Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth by the Father. In the Gospel reading today from Mark 1, the people recognized this about Jesus. After He had cast an unclean spirit out of a man, the people said, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” When one has authority, then those under him are subject to that authority.
In the first reading today from Hebrews 2, we see that all things are subject to Jesus. In fact, God “left nothing not ‘subject to him.’ ” This is clear from the Gospel reading, and we know that even the wind and sea were subject to Him. Those who are subject accede to the authority of the one to whom they are subject. If this is the case, then are we not also subject to Christ and His authority? Of course we are! Then why do we so often go against His will?
The answer is, of course, that God gave us free will. We can freely accede to Christ’s authority, i.e. be subject to Him, or we can choose not to. This brings up that constant reminder phrase to me…actions have consequences. We were made, as was all creation, to be subject to Christ. Yet, unlike the wind and the waves, we do not HAVE to be subject to Him. But if we choose not to, there will be a price to pay. That price may be temporal, or it may be eternal. Either way you slice it, it seems to me that the smart play is to be subject to Him.
Father, you have made all things subject to Christ Jesus. Help us today and every day to follow His will, to be subject to His authority over every area of our lives. Amen.
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