La autoridad

Entre el 25 de marzo y 01 de abril publiqué 6 blogs sobre el tema de la autoridad y el ejercicio de la misma con respecto al territorio. Aquí hay un resumen en español.

Esta afirmación de Jesús es increíble:

Todo la autoridad en el cielo y en la tierra ha sido dada a mí … id…

Esa autoridad no es una autoridad para controler otras personas. No nos la ha dado para tomar autoridad sobre el pueblo, sino a dar nuestra vida por otros.

  • Es una autoridad que tiene una relación a nuestra vida, no principalmente una relación a lo que decimos, o a lo que mandamos en alta voz.
  • Puedo tomar autoridad sobre cosas malas pero si las semillas de esas cosas están en mí, entonces tenemos una autoridad que significa que estamos sembrando las semillas en la tierra: cuando sembramos habrá una cosecha.
  • Cuando hay un espacio de integridad entre lo que decimos y lo que somos, tenemos problemas. Así, por ejemplo, cada vez que redefino el matrimonio con respecto a mis actitudes y comportamientos, estoy sembrando semillas de la redefinición del matrimonio en la tierra. Cada vez que se puede demonizar a las personas y tener un punto de vista que son mis enemigos, también estoy sembrando semillas que pondrá en peligro a los no todavía nacidos en la tierra.

El nivel de autoridad tiene un conexión con mi compromiso a la tierra: “para casarse con la tierra”.

  • Cuando lo hacemos, habrá un intercambio – también vamos a heredar la tierra, vamos a sufrir. No vivimos por encima de la tierra.
  • Sin embargo, cuando vivimos en un lugar con compromiso tenemos una autoridad.
  • Podríamos leer con esto en la historia del endemoniado gadareno … tenemos algunos diálogos grabado allí:
    • Los demonios no piden ser echado de esa área
    • Las personas piden a Jesús que dejar esa área
    • El hombre liberado pide abandonar esa lugar

    No todas las preguntas son respondidas en la narración, pero la respuesta de Jesús ciertamente no es predecible.

    • 1) No parece que Jesús echó a los demonios fuera del área.
    • 2) Él no insiste en quedarse cuando le preguntaron a salir.
    • 3) No se deja salir el hombre.

    Él (el hombre) debe permanecer porque – como un hombre libre – tiene las llaves de la libertad de la zona.

  • Sin embargo, hay un dilema. Vivir en un lugar es necesario para tener la autoridad, sino cuando vivimos allí no podemos llegar a ser inmune a lo que se siente al vivir allí. Suponemos que lo que es ‘normal’ es de hecho normal.
  • Por eso es necesario que podríamos recibir a los que venir para ayudarnos del exterior.
  • Esas personas cuando se envían por Dios vienen a estar al lado – no más – los que viven en un lugar. Traen una autoridad simplemente porque han sido enviados.
  • Si se han enviado tienen que ser recibidos – es por eso que no tenemos que recibir a todo el mundo. Si se envían y reciben entonces Jesús viene. Eso parece un buen trato.
  • Ellos pueden venir con unos puntos de vista nuevos. No estaban viviendo bajo el lugar, por lo que a menudo pueden tener perspectivas que no teníamos antes.
  • Eso no significa que tienen más autoridad. Significa, simplemente, que han cruzado el ‘río’ para ayudarnos. Si vienen como los enviados por Jesús, uno de los aspectos de su identidad debe ser una de humildad y disposición a lavar los pies de los que viven allí.

En todo esto, yo vengo de círculo completo. Autoridad tiene que ver con cómo vivimos, cómo nosotros obedecemos, cómo aprendemos a someternos unos a otros. Se trata de un cambio, de la oración, de caminar la tierra. Se trata de vivir en el intermedio: entre el cielo y la tierra, el pasado y el futuro, lo que es y lo que está por venir.

Eye for an eye

Retributive justice and the Bible? The death penalty today or in the light of the cross is it totally abhorrent?

It is of course interesting to see how the principles of the OT play out in society, for the laws were not simply ‘moral’ laws but whole life laws for the structuring of life within a nation – albeit a theocratic nation. However, it is more interesting in this context when looking at the first murder case in history and the way it was dealt with that we do not find an eye for an eye being the principle of the punishment. This is pre-cross.

When Cain murders Abel God is the judge (Gen. 4). There is clear witness to the event, so there is no possibility of a mistaken identity scenario. The punishment is that he is to be banished from land and his own context but he does not lose his life. He (ironically) is afraid that he will become a possible murder victim. God protects him. He values the life of the one who did not value the life of his brother. There is something restorative, educational that is involved in the punishment.

I am the main contributor to this site, though there are guest writers from time to time. Hopefully, what is presented are perspectives not the final word!

I am currently developing a part of the site with a focus on the 'gates of society'. That section will develop more as a forum with links to other articles, so that it becomes a resource for the future. I will also be looking for other contributors into the various subject-areas.

In my spare time(!!) I enjoy putting together wordpress sites, and also coaching people to make their own - open to hearing from you on that too.

Previous posts

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Recent magazine articles

Editorial Vol 2.1

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In this issue there are a number of articles to respond to. Dyfed reviews Roger Mitchell’s thesis Church, Gospel & Empire. Roger’s book is his thesis so we should not expect it to be an easy read, however, with Dyfed’s review I think the book will be accessible for most. In a recent blog Roger [...]

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