Authority

Jim:

The readings today all have something to do with authority and what it is that motivates people to act one way or another.

2 Samuel 18:9-18
David had strictly forbidden anyone to harm Absalom, even thought Absalom was in open conflict with his father. But Joab, hearing that Absalom was stuck in a tree, took matters into his own hands and participated in killing the young man. He was doing the thing that made the most sense. A lot of societies and nations believe that traitors should die for their crimes, for putting the society or nation at risk, for turning their backs on those who trust them. And Absalom was a traitor, no mistake about it. But the king’s will was different from the “common sense” action, and here, I believe, David mirrors the actions of God in like circumstances, which is to say that David sought a different course of action, one that put him at odds with “common sense.” I think that doing God’s will can often put us on the side opposed to “what makes sense” to the world. That’s why it requires so much courage.

Acts 23:12-24
A group of 40 Jews wanted to murder Paul and so took an oath not to eat or drink until they had accomplished the task. This act of what they considered to be devotion to God would have put them at odds the Roman civil government. But it also put them at odds with the will of God. In our desire to see things done “right” we sometimes assume that we know God’s will, even if we don’t, or worse, that God would agree with our actions because there are the right thing to do. What is needed is patience on our part and hearts that are attentive to God’s voice so that we can understand what God is up to and not work against it.

Mark 11:27-12:12
In this reading, the issue of authority is spelled out unambiguously. The people who believe they represent God are unable to recognize the one who has been sent by God. For them, authority is about power and control. For Jesus, authority is about healing, saving, and calling. Authority for Jesus is about service. It is about sharing. It is about recognizing God’s love and compassion for all people and acting in accordance with it. The tenants believed they could control the vineyard, and they used all mean necessary to do so. But in the end there would be no way to escape the true authority of God as the creator of the vineyard.