A New Authority
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me“ Matthew 11:29
Learn from me – Today we are unaware of the audacity of Jesus’ invitation. We no longer hear these words in their context. They don’t cause scandal or outrage. But maybe they should. Maybe we have become too familiar with Jesus to feel the impact of his teaching.
Yesterday we learned that Jewish authority was based on past heritage. An educated man came with a lineage of past masters. Jesus’ teaching caused astonished skepticism. But when He invited others to follow Him, to be taught by Him, He caused outrage. As far as the religious community was concerned, this was incredible egomania. Only a fool would expect others to follow a man without a pedigree. But Matthew’s words, mathete ap’ emou, “learn from me”, make it clear that Jesus claimed primary authority, an authority that did not depend on a prior history of teachers, an authority that came straight from God. No wonder the Jews were beside themselves.
Our world is just as outraged. The contemporary culture doesn’t get upset (too much) when we claim that Jesus was a great man of God and a great teacher. There have been many great men of God. Our world even tolerates the claim that Jesus brought new revelation about God. But it stands in critical astonishment when His followers claim that Jesus comes with primary authority. The world is outraged when His followers claim that Jesus is the final authority. The world wants its religious leaders to be connected to long histories of other men. It does not want a man who claims to come directly from God. We want teachers who are just better men, not teachers who are divine.
Why does the world have such problems with Jesus’ claim? Why wouldn’t it enthusiastically embrace news from a man who spoke as God? The answer is emotional. We don’t want to acknowledge Jesus as God’s authority because we don’t want to conform our lives to His message. It would be fine if Jesus just gave us theological theory, but when Jesus says that God requires me to change, to repent, to submit, then my reaction is rejection. Then I stand right alongside the Jews and say, “Who does he think that he is?”
That’s the question I must answer. Who do I think Jesus is? If he is the Son, then his authority over me is absolute. When I don’t submit, I am standing with the Jewish scribes, casting doubt on His pedigree. I can’t have it both ways.
Topical Index: learn, rest, yoke, Matthew 11:29
