Powerful Words

The gospel of Mark says that Jesus taught “with authority” – so I have been reflecting about voices that speak with authority.

Powerful Words

Deuteronomy 18:15-20  Mark 1:21-28

The people in the synagogue in Capernaum were probably not expecting anything out of the ordinary. But on that particular Sabbath day they heard teaching that astounded them,

for (as the text for this morning puts it) “…he taught them as one having authority, and not as one of the scribes.” [Mark 1:22]

Though we don’t usually put it quite that way, we are always listening at some level for voices of authority. We are always hoping to hear words with that particular quality that interrupts our own thoughts and takes us to a new place of thinking, that challenges our own beliefs and takes us to a new place of believing, or that holds up a new value and takes us to a new place of valuing.

We might expect that the voices that would have that authority would be the voices that say what we already think, believe, and value. While it is certainly true that we often choose to listen to the voices that we agree with, those voices do not often meet this standard of astonishment. They may delight us, encourage us, or give us a feeling of solidarity, but they do not usually astound – no matter how loud or shrill or persistent they may be.

Voices that have authority often come from individuals who have the particular gift of speaking powerfully and persuasively. We often use the word “charisma” to describe this kind of person – and the original definition of charisma is “an extraordinary power (as of healing) given a Christian by the Holy Spirit for the good of the church.” We are slightly more casual (and substantially more secular) in our use of the word today, often forgetting the part about “the good of the church.” Powerful and persuasive speech may be part of what conveys authority, but it is not the whole story.

Voices that have authority usually sound as though they are speaking directly and personally to us. They carry within them the rhythms of our lives and the vocabulary of our language. They often reflect our shared history – which may be why people of different ages hear different voices as having authority. Sometimes they reflect our common sorrows or fears; sometimes our common loyalties and celebrations. You’ll remember that on Pentecost, all of the visitors to Jerusalem heard the disciples proclaiming the good news – “each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.” [Acts 2:6] Voices of authority speak that way – in the native language of each.

Voices that have authority have a kind of originality to them. They are not entirely new (more about that in a minute), but they are nonetheless fresh and compelling. When you hear them, it sounds as though the speaker has taken in a great deal of information and experience and transformed them into something unique and innovative. Sometimes that transformation is clearly visible – the old thoughts are contrasted boldly with the new ones. More often, though, the transformation is hidden by the elegance of what is new.

Voices that have authority speak in ways that are both bold and careful. They are rarely apologetic or meek, but the ideas and the language are simultaneously clear and nuanced. There are often new words (or at least old words used in new ways). Here’s one of the clear differences between voices that speak with authority and those that don’t: the ones that don’t speak with authority use those new words cautiously out of fear of making a mistake or offending someone, while the ones that do speak with authority use the new words to reflect a new truth.

Voices that have authority often speak of the consequences of our current patterns of belief and behavior. And because they speak truthfully and from experience, their predictions of the consequences are often eerily accurate. That makes it easy to believe that the speakers have some special foreknowledge of the future. If we reflect carefully, though, we often find that we actually share their understanding of consequences, but simply prefer not to think about them. Their gift is to place those consequences in front of us in ways that we cannot ignore, deny, or postpone.

Perhaps the most striking characteristic of voices that have authority is the particular combination of newness and familiarity that they bring. We recognize the truth in what we hear from these voices, because it has been in front of us all along. At the same time, we are surprised by the truth, because it is now presented to us in a fresh and compelling way.

This description ought to remind you of the prophets – both Biblical and modern – whose work it is to illuminate truths that are hidden in plain sight. Voices that have authority are, almost without exception, voices of prophetic power. It was not, after all, just that Jesus taught that day in Capernaum, nor even that he taught with persuasiveness and skill. The remarkable thing was that he brought them a message that took them off guard, and was unfamiliar – but not entirely unfamiliar. It resonated with them and startled them at the same time.

We should note that voices of authority are not always welcome voices. The gospel of Luke describes another day that Jesus taught in a synagogue, this time in Nazareth. He told his listeners that the words of the prophet Isaiah were being fulfilled in their hearing. We are told that the crowd was filled with rage, chased him out of town, and threatened to throw him off a cliff. But invoking an authority of different (and non-verbal) sort, “he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.” [Luke 4:30] History – both ancient and modern – gives us story after story of prophetic voices that were ignored, ridiculed, and persecuted.

Sometimes voices of authority are recognized in unlikely ways and by unlikely folk. In today’s reading, it was the “unclean spirit” who immediately recognized Jesus as “the Holy One of God.” [Mark 1:24] The woman at the Samaritan well, the lepers who were healed, the fisherman in their boats – all of these unlikely characters could see the truth, while the prosperous, successful, conventional religious folk could not.

Long ago, Moses made a promise to the Israelites: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet.” [Deuteronomy 18:15] For many Christians, this promise has been fulfilled by the Hebrew prophets, by John the Baptist, and of course, by Jesus. But these are not the only prophets that Moses was talking about

I have come to believe that the promise of prophets among our people is an invitation to listen to the wisdom of the people we are among. If you want wisdom and authority about education, for example, look to teachers. For authority on health care, ask those who are waiting for Emergency room care. For authority on the needs of children, watch the children and talk with the families.

Prophetic power and moral authority are not limited to a few people or a few voices. Prophetic power and moral authority belong to the whole community. These gifts need to be called out, nurtured, disciplined, celebrated, and most urgently, heeded. There are fewer tasks more important for our faith community than reclaiming our prophetic voice and speaking with genuine authority.

In a faith community, speaking with authority does not mean scolding, and it does not mean telling people what to do and what not to do. In a faith community, speaking with authority means cultivating a prophetic voice. That means listening deeply to God and to one another; it means sharing the work of interpreting what we hear; it means seeking together the spark that transforms old ideas into new imperatives; and it means sharing those new imperatives with both courage and humility.

We cannot expect that every time we are together that we will be astonished – that was not true in Capernaum or in Nazareth, and it will not be true in Northfield. But for a community that believes that God Is Still Speaking, astonishment is always a possibility.