Lord, Master, King

Read Luke 4:14–6:49

31. Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught there in the synagogue every Sabbath day.
32. There, too, the people were amazed at his teaching, for he spoke with authority.
33. Once when he was in the synagogue, a man possessed by a demon—an evil spirit—began shouting at Jesus,
34. “Go away! Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One sent from God!”
35. Jesus cut him short. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it came out of him without hurting him further.
36. Amazed, the people exclaimed, “What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey him, and they flee at his command!”
37. The news about Jesus spread through every village. Luke 4:31-37

Sooner or later almost every person has at least one negative opinion about his or her boss. Some bosses definitely earn this reputation, while others come by it innocently through the instructions they give their employees. In this latter instance, it comes down to this: The boss has told you to do something, and you don’t like it. What can you do?

You may have never thought of Jesus as a bosslike figure, but he was a leader while he was here on earth. This reading contains examples of his earthly leadership. Here he takes charge and gives orders, and gets flak for it—just as we might expect. As you read, watch Jesus lead, and learn from his example.

Many people think of Jesus as a nice man, even a great man, who taught great truths. But the problem is that these same people stop short of viewing Jesus as an authority figure. They don’t think he has any right to influence even the most minuscule area of their lives. They don’t understand that Jesus isn’t just a nice teacher, a gentle giant, or a profound guru. He’s the Creator and absolute ruler of the universe (see Colossians 1:16-20). He has all authority (see Matthew 28:18). He has the right to tell us how to live, and he has power over all forces in the universe—natural, physical, and spiritual.

Whenever you read Jesus’ teachings, see them as your mandate for living. Read them as if they were directed right at you. Jesus didn’t come just to inspire us, but to lay claim to us. Can you call him Lord, Master, King?