Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Mt. St. Francis Lake  
 January 13, 2024 

 Lectionary: 71

The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

A quadrennial year challenges Americans to consider authority. In November we will go to the polls to select our legislators in state and federal office; plus our state governors and national president.

In a democracy, authority comes from "we the people;" it does not come from God or nature. It is not imposed by a police force, an occupying army, or government-sponsored terrorists. Part of the social contract we make as a nation is to bestow authority upon some men and women. We can also take it from these elected officials to give to someone else. Despite the Gospel injunction that we should judge no one, we judge our leaders and dismiss those we find unfit.

In today's gospel, Jesus's hearers were astonished by his authority. It was not like that of any scribe, priest, king, or emperor. When he spoke a word of command, demons fled. Many powerful individuals had challenged demons and met only their mocking taunts; pleas, threats, reason, and reassurance did nothing for the possessed persons. But the Lord spoke and the spirits fled.

Last week we heard how the fishermen Simon, Andrew, James, and John, hearing his command to, "Come follow me!" dropped their nets, left their families, and went with him. They did so without hesitation, and they never looked back.

His authority did not come from an emperor, governor, or democracy. No one but God elected him. Nor did he need to enforce it with a weapon or a threat. And when he taught, people flocked to hear him speak. They did so freely, eagerly, and generously.

It was clearly a divine authority like nothing we'd ever seen. Even religious authorities -- the priests, Levites, and scribes -- could not compare with him. Skeptics were confused; they asked, "Where does he get this authority? We know where he comes from. He is a Jew from Galilee! We know his family, his teachers and mentors, his friends and associates. But now he heals the sick; and casts out demons; and when he speaks we listen!"

Several years before I was ordained, I took a course of practical instruction in the dos and don’ts of ministry. The instructor reminded us continually, “You are not the messiah! You do not and cannot save anyone. You cannot tell anyone how to live their life. No one has to listen to you, much less take your advice.”

But, sinful people that we are, we look for saviors among us, and we pretend to save one another. The world is too complicated and it’s always changing. A dynamic planet like earth with air, water, rock, and fire is fluid, unpredictable, and often dangerous. Some mistakes are fatal; we need a savior, a messiah, a christ.

But that need for a messiah generates a messiah and there will always be preachers, politicians, teachers, and leaders who will come at us and say, “I am the one!” They may be your daughter’s boyfriend! “I can make you happy!” they say. “Just do things my way!” and, “Give me the power!”

The bible calls them antichrists, false messiahs, false prophets, wolves in sheep’s clothing. They have some of the credentials of the real thing. They are clever, popular, and charismatic. They are successful, and nothing succeeds like success. They generate a following and, because many people on this dynamic, ever-changing planet are desperately afraid, they trust them implicitly.

Almighty God in his mercy first sends us Jesus, and then he gives us the Holy Spirit to recognize Jesus as the One Lord. The Spirit of Jesus is a flocking spirit, it gathers us like sheep to the Good Shepherd. It is an honest, compassionate, wise, generous, and humble spirit; and so it recognizes the One who is humble, generous, wise, compassionate, and honest.

We know our shepherd because he does not hate anyone. Although he has millions of enemies, he makes no enemies. When the Lord was crucified, after being denied and betrayed by his own disciples, condemned by an angry mob, scourged, and crowned with thorns, he prayed, “Father, forgive them they know not what they do.”

He would not hate; he would not condemn. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

We know our Savior because he obeys God his Father even to death on a cross. Antichrists obey no one; they die for no one.

As we approach the decision of November 5, 2024, Christians remember there is only one Messiah, one Christ, one Lord. No one else can save us. That authority is given to no one else.