Power and he taught as one having
authority.
Authority
Deut. 18:15-20 Mark 1:21-28 - Rev.
Gary Shoemaker - Bellingham F.C.C.
1-28-18
Long ago, when Moses had
grown old and was coming to
the end of his journey, he
knew that the Jewish people
needed someone to pick up
where he left off. They
needed someone who was
called to be an intermediary
between the people and God.
Someone who had the
authority to be an
spokesperson for the
Almighty. Moses wielded a
lot of power over people. And
whoever followed him would
also have a lot of power.
Long ago, when Jesus
was teaching at the
synagogue in Capernaum, the
people were amazed because
Authority and power are
often used interchangeably,
but they’re really quite
different concepts.
Peter Marty writes,
“When the British wit G. K.
Chesterton was dining with a
literary friend in London one
day, their conversation
turned to the subject of
power and authority. At one
point, Chesterton remarked,
“If a rhinoceros were to enter
this restaurant now, there is
no denying he would have
great power here. But I
should be the first to rise and
assure him that he had no
authority whatsoever.”
Most of us encounter
this relationship between
power and authority early in
life, even if it takes some time
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before we recognize all the
dynamics at play. Sixth grade
safety patrol at Cornelius
Hedges Elementary School
was my first flirtation with
raw power. Most of us
selected for patrol duty
developed bigger heads than
we deserved, in part because
the responsibility of
protecting little children
induced some awe in us. We
believed we were the only
saving reality between a child
and a fast-moving car.
Scientists in Switzerland
conducted a test on how
power effects people. After
doing some psychological
tests to determine individual
differences, including
honesty, the volunteers
played the ‘dictator game’.
In the game, the leader
was given a pot of real money
and they were given complete
control over how to divide it.
They were the only one who
knew how much money was
in the pot. But, the more they
took for themselves, the less
was left over for their
followers.
The findings showed
that those rated as less honest
at first exhibited more
corrupt behavior. But over
time, even those who initially
scored high on honesty scales
became more and more
corrupt. Taking more for
themselves.
The results were clear.
Power corrupts.
One of the scientists
said, “In a way, power is to
leaders what taste is to
vampires. Once they get a
taste of it, they cannot let go.
The more followers they had,
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the more corrupt they
became.”
Although I relished the
whiff of power I had as a
member of the safety patrol, I
had no authority whatsoever.
It took years of observing
others before I learned that I
had confused the authority of
power with the power of
authority. Like Richard
Nixon after Watergate, who
still had the full power of the
presidency at his disposal but
zero authority, I couldn’t find
a single kid who loved the
commanding manner of my
safety patrol antics. I had yet
to grasp the magnificence of
another president—Abraham
Lincoln—who possessed
great authority but who was
often reticent to exercise the
full powers of his office.
Social theorist Max
Weber describes power as
having a coercive element
and authority as having a
noncoercive one. You can do
what I ask of you because
you have to do what I have
the power to make you do.
Or you can do what I ask of
you because you want to do
it out of respect for who I am
to you. The difference
between the two motives is
huge.
Jesus repeatedly
exercises his own special
power of authority through
love. With no political clout,
no military at his command,
no particular social prestige,
and no wealth to his name, he
reserves the authority of
power for special occasions.
We don’t see him positioning
himself to make others do
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what he commands. Instead,
other people have to want the
life he proposes.
When Jesus removes an
unclean spirit from a
convulsing man inside a
synagogue, that act of power
prompts the gathered
worshipers to be astonished
by his authority. “What is
this? A new teaching—with
authority!” (Mark 1:28).
Jesus is teaching in the
Capernaum synagogue, and
the audience includes this
man who screams at Jesus:
“What have you to do with
us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have
you come to destroy us? I
know who you are, the Holy
One of God.”
Jesus’ response is bold
and clear, “Be silent, and
come out of him!” And the
unclean spirit leaves the
tormented man alone. After
this encounter, Jesus’
popularity increases
significantly.
The tension is real when
we are faced with forces that
enslave and oppress. It’s a
situation in which a new
teaching is needed. That’s
what keeps Jesus’ audience
in awe—the new way in
which he is teaching. Now,
we need to be careful in
defining this “new teaching.”
The temptation with this text
is to say that Jesus’ new
teaching is about casting
demons out or being sure to
teach with authority. It’s an
appealing idea, teaching with
authority, and it sounds
exciting to be in the exorcism
business. But I don’t think
this is the new teaching
Jesus’ audience is impressed
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by. The situation requires
more than boldness and
authority—it requires
compassion.
What Jesus does is to
refuse to ignore this man.
Jesus listens to what he has
to say—and even though it is
something negative,
something that jeopardizes
his own ministry, Jesus
shows that he really cares,
and he delivers the man. To
put it differently, it is not
about what Jesus says or
how well he articulates it; it’s
about what he actually does.
Since this man was already in
the synagogue, I wonder if
the religious leaders had seen
him there before, screaming
nonsense, and just kept
teaching—rather than trying
to determine what was
keeping this man in such a
state.
In this text, we see
Jesus approach the
unapproachable. He shows
us that we have to confront
evil forces. He makes it clear
that we need to pay attention
and listen, even to those who
make us uncomfortable or
who clearly want to harm us.
Jesus shows us in this text
how important it is to care
for those who are tormented
and oppressed by evil.
Ultimately, the challenge is to
pay attention to the evil that
surrounds us, in both its
individual and social
expression, and to confront it
with compassion, just like
Jesus did.
In Tijuana, Mexico,
Pastor Ismael Ruiz-Millan
approached a man to ask if
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he wanted a meal. This is
what he wrote following the
encounter. I introduced
myself as a pastor. “I killed
several people just for fun,”
he screamed at me, “and if I
want to, I can kill you right
now in front of all these
people!”
As I think back to this
encounter, I feel the shivers
in my body again. After what
felt like a long pause, I
responded like this: “I don’t
know why you did all that,
but please know that God
loves you, and because I have
experienced God’s love in my
own life, I can tell you that I
love you too.” This made him
more upset. He started
screaming in despair, “No!
No, that is not possible. I am
a bad person; no one can love
me!”
“Yes,” I said, “God loves
you, and I love you.”
Miraculously, the man’s
demeanor changed
drastically. He held my arms
and then started to cry.
I asked if he would
allow me to pray with him,
and he consented. Did he
have a specific concern or
request? “Pray for my family.
I haven’t seen them in years,
and I don’t think I’ll ever see
them again.” I prayed, and
when I finished he left
without a word.
Love and compassion
when applied properly, are
the only power and authority
we need. What they saw in
Jesus that day in Capernaum
was more than raw power;
they witnessed the power of
love.
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