“He Taught Them As One Having Authority…”

Awhile back, the angels had asked me to dedicate Sundays to the Gospels. With Love and gratitude, here is the Gospel of Mark                MK 1:21-28

Then they came to Capernaum,
and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said,
“Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first miracle in Mark’s Gospel introduces the important features of Jesus’ ministry that occur over and over in all of the Gospels: Sabbath, teaching, healing and authority. The first action of Jesus is teaching; the custom was for an adult male to teach in the synagogue. Jesus’ teaching was so extraordinary in that he taught with authority, rather than relying on opinions and interpretations of others. He continues to exhibit this authority by rebuking an unclean spirit. Those present in the synagogue would have been shocked by the presence of the man with an unclean spirit, for such an unholy defiled person would not be allowed in the synagogue or Temple. Rather than expelling the man, however, Jesus Rebuked the unholy unclean spirit. They recognize Jesus’ power and authority on a deeper level (and what they didn’t see was His Divine Mercy). His authority is more powerful than Sabbath teaching; Jesus extends His Power and Authority over evil. His Authority is evidence that the Kingdom of God has indeed come near. [see reference]

The Power of God and Authority of the Most High is indeed extended to each of us through the Holy Spirit.  We each have the Holy Spirit and the Light of Christ in our very own hearts and when we serve God through Love, we evoke His Spirit within us. We each have God-Given authority to understand His Word and the importance to act upon it. We have the ability to teach the knowledge the is God-given and to recognize that His authority to over all evil is within us- and we do so with through His Love and through His Son, Jesus Christ. God and Jesus are with us! God loves us and wants us to understand His Word and to follow the Word of His Son Jesus Christ, who has gifted us with the Power of the Holy Spirit in all. We can do all things through Him. 

Reference: Workbook For Lectors, Gospel Readers and Proclaimers of the Word 2018.