Amelia would make an excellent podcast or talk show host. She pulled her little chair up in front of mine in the garage today while Ezra was napping and said candidly, “Yolly, I want to ask you a question.”
“What would you like to know?” I asked.
“What does a snake eat?” she queried.
“Mostly mice and other small animals it can catch,” I offered, scrunching up my face in disgust.
Without missing a beat, she launched into a drawn out story about a squirrel she saw at her house eating a snakes eyes. Her next rendition was about a bird pecking a snakes eyes. Then the squirrel and the bird ganged up on the snake. I struggled not to laugh while being duly impressed by her stories. I tried repeatedly in vain to change the subject.
Her mom, who had stepped inside to check on Ezra returned. Taking her seat, she recognized I was struggling to come up with another answer and interceded for me, offering Amelia a story of her own. Amelia listened long enough to register her intent and interrupted in true interviewer fashion. “Mom, you are the looker at me while I ask Yolly the questions.”
Amelia’s sauciness is often comical but she is still learning about authority. God entrusted her precious soul to us for such a brief season. Our task is no small one. Her parents and all those who love her dearly are meant to point her to the One who formed her in her mother’s womb, the true Shepherd of her soul and the only One who can escort her into a perfect eternity with God. This is the ultimate in stewardship for only the children of God will inherit the new heaven and earth.
Jesus encountered impertinence, impudence, resistance and outright opposition during His few years of earthly ministry. He alone responded appropriately in every situation for He alone lived without sin. This led Him to give fair warning to anyone willing to follow in His steps. We would do well to pour over His many interactions recorded in scripture, especially noting His responses for “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”
1 John 2:6 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/1jn.2.6.NASB1995
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.16.33.NASB1995
Matthew and Mark’s closing to their gospel accounts include a great commission spoken by Jesus to His followers. We are charged to go into all the world and preach the good news about Him. Matthew prefaced Jesus’s commission with the source of His and of our authority.
“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””
Matthew 28:18-20 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.28.18-20.NASB1995
Sometimes Jesus’s actions were appropriately confrontational. Sometimes He countered with a question of His own. He was tender with the wounded but harsh with the proud. He showed incredible compassion and was remarkably passionate. My temptation may be to read my own personality, my emotions and reactions into His interactions but I must use caution here.
“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”
Hebrews 4:15 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.4.15.NASB1995
Remembering that only Jesus was without sin should give me pause. I find two particular Psalms helpful to pray constantly.
“Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.”
Psalm 141:3 AMPC
https://bible.com/bible/8/psa.141.3.AMPC
“May my words and my thoughts be acceptable to you, O Lord, my refuge and my redeemer!”
Psalm 19:14 GNT
https://bible.com/bible/68/psa.19.14.GNT
When Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers, John recorded that Jesus made a whip out of ropes and drove them out of the temple, adding that His disciples then remembered that scripture prophesied zeal for God’s house would consume Messiah. (John 2:17) More like the Jewish officials, we tend to find exactly what we’re looking for in Jesus unless our thoughts are surrendered to the Holy Spirit. As Jesus promised, God’s indwelling Spirit would teach and remind believers of God’s Word. In order to be reminded, we must necessarily have heard or known His Word previously. This requires study. This is the abiding to which Jesus refers. (John 15:7)
“When the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them; when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that Jesus had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?”
And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?”
And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.”
After sleeping on all they had witnessed, rather than searching scripture to find every line that pointed to Messiah and asking themselves if Jesus could be the One they were waiting for, the Jewish leaders chose to challenge His authority. They felt threatened, their own authority already challenged by the Roman imposed government. They could not allow anyone to upset the status quo so when “Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”
Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.
The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?”
And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’
But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.”
And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.”
He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
“But what do you think?
A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’
And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went.
The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go.
Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.
For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.
Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.”
Matthew 21:12-17, 23-32, 43 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.21.23-43.NASB1995
“But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him.
This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted:
“Lord, who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?”
But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,
“The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts— so that their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and have me heal them.”
Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory.
Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders.
But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue.
For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.
Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me.
For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.
I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.
I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it.
But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.
I don’t speak on my own authority.
The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.
And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.””
John 12:37-50 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.12.37-50.NLT
Jesus told us how we can do the same, speak words of life even in the worst of circumstances.
“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves.
So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.
But beware!
For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues.
You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers.
But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.
When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say.
God will give you the right words at the right time.
For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
Matthew 10:16-20 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.10.16-20.NLT
A proper understating of authority makes all the difference.
“And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.”
Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.
I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.”
And the servant was healed that very moment.”
Matthew 8:5-13 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.8.9-13.NASB1995
“Abide in Me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
John 15:4-5, 7-8, 10-11 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.15.4-11.NASB1995
On the night of His betrayal, Jesus prayed for His disciples, including all who would believe by the word of their testimony. He prayed for you and for me, that we would be bold witnesses, offering a fitting reply in every situation because all authority in heaven and earth are His. “We are Christ’s ambassadors. God is making His appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/2co.5.20-21.NASB1995
Hear the words Jesus prayed for you and between the lines read the love of the Father who gave His only begotten Son for you and for all who will believe in His name for a day is coming when “many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.”
Matthew 24:10-14 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.24.14.NLT
“Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.
Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You.
Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.
But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.
I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.””
John 17:1-8, 11, 13-18, 20-21, 25-26 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.17.1-26.NASB1995
“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.28.20.NLT
Cling To The Cross ~Seph Schleuter & Matt Maher https://youtu.be/nmSXI1_v34w?si=CmfN_sc4r2p09n2C
Abandoned ~Benjamin William Hastings https://youtu.be/b4Ty3kUQbiQ?si=tf10a7qRVKd4YkQ6
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