Daily Catholic Lectio
Sun, 28 January 2024
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deuteronomy 18:15-20. 1 Corinthians 7:32-35. Mark 1:21-28
Authority: Source and Service
When an ordinary bond paper is signed and stamped, it becomes a property document. When an ordinary paper is signed by the governor of a country, it becomes the currency. Two unknown people begin to have mutual authority over each other by tying a knot around a girl’s neck or through an exchange of rings. A person with a humble background grows to become the leader of a parish or diocesan community under the authority of his priesthood or episcopate.
Authority, or power, is at the centre of human transactions. A bus driver has authority over her bus; a conductor has authority over her passengers. A doctor has authority over his patients. A leader has authority over his followers.
There is also personal authority, i.e., authority or power over one’s own self. We feel anxious and tensed when we don’t have power over ourselves and others.
We disgust certain powers; we are afraid of a few authorities; and we embrace quite a few authorities.
In the gospel reading, Jesus preaches with authority, and with authority, he commands the evil spirit. People who hear Jesus’ preaching and see his miraculous deeds are awestruck.
Mark records that an evil spirit was present in the synagogue. Mark seems to have a sense of humour. In the synagogue, where people pray to God, the author of goodness and life, there is an evil spirit, the author of evil and death. The people there were comfortable in the presence of the evil spirit.
Jesus casts out the spirit. The spirit obeys Jesus. People saw Jesus as someone with authority over evil elements. This might have intrigued them, for they were able to see in Jesus a carpenter.
The people of Israel viewed authority at two levels:
(a) Authority or power that emerges from people themselves. The authority of parents over their children, the authority of the king over his subjects, the authority of the scribes, the authority of the priests in the sanctuary – these types of authorities are given or vested by people themselves. And they are defined by space and time. A parent can’t exercise authority over the children of other parents, and a king can’t exercise authority over the neighbouring kingdom.
(b) Authority or power that is granted by God. When the Pharisees ask Jesus, ‘From where did John receive authority to baptise, from people or from God?’ They mean that authority could be given by God as well. In the passion narrative, in his conversation with Pilate, Jesus says, ‘You will have no authority over me unless it is given from above’ (cf. Jn 19:11).
How do we understand the authority that is granted by God?
The first reading helps us here. Moses, at the threshold of the Promised Land, addresses the people in the plains of Moab. He tells them the words of the Lord: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers.” Who is this prophet? Some say, ‘prophet here is a generic term.’ Some others say, ‘This refers to Prophet Jeremiah.’ For the evangelists, this prophecy refers to Jesus. Jesus has the three qualities that are mentioned in the prophecy:
(a) The Lord will appoint the prophet from among the people. Jesus was sent by the Father; he was not a self-appointed prophet.
(b) The Lord will place his words in his mouth. Jesus spoke what he heard from the Father.
(c) The prophet will say everything that the Lord commands. Jesus not only preached the words but also sent the paraclete to explain what had been preached.
Thus, the prophetic office is raised to be someone who would speak forth and speak forward. Jesus’ kingdom ministry was primarily a prophetic ministry. Jesus announced the Good News, and he worked miracles. That’s why the disciples on the way to Emmaus tell Jesus that ‘Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet in words and deeds’ (cf. Lk 24:19).
Jesus was different from earlier prophets and fellow scribes in two ways:
(a) When other prophets prophesied, they would use the formula, ‘Thus says the Lord.’ But Jesus always exercised authority as his own: ‘I say to you, get up and walk!’
(b) The Pharisees and the scribes of Jesus’ time explained the scriptures on the authority of their teachers, the earlier interpretations, or the schools they belonged to. But Jesus in the synagogue, at the end of the proclamation, said, ‘The word you heard is fulfilled today!’ (cf. Lk 4). Jesus presents himself as the fulfilment of prophets.
In the gospel reading of the day, Jesus talks as someone having authority; he casts out demons with his own words.
The second reading of the day continues Paul’s exhortation on celibacy. Paul underlines that by choosing to serve God alone, one becomes free from the anxieties of marriage.
Thus,
Moses tells us that authority is granted by God (first reading). Jesus, as the Son of God, has internal authority. He exercises his authority for preaching and for casting out demons. Authority that is focused on God makes us liberated from bondings that emerge from relationships.
Whatever our life or vocation, every one of us exercises authority. Even a child exercises authority over the doll.
What are the life lessons for us today?
(a) God-centred, self-realised authority
Maslow, who talks about the hierarchy of needs, holds self-actualization, or self-realisation, as the highest human need. Self-realisation is possible when one is rooted in God. Let us today strive to take control of our own lives, our likes and dislikes, our goals, and our actions. And let our authority be rooted in God. May our authority make us inclusive of others, not exclusive.
(b) Authority as service
Preaching and casting of demons are called as ministries of Jesus. Through them, he ministered to or served the people. The goal of authority is service. Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, constantly dwells on this point. What is envisaged today is not the hierarchical authority of exploitation but the baptismal authority of service. Jesus’ serves on account of his solidarity with others.
(c) Pleasing the Lord
Paul writes that those who please the Lord will be free from the anxieties of the world. Human authority works at the level of pleasing and being pleased. Those who are with authority through their power please their subordinates so that their authority is sustained, and those who are under authority please those with authority in order to exploit his or her authority in his or her favour. Both directions are controlled by a single action of ‘pleasing, being favourable, or doing a favour.’ Here, we must realise that authority that comes from outside is not ours because it will be taken away. Authority that emerges from within can never be taken away. Let us strive to focus more on the authority that emerges from within. Authority that is free from any form of self-interest is pleasing to the Lord.
In the responsorial psalm (cf. 95), the Psalmist sings, “Listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts!” May we not be hardened by our authority, but may we continue to seek his voice – always.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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