However misguided or accurate many of these sources may be, we nod our heads in affirmation if these ideas and theories seem “right,” especially if they conform to our lifestyles, no matter how upright or hedonistic. Dallas Willard’s The Divine Conspiracy bears down on the ill and far-reaching effects of distorted ideas and world views. They often lead to anguish and deceit—even death. Morality itself is being shaped by all-encompassing views, manifested in a world of opinions.
Many purport to be or are considered “the” authority on a particular issue or set of issues. If we are looking for a good account of the Civil War, we might turn to the work of Shelby Foote. If we want to know something about cooking, Emeril certainly would be a fantastic instructor. I could go on and on with other examples.
At best, scientists, professionals, and others who are commonly known as “authorities” have only a limited knowledge of a particular subject. New discoveries are made every day, and what we thought we knew can often be merely the tip of the iceberg. Who can deny that there is much, much more to know about the possibilities of medicine? Have we exhausted the limits of technology, exploration, or psychology? We have not even begun to breakthrough in these arenas.
We have become so secularized and Americanized in our thinking that we tend to consider the teachings of Jesus as applied to our daily life to be somewhat obscure or outdated. Sure, Jesus is not a great authority on preparing a great steak or building a website. But very often we tend to place Christ in a corner as someone who is only concerned about spiritual and eternal issues, if we even consider him the authority at all.
But Christ is vitally concerned about infiltrating into our very existence, into our work, relationships, and interaction with other human beings. He is not only the authority on issues of Providence, he is the master teacher in the subject of life. A quick glimpse of the malice and sufferings of man provides direct evidence that we are simply not good at living life. The Bible should serve as our “How-to” book, or our “Life for Dummies.” But it is more authoritative and compelling than that. It explains why and for what and how much. It is the place we derive meaning and daily sustenance. It is our hope and our comfort when life simply doesn’t go the way we planned.
After Jesus finished the Sermon on the Mount, the Bible says that the crowds were “amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” See Matthew 7:28. When discussing the complexities of life, Jesus is the authority. He does not purport to have all of the answers—he is the answer! He is the authority.
Ultimately, the truth of Jesus teachings remains constant while society and theory is ever-changing. Colossians 2:8 offers, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than Christ.” Which begs the question—“How does life turn out for us outside the truth of Christ?”
