Daily Devotion for June 6, 2006

Who Said You Could?

 

"Tell us by what authority you are doing these things," they said. "Who gave you this authority?"  Luke 20:2

 

Authority in Webster’s Practical Dictionary has four listings: 1- the right to command or to act, the power to force obedience. 2- The person(s) who have the powers of government. 3-A person who is consulted about a subject because he knows more about it than most persons do. 4- a source of trustworthy information.

 

 Isn’t it human nature to believe that we are the king or queen of our domain? We like to be in charge or in control. We have our own plans for our lives. We like to think we have final authority or say so about things. The leaders of Jesus time were not any different than the generations before or after them.

 

 These people planned and worked for the illusion of power and control whether they were religious leaders or governmental leaders of their time. Jesus shook the very foundations of their thoughts, plans and actions when he came. He threatened both their perceived ideas of who they were and the perceived power they had accomplished in their lifetime.

 

 The things Jesus said and did were only possible with the authority of heaven—God the Father. And yet, they didn’t want to accept this. To accept this meant that everything they had (their perceived power and self-authority) was nothing and had to go. Their ego, their sin and their pride stood in the way.

 

 Many of us have Christ as our personal Savior. We let Him play the Redeemer role in our lives, but then we choose to reject his rightful authority as Lord. We often act as if we are asking Jesus, “Who said you could”?  When we do that we are no longer submitting to Jesus as Lord of our life. 

 

Will you submit your personal authority to the passionate Lord who has given up all for you? Can you give Him any less than all of you?

 

Prayer
Precious Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice of love. May we learn to submit our ALL to your authority as Savior and as Lord of our lives. Amen.

 

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Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
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