Authority, Power & Eternal Life

Lent: Day 10 – Jesus brought people to true healing. If the Pharisees did not want to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, what and why did they care so much about the good works that he did on the Sabbath or any other day? If the Pharisees truly believed in God, why did they not trust that God would discredit Jesus’ actions? Why did they not put their faith in God’s judgment and authority? Why did they put themselves in place of God and subsequently transfer that authority over to the Roman officials? When we feel threatened, we often want to take matters into our own hands. Sometimes we even try to transfer those feelings on to someone else so that we don’t look like the “bad guy”. Any authority we have in addition to the authority and power we already have through scripture alone, is a gift and blessing from God. If we abuse the authority of our position, it can be taken away. The good news is that, like Paul, what we always have left is the authority and power of the Word. In times of struggle and confusion, we should lean on God’s authority and not our own. Don’t put your trust in those things that can be taken away, but only in those things that have and give eternal life.

Mark 2:23-3:6 ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?’…The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

1 Corinthians 4:1-7 It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.