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| "The Possessed Man in the Synagogue," by J. Tissot. Brooklyn Museum / Public Doman. |
Do you know the
Latin verb that is the root of the word “authority”?
Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers,
and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
In English we
normally associate power and jurisdiction with authority. However, we may do so
without knowing that the English word “authority” derives from the Latin verb augere,
which means: to make (something) grow, or
to cause growth. The English word “augment”
also derives from augere. So also does “author,” a person who
grows words into something greater.
Authority is a servant that provides to others what is
necessary for their growth and by warding off what would hinder or harm their
growth. Thus parents are the first and natural authorities of our
material lives.
One can abuse one’s authority
by wielding it in so domineering a way that one prevents or harms the growth of
others. One can also fail to exercise authority by neglecting either to provide
what is needed for growth or to ward off what would hinder or harm growth.
