They went to Capernaum; and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, "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." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
Four centuries before Christ, Aristotle was very persuasive. He convinced the people of his time that a heavier object will fall faster than a lighter object. So persuasive, in fact, that people remained convinced for nearly two thousand years until Galileo demonstrated that both objects actually fall at the same rate. Surely, in all that time, other people had noticed the discrepancies in Aristotle’s argument. Some must have even tested Aristotle’s theory and shown that it was flawed. But there was something about the way Galileo put together his argument, his observations, and his conclusions that persuaded people that their assumptions over the past millennia were wrong.
This morning’s readings are a study in power, authority, persuasion and action. Jesus, as this point early in his ministry, does not have much power. But he exudes authority. The people listening to him are amazed, surprised, astonished! We don’t know what exactly the religious establishment was saying that day, nor are we told what Jesus had to say that was in such stark contrast. Mark only tells us that it was different, that Jesus spoke as “one who had authority.”
Then, Jesus goes on to show us that he is not merely an authoritative speaker, he is also a person of action. In the middle of his teaching, a man possessed by an evil spirit interrupts Jesus. Without missing a beat, Jesus commands the unclean spirit to come out! Wow. If the people were amazed before, now they are truly blown away! I can see jaws hanging open and people staring at one another. Did I…? Did you…? Did he…?!
Well, if Jesus had been thinking he was going to keep a low profile, this was the end of that! Suddenly he’s on the cover of every tabloid at the open-air market. The paparazzi are following him around in high-speed camel chases. He can’t even pitch his tent without a crowd gathering.
All of us have power in varying degrees but more important is what authority we have. Our authority comes from what we stand for. It comes through us, not from within us. Think back a few years to the government of South Africa. They seemingly had all the power: the police, the army, the bureaucracy … but who had the authority? Prisoner number 466/64. Nelson Mandela, speaking and writing from his prison cell had the authority to change the world. He refused to compromise his political positions for his own comfort or to secure his own freedom from prison. He was finally released in 1990 after spending 27 years in prison, whereupon he negotiated an end to the apartheid regime and a beginning of democratic elections which placed him in office as the first black president in 1994. Because of his belief that “the common ground is greater and more enduring than the differences that divide," he was able to change the world. Not through violent overthrow, not with guns and bombs, but with a certainty of what is right.
Our authority as Christians comes from our understanding of what is right. Our understanding of what is right comes from knowing God. While we may not always have power, like Mandela we do have authority to share good news. We are convinced that there is a better way and we seek to persuade others of God’s all-encompassing love and justice.
One of my mentors when I was learning to be a soccer referee was a crusty old ref named Jim Miholick. He was a retired air force officer and was used to having the power to order people around. But on the soccer field, he used persuasion, not power. One of the analogies he used when teaching new referees was to think of a police officer pulling someone over. The cop comes up to your window and says, “Sir, may I see your license and registration, please?” Jim pointed out that they don’t really have to say “sir” and “please.” They have plenty of power strapped to their belt. In a similar way, referees who rely too heavily on their whistle and their yellow and red cards, are not persuading the players to behave. The ref’s power comes from the soccer league, but their authority comes from the greater desire of the players as a whole to have a safe, fair and fun game. Some days on the soccer field, it took all my powers of persuasion to remind the players that’s what they wanted.
People are persuasive because they speak to your heart. Unfortunately, it’s not always the good part of your heart. Think of Hitler … very persuasive fellow. He captured the hearts of his fellow Germans in ways that were as far from just and right as we can imagine. He was listening to someone or something that was leading him astray. Perhaps it was addiction, megalomania, or demons. However, when we listen to God … when we share the love that God has shown us … that is the kind of persuasion that can change the world for the good.
Psalm 111 this morning reminds us that words cannot remain just words, but must move into action. Seven times in this short passage, we see references to action: “Great are the works of the Lord” … “Full of honor and majesty is his work” … “gained renown by his wonderful deeds” … “He provides food for those who fear him” … He has shown his people the power of his works” .. The works of his hands are faithful and just” … “performed with faithfulness and uprightness” … “all those who practice it have a good understanding.”
In our gospel reading, Jesus moves directly into action when the time is right. In the verses preceding today’s reading, Jesus moves his disciples to their first actions with him. Simon and his brother Andrew are casting their net into the sea. Jesus says, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people. And immediately they left their nets and followed him.” He went a little farther and he saw James and John mending their nets. “Follow me,” he says and they too, leave their nets and follow. No committee meetings, no getting their affairs in order, no looking back. The time for action had arrived.
It is only when our words take flight that we are able to change the world. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory.” But theory is often easier. As Mark Twain said, “Actions speak louder than words, but not as often.”
The basketball coach from the Covenant School, a Christian School in Dallas, TX, has been in the news lately. Covenant School has a list of ten goals for their athletic program. The first is “To enable Covenant student/athletes, coaches, and spectators to glorify God and be witnesses for Jesus Christ.” Another states “To foster discernment and wisdom in the use of one's God-given talents.” A third says “To build Christ-like character traits and develop servant leadership skills through discipline, and physical and mental training.”
Imagine then, how the school reacted a couple of weeks ago when Covenant’s basketball team was victorious over the Dallas Academy, a school specializing in educating learning-disabled students. The final score? One hundred to zero. One hundred (to glorify God and build Christ-like character) … to zero. Covenant School publicly apologized saying “It is shameful and an embarrassment that this happened. This clearly does not reflect a Christ-like and honorable approach to competition.” However, the coach responded with his own statement: “I do not agree with the apology or the notion that the Covenant School girls basketball team should feel embarrassed or ashamed. We played the game as it was meant to be played and would not intentionally run up the score on any opponent. Although a wide-margin victory is never evidence of compassion, my girls played with honor and integrity and showed respect to Dallas Academy.”
The coach of Dallas Academy also had a message for his team: “I told them someday they will be on top in a similar situation and they should remember how they felt when some people were cheering for a team to score a hundred points and shut us out. Hopefully, my girls all learned a lesson in sportsmanship that will last them a lifetime."
Is there any doubt which will influence the girls more strongly? The words in the mission statement of the sports program … or the actions of the coach who encouraged this kind of lopsided score?
But before we begin casting stones at the coach, let us think back to our own behavior in the last week. When did we have the upper hand and press our advantage too far? When did we listen to the wrong influence in our lives and separate ourselves from the Word of God? When have our actions been inconsistent with our values?
That day in the synagogue, Jesus was accused: “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” His answer was swift and sure. His words were in perfect sync with his actions. He was there to preach the good news and to cast out demons. His disciples got the same consistent message. Let’s go. We’re going to preach good news and do good works. Today, we are invited to this table to hear Christ’s message anew. Listen. Speak. Act.
