Reflections
“I know who you are.”
Authority is the key word in today’s gospel reading. It occurs in two senses. There is Jesus’ authority in the sense of his power to command and be obeyed— even by evil spirits who recognize and name him as “the Holy One of God.” But there is authority in another sense: his capacity to preach and speak “with authority”—“not like teachers of the law.” Jesus’ authority does not come from learned study, office, or lineage. He preaches and acts as one who lives and embodies the truth of his message. It is his very nature. People can sense his authenticity, but their response is more of wonder than of confession: “What is this?” They are not yet ready to recognize him as clearly as the evil spirits who “know who he is.” Among the saints, there were many who lacked any official office, who had no special training or theological education. And yet their contemporaries could perceive in them an authority that was lacking in “teachers of the law.” As Christians, we too must speak with authority—not simply by quoting authoritative texts or showing off our learning, but with the authority that comes from backing up professions of faith with the way we live.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019
