4th Sunday of the year B

Last year Fr Dominic and I on our visit to Jerusalem took some time to go to the Holocaust Memorial and Museum. It is on a hill that overlooks the main city of Jerusalem and is a permanent reminder for all people what the wrong use of power and authority can do to those around them.  We have also seen in our own country and Church what can happen when people use their power and authority for their own means rather than for the great good of others. It is no wonder that many people in the world have a great mistrust of those in authority.

This gives then a great challenge for today’s Gospel when we hear that Jesus had power and authority. So what is different? Mark shows us that Jesus is invested with the power of the Holy Spirit at his baptism and so acts with authority. So through his words and actions he is acting on the authority of God himself.

So what the people see is that the difference between the teaching of Jesus and other religious figures of the time is that with Jesus something actually happens. It is not a matter of words but it creates a deep impression on the listeners because they can see real change for the good it effects the broken, the crippled and the dispossessed.

The Gospel is one of action: He not only shares his wisdom but also his power, his power to heal by words and actions. This is a new kind of authority and as we can see it wins the approval of all. But, as we know later this new kind of authority and power will challenge others and ends in disaster for Jesus.

And after over two thousand years since the death of Christ what do we do with this authority? We should also be challenged by the teaching of Jesus but often we try and pigeonhole his authority in what best fits us rather than to rise to the challenge.  We water it down so that it best suits our own understanding and circumstances. What we have not grasped and we see quite importantly with the disciples is that through this authority and following Jesus came freedom.

So today we need to think about two very important things. First of all how does the authority we have, and we all have it in different ways, is life giving for others. Or are we holding on to authority and power because it suits our own means rather than for the good of others? And also do we really try and live out the teaching of authority of Jesus and his Church or are we supermarket Catholics picking what we like and leaving the more challenging teachings on the shelf.