Tuesday August 30th: Who say so?

“And his teaching made a deep impression on them because his word carried authority.”

Luke 4: 31-37

Every show host, podcast presenter, YouTube channel owner and ‘tik tokker’ seems now to be an ‘authority’. Every legislator or politician on a platform, every person in a boardroom or in high position tends today to have the power to sway the minds, feelings and actions of the general populace, fake news or not. Whether it concerns pro-choice, disregard for human dignity or selfish gain, if they say so is so.

In today’s Gospel passage when Jesus spoke the crowds wondered in awe, “What is it in his words?” And rightly so; Jesus spoke with an authority that was authentic, based as it was on his relationship with the Father and on his identity as the Holy One of God. On the contrary, on whose authority are pronouncements made today which often promote erosion of values, division, political propaganda or bachannal?

We thank God for Jesus people, locally and in our region, emboldened by the Holy Spirit, who speak with God’s authority to societal evils and say, “ Be quiet! Come out of (them)!”