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Fr. Bill's sermon from this past Sunday,
Aug. 16, 2009.
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Forward Day by Day
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Mark 11:27-12:12. By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority?
The religious authorities are upset.
Jesus has been healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, forgiving
sins, and teaching about what God desired-total love of God and
neighbor. Maybe that was permissible. But now he has turned the very
profitable Temple economic system on its ear. Those who believed they
had all the authority now want to know who authorized Jesus to do all
this. Jesus calls their bluff by asking if they believe that God is
still active in their present day and age. Either way they answer, they
will come up short. If they say "Yes," then why aren't they rejoicing
in his ministry? If they say "No," they have relegated God to the past
tense.
It's still a good question--not the
authority question, but the question about whether God is still active
in our day and age. Is God leading us to new understandings, presenting
us with new opportunities to use the minds and gifts given us to heal a
broken world and bring wholeness to God's children? Ultimately God has
all the authority. Jesus shows us how to use it.
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To speak about Jesus and his divine work of salvation shouldn't be a burden or a heavy obligation. When we go to people feeling that unless they accept our way of knowing Jesus, they are lost and we are failures, it is hardly possible to be true witnesses.