Authority

In Peter Jackson’s adaptation of the Return of the King by Tolkien, Rohan’s king Théoden is under the influence of Grima and ultimately Saruman. Still, Éomer honors Théoden’s authority as he is still his king, even though he “no longer recognizes friend from foe, not even his own kin.”

In the Bible, we find a similar situation in 1 Samuel 26 where David, again, has the opportunity to kill Saul, and where he, again, spares Saul’s life. Choosing to accept authority seems easy as long as you agree with the decisions or actions of the one in authority over you, but this is tested first when you are in a squeeze and may not agree.

What would you do in a situation in your day to day life that is similar?