Craig T. Owens

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“Who gave You this authority,” the chief priests twice demanded of Jesus in Luke 20:1-8. 

Worldly minded people are always looking for a résumé of accomplishments or the stamp of approval from a superior, so they can demand the unquestioned loyalty from those who report to them. In other words, they are looking for authority from their position that allows them to prove to others that they are in charge. 

The “chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders” (v. 1) had earned their positions, or so they thought. They are, therefore, asking Jesus to, “Prove it!” They want to know why Jesus gets to say and do the things He says and does.

Jesus had every right to flex on them! But He knew that His words and deeds spoke for themselves. He “knew that the Father had put all things under His power” (John 13:3) so there was nothing for Him to prove to anyone. 

In my book When Sheep Bite, I have a chapter about sheep questioning the authority of their shepherd. In that chapter I wrote—

     When our conversation with criticizing sheep hasn’t gone well, and when those unhealthy sheep begin to gossip and then slander, it’s inevitable that they will eventually began to question your authority as a shepherd. Perhaps they think you’re too young and naive, or too old and out of touch. They may question your motives, or the vision you’ve imparted for the church, or your ability to follow through on what you have already shared. Whatever the case, these biting sheep seem to be implying that they know better than you do how this pasture should be run. During times like these, it is tempting to want to “prove” that we are qualified, that we do know what we’re doing, and that we can indeed successfully pursue the vision we’ve articulated for them. Once again, it’s natural to want to say, “I’ll show you just how qualified I am!” 

     Before we respond, we need to recognize the source of our authority. … Far greater than positional authority is moral authority. This is authority that comes not merely from a title or position, but from who conferred that title or position on the leader. If God has called us and appointed us to this pasture, that is all the authority we need.

Jesus didn’t answer the “Prove it!” demand, but went right on teaching and serving. We need to remember that there is only One to whom we must give an answer. There is only One who can say to us either, “Depart for Me,” or “Well done, good and faithful servant!” 

A mark of a godly leader is one who is quietly confident of his moral authority. 

As a result, that leader no longer feels the need to prove anything. 

This is part 78 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here. 

You can order my book When Sheep Bite here. 

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