“You have made him for a little while lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
And have appointed him over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
– Hebrews 2:7-8
Elementary school for me ran from first through sixth grade. When you became a sixth grader you became eligible for special appointment to the school safety patrol. It was a really cool job with various responsibilities before and after school, during recess and at other special times. Because our school was in a residential area, there were four intersections near the school where “walkers” would cross the street. Safety patrols were posted at those intersections to insure safe crossing, and students were instructed to obey any commands given by the guards on patrol. I share this with you in order to set the stage for one memorable day when I was beginning my walk home from school. A new friend who had just moved into the area was walking with me. As we were approaching one of the guarded intersections, we heard a safety patrol yelling, “STOP RUNNING! STOP RUNNING!” toward a boy rebelliously scurrying away from the patrol as fast as he could. I commented to my new friend, “Doesn’t that kid know he will get in trouble?” My new friend smiled and said, “Yeah, that’s my brother. He’s just kind of like that.”
Those two boys went to school with me all the rest of the way through high school. It gave me ample time to observe that my friend was right about his brother; he was just kind of like that. Authority was not his favorite thing. In a classroom of kids, odds were good that he would be among the first in trouble with a teacher. To be fair, he did successfully navigate his way into adulthood and a productive life. Further, rebellious streaks are not uncommon among adolescents. Neither are rebellious streaks uncommon among adults. Behavior traits that portray disregard for authority are not age-specific. We can find them in toddlers and teens all the way to the most senior of citizens. Sooner or later most of us will find a rule to bend or a person in authority to resist.
There are all kinds of people in the world who are given a certain amount of authority, from school safety patrols to kings and presidents. For some their authority is very great, and for others it is very limited. The thing they all have in common is that their authority, even if extensive, has a limit. Someone somewhere is not subject to their authority. This has been true and continues to be true for every person on earth—with one notable exception. Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, has been granted ultimate authority over all creation. This authority is duly granted since it comes from the One who spoke all things into being in the first place. The apostle Paul is not being hyperbolic when he says in Philippians 2:10-11 that EVERY knee will bow, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and EVERY tongue will confess the lordship of Jesus. The all-encompassing authority of Jesus is reality, here and now and forevermore. The problem in the world is that we still have people who live in defiance of Christ’s authority. This is our self-inflicted misery.
It will not always be like this. The writer of Hebrews says that one day we will witness all things being in subjection to Christ. In the words of the prophet, one day the government will be on his shoulders (Isaiah 9:6), bringing about peace, justice and righteousness. Things will not just be better; they will be incomprehensibly better. More accurately, they will be glorious. And the really good news for us is that we do not have to wait to experience a bit of that glorious paradigm. Nearly thirty years ago Brian Doerksen wrote a worship song with the following lyrics:
One day every tongue will confess you are God;
One day every knee will bow.
Still the greatest treasure remains for those
Who gladly choose you now.
Not only is Doerksen certainly right in his scripture quote, I believe he is right in his observation about those who receive the greatest blessing. Resisting Christ’s authority in your life might feel like freedom for today. The flesh will relish in the exercise of self-authority. You can, however, take this one truth to the bank: it will not last. There is a King given sovereign rule over all things created. We may not observe the full employment of that authority just yet, but we will. What a tremendous gift we give ourselves when we lay aside our rebellious heart and bend the knee before King Jesus. The authority is already His, and He will exercise it. The joy comes to those who acknowledge His authority now.
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 