“Astonished at His Teaching” by Jim Bayne

“Astonished at His Teaching” by Jim Bayne 

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Moses spoke to all the people, saying: “A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him, you shall listen. (Dt 18:15) 

Oh, that today you would hear his voice: Harden not your hearts (Ps 95:8)

Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath, Jesus 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. (Mk 1:21-22) 

Piety

All-powerful God, I want to be committed to you.

Let me abide in you and your glory.

Help me stay focused on your word and rest on your promises.

Fill me with faith that doesn’t falter, Hope that is everlasting, and love that is overflowing.

Your gift of Jesus was the greatest gift of love.

Please allow me to share that truth with others.

Amen.

[Based on 1 COR 13:13] www.DailyPrayerGuide.net  

Study

What is the difference between “Power” and “Authority?” According to the dictionary, these words are synonyms. But in one place, I read that someone with Power has the “Ability” to act while one who has Authority has the “Right” to act.

When we talk about “Spiritual Authority,” Jesus laid out conditions to be met if one was to have the “Right” to speak with Authority:

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many. (Mt 25:25-28) 

Jesus came to teach and to model the Spiritual Authority, which he then invested in his followers. That includes you and me. What do we need to do to speak with authority the way Jesus did? The quick answer is, “You’ve got to walk the walk if you’re going to talk the talk.”

We cannot exercise Spiritual Authority unless we are modeling our lives on the example that Jesus gave us.

For example, imagine 5’ tall, St. Mother Teresa, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize,
addressing the College of Cardinals. You can bet they all sat up and listened because she is one who spoke with Authority. Her authority did not come from her position within the church hierarchy. Her authority came from the life of service that she lived. She had the “Right” to exercise Power.

Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King were two men who spoke with Authority on civil rights. 

In the case of all three, they spoke with Authority because they met the foundational requirement laid out and modeled by Jesus: If you want to be great among your people, you must be their servant. There are thousands of people whose lives of service enabled them to speak with Authority.

Our world is full of people who have Power and the ability to use it. There are far fewer who exercise Power with Authority. Are you and I people who can speak with Spiritual Authority? 

Action

As we move into the new year, take some time to reflect on how well you are doing as a follower of Jesus, called to speak his message of love, acceptance, and forgiveness with Authority.

• Are you living your life as a servant leader?
• What is your level of knowledge and lived experience of what Jesus tried to teach us?
• When you speak to others about the Christian life, do people recognize you as one who knows what they are talking about because you are walking the walk and not just talking the talk?