Word to the Wise
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 - Tuesday in the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Sam 1:9-20 and Mark 1:21-28,]Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.......All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this? A new reaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him." [Mark]
In the Gospel According to Mark, Jesus begins his public ministry by calling his first disciples, as we saw in yesterday's passage, and then follows up with a series of demonstrations of his power and hints of his identity. He not only teaches on his own authority without citing other rabbis, as the scribes usually did, but he shows that authority by healing and exorcisms! This ministry began to attract crowds of people and would lead to his conflict with the scribes and Pharisees, leading Jewish authorities on at least two levels. The first level concerns Jesus' healing on the sabbath! That would be considered "work" in the eyes of those authorities which would be forbidden on the sabbath. The second level would be the threat to the status and authority of the scribes and Pharisees! Jesus will criticize them severely in the course of his ministry. Their hostility would eventually become lethal!
Religious authority is an important and delicate thing. The integrity, truth and unity of faith requires that there be some form of authoritative human expression of a transcendent reality. Our Catholic tradition assigns that authority to the Pope and bishops who stand in succession to the apostles. Their role is one of safeguarding the "message" in accord with the scriptures and the Tradition of the earliest Church teachers who received that faith from the apostles. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the ultimate guide of these authorities. Their leadership in the faith is essential. The danger to them is the very power and prestige that comes with their positions of leadership. Abuses of power are dangerous and, in our day, are quickly reported by news media. In Jesus' day, this would be by word of mouth! The scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, Chief Priests and elders of the people became jealous of their positions. Jesus was perceived as a threat. So will any of us who call religious authorities to account. But that is what Jesus did and what we as faithful Catholics are also called to do. AMEN
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