What surprises Jesus’ listeners is that he teaches with authority. Mark describes their reaction: “All were amazed and asked one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.’” [Mk 1, 27]. I think we could all learn a lot by reflecting on this scene and especially on this response of the people in the synagogue to what Jesus does.
So let’s reflect on the scene as Mark gives it to us. They’re in Capernaum – the town which Jesus will eventually select to be the center – the home to his ministry and movement. It’s the Sabbath so they go to the synagogue –where Jesus teaches. And the response to him is astonishment. He teaches with authority, they say, and not like the scribes, their traditional religious leaders. Their usual method of teaching was to cite text after text, authority after authority – all in the effort to make their point and convince their listeners. Jesus does not do that. He teaches with authority. And it’s here we need to stop and reflect. What does it mean for Jesus to teach with authority?
Authority. The word itself calls forth from us different reactions depending on how we understand its meaning. In our American culture authority is not seen as an unmixed blessing. Too easily authority can become “authoritarian”. That’s an authority which insists on its own power and competence to make decisions and decide outcomes for others. It aims to control people and events and usually goes to great lengths to protect itself. Yet there is good authority. That’s an authority which does not insist on itself, is not self-focused but serves to promote and protect the common good of society. I think we all have experience of good authority and of authoritarian authority. Perhaps the sex scandals in our church have exposed the authoritarian inclination of some.
There’s another way of approaching authority that is, I think, what Mark is trying to convey to us in this scene in the synagogue. We get a hint of it from the English word itself: authority. That word is not unrelated to another English word: author. To be an author is to create something out of your own resources and experience – to create out of yourself. The author is the origin of what he or she creates. That’s having authority. In this sense we also speak of someone as authentic– being true and faithful to themselves – their self being the real origin of what they say and do.
When we consider the original Greek word Mark uses, we get an even clearer sense for what the English hints at. The Greek word which translates as authorityis exousia[eks-ousia], and that means quite literally “coming out of [eks] one’s own being [ousia]”. For Jesus to speak and act with authority is, according to Mark, for him to speak and act out of his own being – out of his own experience– out of his own self. Rather than being authoritarian – Jesus is authentic– having authority. His acting, doing and speaking are in inner harmony with his deepest self. There is no space, no shadow between what he does and says and who he is. Jesus acts out himself. He speaks out himself. He himself is his own truth.
This is what the people see and sense in Jesus. He truly is who he is. And they see and sense this in his confrontation with the man with an unclean spirit. Being himself – Jesus has to confront – upfront – the unclean spirit. The unclean spirit is what twists the very meaning of God and holiness. It makes God into a stranger [“What have you to do with us?”] and into a destroyer [“Have you come to destroy us?”] And Jesus –being himself – only wants to free the man enslaved by such a spirit. Just being himself – being upfront who he truly is – being upfront the way he truly is – Jesus’ very presence confronts, names and exposes the unclean spirit for what it is: a lying spirit – in Hebrew, a Satan – the Father of Lies– who makes God and man seem distant to one another – even enemies to one another. The unclean spirit makes the man fear and fight God – God’s goodness and God’s presence.
As Catholics we affirm with the deepest faith that Jesus still has real presence, especially in the Eucharist. That is our Resurrection faith. Our whole Catholic life relies on – and revolves around – the reality that Jesus is still very much himself. He still has authority. He still acts out and speaks out himself into our lives. As Risen Lord his very presence still confronts and expels that within us that would make us fear a faraway God who only wants to diminish and destroy us.
We here at this Eucharist need to become like the people in the synagogue. We need to allow ourselves to be truly astonished at Jesus’ authority. Together with Christians everywhere we cry out: Maranatha! Our Lord, come!
Fr. Pat Earl, S.J.
