Luke 4:32, 36 (ESV)
[32] and they were astonished at
his teaching, for his word possessed authority.
[36] And they were all amazed and
said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he
commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”
Authority is not something you
can just put on, nor does it come with position. Jesus spoke and acted with
authority because of who he was. We sometimes act as though if we only speak louder
then we are being authoritative. Or we insist that we have authority and must
be listened to because we hold a title, a position, or have certain level of
education and training. But that is not where genuine authority comes from.
Genuine authority for the
believer comes first from the Word of God. To the extent that we speak his
truth clearly and accurately we can speak with authority. Genuine authority
also comes with humility. Jesus had just come from his hometown of Nazareth. He
spoke the truth of the Scriptures there, but he did no miracles. They weren’t
ready to receive or believe. Instead, they tried to throw him off a cliff. Jesus
didn’t shout louder that they needed to pay attention. He simply moved on. Finally,
genuine authority comes as those listening recognize that the one speaking
knows what they are talking about. The people of Capernaum recognized that Jesus
taught with authority and acted with authority. Nazareth failed to recognize or
acknowledge that truth.
There is a lesson here for us in
leadership. Authority does not come by claiming to have authority. It comes through
speaking the truth with humility. If people recognize it, we can influence and
lead. If they do not, we can only continue to speak the truth with humility. We
cannot force them to accept us as one with authority. Peter wrote in 1 Peter
5:2-3,
[2] shepherd the flock of God
that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly,
as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; [3] not domineering
over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
There are far too many pastors
and church leaders trying to enforce their own authority. Learn to lead with
humility and a servant’s heart. If you are truly one with authority, it will be
recognized. If not, you have not earned the right to lead.
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