We seem to have inside us a switch of rebellion turned on the moment someone tries to tell us what to do. Don’t we? We dislike the word “authority” and distrust or rather mistrust authority—from the authority of parents to those of teachers, the Church, the police, and, go on to add, the presidency. The abuses of power and authority to which the world has many times been exposed through the course of history make us suspect authority and be on the alert against ideas or rules issued by authority figures. The only exception is when the authority figure is us; then, we complain that people under us won’t do the right thing.
On this feast of Ascension, we learn that Jesus’ parting words to His remaining eleven apostles invoke the uncomfortable term and idea of power and authority: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt 28:18). He goes as far as transferring the authority to them for the purpose of mission, sanctification, teaching, and the building up of His body: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them...teaching them to observe all I have commanded you.” Jesus makes explicit that His commands are not for us to pick which ones agree with our sensibilities or the general events or thinking of our time. He demands observance of all His commands. Finally, He assures His presence: “And behold, I am with you, until the end of the age.”
These parting words clearly reveal that Jesus endorses at least three forms of authority: first, the authority of His Father; second, the one He hands on; and third, the authority given for mission. Hence, divine authority is the highest form of authority. When it collides with human authority as often happens with several unjust laws promulgated by people on suit and tie or black robes, “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Secondly, authority is given, not taken. If someone tells you he or she is a minister, ask who ordained or commissioned him or her, and whether the claim streams from apostolic succession. Prophets and ministers like Jim Jones and David Koresh made such claims and history revealed how bad an idea it was to follow such self-proclaimed prophets. Yet, not only fools, but many intelligent people get trapped in their nets. Thirdly, be suspicious of any Church that appears self-serving, even with the best motives. Every Church authority worth obeying must be one with a mission to serve, not just with earthly provisions, but for sanctification and salvation.
Somewhere else, Jesus shows respect for local and public institutions—Remember when He miraculously raised money from the mouth of a fish to pay some form of tax that He needn’t pay, and when He enjoined his listeners to render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God’s. He even told Pilate during His trial that his authority (Pilate’s) was given to him from above. It’s not alright to think that authority or authority figures (especially the ones we don’t like) are always evil and we have to resist, reject and rebel. We must be discreet about our resistance. Yes, the misuse of authority throughout history has been well documented. The abuses of authority in God’s name are also well known—from the Crusades to the forced conversion of the natives, to the genocides, beheadings and zealotry of attacking innocent people on the streets, trains, airplanes, marketplaces, even at the theatre or wherever terror can be harnessed. God never endorses such use of power, even should it be preceded by a proclamation of—‘Allah Akbar’ (God be praised).
How we know that someone is using authority in the name of God is when the person is using it to serve. The last demonstration of authority by Jesus bears this out. After washing His disciples’ feet, He told them: “You also ought to wash each other’s feet” (John 13:14). He saw authority as service, and commands that all who exercise authority must be servants of all (Matt 20:26).
Fr. Chukwudi Jo Okonkwo