THE TEACHING AUTHORITY OF JESUS Mk 1:21-28
Jesus is called Rabbi, or Teacher. And what a great Teacher he really is, for, unlike the others, he teaches with authority. When Jesus taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath, the people were amazed: “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey Him.” The people cannot but notice the authority of His teaching. The word “authority” comes from the Latin “auctoritas”, which has its root word “auctor” – “author” or “creator” in English. A writer or author can look at his or her work - an essay, a short story, a novel, or a poem and say, “This is my creation.” The government recognizes that the author has rights over his creation. When we talk about the authority of the Lord, we acknowledge that He is the Creator, or Author of the Universe. He has the power to govern the universe. Just as an author can determine what takes place in the story he writes, God can determine what takes place in the universe He has created. The authority of Jesus comes from himself. He possesses the fullness of authority because He is God. The unclean spirit in the Gospel knew this: “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” It is very interesting to note that the evil
more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses...It is thereUnfortunately, this is what hap- fore primarily by her conduct and by her life that the Church pens among so many people nowadays. They are like the evil will evangelize the world, in other words, by her living witness spirit in the Gospel. They proof fidelity to the Lord Jesus - the fess belief in Jesus, for they claim to be Christians. Yet they witness of poverty and detachment, of freedom in the face of continue to openly reject his teachings and disobey his com- the powers of this world, in mands. This is what Pope Ben- short, the witness of holiness". (Evangelii Nuntiandi, n. 41). edict XVI noted: a growing "phenomenon" of people in In Baptism, we have become modern society "who wish to Christians – we are supposed to belong to the Church but who be like Christ. We just don’t imiare strongly determined by a vision of life that is opposed to tate Him; we imbibe and assimilate His Spirit. As Christians, the faith." therefore, we can also teach Jesus taught with authority, not with authority. Our words will only because he is God, but al- also become powerful if, in and by our lives, we truly give witso because his words are alness to the power of Jesus – ways accompanied by his deeds, and his deeds are invari- the power to serve, to love, to heal, to console, to liberate and ably in consonance with his to save. We become the living words. When he taught about and concrete extensions and love, for instance, he proved it by his own example: “No great- instruments of Jesus in his work of salvation. er love than for a man to give his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). And, indeed, he showed In a few days, on February 2, this when he willingly offered his Tuesday, we will celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the life on the cross for us, even Lord. We will have our candles “while we were still enemies” because of our sins (Rom 5:8). blessed during the Mass, 7:30am, at St. Peter Church. That is why he could demand from us: “A new commandment These blessed candles that we will use every time we pray at I give unto you, that you love home remind us that we carry one another as I have loved the light of Jesus. It means we you” (Jn 13:34). have the authority of Jesus to How far we are from the exam- drive away the darkness of sin ple of Jesus! Our words are ren- and evil. And dered meaningless because too this we do by often they are not accompanied exercising our by deeds. Sometimes we even power as Chrisact contrary to what we say and tians: the power to serve, to love, teach. Christian witnessing is what we sorely lack. Pope Paul to heal, to liberVI wrote emphatically on this in ate and to save. 1975: "Modern man listens spirit knows Jesus as God. Yet it continues to disobey and oppose him.
