Last week in our Building Beloved Community series, we explored the difference between formal authority and informal authority. Formal authority comes through a position, title, or office. Informal authority, however, is earned through trust, relationships, and influence. Both forms of authority shape our lives, our churches, and our communities.
This week, we turn to Matthew 28:18–20, often called the Great Commission. These are among the final words Jesus speaks to his disciples before his ascension. He begins with a powerful declaration: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Jesus makes it clear that his authority comes from God. It is not self-appointed or rooted in power for its own sake. It is a gift entrusted to him by God.
Yet what happens next is remarkable. Jesus does not keep that authority to himself. Instead, he shares responsibility with his followers. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,” he tells them, “baptizing them” and “teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” The authority given to Jesus is now passed on to the disciples. They are called to continue his ministry in the world.
But what exactly are they to teach? What are the commands Jesus expects them to obey? Jesus answers that question in his teaching on the greatest commandment. Drawing from the heart of Jewish faith, he says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Then he adds a second commandment that is inseparable from the first: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Finally, Jesus declares that all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
Here is the twist Jesus brings to our understanding of authority. Authority is not ultimately about control, status, or domination.
In the kin-dom of God, authority is rooted in love. It is the love of God and the love of neighbor. The authority Jesus shares with his disciples is the authority to serve, to teach, to welcome, and to build communities shaped by compassion and grace.
As we continue our Building Beloved Community series, may we remember that the authority entrusted to us is not about power over others. It is about faithfully embodying the love of Christ and helping create a community where all can experience God’s hope, belonging, and peace.
This peace is not like the peace the world knows, which is the absence of war, but the peace that sustains forever the fullness of community.