Authority today

Authority is challenged.

27 They returned once more to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple area, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders approached him 28 and said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I shall ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.” 31 They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘[Then] why did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”—they feared the crowd, for they all thought John really was a prophet. 33 So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” Then Jesus said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”-Mark11:27-33

Because Jesus did not conform to the expectations of the chief priests, scribes and elders of His time, they challenged His authority. Perhaps their question really is, 'By what authority are you doing these things since you [Jesus] were not like us? Who gave you the authority to cleanse the Temple if we ourselves allow business inside?' The Gospel reading is a challenge for all especially to the clergy and consecrated men and women. Are we Christ-like despite being in authority? How are we as a leader? How are we as an authority? As a public servant, how am I serving the people who voted for me? As a celebrity, how am I using my fame to touch people's lives? As a doctor, do I really heal or am I after the money?

Image courtesy: Pope Francis

Hard to Convince

A heart that refuses to believe is difficult to convince.

1 [a]After this, Jesus moved about within Galilee; but he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. 2 But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near. 3 So his brothers[b] said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 No one works in secret if he wants to be known publicly. If you do these things, manifest yourself to the world.” 5 For his brothers did not believe in him.... 14 When the feast was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple area and began to teach. 15 [f]The Jews were amazed and said, “How does he know scripture without having studied?” 16 Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not my own but is from the one who sent me. 17 Whoever chooses to do his will[g] shall know whether my teaching is from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on his own seeks his own glory, but whoever seeks the glory of the one who sent him is truthful, and there is no wrong in him. 19 Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You are possessed![h] Who is trying to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I performed one work[i] and all of you are amazed 22 because of it. Moses gave you circumcision—not that it came from Moses but rather from the patriarchs—and you circumcise a man on the sabbath. 23 If a man can receive circumcision on a sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a whole person well on a sabbath? 24 Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly.”25 So some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, “Is he not the one they are trying to kill? 26 And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities[j] have realized that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where he is from. When the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” 28 So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. 29 I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.-John7:1-30

Here, the people are torn between believing Jesus and hating Him. It seems that people have a lot of reasons and excuses to discredit Jesus. For them, Jesus is not worthy of the Knowledge of God, not worthy of the God-given gifts, not worthy to do miracles, not worthy to teach simply because they know Him, where He came from. A heart that refuses to believe is hard to convince. For them, it is much better to see somebody suffer rather than be healed or be helped on a Sabbath. Jesus' Words ring true for us also - 'Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly.' Jesus is teaching us that all works that origin from God is good. Who then are we to judge if a good act helped another?

Image courtesy: History Channel

 

Teaching Authority

Jesus fulfilled the Law.

17 [a]“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.[b]-Matthew5:17-19

The gospel reading made me wonder about something and made me remember someone. A world-renowned boxer was initially known for being a devout Catholic. So many people were touched at his piety. One day, he announced that he would leave the Catholic Church in favor of a born-again religious sect. I do not want to judge him, but it made me, and so many others, wonder if he did this just so that he can include it in his achievements - self-made man, millionaire, world-class boxer, philanthropist, politician (sic) and now a preacher. Can anybody preach just like that? Is the desire to be a motivational speaker enough reason to leave a Church in favor of another? What is more important - to preach the Scriptures with one's experiences as fuel, or to preach the Scriptures with years of studies as fuel? Preaching and evangelizing are noble acts and I am touched by men and women who do it, but can anybody just do it? Is there danger if somebody is just plucked from nowhere to do it?

image courtesy: Dreamstime 

L'amour

Walk the Talk.

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.-Mark1:21-28

How did Jesus teach? Why is it that it is with authority? Can it be imitated? For me, Jesus taught with authority because He did not preach alone but lived out what He taught. He did not pass the 'yoke' and 'burden' to the people, but He helped carry the 'yoke' and the 'burden.' What's great is that Jesus' yoke and burden are easy and light, and can be imitated. The very heart of Jesus' Words, Teaching, Actions and Thought center on Love. And Love is easy for all who are open to it. Love is not about romance only, or the sweetness of it only, or the hardships one experiences for a ladylove. True love forgives, gives, understands, and so much more. Pope Francis said, "Do not scold; heal." Love does not scold, it heals. However, healing, mercy, compassion and understanding does not mean toleration of evil.

I understand why "Frozen" was a major box office hit for animated movies. At first, I thought that a prince charming will save the day, or a hero will save the day, or an act of true love has to be a first kiss just like the other fairy tale stories. I was greatly surprised and truly touched that this time, an act of true love was between the sisters - that is when Anna sacrificed her life for her sister, Elsa. Now that's living out Love!

Image courtesy: Frozen

The Authority

Jesus is The Authority.

23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.-Matthew21:23-27

Jesus is The Authority! If the chief priests' authority came from their bloodline and from their studies, Jesus need not ask for authority from somebody else because He is The Authority.

Suddenly, I cannot help but remember the many fellowships, religious sects and 'corporations with religious work,' that boast of their superiority of the Bible. [However, I respect some that are humble in nature] Just because they can 'speak,' they immediately believe too much of themselves. As what the saying goes, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing." Meaning, "A small amount of knowledge can mislead people into thinking that they are more expert than they really are." Particularly because the Bible's meaning is inexhaustible. Our interpretation of it can be colored by our experiences, difficulties, current situation and so forth. God will never be boxed by our experiences alone no matter how vast it is. God will never be fully understood simply by looking and understanding Him through a peephole of what we call our experiences. Therefore, intellectually, the Bible's meaning is vast. Is knowledge of God, then, impossible? No, because the summary of the Bible and knowledge of God can be found in one word alone - LOVE. Loving God and loving one's neighbor are the keys to unlocking so vast a knowledge and so deep a relationship with our Creator through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

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