A NEW TEACHING! WITH AUTHORITY
(Mark 1:21b-28)
In a world in need of a new
teaching, Jesus comes as the new teacher. In a world where authority has lost
its value, the presence of Christ defines what authority means.
Jesus in the Gospel of today is
presented to us as the expected prophet foretold long ago. He comes with a
unique teaching. He comes to make a difference. He comes with words. He comes
with action. What He says He does. He addresses not only the physical realm, He
confronts the forces seen and unseen. He scatters the hideouts of the powers
terrorising the people of God. He confuses the fortified camps of the cabals.
His teaching is an astonishing one indeed.
What more is special about this
teaching? Where lies this authority of Christ? What message has Christ's
teaching for us today? Let us go through the gospel to see how the authority
imbedded in the teachings of Christ can help shape our Christian life.
THEY WERE ASTONISHED; WHY?
The teachers evaluate their
students at the end of their teaching. The students evaluate their teachers
during the course of the teaching. Every speaker attracts the attention of the
listeners. Everything about one who is standing out is looked into.
Jesus enters the synagogue and
ascends the pulpit to speak. Initially they may have seen Him as one of the
other scribes but when He started to teach, they saw extraordinary passion,
they saw the feelings, they saw sincerity, they saw determination to save.
He is not like the expert speech
makers and political players. He is not there to steal the attention and trust
of the people for the time being and deceive them. There is conviction in what
He is doing.
He is convinced that the system
has decayed. He teaches a new order. He is sure to make the difference needed.
He doesn't need to fear any power. He is not interested in the moneybags. He
spoke to everyone about being upright, He taught them the heavenly values. He
deconstructs the ungodly foundations.
THE MAN WITH UNCLEAN SPIRIT
CRIES OUT
The men with unclean spirits will
never be comfortable when the reformer is around. They have their fears: What
have you to do with us? They know they have nothing in common with Jesus. They
know that darkness and light cannot cohabit. They want to negotiate with Christ
to stop His mission. But there lies the authority of Christ. The man of
authority is a man of integrity. His yes is his yes. His no is no. There are no
go areas. For Christ the just course is not negotiable.
Have you come to destroy us was
the next question they asked. Yes, is the answer. Jesus comes to destroy evil
in the low and high places.
Can we lean on this authority and
act like Jesus Christ to bring an end to the institutionalised crimes in our
society?
Jesus rebuked the unclean Spirit
in the following words: Be silent, and come out of him? Let us rebuke the evils
creeping into our families. Let us rebuke the evils crawling into our souls.
Let us silence the immoralities growing among us. Let us stand against
oppression and suppression of the poor, against injustice, against the forces
destroying our core positive values, against being controlled by money and
power. Let us restore the hope of the hopeless and be voice to the voiceless.
THE NEEDED WEAPON
The people were amazed at how
Jesus commands the evil spirit to leave. They were amazed at His authority to
face the forces around Him and they questioned among themselves.
Your authority as the Child of
God does not lie in what you have, who you know or your background. They may
have used money to silence Jesus, but He used the word of God and the truth to
silence and expel them. They may have used intimidations to make Him change His
opinions. They may have promised Him protections and positions. But the Child
of God seeks first the kingdom of God, tries to know the will of God in every
situation. To Him life without dignity and integrity is not worth living. His
power lies in the fact that He is firm on the right thing come what may. His
words blend with his actions. He is objective. He doesn't do to others what he
will not like done to him. This is the new teaching Jesus came with. With it He
put the evil spirits in trouble. Let us endeavor to use our whole strength to
see that we use the teachings of Christ to subdue the many erroneous teachings
in our world today.
LET US PRAY
We thank You Lord for Your
teaching authority. Give us the grace to be obedient to the teachings You give
us daily through the Scriptures and the Sacraments of the Church. Empower us to
fight and conquer in the battles we are waging against the unclean spirits and
the erroneous teachings in the world. Grant that we may make the difference You
wish wherever we find ourselves. Bless your word in our hearts through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
HAPPY SUNDAY (4th Sunday,
Ordinary Time, Year B)
Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh
Image from: Vocation Meditation - | Jesus painting, Jesus pictures, Jesus teachings (pinterest.com)
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