All Authority

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

ALL AUTHORITY

Matt 28:16 -20

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

NIV

Matthew leaves out a lot of what happened in the forty days from the time Jesus was resurrected and his ascension into heaven. However, Matthew does give these most important instructions Jesus gave his disciples. We also take this instruction personally as followers of Jesus. It is certain his disciples followed his command and went out throughout the land spreading the good news and teaching all the truth that Jesus taught and commanded them. It is interesting that over the years after the time of the disciples, the church has gone through some very strange appearances. When we think of the history of Christianity, we can see times the church was not very charitable or loving, but more condemning and even persecutive of those who believed differently. There were times the church was rather abusive to its parishioners. Some who tried to bring forth the truth were burned at the stake, much as how many of the disciples met death at the hands of angry men. The only reason the truth and the church have sustained is because of God, for it is certain it was not because of man. It always comes down to who has the authority and over the years, many men have tried to exert authority, however, all authority in heaven and on earth has been and continues to be given to Jesus. We can do nothing without Jesus having told us that he is the vine, and we are the shoots or branches and as long as we are connected to him, we will bear much fruit. He is the authority over all we are, and all we do. Yes, he gives us the freedom to choose to obey or to be disobedient. But if we recognize that all authority has been given to Jesus, then what is the point of trying to exert our own authority over our lives or the lives of others. What we can do is serve each other and in that process, we are supposed to lead them to Jesus. Again, we think maybe we have once again misunderstood Jesus. We sit nice and tidy in our church while we pay through support for a few people to go to some foreign land as missionaries. Is that what Jesus meant by "go and make disciples of all nations"? The Greek word translated as nations is ethnos, which means a race, a tribe, specifically a foreign, non-Jewish one. That would include the United States as we are a race of gentiles, non-Jewish. In fact, our county is made up of many nations. Why is it we always think we have to travel to some far-off place when we have many nations right in our very own town? Questions, we are not sure we will find the answers to. Once again, we, the church have evolved into what we think we are supposed to be but are we want Jesus wants us to be? Maybe we need to ponder more on this and listen more. One thing we know for sure is that all, not some, but all authority has been given to Jesus.