Authority

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

AUTHORITY

Matt 9:1-8

9:1 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."  3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!" 4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . ." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home."  7 And the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.

NIV

Here we have an event in which both Mark and Luke also give an account of, however they both indicate this man’s friends lowered him through the roof of the house Jesus has entered. It is interesting that a paralytic man would have friends, considering he could nothing physical with them in any way. In fact he would be totally dependent upon others for every aspect of his life. However he may have been an extremely learned man and provided great intellectual intercourse with this friends. The point is he had men who cared enough about him to make whatever effort was necessary to get him in front of Jesus. We do not know if he asked his friends to take him to Jesus, or it was a mutual idea. However Jesus made the most of the situation for both this man and his authority on earth and in heaven. Could we make a case this man was a paralytic because of sin in his life? The first words of Jesus would seem it is the case. He forgives the man’s sins. However if that was the case, the man would have then gotten up and walked off. Jesus was using this as a teaching moment for the teachers of the law because he knew what was in their heart, even before he told the man his sins were forgiven. He wanted to have this moment to speak to the teachers of the law and demonstrate to them his authority over his creation. He posed them a question they could not answer, even being teachers of the law. “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But…” He goes on to tell them because he has the authority he will heal this man by telling him to get up and walk.  They could not answer his question, although they were sure the forgiveness of sin was only done by God, and therefor this Jesus person was blaspheming. Yet he proves to them he is not, that he is divine and can both forgive sins and only need to command this man to get up and he will be healed. Jesus did not do something to him, he did not even touch him. He only spoke as the divine creator who spoke all of creation into existence. This the teachers of the law would know about. They would be very aware of the words recorded by Moses about the creation of the earth and all the universe. They would know it all happened because God spoke. Now they see the same authority in Jesus regarding both this man’s sins and his healing. What we are reminded of here is the authority of the name of Jesus. He has given us the right to use his name when we come to the Father in prayer and petition.

John 14:11-14

11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

NIV

The name of Jesus has complete authority for he has been given that authority by the Father. So then we have believed he has the authority to forgive our sin. We believed in his name when we asked for the very first time. Some would say that was when we asked Jesus into our heart. We know he did not actually occupy our heart for he ascended to the right hand of the Father. But it is metaphorically speaking that we invited him into our heart. We invited him to have the authority in our lives. Again our decision making function is not in a muscle which makes the blood flow through our body, but it is our mind. Therefor it might be more appropriate to say we invited Jesus into our brain. To not only forgive us our sin, but to have complete physical authority over us as well. This would include healings as we see here with this paralytic man. But this would also include all the physical realm we live in. He should have the authority over where we live, where we work, where we church and even where we play. The question is: How much authority in our lives, in our heart, our mind, have we given to Jesus? Does he have the authority over all our decisions both spiritual and material? He has given us so many directions already contained in the scriptures. Have we submitted to his authority regarding them? Although he has given us free will, at least we conclude that regarding coming to him for salvation. But after we choose of our own will to follow Jesus, we submit our will to his. Therefor we cannot go about making our own choices in life, spiritually or materially. By whose authority do we have eternal life? Jesus’s! By what authority must we live this life? Jesus’s!