By What Authority? Holy Authority in a Fallen World

Այսօրվա Ավետարանի ընթերցվածքը Մարկոսի Ավետարանեն Հիսուսի իշխանության մասին է։ Երբ որ Հիսուս մտավ սուրբ քաղաքը՝ Երուսաղեմ, և սկսավ իրագործել իր կյանքի նպատակը, այդ վերջին շաբթվա ընթացքին առաջին հերթով ի՞նչ եղավ, ո՞վ կրնա հիշել։ Գնաց տաճարը և մաքրեց։ Ի՞նչ կնշանակե։ Սրբապղծված էր, և հանեց բոլոր դրամափոխներն ու վաճառականները։ Եկավ, մտավ, բարկացավ, ըստ Ավետարանին, և մաքրեց տաճարը։

Բնականաբար, տեղույն քահանաները քիչ մը նեղվեցան և ըսին. «Դուն ի՞նչ իշխանությամբ ասիկա կընես այս տաճարին մեջը»։ Որովհետև իրենք իշխանությամբ կըսեին. «Ի՞նչ իշխանությամբ. քահանա՞ ես արդյոք»։ Այդպես կմտածեին՝ ըստ հրեաներու ավանդական հասկացողության։ Արդյոք դուն քահանա՞ ես։ Հարկավ, իրենք այդպես չէին նայեր Հիսուսին, որ ինքը քահանա էր։ Բայց Հիսուսը քահանայապետն է։ Հիսուսը թիվ մեկ քահանա է եկեղեցվո ծառայության մեջ, որովհետև, ինչպես մենք կաղոթենք Սուրբ Պատարագի ընթացքին, ինքն է ոչ միայն որ կընդունի մատուցումը, այլև ինքը կմատուցանե։ Ուրեմն ինքը բուն քահանան է, և ես՝ որպես քահանա, ու բոլորս՝ որպես մասնակիցներ, կդառնանք ականատեսներ և մասնակիցներ։

Ամեն պարագային, իրենք այդպես փորձեցին բռնել Հիսուսը՝ ըսելով. «Ի՞նչ իշխանությամբ ասիկա կընես»։ Իշխանություն բառը շատ հետաքրքիր է։ Իշխանությունը ընդհանրապես որտեղե՞ն կուգա։ Զոր օրինակ՝ ազերիները մտան Արցախը և դուրս վռնդեցին մեր ժողովուրդը, որոնք դարերով հոն ապրած են։ Ի՞նչ իշխանությամբ ըրին։ Եթե մենք այդպես հարցնենք՝ «Ի՞նչ իշխանությամբ ասիկա կընես, պարոն Ալիև», ինքը պիտի պատասխանե. «Զենք ունիմ, դրամ ունիմ. քեզի ի՞նչ։ Ես կրնամ ընել ինչ որ կուզեմ»։ Եվ աշխարհը այդպես է, դժբախտաբար՝ այս ընկած աշխարհը, որուն մեջ մենք կապրինք այսօր։ «Ամենամեծ զենքերն ունիմ, ամենաշատ դրամն ունիմ. ես կրնամ ընել ինչ որ կուզեմ։ Եթե չեք կարծեր, ուրեմն փորձեցեք ինձի կեցնել»։ Եվ ըրավ, ցավոք սրտի։

Բայց Աստուծո հետ այդպես չէ։ Հավերժական կյանքի չափանիշով այդպես չէ։ Ինչ որ ունիս այս կյանքին մեջ՝ ըլլա զենք, ըլլա դրամ, ըլլան այս կյանքի բոլոր զորությունները, Աստուծո առջև ոչինչ են։ Թող Ալիևը այստեղ գա և Պատարագ մատուցանե. այդ իշխանությունն ունի՞ արդյոք։ Հարկավ ոչ։ Թող աշխարհի ամենամեծ զենքն ունենա. ինքը երբեք չպիտի կարենա կռիվով կամ դրամով առնել այդ իշխանությունը, որովհետև այդ իշխանությունը Աստուծմե ընծայված է մեզի։ Ինքը չի կրնար ընել։ Փաստորեն, Դպիր Գրիգորը Աստուծո առջև ավելի իշխանություն ունի, քան ինքը։ Հավատացեք՝ ասիկա ճշմարտություն է։ Որպես ճանչցված և ձեռնադրություն ստացած դպիր՝ ինքը ավելի իշխանություն ունի երկնային արքայության մեջ, քան ան։

Ուրեմն մեր ժողովրդի ուժը սրա մեջ է։ Եվ երբ մենք կկարծենք, որ կպարտվենք կամ կտառապենք, երբ այդպես կմտածենք, ըստ անմահ և հավերժական կյանքի չափին պիտի հիշենք, որ մենք օրհնված ենք, որ մենք օրհնյալ, ընտրյալ ժողովուրդ ենք։ Եվ ասիկա ամեն ինչի չափն ու արժեքն է։

Ուրեմն, ինչպես իրենք փորձած են Հիսուսին ըսել՝ «Ի՞նչ իշխանությամբ ասիկա կընես», պարզապես չպատասխանեց։ Ըսավ. «Ուրեմն ո՞վ տվավ իշխանությունը Սուրբ Հովհաննես Մկրտչին»։ Գիտեր, որ իրենց համար ճիշտ պատասխան չկար այդ հարցումին։ Ինչ որ պատասխանեին, իրենց համար գեշ պիտի ըլլար ժողովուրդին առջև։ Ուրեմն պատասխանը չտվավ, և իրենք ալ չպատասխանեցին։ Մենք չենք կրնար հարգել եկեղեցվո մեջ այն, ինչ որ սուրբ չէ։ Այդ հարցումը սուրբ չէր։ Այս մարդիկը սուրբ չէին։ Բայց մենք գիտենք, թե ինչ է մեր ժողովրդի կոչումն ու նպատակը։

A few weeks ago, I was being kind of strict on the kids. I was telling them to clean this up and clean that up, and they couldn’t have this if they didn’t do that. I was giving them all sorts of ultimatums, and I was being a real dictator in the house. I needed to be at that moment, by the way. I will stand by that.

I was doing my work on the computer, and some time went by. The kids came to me and gave me a booklet they had made. It was papers stapled together. There was a cover on it and interior pages where text had been written. The cover said, “How to Be a Good Parent,” and it was written by Mane and Sion. I opened the book, and it was actually fairly well written grammatically, and there was a good deal of content in it. But I’ll give you the dust-jacket summary: “Let kids do what they want to do, and stop trying to make them do things all the time.” That was the message of the book.

I wrote a very lengthy letter to the authors in response to this book, and I later went on to publish my own book, which I shared with them. But when it comes down to it, I was faced with this question as a father and as the soon-to-be author of a book about how to be a good kid: Why should you listen to me?

We could talk about mutual respect. We could talk about creating a harmonious household where everybody can thrive. We could talk about all the things that make family life enjoyable, which involve mutual participation, sacrifice, and love. But parents know that, at the end of the day, all those conversations break down to one thing: I’m your dad, so you need to listen to me. That’s my authority. That’s not something kids always want to hear, but that doesn’t change the reality of it. That’s the truth, and we have to negotiate around that truth.

Why do I have that authority? Because I’m your dad. God gave you to me to be responsible for, to take care of, and to make sure that you would grow up to be the best people you could be. Part of that means being responsible and doing the things you’re supposed to do, which means I’ve got to make you be that way even when you don’t want to be. That’s my job. That’s my responsibility. That’s my authority that God gave me, and nobody can take that away from me, even if the kids would rather that not be the case sometimes.

This reflection, and the idea of where authority comes from in our lives, is very interesting because sometimes it is very unclear where people’s authority comes from. If a peer, for example, suggests that you do something, do they have authority over you? They have the authority that you provide them sometimes. We let our peers have a great deal of authority over us because their thoughts and opinions matter to us. They don’t really, truly have authority over you.

In institutions and organizations, there are all sorts of hierarchies of authority, but those authorities are based on mutual agreement. I can remove myself from that hierarchy if I choose to at some point, and in that case the authority means nothing.

Questioning authority even has its role in Christianity. As Christ entered the Temple during Holy Week, having triumphantly entered the holy city on Palm Sunday, he began his work—the work that he was prophesied to do and that ultimately would be fulfilled with his crucifixion and resurrection. One of the first things he did was go to the Temple, turn over the money changers’ tables, get rid of all the corruption in the Temple, and try to make it the holy place it had been designed by God to be: cleansing the Temple.

The people who were there at the time did not very much appreciate this. Some people today who are very fond of anti-authoritarianism look at Christ’s actions and say, “Oh, look, he was challenging authority. There’s an example to take from there.” But the irony of this take is that this is the exact same thing the Pharisees and the priesthood did when he walked in. The priests were asking, “What are you doing? Who gave you the authority?” They were questioning Jesus’ authority: “Who gave you the authority to do this?”

They looked at Christ and said, “You’re not a priest. We haven’t seen you doing priestly things around here before, doing services in the Temple. Who gave you the authority to do the things you’re doing?” Christ’s authority was questioned.

What was their motivation? Their motivation was not truly to understand the source of his authority. They simply didn’t want to acknowledge him. They didn’t want to acknowledge the righteousness of his cause, which was, in fact, to remove the corruption from the Temple. They wanted to discredit him, as they often sought to do, and one way they sought to do that was by questioning his authority: “How can you do these things? Who said you can do it? Show me on a piece of paper. Did King Herod say you could do it? Did the chief priest say you could do it? Otherwise, what you’re doing in here is illegal.”

From our perspective, Christ is the head priest, the Kahanayapet. He is eternally the head priest of the Christian Church. Even today, as I stood in the role of the celebrant priest in this service, the true priest participating in this service was Jesus Christ. He was the one who is the sacrifice, offered the sacrifice, and received the sacrifice. As the one who offered the sacrifice, none of us can replace his role. Instead, each of us steps into a role as participant, as liturgist, as priest, and so forth, so that we can play our own part. But without Christ, it means nothing.

They said, “What authority do you have?” Christ could have explained it to them. Of course he could, because in addition to being a priest, he’s a teacher. He could have very easily explained it to them, but he didn’t. He chose not to. He gave them a different question. He said, “Where did the authority of Saint John the Baptist come from? Answer that question, and I will answer you.”

It’s a great question because they had a no-win situation at that point. Everybody loved and believed in Saint John the Baptist. If they said he had no authority, the people would have rebelled against the priests immediately. But if they said he had authority, they would have acknowledged Jesus’ authority, because even Saint John the Baptist agreed that Christ was the Messiah. They couldn’t answer the question, so they didn’t. He didn’t answer their question, and they didn’t answer his. Stalemate. It’s done. Christ continues about his work.

What’s the takeaway here? When people question holy things with malicious intent, we don’t have to justify ourselves. Christ did not have to justify himself to them. When we have a question about the Church, about our faith, or about holy matters—including, for example, the authority of Jesus Christ—that comes from the heart of an inquirer and somebody genuinely seeking to know the truth, then we have to engage in deep and difficult dialogue about what we believe and why.

But when there are people who are trying to compromise you, call you out, manipulate you, or simply weaken your faith through their rhetorical questions, we don’t have to honor that, just as Christ didn’t honor what the priests were doing at that time. Their intent is not to engage you in faith. Their intent is to engage you in the world, to engage you in the fallen nature of a sinful life, and to pull you away from your faith.

The lesson today is to let the Church and our faith remain for holy things. We apply our faith in the fallen world around us, but we can’t let the fallen world around us define our faith.

Saint Gregory of Tatev has a beautiful quotation that I saw recently. I can’t fully recall it now; I’ll include it in the Der Tertig that’s coming up next week. In a beautiful way, he simply says the same exact thing: “They do not have the Spirit. They are not coming from the Spirit. Therefore, the Spirit need not apply in responding to them.”

Therefore, in the womb of our faith here, let us be sincere and openhearted in our questions of faith. But let us also be very clear that other people cannot compromise or question our faith if they do not come from the same perspective, so that we continue to do the work that we need to do for the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.