January 28: Thunderbolts and Lightning

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

One of the most difficult duties of a disciple is to follow the command of Jesus to spread the gospel to all nations. (Lk 24:47, Mk 116:15, Mt 28:19) I think one reason may be that we don’t feel we have the authority to tell someone else what to believe. Most of us don’t think we know the gospel well enough to preach it. Or we are so afraid of offending atheists, that we use that fear as an excuse to say nothing. But being a disciple means following Jesus. The gospel this Sunday mentions twice that Jesus taught with more authority than any of religious leaders of Israel. So how can we get such authority?

First, Jesus didn’t get his authority from winning a Messiah election. And he didn’t threaten people with thunderbolts and lightning. He certainly didn’t impress people by saying what they wanted to hear. He spoke the truth that he heard from his Father. His two main actions in his ministry were curing and forgiving people. Since the Jews thought sickness was a punishment for sins, by curing the sick and forgiving sins, Jesus showed that God loves even sinners. And those actions showed that Jesus got authority from his Father.

“But you still haven’t answered the question: How do we get that authority?” We get it from the Holy Spirit, in Baptism and Confirmation. And like an athlete, who may be born with strength and abilities, yet has to work-out and practice to be any good, we still need to grow in that authority. One way is to read the scriptures and pray with them, so that we get to know God through his Word and begin to listen to him in our prayers. We can consciously decide to see God in other people, not just those we love, but everyone, even the ones who annoy us. (And especially the ones who challenge us to be more loving, patient and forgiving.) Most parishes have programs that encourage sharing your faith, such as RCIA, Christ Renews his Parish, etc. And of course, the Eucharist and other sacraments strengthen God’s life in us. You’ll know you have that authority when you can talk about your faith with confidence instead of hesitation, because you will be speaking from experience, not second hand knowledge.

Tom Schmidt