Authority

There were factors of childhood that I loved…and factors that I hated.  I hated, taking out the garbage, cutting the crass, feeding the pigs, cleaning my room and hauling wood.  I loved, eating, playing and telling my siblings what to do.  If I could find some way to convince, (or force)…my siblings to adhere to my biding, I would take full advantage of any such opportunity.  As a child I had little in the way of “constituted authority,” yet, whether it was my congenial personality or my domineering stature, I would regularly work to convince my brothers or sister to submit to my wishes.  If I needed my sister to do something for me, I would approach the opportunity with some form of sweet talk and weak promises of kindness.  “If you clean my room I won’t rip Barbie’s head off her body!”  If it was my younger brother who was the object of my authority, I would usually approach it with threats of wedgies and swirlies.  “I said get out of my room! Why are you smiling! Stop smiling! Wipe that smile off your face or I will use your face to wipe the toilet!” I would approach my older brother with requests of fake constituted authority.  “Ross, Mom says you need to take out the garbage.” Truth…Mom often hadn’t said such things.

When she did however, I would relish the opportunity to flex the authority that had been given to me.  If either of my parents commissioned me to proclaim such news as, “Jasmine, mom wants you to do the dishes! Or Rory, Dad says it’s your turn to feed the pigs, or Ross, Mom says I’m her favorite!,” I would egotistically delight in the task.  The power and authority had been granted to me to decree that my siblings needed to bow to my words…because my words were the words of our parents and they must be obeyed.

It is quite possible, that I not only allowed this power to go to my head, but also that I took my authority too far.  It is possible that my mother never did say that I’m her favorite…but we all know…I was. 

I am humbled to reflect on my past and realize that I may not have exercised authority appropriately.  When given the opportunity, I took to, “Lording it over” those who were under me…especially my siblings.

Jesus teaches things quite differently.  In Matthew 20:17-28, we find the well known passage revealing that if you want to be great in God’s Kingdom, then you must become a servant.  There is a fascinating double instruction in this passage.  First, we must learn to become servants.  Additionally, we also see that we are called to lead.  This passage is just as much about leading as it is following.  However, the way Jesus leads, and instructs us to lead, is vastly different than that of the world.  We are to lead as Jesus led…by sacrificing our own wants and desires for the sake of others.  Leadership is sacrificial.  Authority is given to people for the purpose of causing others to flourish.  We are all called to serve and we are all called to lead.  What would it be like if we could learn to lead in a way that would intentionally bless others?  What if our authority was used to cause others to flourish?

May we come to serve and to lead as Jesus called and taught us to serve and to lead…just as he did.