Inner Authority

Read Mark 1:21-28

The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” –Mark 1:27

In his book Leadership without Easy Answers, Ron Heifetz writes a marvelous chapter on the “Roots of Authority.” He explores the dominance hierarchies that have been observed in troops of gorillas, and notes how similar hierarchies have been documented in children as young as preschool! Particularly interesting is the observation that “dominance” is often correlated with attention. The eyes of the members of a gorilla troop go more often to the Silverback than to one another. They track his movement and his mood, and adjust their behavior accordingly. Preschoolers do the same thing with whatever child is “socially dominant” in their class.

But I find most interesting his definition of authority as “conferred power to perform a service.” Authority, he argues, is always conferred—it is given to an individual, and it can be taken away. And those in leadership are granted authority in order that they might perform a service. If the leader fails to accomplish that service, authority can be transferred to another leader who promises to perform the service better.

These “authority transactions” are not limited to those in formal positions of authority (such as elected leaders). No, we are constantly giving and withdrawing authority in our relationships with others—with doctors and teachers, with reporters and influencers, with parents and friends, and so on. Not only do we get to choose whom we grant authority in our lives, but we also must steward the authority that has been granted to us. In order to retain the trust of others, we must understand what “services” they are expecting from us.

As crowds began gathering to hear Jesus speak, the first thing they noted about him was his authority. He possessed the power even to cast out unclean spirits—they knew who he was, they tracked where he was going, they obeyed his command. And the question the crowds (and the religious leaders) asked was this: Where did this authority come from? Who gave it to him?

Clearly, Jesus’ authority did not come from the religious leaders—from day one, they worked to undermine his leadership. Neither did his authority come from the crowds who followed him. Yes, their attention gave him some measure of social power. But his authority did not disappear when those crowds turned on him—Jesus maintained to the end that he alone had the authority to keep or lay down his life. The true answer is that Jesus’ authority came from God—from a source that was not contingent on his approval ratings or popularity. The fact that his authority came from an outside source allowed him to challenge those who were in leadership and to even disappoint the expectations of the crowds. Jesus was given authority in order to perform a service—a service entrusted to Him by His Father, a service only He fully understood.

There are two ways to think of the dynamic of “authority” in our relationship with God. The first thing we might reflect on is the authority we give Jesus in our lives. Dr. Bill Bright (founder of Campus Crusade) argues that it is possible to invite Christ into your life, but still place yourself “on the throne,” such that your thoughts and activities are directed by selfish desires. The result is a life of discord and discontent. To experience a “Spirit-filled life,” we must make a conscious decision to place Christ “on the throne of our heart”—to give him authority over every part of our life, that he might bring our desires into alignment and grow the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

And here’s the amazing part—as we yield authority to Christ in our lives, we discover an inner authority that has nothing to do with winning the approval of others. Nor does it have anything to do with our status or position in society. This inner authority comes out of a singular desire to honor and serve our Lord in all that we do. Jesus gives us courage (just as he gave his first disciples authority and courage) to cross social boundaries, to speak the truth in love, to bring hope and healing to the stranger. Who knows what service God might “authorize” you to perform, if you conferred on him authority over your life!

Jesus, I confess that You alone are the Holy One of God. One day, every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that you are Lord. In anticipation of that day, I invite you to be Lord of my life now. Rule over every part of my life, bring my desires and hopes into alignment with Your will. May I serve You faithfully in all that I do, and bring honor and glory to Your name. Amen.