Sermon for January 28, 2024
Readings:
People are astounded at Jesus in the gospel this morning, even before he casts the demon or the unclean spirit out of the man in the synagogue. Even before Jesus performs this miracle people are astounded at his teaching because he is teaching and preaching as one with authority. Authority. Jesus is talking to folks as if what he says actually matters. He is talking to folks, not as some speculative, starry-eyed philosopher asking “what if” questions; he is talking to folks as someone who has more than just questions, but also answers. Jesus has answers and Jesus has authority. That is what astounds people. That is why they start following him.
Now if you are paying attention on Sunday mornings and listening to Jesus in the gospel, then you will know that Jesus doesn’t always give folks straight answers; he often answers people with more questions or stories, but still he speaks with authority and that authority is demonstrated in his actions. He has more than knowledge; he has power.
One wonders what kind of anodyne, lukewarm sermons the people in Capernaum must have been used to. Certainly there had been bold and gifted prophets in the past. And certainly there must have been plenty of faithful rabbis teaching and interpreting God’s law, but was there anyone who could stand up and speak authoritatively and compellingly? And in comes Jesus, talking to them like he knows what he’s talking about and like what he has to say to them actually matters. Can you imagine having a preacher that has important things to say and actually knows what he is talking about?
Don’t answer that. That’s a rhetorical question…sort of.
I can imagine that there are many people in churches today that would be quite sympathetic with the people of Capernaum, with clergy rambling on at length without any discernible point whatsoever, trying to be inoffensive to everyone, without making any clear claims about God or truth. Preaching like they have never read the scriptures, or don’t particularly care what they have to say. Obviously, I don’t think that happens here, but I know it happens. Religious folks either lose their zeal or they become zealous about the wrong things, but either way they lose touch with God’s revelation. They lose the fire of conviction and then they lose their power. But that is not how Jesus spoke. Jesus spoke with authority. Jesus offended people. Jesus made claims about God and truth. And then he demonstrated to people that there was power behind those words. It is true that Jesus left many questions unanswered, but he does answer some and he does so with the authority of the son of God. That is why people are astounded by him, and that is what has drawn people to Jesus throughout the ages.
Jesus’s words have power and authority. The demons and the unclean spirits in this world know that, but how often we forget it.
There are, of course, always prophets and preachers and rabbis and priests who will say MORE than what God has told them to say. This is what I mean when I talk about religious folks who become zealous about the wrong things. There’s a reason why Moses had to threaten death to any prophets speaking falsely on behalf of God in our Deuteronomy passage this morning. There are always those who want to definitively know more than what God has revealed to us. There are those who want to put words in Jesus’s mouth or God’s mouth and have him say things that he didn’t say. There are folks who will say that things are God’s will when we have no idea if they are God’s will or not. There are folks who will project onto God their own values, their own ideas, and their own politics. It has always been this way, and it is not just preachers, but average, everyday religious folks do it too. We have folks who want to speak about things with an authority that they don’t have.
Well, our response when we encounter priests and prophets claiming too much authority to speak on behalf of God is often to do just the opposite. We humans are always prone to being reactionary. If I think that some Christians go too far and say things they shouldn’t say or make claims that they can’t make, then my reaction may be to do just the opposite and say nothing, believe nothing, and to make no claims about God or truth. But you see, that’s not helpful either. Jesus came into the world, teaching and preaching, as one with authority. Through his miracles and demonstrations of power, and chiefly through his death and resurrection, Jesus confirmed the authority of his teaching, so his words still speak with the authority of the son of God. Those of us who claim the name Christian and profess to be followers of Christ, we may not be able to say more than Jesus says about God and truth, but we dare not say less.
Jesus still speaks as one with authority and there are still people in the world that need to hear his words and experience his power. We have authority, as Christians, to share Jesus’s words with the world. We have the authority to share the truths that he has revealed to us. We have the authority to answer the questions that Jesus answered. Maybe we can’t, and shouldn’t, answer every question, but we do have some answers. We may not have a blueprint of heaven, but we do have a vision. It is possible to share one without claiming to have the other. It is possible to answer some questions, without pretending to have the answer to every question. That is the tightrope that we are all challenged to walk as Christians. It is definitely true for priests and prophets that we can’t say too much, but we shouldn’t say too little, but it is true for all of us as well.
Do I completely understand demons, unclean spirits and the forces of evil in this world? No I don’t, but I do know that Jesus has power over them. Do I have the authority to say whatever I want about God? No I don’t. But I do have the authority to share what Jesus says. No more, no less. His words actually matter. His words have real authority. And it is his words that people really want to hear whenever they come through those doors. All of our power and authority as Christians, come from his words.
Inwardly Digest 