Luke 6:5

Once again, Jesus claims His Deity through His authority stating that He is Master of the Sabbath. The use of the word Lord denotes His absolute control. I am reminded of His words in Matthew:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Matt 28:18 (NIV) All authority is His including the Law and the Sabbath and also our lives. He has been given the official right by the Father. He has absolute power. The Oxford Dictionary states these words for authority: “right, power, authorization, prerogative; jurisdiction, influence, rule, command, charge, sovereignty, supremacy; having power to enforce obedience.” Authority, the very word sets our teeth on edge. I do not know about you, but I often dislike people telling me what to do. I am certainly glad to be asked and enjoy doing for others but often buck at commands. Perhaps like me you can relate. Maybe the way we have looked at authority in the past is that those who were above us were flawed flesh. They let us down, they disappointed, they ridiculed, they made mistakes, and they did whatever to make us have a bad taste for authority in our mouths. I might add, we have done or have the capability of doing the exact same thing that we so loathe. We are all flawed flesh. Christ Jesus, on the other hand, is perfection. He is not “practically perfect” like Mary Poppins, He is perfect. He can be trusted. We can depend on Him. He leads us beside quiet waters, He restores our souls. Even when we walk through valleys, He is with us and His rod and staff brings us comfort and protection. His love is perfect taking away our fear, for His perfect love casts out fear, especially for His authority over our lives. He desires the very best for us which is to be in the center of His will. He is Sovereign (Supreme Ruler), Omnipotent (Absolute Power), Omnipresent (Present everywhere at the same time), Omniscient (Knowing everything). He is the Lover of our soul. We should embrace His right to rule instead of fleeing from it. In doing this we bring harm to ourselves. I am again reminded of a passage in Scripture found in Jeremiah chapter seven (a great chapter on obedience by the way) stating God’s heart for our following hard after Him:
21 "'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! 22 For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, 23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you. 24 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. Jer 7:21-24 (NIV)
If you are a believer, you have come out of Egypt (in bondage or slavery to sin) and are now free (yoked to Christ and righteousness). Scripture tells us:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! Romans 6:18-21 (NIV)
Obedience is for us. It is for our good. Indeed as Paul asks, what benefit did we reap from things we have done that we are now ashamed of? Christ tells us that apart from Him we can do nothing of eternal value. It is He who infuses our actions with Life. We are foolish if we do not heed His way. Christ tells us: 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 (NIV)

“Crown Him with many crowns, The Lamb upon His throne. Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own! Awake, my soul and sing of Him who died for thee; and hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity.” Matthew Bridges/Godfrey Thring