By Whose Authority?

We can just imagine someone in the original setting of Solomon's prayer of dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem: “How can he say that, after all of the trouble we have had!”

When Solomon asks God to listen even to the foreigner who comes to Jerusalem and prays in the Temple: “How can he even allow those wretched people even to come near to the Temple, let alone say that they could expect God to hear their prayer?!”

By whose authority can he pray in this way?

We can just hear someone gasping as Paul's letter is read and heard for the the first time in Galatia.

“Just listen! The man has hardly written a proper “hello” in this letter and he is already lambasting us!

How dare he talk to us like this!

We can listen to whatever speaker we wish.

We don't have to take this from him.

Who does he think he is, anyway?!”

We can just imagine someone gasping in amazement at the conversation between the centurion and Jesus.

What does Jesus have to do with an officer of the hated Roman army of occupation?

By whose authority does he even have a conversation with such a person?

How can he listen, and more than that, how can he compliment the man and take seriously his request?

After all, there are rules about such contact with them.

By whose authority, by whose authority?”

The question is not only an ancient one; it continues to our own day.

How is it that we make decisions in the church?

By whose authority do we decide this or that?

The answer is a three-word phrase, simple, yet needing much explanation.

The authority is the Word of God.

Next, everyone will nod their heads solemnly, and try not to give this point another thought.

Does the Word of God truly have authority over us?

Our behavior lots of the time would seem to indicate that we deny God's determination to rule over us.

And yet, that is the only basis on which we can proceed with confidence

“To know Christ and to make Christ known.”

There was a tendency in the ancient world for each empire as it grew to collect the gods of each conquered town like souvenirs, add them to the collection of such gods, and make them assistants to the hometown god.

Israel, at the height of its power under Solomon could have fallen into the same pattern of behavior, but it does not.

Again and again it is insisted in scripture that there is only one God, and that this God is more than just a hometown god; he intends to be God for everyone.

Solomon's prayer is truly wise because it points to this nature of God and asks his regard for all who would acknowledge God's lordship.

We could be tempted to say that Solomon's authority to pray this way was his political and military power: the king can say whatever he wants.

But that would deny his wisdom, the wisdom that acknowledged God as the source of all authority.

The authority question is a bit different when we turn to the situation of Paul.

He has no army, no civil power.

He has only the story of Jesus crucified and risen, and that is enough as he wades into the problems of Galatia.

The folks there were evidently trying to be very progressive, listening to every opinion that came down the road.

“We'll take a little of this.. and that sounds nice, we'll borrow it... and make up our own religion, convenient and comfortable.

This Jesus stuff is so messy in comparison.”

Paul will not tolerate any of this.

“There is but one Lord,” he thunders.

“If anyone preaches to you something that is contrary to the Gospel of Christ which I proclaimed to you, let him be accursed.”

Paul says that it is not because his ego is damaged by other speakers talking to the Galatians, but because the Galatians have put things they have heard on an equal footing with the Gospel.

It is not that his personal authority is challenged – that happens to him all the time – but because the authority of the word of God has been compromised.

A basic catechetical question is “What is meant by the Word of God?”

“The Bible” would likely be the first answer given.

Hopefully someone would say “sermon”, and someone else would say “Baptism and Holy Communion.”

The best answer, probably not the first on the lips of students, is “Jesus himself.”

Jesus is, embodies, lives out the word of God.

He is that close relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of which we spoke last week, so that what he says, happens.

The centurion is commended because he recognizes that truth, acknowledges the relationship, and calls on Jesus' own authority to act.

“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith,” says Jesus to the foreign soldier.

Luke is so insistent on keeping the emphasis on the authority of Christ that we notice that in this story Jesus does not even give the word of command.

The story only reports that the folks went home and found the servant well.

This little detail indicates that the authority of God cannot be confined in any way: it cannot be reduced to a magic formula independent of the person of Jesus.

God's decision to be God for us is alone sufficient.

All of this provides the basis for the discussion when we work on making decisions in the church now.

Following Paul's standards, Martin Luther pointed out that what was important were those things which preach Christ.

Any book, or practice, or opinion which does not preach Christ should be laid aside.

Any book, or practice, or opinion which does point to Christ is to be used and treasured so long as it continues to glorify God.

There are some things which are closely covered under the Ten Commandments, and these Ten Commandments serve to clear away the underbrush so that the Gospel will have room to flourish.

Things such as:

--allowing time for worship

--tending family relationships

--not harming neighbors but helping them in every way.

We recognize the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th commandments here, as examples.

It has happened at various times over the years that in conversation with me people have said that they simply don't want to acknowledge God's authority in matters like these.

“I don't want to hear about it,” they were in effect saying to me.

“I want to do things my own way.”

The three-letter description of that attitude is “sin.”

But thanks be to God whose authority Jesus uses to patiently break down our opposition,

to overcome our willful disobedience,

and at length to return us to full community in relationship with God.

That is the true authority which we honor today, and in which we rejoice.

The hymn we sing next today has a melody that we know very well.

We may not have seen the text before, but will soon discover that it points to this very understanding that the authority belongs to Jesus, and that we can exercise it only at his guiding and in his name.

And when we do so, it is truly a thing which points to the final fulfillment of all of Jesus' promises.

Let us all joyfully say... Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.