Mark 1.21-28 REAL AUTHORITY
Jesus called his first disciples -- Peter and Andrew, James and John – and then he took them to the synagogue in Capernaum. That isn't too surprising. The Gospel of Luke tells us that it was Jesus' custom to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath -- and Capernaum seems to be where Jesus made his home as an adult. If you travel to the Holy Land today, you can go to Capernaum and find the house, which has been identified since the time of Constantine, as Peter’s home and just yards away is the ruins of the town’s synagogue.
You know, there was a good deal about synagogue worship in those days that would seem familiar to us today -- scriptures -- prayers -- and a homily, or sermon.
But there was nobody known as the preacher.
There was a ruler of the synagogue,
but he was more like the superintendent.
I think that sometimes we confuse the Temple with the synagogue.
The Temple was the place where God was believed to live in Jerusalem. That is the place that faithful Jews would come to make sacrifices and worship.
Synagogues, on the other hand, were the local gathering places where Jews would come together each Sabbath to hear the Torah read and explained.
The superintendent would choose people to do the readings and give the homily, but he didn't usually do those things himself -- unless he couldn't find anyone else to do it.
Sometimes a synagogue ruler would get lucky and find someone really good --
someone who had something to say that they hadn't heard before
-- someone who would, as they say, stand up and speak up.
Such a person was a rare treasure, and every synagogue ruler knew it. They were always on the lookout for someone who could proclaim God's Word in a respectful and effective manner. At any rate, the synagogue ruler must have invited Jesus to speak, because that's how it worked.
Now, we don't know if someone else read the scriptures and led the prayers or whether Jesus did it all. Yet, we know that he did give the message, because Mark tells us that the people were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Hmm … the scribes would have been surprised to find themselves characterized as teaching without authority. Because in fact, they were THE authorities.
I don’t know about some of you, but in my home growing up, my mother was the authority.
- "I could plant potatoes in those ears."
- "I'm not your maid."
- "If your friends jumped off a bridge does that mean you have to jump too?"
Perhaps these phrases are familiar to you as well
- "Just wait till you have kids of your own!"
- "Don't talk with food in your mouth!"
- "You weren't born in a barn, close the door behind you!"
And of course there is the all time classic - "Because I'm your mother, that's why!"
These expressions have been passed from generation to generation. They are
expressions of authority - the authority of a parent over a child.
Authority and power are not easy to define but it is easy to recognize when we see it.
And, on this Sabbath day, the people were astounded, because “he spoke with authority, and not as the scribes.”
Jesus' manner of teaching was different. For one thing, the scribes were fond of quoting the opinions of famous rabbis. They could take you all the way around the mulberry bush before giving you the final answer. But Jesus didn't quote this rabbi or that. Jesus spoke with a kind of authority that didn't come from books.
Have you heard the story about the bride who was extremely nervous on her wedding day?
She confided to her minister that she was not sure she could make it all the way down the aisle without shaking or crying. So the minister, a seasoned veteran of weddings, gave her a bit of advice.
"When you begin your walk," he said, "just remember this three-point formula:
First, look straight down the aisle;
second, when you get about half-way, look straight up at the altar; and
third, when you get near the front of the church, look straight at your
groom.
First the aisle, then the altar, then him. I think this will help relieve your nervousness."
The trembling bride agreed to try his advice. And it worked beautifully. She walked with a radiant glow on her face and poise and confidence in her step, with no sign at all of nervousness.
However, there was one small problem. Imagine the surprise of the congregation as they heard her rhythmically repeating three words over and over as she preformed her bridal walk, "Aisle, altar, him!" "Aisle, altar, him!"
Well, the truth is, most brides don't have a lot of luck in altering their husbands. But the good news of the Christian faith is that God can alter us! The authority of God can change us with His Word. James W. Moore, Some Things Are To Good Not To Be True, p. 48.
You are looking at one example standing before you right here today. I know that there are other examples sitting right here this morning – examples of God's authority changing us with his Word.
A certain Army man had been a heavy drinker for 35 years. For all those years he had been angry - - - angry at everyone and everything. Finally, he encountered Christ and his whole life changed.
He was speaking once before a group of medical people. He told them of his personality change, how he was now sober as he once had been drunk;
considerate as he once had been severe;
concerned for others as once he had been selfish and self-serving.
A psychiatrist, who believed that personalities are so firmly set in early life that no one can change, protested to the Colonel that at his age a person could not have such a radical transformation.
"Well," replied the Colonel, "that may be true. But I am under new management - I answer to another authority - the highest and truest there is." Traditional
Oh yes, Jesus teaches and lives with authority
This morning, we will take up a collection to help feed the hungry in our community, but this is just a once a year effort. Much more important is the spiritual hunger that will be satisfied as we come forward to receive the bread and wine of Holy Communion this day. Remember that the authority of Jesus Christ rests in these sacraments. To understand the living under this authority means that –
+we must not only listen and partake, we must also look and act.
As we eat the bread and drink the wine, Jesus promises that he stands ready to change the world. You and I can be a part of that.
The first step is to bring ourselves under Christ's authority. I’ve talked about this before. We need to work to discern God’s plan and his will for us. We need to give our life over to him.
And once we have given our life to him, we need to become obedient to his will.
Let Christ work a miracle in you, and then you will see what kind of miracles he can work through you and through our church.
AMEN
