There is an old
saying about the Episcopal Church. I’ve heard it said, and said it myself to prospective
members. “If you want to know what we believe, worship with us.” The idea
being, of course, that what we believe is expressed in our worship. And, when
you read The Book of Common Prayer,
you will see all the ways there are to worship. You will see how often we are
called to worship. You will hear how often we use the Bible. These things are
expressed in both our communal and individual worship. These things are
expressed each Sunday morning in churches around the world. In these many
languages in many places, this is how we connect with one another and with God:
by how we worship. This is where our authority comes from: yes from God, and
also in how we express ourselves in worship. If you want to know who we are,
worship with us. Our worship is our spoken authority of how we relate to God.
This
morning’s Gospel reading from Mark could be put this way, “If you want to know
who Jesus is, watch what he does.” Jesus shows up at the synagogue in Capernaum,
enters the synagogue, and teaches. People are astonished because he “taught
them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
In
the descriptions about Jesus’ authority in this morning’s scripture, the implication
is that something Jesus does or is doing is what makes people see his
authority. What could it be? What is there about what Jesus does that is
missing from the other people teaching?
Perhaps
it is this: what Jesus did – beyond his teaching – is what gave him the
authority to teach. His actions during his every day life gave him this
authority.
It’s
possible what is meant in this scripture is that the people listening to Jesus
teach saw his authority came from God. But how did they know that? Mark
demonstrates how Jesus receives his authority by showing what Jesus did
immediately after people recognize his authority. It’s as though Mark is
reminding people, “Look, this is where true authority comes from.” And that
authority was from God because it gave Jesus the ability to do what no one else
had been able to do. He healed someone who was afflicted with an unclean
spirit. Jesus made what was unclean clean.
Jesus
making something unclean clean, and making someone unclean clean are the marks
of his authority. Healing yes, but also restoration to the community for those
who have been healed.
Jesus’ authority
was made visible by his actions. People knew where Jesus’ authority came from
by what he did. They knew it from these things. Jesus ate and drank with people
with whom no one else would eat or drink. He touched people no one else would
touch. He made clean those who had been unclean. He healed people so they could
resume life in their communities, no longer shunned or on the outskirts.
Mark’s
gospel asks us a question. If people knew Jesus had authority by what he did,
what does that say about what we do?
As Episcopalians,
our worship tells people what we believe. But how will people know we have the
authority to believe what we say?
Yes, Episcopalians
have beautiful worship. Yes, our Prayer Book has wonderful prayers and poetic
canticles and gorgeous words. And our
hymnals have tuneful and meaningful music and texts. But where is the
authority?
Think about this.
If you want to know the authority in which Episcopalians believe, what do you
watch? What do Episcopalians do besides worship? When you leave here, how will
someone know by whose authority you have gathered here? How will someone know
in whose name you believe? If we claim our authority from our Lord Jesus
Christ, what is it we will do in his name to show his authority? AMEN.
The
Rev Nicolette Papanek
©2018
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