step forward.
Advent invites us to be alert for the unexpected, to wander off the grid, to look outside the usual, to move away from the norm. Certainly you may hear God's voice in an Advent sermon or a Christmas musical. But don't miss God's word in the red kettle bell-ringer . . . in a child's face . . . in a greeting from the stranger . . . in an act of kindness at the grocery . . . in a phone call from a longtime friend.
For Reflection:
Be alert for how God's word comes to you today. Especially be attentive to persons who are outside religious structures, who have little training or credentials in God-speech. In short, notice those whose authority comes from God, not from institutions or power structures.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
The Third Monday of Advent -- December 12, 2011
Matthew 21:23 - 27
Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."
I sometimes say to people that the longest journey they will ever take is the 16 inches from their head to their heart.
Of course, that's a metaphorical journey, but the point is that for those of us who spend a lot of time in our head thinking about, understanding, and figuring out, a life that involves the heart and soul can seem very foreign. In fact, many of us resist that life.
We are a society and generation that lives with the belief that having the right knowledge is the key to life. If you just know enough, or know the right things, you can succeed and get ahead. We measure people by how much they know. We formally give them titles, even add to their names: "Dr.", "Rev.", "Ph.D.", "Prof.", "J.D.", and so on.
We value formal education and use it to rank people, to place them in an appropriate slot in a tiered-system of worth.
I'm not against education or knowing.
I am against giving it ultimate authority in our world.
So in the text for today, at least these two things happened:
First, the chief priests and elders were completely given to games of the mind, figuring out and discussing who Jesus was and how he had the credentials to do what he was doing. These accusers -- really trying to entrap Jesus -- lived in a world where figuring things out, then debating or discussing them, was the norm for life. In that sense, they were very much like we are in the 21st century.
But Jesus resisted their head-games by proposing for them a question they could not answer, a riddle they could not solve.
Second, Jesus appeared on the scene without formal credentials. He had no authority in the traditional sense, no external validation -- degrees, positions, formal titles -- for who he was and what he was doing. His validation was internal, experiential, and these leaders who lived in a world of rank, status, and external validation had no frame of reference for this One who lived only with the internal validation of the Father.
The text challenges what I value.
The text challenges how I see people and relate to others by virtue of title and position.
The text affirms the inner authority that comes from experience and personal engagement with God.
I'm trying to make a 16-inch journey.
Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."
I sometimes say to people that the longest journey they will ever take is the 16 inches from their head to their heart.
Of course, that's a metaphorical journey, but the point is that for those of us who spend a lot of time in our head thinking about, understanding, and figuring out, a life that involves the heart and soul can seem very foreign. In fact, many of us resist that life.
We are a society and generation that lives with the belief that having the right knowledge is the key to life. If you just know enough, or know the right things, you can succeed and get ahead. We measure people by how much they know. We formally give them titles, even add to their names: "Dr.", "Rev.", "Ph.D.", "Prof.", "J.D.", and so on.
We value formal education and use it to rank people, to place them in an appropriate slot in a tiered-system of worth.
I'm not against education or knowing.
I am against giving it ultimate authority in our world.
So in the text for today, at least these two things happened:
First, the chief priests and elders were completely given to games of the mind, figuring out and discussing who Jesus was and how he had the credentials to do what he was doing. These accusers -- really trying to entrap Jesus -- lived in a world where figuring things out, then debating or discussing them, was the norm for life. In that sense, they were very much like we are in the 21st century.
But Jesus resisted their head-games by proposing for them a question they could not answer, a riddle they could not solve.
Second, Jesus appeared on the scene without formal credentials. He had no authority in the traditional sense, no external validation -- degrees, positions, formal titles -- for who he was and what he was doing. His validation was internal, experiential, and these leaders who lived in a world of rank, status, and external validation had no frame of reference for this One who lived only with the internal validation of the Father.
The text challenges what I value.
The text challenges how I see people and relate to others by virtue of title and position.
The text affirms the inner authority that comes from experience and personal engagement with God.
I'm trying to make a 16-inch journey.
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