“The Author of Authority!”Fourth Sunday after Epiphany January 29, 2012
Deuteronomy 18:15-20 *1 Corinthians 7:32-35 * Mark 1:21-28
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark
Jesus and His companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, He went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at His teaching, for He taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, "Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!"
Jesus cut Him short. "Be quiet! Come out of the man," He ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.
Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. "What sort of new teaching is this?" they asked excitedly. "It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey His orders!" The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ!
Let’s be in a Spirit of prayer, Lord empty me of myself and let Your Spirit fill me and may the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to You, God. Amen.
Why? Why do I have to do it your way? You who are parents are familiar with this phrase from a young voice? As a matter of fact I remember saying exactly those same words to my mother….and I have heard those words over the years from my daughter. Like my mother I answer my daughter, “You will do it this way because I said so and because I am the parent and God put me in this position and if you do not like it take it up with the BOSS :>) A parent has authority given to them by God to raise their child to be a faithful believer and good neighbor.
Remember when you were in school and the teacher stepped out of the classroom for a second…bedlam, chaos and anarchy were words that could capture those moments until the teacher or worse yet the vice principal walked in and singled out the “trouble makers” and off to the office they went…and the class was back in order. A teacher has authority given to them by the school board and the parents work with the teacher to educate the child…at least that is what is supposed to happen!
What is interesting in every generation we get to a point when God, the Author of all things is considered irrelevant. People believe they can do what they want and there will be no repercussions. We give final authority in our lives to others or our jobs or the state. We forget the only real authority in this life comes from the Author of all life.
There are some Christian churches today that have a book that on the outside says Holy Bible but they treat it like a blank divine diary that we get to write what we want God to say to us instead of reading and listening to the words God sent to us by His Holy Spirit thousands of years ago.
We believe God is the Author of Authority, He is Creator of Creation. The Holy Bible written by human hands has Divine Authorship through the Holy Spirit.
Jesus of Nazareth when He was first with us embodied God’s authority.
The first reading today alludes to the Exodus account and makes a promise to the people that God will raise up another prophet, like Moses, to bring God’s words to them. God keeps His covenant promises and so Moses began a line of prophets who were not afraid to stand before God on behalf of the people; or to face them on behalf of God to name their demons. The line of prophets ceased several centuries before Christ. But people interpreted the interlude as a time of expectancy, watching for God to come in force on a great day to destroy the wicked and raise up the just.
That great day would begin with Elijah’s return and would culminate in the arrival of another great prophet like Moses. We can see where this is going, can’t we? – to the gospel and the arrival of Jesus who, in the synagogue, confronts the unclean spirit in the man. In Jesus the powers of evil are being threatened, “I know who You are – the Holy One of God.”
Jesus has not only a prophet’s authority, but so much more. The prophets referred to God when they began to speak, “Thus says the Lord.” Jesus speaks from His own authority and orders the spirit, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The people sensed someone different and something different were happening, “What is this? A new teaching with authority.”
St. Mark’s gospel account shows the authority of Jesus’ word. He does not have to go through a ritual as other healers did. Instead, power comes through His words. Mark is establishing early in his gospel Jesus’ authoritative teaching. The fact that Jesus can drive out an evil spirit only confirms His teaching authority and the good it holds for those who receive it.
The gospel gives us pause and raises questions. Who and what is the primary authority in our lives? What guides our daily decisions, not just how we worship and pray but: how we educate our children; what we do at work; our choice of leisure and entertainment; our use of money and natural resources. Who and what form our conscience? By what criteria do we evaluate others in the world? When we hunger in the depths of our spirits where do we go for nourishment? Who will help us exercise the demons in our lives and the many powerful temptations in this world?
St. Mark has no doubt which authority we must turn fully towards. It’s as if there is a stage with closed curtains. Mark parts the curtains and a spotlight shines on Jesus, the focus of this drama. The action begins immediately, it is a battle between good and evil.
Throughout this gospel the war will be enacted in many battle scenes with other possessing demons, hostile crowds, the religious opposition and the governing Romans. At the end evil will seem to have won the war. But Jesus’ resurrection will confirm God’s power over evil working through Him.
We are left with a choice between Jesus’ authoritative words, or the host other seductive forces we hear each day which try to turn us in another direction. We have all experienced the power of evil and sometimes given into it. So we listen as Jesus again speaks out on our behalf, “Quiet! Come out!” That could be our prayer today, to allow Jesus to speak with authority in our lives. “Speak Lord, Your servant is listening.”
Of all places for that unclean spirit to appear – in the midst of a worshiping community! For St. Mark evil powers work their way even into the best human places, trying to subvert the good we try to do. Even Jesus’ closest disciples were affected by them. Remember Jesus’ harsh words to the resistant Peter, “Get out of My sight, you satan. You are not judging by God’s standards, but by peoples”. Nevertheless, St. Mark shows Jesus persevering to heal and help those who believed.
The battle between good and evil is even fought in our synagogues – now called churches. Remember over the years segregation, slavery and Nazism were all supported by some Christian churches.
Though we are still very early in St. Mark’s Gospel account we can already sense who Jesus is and where He is going. He will confront evil in all its guises and eventually overcome death. Word spreads quickly among a people who need to know and experience that God is on their side. As a result of today’s cleansing, Mark tells us, “His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.” But as we said, this is only the beginning. Soon Jesus and the good news He preaches will spread to the ends of the earth! Towards the end of St. Mark’s gospel account, after Jesus was taken up to heaven, the apostles go forth “to preach everywhere.” But they are not on their own because, “The Lord continued to work with them throughout and confirm the message through signs which accompanied them”.
We are not on our own. God did not leave us orphaned. We take to heart the message we hear today from the gospel. The One who has authority over evil, accompanies us as we go forth like the apostles, “to preach everywhere.”
Think of the places we live, work, minister, recreate~ THESE places are OUR MISSION FIELDS. Remember those people to whom we are sent. We carry with us a word of Good News for them, a word that has given us life and the power to confront evil in all its subtle and bold manifestations.
Pray this prayer with me: Author of all Life, thank You for my life. Thank You for Your Son Jesus who saved me. Thank You for the authority You have given us to celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion that gives me Your Son on this earthly journey. Send us Your Spirit to give us courage to confront satan’s temptations he sends within us or to confront him within another who speaks or acts with evil and deceit. You Abba are the author of time itself…wake up this generation from its sleep so we recognize evil in the world and live through Your Spirit to eradicate it with Your love. If you agreed with this prayer ~within your heart or with your voice say …AMEN!
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