Luke 20 - Authority

"Who gave you this authority?"

The Pharisees railed against Jesus for many reasons, especially because he acted with an authority that they knew nothing about. He spoke as one who made the laws, not one who memorized them. This put their authority in doubt. If they lost their authority over the people, what would they have left? If the people didn't listen to them, who would they listen to? Their authority was their birthright and their livelihood.

rebelnoun |ˈrebəl|a person who rises in opposition or armed resistance against an established government or ruler • a person who resists authority, control, or convention.

Jesus' response was to point out to them how flimsy their authority really was with a simple question. He could and probably would do the same to each of us. All human authority is equally as flimsy, even if we are right.