“With Authority”

EPIPHANY 4B, January 28&29, 2012

We are told again and again that when Jesus spoke he did it with authority. In synagogues, on hillsides, before demons, and with his closest disciples there was an authority that filled his words and made an impact on his listeners. It’s impressive and answers why his fame and popularity spread so quickly. People are looking for leaders like that; leaders who can not only inspire, but who actually do what they say they are going to do.

The other side of the coin, of course, is that even though such authority can woo the masses, it will also threaten those who hold a certain degree of power and authority of their own. Such authority wins followers, to be sure, but it also makes enemies of those who have the means to bring Jesus harm, cause him to suffer and manufacture his death. His authority is, thus, a double edged sword; making both believer and adversary; follower and foe – freeing some from the evil spirits of affliction and torment, and binding others to the demons of arrogance and pride.

It is also important to understand that it wasn’t a simple matter of Jesus opening his mouth and, dramatically - automatically, bold and amazing things happened. There’s a lot more to it than that. Like an accomplished pianist who puts in long and demanding hours of practice before performing a piece with ease and refinement, there is much “behind-the-scenes” work Jesus gives; hours upon hours of private struggle that he goes through to make his public authority look easy. This is always the case. It is something that always demands before it gives; it is a gift that is granted only after a lot of dedication and hard work. There are no shortcuts; authority only finds those who obediently and faithfully submit to an authority that is higher than themselves.

And another thing: I’ve learned that authority only makes life more complicated and demanding. Many, of course, pursue power thinking that once they are in control life will become more manageable. But I’ve found that it doesn’t work that way. With authority come responsibilities and expectations; weighty burdens and heavy loads that will challenge a person’s limits and throw you to your knees begging for help from above.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “wise are they who realize how little they really know.” Well, the same can be said of those with authority. The truly powerful are those who realize how little clout they really have. The truly powerful humbly recognize that regardless of the amount of authority bestowed upon them, they are but vessels – tools – in the hands of a power much greater than themselves.

The man Jesus encounters in the synagogue at Capernaum understood this. A power much greater than himself had taken control of his life. Somehow, he lost his authority and he became possessed by an unclean spirit. He was completely helpless but to act according to the dictates of this dark voice inside him. Then Jesus came along with an authority that the demon possessing him could not ignore. Jesus’ authority brought an end to his bondage; it freed him from evil things and it freed him for holy things.

Even though this is no synagogue, this is a holy place we are gathered in and like the days of Jesus, sacred and unclean can be found here; found, I must say, to varying degrees in all of us. And the answer we are looking for, likewise, has to do with the question of authority. Whose authority really claims us and controls us and drives us? What authority are we powerless before; what voices inside us can’t we ignore? And perhaps the ultimate question, can the authority of Jesus set us free? Can the power of Jesus expel those shadowy forces holding us down? Can the power of Jesus raise us up to a new life that is free from evil and free for holy things?

Every week shortly after our worship service begins we hear one of our pastors say, “As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins.” And there it happens, certainly not as dramatically as it did in Capernaum with convulsing and loud crying, but it happens none the less. We are released from sin and we are set free for the sacred. Every week we get this new beginning; this fresh start to live under the authority of this one who drives out the dark and brings the light into our lives.

And it is no accident that this happens so close to the beginning of our time of worship because this new authority in our lives and this new freedom he brings sets the stage for our worship and praise; for the thanksgiving and service that follows.

Oh, we all know how quickly those demons return to tempt us and trick us and try to take control again. Even before we are out these doors those evil spirits have already started whispering again in our ears. That’s why Jesus goes with us and his authority stands over us, and under his authority we celebrate that regardless of the amount of influence we might wield, we are but vessels – tools – in the hands of a power much greater than ourselves.

Amen.

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