REFLECTIONS

Power of Attorney

The responsibility felt both flattering and frightening. Someone entrusted me with a power of attorney for certain of their affairs. It granted me authority to act in their behalf should the need arise. I felt honored by their trust yet frightened by the responsibility to act in the name of someone else. The burden of making the right decisions to serve their interest felt heavy. I wasn’t concerned about bad intentions; but I was concerned about choosing correctly among various well intended alternatives.

Representing the interest of others is really a common position to find oneself. Bring up a child in the way he should go is the challenge of every parent. And Jesus commanded, “Love one another.” So in many respects, powers of attorney of sorts have been entrusted to us all.

Just as many of us, Jesus received a power of attorney from his Father. He described the effect of it when he explained that he and the Father are one. And he declared its reality when he told his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18) Jesus has equal power of his Father. And for certain matters, he passed it on to you and me.

“My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” (Emphasis added) Now that sounds like a power of attorney to me. But Jesus didn’t stop there. “I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me.” And then among his final words on earth, he put the finishing touch to the power of attorney he rendered to us.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

“You are the light of the world,”

Richard +

www.reflectingthesavior.org

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