Matthew 7:29 NLT

'…for he taught with real authority – quite unlike their teachers of religious law.'

Matthew records how people recognised that Jesus spoke with authority. Some people respond negatively to that word ‘authority’. It speaks of the imposition of a rule or the exercise of power by one over another. However, the original meaning of the word from the Latin is ‘originator’ as in the word ‘author’.

Here we touch the heart of Jesus’ purpose; to reveal the way to live within God’s creation. The metaphors of rocks, sand and storms are easily memorised, the images quickly grasped. Yet the kernel lies at the very heart of the metaphor. How does Jesus choose to exercise authority in my life?

I made some discoveries in the heat of the storms swirling around my life. I wanted God miraculously to deliver me, and perhaps believed I had some inalienable right to be delivered. Yet, how was I to learn to love my neighbour through empathy and practical support if my life rolled out unscarred by the breakdown of trust, uninvited tragedy and the normal experiences of life?

Eventually I discovered a deep inner resistance to the desert experience that framed the context for Jesus’ ministry on earth. I discovered Jesus as one who not just taught, but taught with authority. I accepted his invitation to co-author my life story. Will you do the same?

QUESTION: What’s the story of your life to date? Has the plot taken you to places you never intended?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help me fix my eyes on you, the author and perfecter of my faith.