With Authority

Day 46: Mark 1:1-28

“And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’” - Mark 1:27 ESV

We have all met people who aren't shy about telling you how fantastic they are. It's almost as though they're, at the same time, trying to convince themselves of this as they drone on and on.

We listen to what they are saying and notice that it doesn’t match what they are doing.

What about Jesus? Did he only have clever sayings about forgiveness and Good News (Gospel), or did he back it up with the way he lived?

What stood out to me most in our reading for today is that what Jesus did confirmed what he said. This is why the people were saying he taught with "authority." Jesus had more rights than anyone else to be a top-down leader, barking commands to everyone in Israel while not engaging himself in earthly matters. Yet Jesus' whole life was a masterpiece of powerful words and unforgettable deeds.

May we ask God for the same kind of life. One that is rich in language and overflowing with faithfulness.

"This exhibition of power only confirmed the impression left in the minds of his hearers, that here was one invested with authority."
- Cole, R. A. (1989). Mark: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 2, p. 115)