“For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” – Matthew 7:29

A few years ago, my boss came to a meeting I was chairing at work and told everyone that I, as the head of the section, had the authority to fire anyone I thought was not performing.

People started fearing me like hell. However, I don’t remember ever using that authority to fire anyone, never mind that there were two or three ‘jokers’ who wouldn’t take their work seriously.

The word used for ‘authority’ in this text is exousía means the ‘power or right to take or perform an action or what the lawyers would call ‘jurisdiction.’

It often combines the ideas of right and might.

Not everyone with power has the right to exercise it.

For example, a soldier who controls an army tank does not have the right to fire when he wants; unless he gets orders from his superiors.

So, exousía, while including power, focuses more on the right or authorization to exercise power.

However, our Lord Jesus has both the power and authority.  

That’s why it says; “He taught as one who had authority (exousía), and not as the scribes.”

The crowd was astonished because the scribes (teachers of the law) typically cited previous respected authorities such as the Law of Moses to validate their teaching.

In contrast, Jesus spoke from an inherent or original authority, signifying that His teaching was the ultimate source, not merely a reference to other sources.

Jesus has passed on the same power to His Church over all principalities, and powers, and might, and dominion, and the authority to exercise it in His Name. See Matthew 10:1, 28:18-20.

This means that Jesus granted His disciples authority over all the power of the devil, showing that He has delegated His divine exousia to us as believers.

Christ was given all power and authority both in heaven and in earth – over all living and non-living things. 

He passed on the same to His Church to exercise on His behalf on earth.

This is the most important distinguishing feature of Christianity over all the other world religions.

Our Lord Jesus did exercise His authority, are you exercising His delegated authority?

“In addition to living holy lives, exercising His authority is also an important component of our discipleship.”

See, possessing the power and exousia, and not exercising it at all, are two completely different things.

When the Church neglects or does not stand in its God-given authority, darkness advances unchecked in communities, nations, and even in individual lives.

Evil influences increase, moral decline accelerates, and believers live beneath their inheritance.

The Church looks no different from the world – it becomes a religious organisation – professing faith but lacking spiritual impact, marked by programs but lacking presence.

The Church was mandated to demonstrate God’s Kingdom on earth – justice, peace, love, and power.

When authority is not exercised, injustice, corruption, and suffering continue without challenge.

The gospel loses credibility in the eyes of unbelievers, why, because as our meditation verse today shows, credibility is authenticated by authority.

Our Lord Jesus did His best and left the rest to us.

In addition to living holy lives, exercising His authority is also an important component of our discipleship.

Today, God challenges us to exercise that God-given power and authority, to change the course of our personal lives, our families, communities, nations and our world at large.