by: Stephen Weber

“Not even the archangel Michael, when he argued with the devil about who would have the body of Moses, dared to judge the devil guilty. Instead, he said, ‘The Lord punish you.’” (Jude 1:9, NCV)

Who are the authorities in our lives?  We may grow on this road of life, but there is always someone over us.  There is always someone higher.  So, who are they, and how should we treat them?

Perhaps a traditional sort of answer would be ‘teachers and administrators’ to the who and ‘with respect’ to the how.  Some may say the same thing for pastors.  Who of us, however, thinks of angels as authorities in our lives?  Who of us thinks much of angels at all?  Jude 1:8-10 seems to imply that there were those in the early church who had a problem with this, those who spoke out against the angels.  Jude says they speak of what they do not understand.  Perhaps this is why we do not think of the angels - we do not understand.

These days in the Western world we like to think of equality.  Democracy: this is the way of life.  Yet there is always a hierarchy: students, teachers, administrators, boards, deacons, pastors, angels, Christ and the triune God.  If not even angels rebuke angels (Jude 1:9), can humans rebuke humans?  Could this be what Jesus meant when he said that “whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22, NKJV)?

So what is the point of all this?  Well, we need to seriously evaluate the power structures in our lives.  Not just those we traditionally view as over us, but everything from angels to the balance of power with our peers.  We need to be careful how we address people and how we approach problems, because God has placed authority in our lives and it is a serious thing.

“Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this I-know-better-than-you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor” (Luke 6:42, The Message).