Obedience has its Christian sense only when there is filial love. The freedom in that filial love nurtures an obedience that bring about life. Which law did the Father employ in 'sending' the Son to the world? How did the Son 'obey' the Father to accomplish the will of the Father that 'all may have life in abundance'? Otherwise, Jesus could have easily obeyed, and should have Obeyed Caiaphas and his team. They were not seeking the will of God nor the life of the people of God.
Obedience to a competent authority is also in seeking the will of God; not on the other way as though whatever is the will of the authority is to be accepted as the will of God. The primary test of the quality of obedience is whether the obedience demanded and the obedience exercised ensures life of all. A Spirit guided ecclesiology does not divide the church into hierarchy and the faithful. The hierarchy is within the people of God with a ministering function. It is not a ruling function. Their decisive authority is towards nourishment of the life of the faithful.
Obedience demanded to bring others on their knees is not a virtue, its demanding a submission. Obedience (Ob-audire) propels us to listen (and speak) to one another in truth and charity. Obedience in the sense of attentive listening invites us to listen sympathetically even to voices that are different from ours. Only filial love can make this listening even without a verbal conversation. There is freedom and joy, and life.
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