Fourth Sunday afterEpiphany 2/01/09 Text: Mark 1:21-28 Title: The authority of Jesus
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
2/01/09
Text: Mark 1:21-28 & 1 Corinthians 8:1-2
Title: The authority of Jesus.
For the last month we have been studying Bible passages that show us that when God speaks things happen. He spoke at creation and out of chaos, order. He spoke from the burning bush and Moses became a savior of his people in Egypt. God speaks and things happen. Jesus spoke at the wedding and the water became wine. He spoke and he blind regained their sight and the lame walked. Jesus speaks and things happen.
Jesus speaks in our Gospel lesson this morning and demons flee from his voice and are silenced. What is going on? Why did Mark record this event? These are all questions that need to be answered before we can better understand what God through the inspired words of Mark wants to tell us.
How many of you remember hearing your mother say, “I could plant potatoes in those ears. I'm not your maid. If your friends jumped off a cliff does that mean you have to jump too?” Or some of my favorites, “Just wait till you have kids of your own. Don't talk with food in your mouth full. You weren't born in a barn, so stop acting like you were.” And the mother of all expressions from mom, “Because I'm your mother, that's why!" Each of these statements are expressions that have been passed from generation to generation. They are expressions of authority, the authority of a parent over a child.
Authority however is weaker in some people. We have all heard parents who say things like "I really mean it this time" and known that it means nothing. On the other hand we have heard someone say simply and quietly, “Children, come here." and seen, an almost instant response as children obeyed their mother. It is all about authority.
There is good authority and bad authority. Bad authority is about controlling another person or group of people with negative results for the person being controlled. Good authority on the other hand is not about power. A good authority figure shows through their action, even if they are painful at the time that they have the person’s best interest at heart. We see in our Gospel reading for this morning two authorities at work; one is evil, for it is exercising its authority negatively not only upon others, but also upon the person in whom it resides. The other authority is good, as we see Jesus exercising his authority over evil.
The gospel reading concerns itself with the authority that Jesus held; an authority that allowed Jesus to command evil to depart and to teach in a manner unlike that of the scribes and Pharisees, the Bible authorities of the day, who for the most part did not know the meaning of the Word of God.
Now, since, for the most part, we do not believe that people are demon possessed today you are probably thinking, as I did, “Well that is a nice story and it shows that Jesus has authority over evil, but it really does not have anything to do with me since I am not demon possessed or know of anyone that is demon possessed.” So what can this story do for me?
I read a story this past week of a fellow that was in the army who was a heavy drinker for over 35 years. He had a terrible disposition and was not good to be around. He had a temper that would make you cringe. One day Christ came into his live, the article did not say how it happened, but it probably happened because someone told him about Jesus and his authority. Anyway his whole life changed.
One day when he was speaking before a group of medical people. He told them of his personality change, of how he no longer drank or had fits of rage. He said he was changed and now had a concern for others where he had been self-serving. There was a certain psychiatrist in the room, who believed that personalities are so firmly set in early life that no one can change. He told the man that that at his age a person could not have such a radical transformation.
I love the man’s answer, “Well ", he replied, "That may be true. But now I answer to another authority; the highest and truest authority there is." Think about that for a moment. “I answer to another authority, the highest and truest authority there is.”
When you came to faith, you, each one of you, just as I did, came under a new authority, the authority of Jesus. Why is it then that so many of us, probably all of us get ourselves into such messes? The answer to that question is not difficult. We simply have forgotten who our authority is. We either don't listen for what the boss, that is Jesus, is telling us to do, or we don't do it the way we have been shown, or we just simply don't care about the authority of Jesus.
We try to solve problems on our own power, using our own insights, our own wisdom, or, we, once we see what power and authority are like, get carried away by it and use it to seek our own glory and our own prestige.
In our daily lives we find ourselves in situations in which we are powerless, having no authority, no influence over evil, no ability to change anything. What are we to do in those situations? We only have to look once more at our gospel reading today to find the answer to that question. Put yourself in that group of people that day when Jesus drove out the demon. The people around this man surely knew what he needed. But they were powerless to do anything about. Then Jesus came and he commanded the demon to come out of the man and it did. They couldn’t; Jesus spoke and it did. The man was healed.
We must never forget that Jesus still has the authority and the power needed to make a difference in our lives. He has the authority and power of God, a power that can change any situation, heal any person. Maybe he will not heal them the way we want to them to be healed, at the time we want them to be healed, but he will heal, for he has promised to do so and his way will always be right, for his way is perfect and holy.
Jesus offers his power to us today. He calls us to use it to do the work of work were we are today. He calls us to employ his power to heal, to teach, to bring justice, and to grant mercy.
That is what Paul is talking about in verse 1 and 2 of 1 Corinthians this morning when he talks about knowledge puffing up, but love building up. For when we truly love God, as we proclaim we do, we put ourselves at Jesus disposal. When we speak his Word, when we act according to the teachings he has given us. When we pray and study on the word of God and ask God to use us to accomplish his will the demons around us and those we love will begin to get weaker and finally disappear.
The only way to tap into this power of God is to get into tune with God so we know what he wants us to do and say. The only to know what he wants us to do and say is to study his Word. This requires a commitment of time, a commitment greater than the time we spend playing or watching our favorite sports, TV programs, card games and such.
We must as a kingdom congregation listen for the call of God otherwise we will not hear it. We must obey the call of God, not by our own authority, but the authority of Jesus, as we learned today. Don't try to do what God asks you to do your way. Instead seek to discover what it is God wants you to say and do, and then boldly say and do it, for when you do you will being speaking and acting with the authority of Jesus, the love of Jesus and wonderful things will happen. Amen.
Let us sing, “Blessed Assurance.”
2/01/09
Text: Mark 1:21-28 & 1 Corinthians 8:1-2
Title: The authority of Jesus.
For the last month we have been studying Bible passages that show us that when God speaks things happen. He spoke at creation and out of chaos, order. He spoke from the burning bush and Moses became a savior of his people in Egypt. God speaks and things happen. Jesus spoke at the wedding and the water became wine. He spoke and he blind regained their sight and the lame walked. Jesus speaks and things happen.
Jesus speaks in our Gospel lesson this morning and demons flee from his voice and are silenced. What is going on? Why did Mark record this event? These are all questions that need to be answered before we can better understand what God through the inspired words of Mark wants to tell us.
How many of you remember hearing your mother say, “I could plant potatoes in those ears. I'm not your maid. If your friends jumped off a cliff does that mean you have to jump too?” Or some of my favorites, “Just wait till you have kids of your own. Don't talk with food in your mouth full. You weren't born in a barn, so stop acting like you were.” And the mother of all expressions from mom, “Because I'm your mother, that's why!" Each of these statements are expressions that have been passed from generation to generation. They are expressions of authority, the authority of a parent over a child.
Authority however is weaker in some people. We have all heard parents who say things like "I really mean it this time" and known that it means nothing. On the other hand we have heard someone say simply and quietly, “Children, come here." and seen, an almost instant response as children obeyed their mother. It is all about authority.
There is good authority and bad authority. Bad authority is about controlling another person or group of people with negative results for the person being controlled. Good authority on the other hand is not about power. A good authority figure shows through their action, even if they are painful at the time that they have the person’s best interest at heart. We see in our Gospel reading for this morning two authorities at work; one is evil, for it is exercising its authority negatively not only upon others, but also upon the person in whom it resides. The other authority is good, as we see Jesus exercising his authority over evil.
The gospel reading concerns itself with the authority that Jesus held; an authority that allowed Jesus to command evil to depart and to teach in a manner unlike that of the scribes and Pharisees, the Bible authorities of the day, who for the most part did not know the meaning of the Word of God.
Now, since, for the most part, we do not believe that people are demon possessed today you are probably thinking, as I did, “Well that is a nice story and it shows that Jesus has authority over evil, but it really does not have anything to do with me since I am not demon possessed or know of anyone that is demon possessed.” So what can this story do for me?
I read a story this past week of a fellow that was in the army who was a heavy drinker for over 35 years. He had a terrible disposition and was not good to be around. He had a temper that would make you cringe. One day Christ came into his live, the article did not say how it happened, but it probably happened because someone told him about Jesus and his authority. Anyway his whole life changed.
One day when he was speaking before a group of medical people. He told them of his personality change, of how he no longer drank or had fits of rage. He said he was changed and now had a concern for others where he had been self-serving. There was a certain psychiatrist in the room, who believed that personalities are so firmly set in early life that no one can change. He told the man that that at his age a person could not have such a radical transformation.
I love the man’s answer, “Well ", he replied, "That may be true. But now I answer to another authority; the highest and truest authority there is." Think about that for a moment. “I answer to another authority, the highest and truest authority there is.”
When you came to faith, you, each one of you, just as I did, came under a new authority, the authority of Jesus. Why is it then that so many of us, probably all of us get ourselves into such messes? The answer to that question is not difficult. We simply have forgotten who our authority is. We either don't listen for what the boss, that is Jesus, is telling us to do, or we don't do it the way we have been shown, or we just simply don't care about the authority of Jesus.
We try to solve problems on our own power, using our own insights, our own wisdom, or, we, once we see what power and authority are like, get carried away by it and use it to seek our own glory and our own prestige.
In our daily lives we find ourselves in situations in which we are powerless, having no authority, no influence over evil, no ability to change anything. What are we to do in those situations? We only have to look once more at our gospel reading today to find the answer to that question. Put yourself in that group of people that day when Jesus drove out the demon. The people around this man surely knew what he needed. But they were powerless to do anything about. Then Jesus came and he commanded the demon to come out of the man and it did. They couldn’t; Jesus spoke and it did. The man was healed.
We must never forget that Jesus still has the authority and the power needed to make a difference in our lives. He has the authority and power of God, a power that can change any situation, heal any person. Maybe he will not heal them the way we want to them to be healed, at the time we want them to be healed, but he will heal, for he has promised to do so and his way will always be right, for his way is perfect and holy.
Jesus offers his power to us today. He calls us to use it to do the work of work were we are today. He calls us to employ his power to heal, to teach, to bring justice, and to grant mercy.
That is what Paul is talking about in verse 1 and 2 of 1 Corinthians this morning when he talks about knowledge puffing up, but love building up. For when we truly love God, as we proclaim we do, we put ourselves at Jesus disposal. When we speak his Word, when we act according to the teachings he has given us. When we pray and study on the word of God and ask God to use us to accomplish his will the demons around us and those we love will begin to get weaker and finally disappear.
The only way to tap into this power of God is to get into tune with God so we know what he wants us to do and say. The only to know what he wants us to do and say is to study his Word. This requires a commitment of time, a commitment greater than the time we spend playing or watching our favorite sports, TV programs, card games and such.
We must as a kingdom congregation listen for the call of God otherwise we will not hear it. We must obey the call of God, not by our own authority, but the authority of Jesus, as we learned today. Don't try to do what God asks you to do your way. Instead seek to discover what it is God wants you to say and do, and then boldly say and do it, for when you do you will being speaking and acting with the authority of Jesus, the love of Jesus and wonderful things will happen. Amen.
Let us sing, “Blessed Assurance.”
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 6:37 PM
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