Sermon for The Feast of St. Bartholomew – August 24, 2008

Authority

“The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve . ”

I EXIT the car and I get that look. It may be a police car, and I, the passenger, emerge wearing the grey and black uniform of a police chaplain. It doesn't matter that I'm not the one in dark blue: the uniform creates a wave of reaction anyway—fear in the eyes, twitching in the fingers, shuffling of feet, bodies swaying in preparedness to run. The cops are here . Or it might be my metallic tan Camry, and I pop out of the driver's side. Wearing the black shirt with the white collar, I get a reaction too. The eyes are suspicious, disdainful, mystified, haughty, guilty and scared of what this means. Authority : especially when it comes in uniform of any style or color, makes waves. Where does authority comes from and what is it for? What does authority mean to a Christian, and which authorities are we to reverence, observe and obey?

      I longed to know what I was to be as a husband and a father, but couldn't really see a role model anywhere around me that fit my circumstance and my life. Jesus was, of course, the perfect man, but I had a hard time seeing how His life, unmarried and without children, gave me a pattern for my life. I struggled with my role, therefore, and failed in a great many ways.  Too compliant and passive I was in one aspect; too distant, removed and busy in another. And when the spiritual conflicts arose, I let my wife do the battle. My own battlefield was in disarray.

      Then I happened on this passage of Matthew's Gospel: “When Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” Matthew 8:5-10 Something about that man's words caused Jesus to commend his faith above all the Apostles, followers and priests among every one of His fellow Jews in favor of an Italian soldier. What was it?

      The centurion recognized in Jesus a man under authority , just as he was. Being under authority, that is, having a greater power over him giving him authority, the soldier, and Jesus , could simply give an order and know it would be carried out. Knowing that even the Son of God was under another's authority began my study and quest. I found ample evidence of this. Jesus said: “ The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do… A s the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself ; And hath given him authority to execute judgment ... I can of mine own self do nothing… I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me ...” John 5:19-47 The Son is under the Father's authority, not only in His Incarnation, but eternally. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is under the authority of the Father and the Son. Jesus said, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you… the Spirit of truth… The Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you... When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father , even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:... He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. He shall glorify me .” John 14; 15; & 16

      Thus, although we know and truly confess that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equally One God , and equally share the divinity of Godhood , yet there is a ranking of order and obedience even within God , from Father to Son, to Holy Spirit. First mystery : Authority can exist between equals, as a husband may have authority with his wife and children, though they are equal to him.

      What does this look like? The authority in families, in armies, governments, and even businesses, does not create itself, but comes down from above, ultimately from God. Anyone who thinks he is an authority in and of himself, loses that authority with those under him. A general who gives an illegal and unauthorized order may not be obeyed, for all his bars and stars. A husband who is not first submitted to God and God's love, has no right to rule his family. Second mystery: Authority must be conferred from above . Therefore, the admonition of St. Paul for wives to submit to their husbands is paired with the command for husbands to love their wives, as Christ loved the church and gave his life for her. Ephesians 5:21-33 This leads to the third mystery .

      In today's Gospel account, the Apostles are quarrelling over which one of them was greatest. Jesus interposed: “T he kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve… I am among you as he that serveth.” Luke 22:24 He said it unambiguously in another place: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:12 The authority God has established does something no mere human authority system ever deigns to do. The one above stoops down beneath the feet of the one below and lifts the other up. Jesus kneels down to wash his disciples' feet. Jesus bows beneath the cross that was meant for our execution. He falls three times, whipped and beaten, in our place. In the most wonderful way, the authority of heaven bends down to rescue those of us below. The Son of God obeys His Father to become a creature. And it is authority—not condescension, not humiliation, not defeat nor weakness. It is power from on high that is so secure and so confident that he wears it in deepest humility and sheds tears with the sisters of his dead friend.

      To have authority, we must be under authority. To have authority does not mean we are any better than anyone. On the contrary, it makes us ever more the servants of those around us, laying it down for them that they might live free. Any parent knows this. Our hope for our children is that they grow to be adults and surpass us, become better, stronger, smarter and achieve higher than we ever did. So while they are young, we exert proper authority over them that they will in time achieve more than we, with the loving discipline and guidelines we instill in them. That's just the way God is with us, just the way a husband ought to be with his wife and kids, the proper way of a police officer, and yes, of a priest.

      With authority, with conferred power, comes responsibility to serve those unable to serve themselves. Cops wear guns so that you don't have to. It would be a better world if there were no such weapons, but we know that a young man was gunned to death on this very block two years ago, the trial going on this week. Because of danger, the authority to protect is life saving, life giving. Authority, God-given and God-ordained, creates channels of life, love and respect, appreciation and truth from above to those we serve and all the creation rises together toward the source of it all. You see, I did learn from Jesus what a good husband was to be. If now I am anything better than I was then, He taught me my role through authority.

      The true role of a husband is power, authority, strength, spiritual purity, service, love, and self-sacrifice. How does a good husband use his God given authority with his wife? He does it by praying for her : daily, intensely, letting her hear his prayers. He l istens to her: with interest, setting aside other things, giving her all his attention for as long as she needs. He c oncerns himself over her welfare, her pains and her healing, and her spiritual well-being. He leads her when Jesus shows him to lead, by consultation, with consent, sharing gifts and standing up for God's way, not his own. He s acrifices his life for her: nothing held back, nothing more important under God. He c overs her: by prayer, by character, by action, by vigilance. He gets everything that interferes out of the relationship. He p rays for God to make him a husband and priest to her.

      And what is a priest? An authority within the church? A preacher, guide, counselor, pastor, teacher, administrator? Not really, though the modern priest takes all these roles. A priest is one who is specifically and personally called of God, prepared and passed through an initiation to qualify him as a priest. Then he is to offer the prescribed sacrifice to God, and when it is received, God gives it back for the priest to turn about and distribute it to those for whom is has been made a priest. Sacramentally, I have been ordained to do this at the altar with bread and wine. As Christians, we are called, instructed, baptized and made part of Christ that we might offer ourselves, our souls and bodies, as a living sacrifice, so we may bear Jesus into the world as an expression of God's love for all mankind. As a husband, you are called to love one woman, ordained with a vow and a ring, then given the right and privilege to offer your life, your worldly treasures, your deep heart first to God—for His anointing—then sanctified, pour it out for the one you love.

      This is strength. This is glory. This is authority, God-style. It's how a great boss is great. It's how certain presidents are remembered with honor and even tears. It's how warriors are memorialized, and those special teachers as well, and the unknown man or woman who did one kind deed for us at a crucial time. Godly authority flows down with so much love that we cannot contain, but only pour out, our cup runneth over. Everyone has enough, and no one is oppressed nor would even think to complain. It's how heaven can have enough glory for all, for those closest to the Throne, and the farthest as well. Nothing lacking, nothing left unfulfilled.

      What is authority? It is love flowing down from above in power, to purify, to correct, to guide, to enlighten, to lift up. May God give us His true authorities in this election year, and in all time to come. May we honor them and receive good things from those truly under His authority, over us for our good.

PFH+