The Authority Of God

Jesus Christ As King

4th Sunday In Ordinary Time
Deacon Robin Mendonca
Date Posted: January 31, 2021

When Jesus would preach, it would cause commotion! Some people would hear Jesus’ words and it would resonate with them but for others they would feel the challenge of Jesus’ words and would resist them. Some couldn’t let go of doing what they wanted and how they wanted and could not bring themselves to listen to someone who spoke with authority like Jesus. [1]

Often times in our world and in our lives, we can want sole control and authority over our decisions, lifestyle, relationships and even our spiritual lives. But Jesus tells shows us the amazing things that happen when we submit to His authority.

But what kind of authority did Jesus have? Now there are many kinds of authority such as political authority obtained through the election or by force, positional authority given due to the office one holds, and technical authority achieved through the knowledge one possesses.

However, the authority of Jesus is not any one of these. In Jesus’ time, scribes were experts in the Old Testament. They taught by citing the opinions of various rabbis on different matters, appealing not to their own authority but to the authority of others. In other words, their authority came from the knowledge that they received from others.

But Jesus was different. He did not appeal to the authority of various rabbis. Nor did he rely on the expertise of others when He instructed them. In fact, He taught with the authority of God Himself. His authority came from within Him. His words were rooted in the heart and in the witness of His life and his divinity because he himself is the word of God. When he interprets the Word of God, he speaks of himself.

And for those who listened openly, their hearts were profoundly impacted by His word. St. Paul says, “The word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). “Pope Benedict exhorts us in Spe Salvi to be open to the Gospel, as it is beyond informative. It is performative. It has the power to change our lives, open us to new horizons of hope. Jesus offers us hope of a new life when we encounter him in Word and sacrament.”[2]

Even the demons respond to Jesus’s authority. It’s a bit ironic how we can relativize the truth and deny it at times, but the demons are able to call it by it’s name in response to Jesus’ authority. There’s a lot that can be said about how evil works in the world to overthrow us in our quest toward God. But the most important thing to remember is that Jesus’ authority and power is no match for whatever evil we might battle in our lives. He has authority over even the demons.

For us, it is important to examine our consciences and recognize those areas where we resist the Holy Spirit and then submit those areas to the Lord so that they can be reordered. This can be true of sin, and temptations, habits, attitudes, and behaviors. [3]

Let us allows the authority of Jesus’ words to exercise its love and healing in our lives.

____________________________

[1] A Time for Order, ePriest, https://www.epriest.com/reflections/view/1533.

[2] A Time for Order, ePriest, https://www.epriest.com/reflections/view/1533.

[3] A Time for Order, ePriest, https://www.epriest.com/reflections/view/1533.

 

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