Part of the disconnect culturally for this topic is not only from the pastoral world to the post-modern world which has little contact with shepherds, but from an authoritarian world to our world where democracy, autonomy, and “rights� take precedence. As a contemporary pastor, I have little “power� to enforce justice in my flock. For the most part, I need to earn “authority� to intervene, model justice, and confront with love and grace.
Every culture requires something different from us and I think you've spoken the truth about ours: authority is rarely respected unless it is earned. Because our culture makes it so difficult to enforce discipline, when it does happen, it is evidence of remarkable leadership-by-influence.