The latent power within.
Deuteronomy 18: 15 – 20; Mark 1: 21 – 28
You have the latent power and authority to change the world for good.
Mark tells us that the first thing Jesus did when he began his ministry was to gather disciples. And the reader of the Gospel will observe that disciples are present at every point in Jesus’ public ministry, right up until the Crucifixion. Jesus’ past and present disciples are critical to the proclamation of the Gospel. Now Mark tells us that Jesus was a teacher and that he taught with authority. He (Jesus) entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. [Mk 1: 21b & 22]
Jesus’ teaching had a big impact on those who heard him. Not only was Jesus an amazing teacher he was an awesome teacher. At the beginning of his teaching ministry the unclean spirits identify Jesus. The demonic spirit in the man knows who Jesus is and what he can do. In the ancient world calling someone by their name and identifying who they are was seen as act of power and control over them. This ‘spirit’ not only knows Jesus’ earthly name but also knows his heavenly title – ‘the Holy one of God’. Those present would have understood that the ‘unclean spirit’ was powerful. But without hesitation Jesus drives out this ‘spirit’. This incident is not incidental to Jesus’ teaching. The exorcism shows Jesus as an authoritative teacher has power over evil. So the crowd kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him”. [Mk 1: 27]
So Mark has provided us with another word picture of Jesus. Jesus has announced that the Kingdom of God was close, he has gathered disciples, who are so important to his ministry, and demonstrates that he teaches with authority and power. Now a kingdom is impossible without authority, and authority is useless without power. This is what Jesus is doing. He declares that the Kingdom of God is present and he has the authority and power to constitute that kingdom. The presence of the Kingdom is seen in Jesus and his disciples when they do the will of God: just as we pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.
So let us look at the relationship between authority and power. The simplest way to illustrate the difference between authority and power is to place to pictures side by side. There is the truck driver in a huge vehicle. Driving on the road the truck driver has enormous power in his hands. When we are on the road we make sure we are not in the truck’s path. In our hands we may have a 4×4, car, motorcycle or bicycle, all have various rates of power but none have the power to stop the truck driver. However a person can – a police person can stop that truck by putting up their hand. Wow, that’s power. The policeman has the authority to do what no one else can do – stop the truck. The policeman has been given the authority to do so by the government and carries the power of the government in this simple action. The truck driver has power but has very limited authority in contrast to the policeman.
That picture of the police-person having the authority to stop the powerful truck helps us understand how Jesus appeared to the people of his day. There Jesus was. Whatever he might have looked like and whatever personal ‘presence’ he might have had, he had authority over that which all others feared – the demonic powers.
Mark tells us that Jesus had authority and power. Power and authority are related terms but also different. Authority is a power that is derived from another. Authority flows one way and downwards. Authority carries a delegated power. Authority is given to us by another to act. So when we speak of Jesus’ authority we are speaking of a power given to him by God the Creator. At another level Jesus is God so it is his authority. What I understand is that to speak of Jesus having authority is to recognise that Jesus is subject to the Trinity. That is, Jesus is not merely an individual acting on behalf of himself. Jesus is subject to the vision and plan of the Triune God. Therefore his power is not his alone but the power of the God-head and the Kingdom of God. The Gospel writers tell about Jesus’s authority and power in a few clear sentences. Mark tells us that the people were saying; “A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him” [Mk 1: 27]. Luke reports that the people were saying; with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and out they come [Lk 4: 36]. Jesus not only had authority but the power over the spiritual realm.
Power is a broader concept than authority. Whereas authority is the right to exercise power, power is the ability to influence and change situations. Power is not necessarily delegated.
Just being given the authority to influence and change is not sufficient. So our police-person who steps into the road to stop the truck does so in a manner that exudes confidence, belief and commitment. The police-person doesn’t half-heartedly raise their hand. They act with conviction and commitment to the task given to them. They are the government’s agents who are given power to act in a certain way.
There is an integration of the way they present themselves, their dress, the confidence of their actions and the belief in the authority and power they carry. There must be some integration between the authority given and the person they are. Importantly their actions must also be consistent with a set of values concerning the dignity and rights of others. The delegated authority and power is complimented by the personal power of the one acting. The authority and power likewise compliment the personal power of the individual. In this process of taking on the duties given to us our personal identity is enhanced, and our integrity compliments the authority and power received. Jesus’ authority and power is consistent with who he is.
Jesus has authority given to him and he gives it to his disciples. Jesus sends his disciples out on a mission with authority and power and they return a little amazed at what happened [Mk 6:7-13; Matthew 10: 5 – 15; Luke 9: 1-6]. After the resurrection Jesus re-affirms the giving of authority and power to his disciples and sends them into the world [Acts 1:8].
The first lesson we learn from this insight into Jesus’ authority and power is that we use it to proclaim Christ as King. It is given to us. The fact that we may not experience it may be due to us not taking God seriously enough; or we’re simply disobedient and disbelieving; or our lack of discipline hides the Holy Spirit’s empowerment. There is another reason, which is something more subtle. There is an incident where Jesus couldn’t exercise power because of the disbelief of the people [Mk 6:5; Matthew 13:58]. The same may apply to day. We are surrounded by too many who don’t really believe in God’s power to change. The disbelief, both in the Church and society, shuts out and limits the power of God in our midst. Jesus experienced this and he moved on to another place.
There is another spiritual lesson to learn. Authority involves a delegated power, which includes personal power. However personal power is not dependent upon being authorised. We all have a power within us. As a Christian the inherent personal power is enhanced by our faith, hope and love in Christ. I learnt a lot about personal power and influence once through the observation of my Personal Assistant. I’ll call her Kim. I noticed that Kim was respected, listened to and influenced others in the organisation. Yes, she was my PA, but there was more to it. It arose out of her integrity. She believed in what we were doing, she had a comprehensive understanding of the organisation, she had faith, was humble and committed to the work. A well-balanced person of faith, loyalty and integrity has power. It is not too hard to see examples of that kind of power around this congregation. That power, unlike authority, doesn’t flow only one-way but up, down and sideways. They have power to influence others regardless of any rank or office they hold.
You are a person with a latent power that could change the world – your world – God’s world. We are a people who have been given the authority to carry out the will of God. God promises to give us the power to make his will known and destroy the power of evil. Believe in God and believe in yourself because God believes in you. God has given us the power of the Holy Spirit to act and work for the Kingdom of God. Let us sing of God’s Majesty that God shares with us.
Majesty, worship His majesty,
unto Jesus be glory, honour
and praise.
Majesty, kingdom, authority,
flows from His throne
unto His own,
His anthem raise.
[The Source 346/ Songs of Fellowship 379]
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Peter C Whitaker, Leighmoor UC: 28/01/2018
/ www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org
New Years benediction
May the God who gave us this year
and the Saviour who fills us with life abundant
and the Spirit who walks at our side each day,
grace the coming year with peace and hope and joy,
Amen.
