20240411 EXERCISE OF CHRISTIAN AUTHORITY
11 April 2024, Thursday, 2nd Week of Eastertide
First reading | Acts 5:27-33 © |
We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit
When the officials had brought the apostles in to face the Sanhedrin, the high priest demanded an explanation. ‘We gave you a formal warning’ he said ‘not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and seem determined to fix the guilt of this man’s death on us.’ In reply Peter and the apostles said, ‘Obedience to God comes before obedience to men; it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’
This so infuriated them that they wanted to put them to death.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 33(34):2,9,17-20 © |
This poor man called and the Lord heard him.
or
Alleluia!
I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise always on my lips;
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
He is happy who seeks refuge in him.
This poor man called and the Lord heard him.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord turns his eyes to the just
and his ears to their appeal.
They call and the Lord hears
and rescues them in all their distress.
This poor man called and the Lord heard him.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;
those whose spirit is crushed he will save.
Many are the trials of the just man
but from them all the Lord will rescue him.
This poor man called and the Lord heard him.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Christ has risen, he who created all things,
and has granted his mercy to men.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn20:29 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
‘You believe, Thomas, because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 3:31-36 © |
The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to him
John the Baptist said to his disciples:
‘He who comes from above is above all others;
he who is born of the earth is earthly himself
and speaks in an earthly way.
He who comes from heaven
bears witness to the things he has seen and heard,
even if his testimony is not accepted;
though all who do accept his testimony
are attesting the truthfulness of God,
since he whom God has sent
speaks God’s own words:
God gives him the Spirit without reserve.
The Father loves the Son
and has entrusted everything to him.
Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life,
but anyone who refuses to believe in the Son will never see life:
the anger of God stays on him.’
EXERCISE OF CHRISTIAN AUTHORITY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 5:27-33; PS 34:2, 9,17-20; JOHN 3:31-36]
In today’s first reading, the apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin. The high priest said, “We gave you a formal warning not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and seem determined to fix the guilt of this man’s death on us.” In reply Peter and the apostles said, “Obedience to God comes before obedience to men.” These words of the apostles have often been quoted to justify the refusal to submit to those have legitimate authority, whether political or religious authority. When used without qualification it can be dangerous because everyone can find some excuse to reject the decisions of those in authority simply because God tells them a different thing. Fanatics and self-righteous people will use the name of God to justify their subjective preference. In principle, what the apostles said is not wrong because one must render obedience to God before men. However, before we use this principle, we must be discerning that we are not using this principle to justify our personal whims and fancies to act contrary to those legitimately appointed to be in charge of us or of the organization and the country.
In the first place, authorities must also remember that authority is given to them by God and therefore they are exercising on His behalf. No authority has absolute power, not even those in government. During the trial of Jesus, Pilate said to Jesus, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” (Jn 19:10f). For this reason, it is right that we should always in-principle render obedience to those in authority. St Paul also urged the Christians, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.” (Rom 13:1-3). The same Peter who challenged the Sanhedrin would later write, “For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (cf 1 Pt 2:13-16)
Secondly, those of us who are in authority must be conscious that we do not act for our own selfish interests, since we are deputized to act on God’s behalf for the good of His people. Unfortunately, quite often, those in authority use their power to protect their wealth, position and power. They are not meant for the good of all or for the service of truth and charity. In the case of the Sanhedrin, the only reason why they did not allow the apostles to preach in the name of Jesus was because they were jealous of the success of their preaching and the many miracles they performed. (cf Acts 4:2-17) Yet, they could not deny that the apostles healed the crippled man in the name of Jesus as the apostles testified. They said, “If we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.” (Acts 4:9f). Preaching in the name of Jesus therefore would also put them in a negative light because they were complicit in putting Jesus to death. Confronted by the facts, they said to themselves, “What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” (Acts 4:16f) Their decision was to suppress the truth, which is against the principle of charity. We must act the way God acts.
Legitimate authorities must be ready to seek the truth when they come to know it, just as the apostles sought to speak the truth. Instead of recognizing the truth and sincerity of the testimony of the apostles, they sought to silence them. This was in spite of the fact that the authorities recognized that the apostles were uneducated and ordinary men. (Acts 4:13). They saw the cured man standing beside them and they had nothing to say. (Acts 4:14). The only thing that struck them was not only the apostles spoke with boldness but they were also companions of Jesus. Consequently, they knew very well that the apostles were simply giving their testimony of what happened. They did not concoct any nice clever arguments to justify their claim. They could only repeat what they knew. Hence, once again, the apostles told the Sanhedrin the simple truth, that “it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right hand, God has now raised him up to be a leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” Indeed, the truth will set us free.
Thirdly, authorities must be ready for dialogue when the truth is not clear. Instead of using the weight of their authority, there should be a sincere desire to listen to each other. In the case of the Sanhedrin, they were not ready for dialogue. They used their authority to silence the apostles. We should never use our juridical powers to force people to compliance. We only use them at the end of a process that has been exhausted. In other words, it is better to win the mind and heart of those who are against us than to force external obedience. They will not cooperate with us when they are forced to obey something that they could not accept. Instead, they become resentful and that resentment will be manifested in other ways. They will harbour hatred for us, find other ways to go against the rules imposed on them. Indeed, juridical power should only be used when the larger good of the community is threatened. Otherwise, we should allow time to continue to engage each other.
Listening, of course, is a two-way process. Sometimes, authorities are willing to listen but those who refuse to obey are not ready to listen or dialogue. They simply want the authorities to obey them! Without sincere dialogue, trying to understand each other from their vantage point, we will not be able to arrive at the truth. For truth is more than just facts and interpretation, but it is an event. Truth is perceived not just with the intellect alone but with the heart as well. Truth, in the final analysis, is an experience based on some objective event, not a figment of one’s imagination or personal preference.
Finally, for us who are Christians, dialogue is not just on the human level, it must include Jesus whom we confess as Lord and Saviour. As Christians, we all must be ready to submit to Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. John the Baptist made it clear that Jesus came from above. He is the One who reveals to us about God and our calling. “He who comes from above is above all others; he who is born of the earth is earthly himself and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven bears witness to the things he has seen and heard, even if his testimony is not accepted.” We need to search the scriptures together, to listen to what the Lord wills for us and His Church. Even within the church, there will always be tension between the bishop and his priests, the priests and the people when it comes to decision-making. We must seek not to cause division in the church or hurt the feelings of each other. We must not act like the world, using authority and power to enforce obedience.
We need to walk with each other in prayer and common discernment of His will. We need to exercise patience and humility when no mutual understanding is arrived yet. We should put our common faith in Christ before our own personal preference. We should put the unity of the Body of Christ before our own convenience or will. St Paul, writing to the Philippians, said, “be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 2:1-5) Indeed, the ultimate authority is when we exercise our authority in Christ and be seen as such by those who obey.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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