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Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States

Sunday, February 03, 2013

Fourth Sunday of Epiphany 2/3/13

Epiphany 4 2/3/2013 Text: Luke 4:31-44 Title: He Speaks with Authority! During the Epiphany season, Jesus, as we have read in God’s Word the last few weeks continues to reveal his Godhood by word and deed. Today is no different, for it is clearly taught in our Gospel reading that he has the authority to do what he is doing. Jesus still speaks with that same authority today when we hear, read, and study his words to us today. The word authority for most of us it brings up thoughts of suppression and power, as we remember the tough boss or teacher that tells you what do without really caring about you. And because of that image, authority is something we all have issues with. We obey, well most of the time, at least outwardly obey, those in authority over us, but we don’t like it and if given a chance we would rebel against authority. It is nothing new, for this rebellion against authority, especially God’s authority, all started with Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden where in an act of rebellion against God’s authority they listened to Satan’s lies. It has been that way ever since, for we by our very nature desire to rebel against God. We rebel against authority, even God’s authority believing that in rebelling we will be happier, for what could be better than being free; free to live our lives, as we want to live them; happy and free. That is what we generally believe, even though our lives, as we try to live in freedom are for the most part a mess. They are in a mess because we do not want to live under God’s authority. We want to control our lives. We want freedom, but to our dismay freedom leaves us afraid. We are afraid of the unknown, uncertain of the future. We are afraid of not being recognized for our goodness. We are afraid of not being loved. We are afraid of being alone, and worst of all we are afraid of dying alone. We are a fearful people, who need just the opposite of what we believe we need. But we should not be surprised it is the way it is, for we live in an upside down world that we think is right side up; where freedom is quite often not freedom at all. We need to be afraid, not afraid of those things I just listed or the thousand other things I could have listed, but afraid of our lackadaisical attitude toward God’s Word, who want to be free from God’s authority, for Isaiah writes in chapter 5, verse 20, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" Woe to us of unclean lips, who utter obscenities, who gossip, who don’t care for others unless, of course there is something in it for us. Woe to us who ignore God’s Word. Woe to us who have an almost non-existent prayer life, and who so many times just go through the motion of worshiping God on Sunday morning. “Woe to us.” calls out Isaiah. Satan and those of the world promise that rebelling against God’s authority will give freedom. That is simply a lie! Casting off authority really only leads to insecurity and uncertainty. Instead, Jesus comes to us in the midst of our rejection of authority and proclaims Good News to us with authority that only he can have. It’s the Good News that he does have authority, and as we hear and accept that Word of authority, we receive comfort and certainty, for his words are God’s words, as he tells us in John 17:22 that God the Father and he are one. People are shocked; maybe you are even shocked that Jesus could claim to have absolute authority over all things. I have experienced this when I read God’s Word to someone who is doing something against God’s Word. What usually happens when I show them what God says in his Word is they tell me “That is your interpretation”, even though they can clearly read what God’s Word says. I don’t have to give you any examples. You all know how God’s Word clashes with your lives, as well as I know how it clashes against my life. We learned this morning in the “Broken” Bible study, where we are studying the seven Christian rules we should break every day, how we take God’s Law, the perfect Law and change it into something that fits more into our idea of the law. In other words we take the Law, the words of God which are designed to show us our sinfulness and complete inability to please God and lower its demands; all the time hoping that the new law we have made will be more manageable and thus we will please God and redeem ourselves. We need Jesus’ authority in our lives, just as much as we need human authority. A good example would be the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The New Orleans Superdome and large parts of the city were left with no authority. The people in these areas desperately pleaded for someone to come in and provide security. But there was none. No authority equals chaos. Unlike human authority which does not always bring us freedom and security, for sometimes human authority brings slavery and insecurity, Jesus’ authority shown to us in God’s Word brings true freedom and security to our lives. We see that in our Gospel lesson for today, as Jesus used his authority to free a man possessed by an unclean spirit. Peter’s mother-in-law was healed by Jesus’ authority when he rebuked her fever. He used his authority to, as we read in Luke 4:40-41, "all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ." Jesus’ authority silenced the demons, for they knew his authority. But above all Jesus spoke with authority when he announced from the cross “It is finished.’’ It is finished, the punishment for our sins, our continuing rebellion, our continuing neglect of God’s Word, our lack of prayer, and halfhearted love toward those he died for, he took upon himself on the cross making peace once and for all with God. His authority over earthly things, Satan, sin, death, and hell was confirmed by his resurrection from the dead. We rejoice that he has authority over all of nature. We rejoice that when you hear me proclaim to you, “Your sins are forgiven” that that I am saying it with his authority. We rejoice when I, as I baptize, say, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” for we know on Jesus’ authority that the person is given faith and marked as God’s own. We rejoice, as I consecrate the bread and wine that because of Jesus’ authority you know without a doubt that you will be receiving his body and blood for forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. We rejoice when we hear God’s Word being read for we know that it is from God’s authority that they have been written down for us. His authority gives us the peace and security that come from knowing that what we believe is true and certain. Jesus doesn’t tell us that our sins might be forgiven or that heaven might be ours. He tells us the Good News that our sins are forgiven and that death has been overcome for us, and that we will live with God in eternity. We have it on his authority, How sweet is that! Amen.