From the Pastor
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
“You can’t tell me what to do!”
“You’re not the boss of me!”
Do those phrases sound familiar? Perhaps you’ve overheard children
bickering back and forth using those words. Perhaps you have witnessed
adults behaving in the same manner even if they don’t use those exact
phrases, or perhaps you have said them or thought about saying them
yourself.
Authority... it’s a word that evokes all kinds of feelings and emotions.
Many a school counselor has reported, “Tom just doesn’t deal well with
authority.” Can you imagine being in the presence of Jesus that day in
our gospel lesson when he taught the people in the synagogue. He didn’t
quote rabbis or read a book to them. No, Jesus taught with authority,
like he knew something the rest did not, “not like the teachers of the
Law.” Then to prove it, he healed a person possessed by a demon (a demon
who recognized his authority, interestingly enough).
How are you with authority? How are you with the authority of Jesus in
your own life? To be a disciple of Jesus means to be a student, a
follower of Jesus. That is not an easy journey. In fact, discipleship is
rarely ‘tidy.’ Sometimes the authority of Jesus calls us to change our
attitude and perspective. Yet, in the end, it is the grace that is the
authority of Jesus that matters. Why? Because it is that authority that
encourages us, strengthens us, invites us, comforts us, challenges us,
and empowers us!
What a gift!
God’s Power and Blessings,
Pastor Tim