Fourth Sunday of the Year: B: January 28, 2024

                     THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS

First Reading: Deuteronomy 18: 15-20

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7: 32-35

Gospel Reading: Mark 1: 21-28

   *First reading is from the book of Deuteronomy. Moses instructs the people of Israel that the Lord God will send and outstanding Prophet who will proclaim His message and lead them to the Lord God. The Lord God will put words into the mouth of the Prophet and he will speak with authority. This prophecy of Moses finds its fulfilment in Lord Jesus. 

   *Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians. Paul reminds the Christian community at Corinth and us that whether married or unmarried, we are called to holiness of life and to live with an undivided devotion to God. He urges those who are celibate to give their undivided attention to the Lord. He wishes that all of us be free from all worries so as to give total attention to Lord Jesus and His message. 

With authority He commands                                                                  Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. We have a specific example of how Jesus speaks with great authority during His public life. Only a genuine person can speak with authority. At that time, there were many teachers of the law: The Scribes and the Pharisees. But none of them could speak with authority. Jesus speaks with authority because he had the approval of the heavenly Father and He was filled with the Holy Spirit. He is convinced of what He says and He speaks what He believes in. In the second part of today's Gospel, we have some examples of how Jesus exercised His authority. A person possessed by an evil spirit is brought to the Lord. Jesus commands and the evil spirit leaves that person and he is totally freed from the power of evil. Today, we are living in a world where many people are possessed by various evils. They are the people who are haunted by fear, worries, anxieties, suicidal tendencies, various addictions and many other evil habits. Jesus' authority and power is necessary to heal these unfortunate people. Hence, Jesus exercises His authority to liberate people and to heal them. He brings them closer to the love of the heavenly Father. The prophecy of Moses regarding the coming of a great Prophet finds its fulfilment in Jesus. More than ever, today we are faced with scepticism about many people in authority both in the secular sphere and in the religious sphere. Unlike them, Jesus speaks with authority because He speaks the truth and He backs up His words with His deeds. 

"All authority in heaven and earth is given to me." - Matthew 28:18

"Authority exercised with humility and obedience accepted with delight are the very lines along which our spirits live." - C. S. Lewis