Jesus astonishes the people in the Capernaum synagogue with his teaching and authority. He taught with authority because he is the living Word of God. We are all witnesses to this living Word who is Jesus. https://t.co/Tv0Du83RCT— Thomas Rosica (@FatherRosica) January 28, 2018
Moses addresses the needs of the people for a liaison between people and God in the text from the Book of Deuteronomy.
* [18:15] A prophet like me: from the context (opposition to the practices described in vv. 10–11) it seems that Moses is referring in general to all the true prophets who were to succeed him. This passage came to be understood in a quasi-Messianic sense in the New Testament (Mt 17:5; Jn 6:14; 7:40; Acts 3:22; 7:37).In the First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul advises the people about attending to the imminent return of Jesus.
* [7:1–40] Paul now begins to answer questions addressed to him by the Corinthians (1 Cor 7:1–11:1). The first of these concerns marriage. This chapter contains advice both to the married (1–16) and to the unmarried (1 Cor 7:25–38) or widowed (1 Cor 7:39–40); these two parts are separated by 1 Cor 7:17–24, which enunciate a principle applicable to both.The Gospel from the First Chapter of Mark reveals the impact of Jesus teaching with authority on people and demons in the synagogue.
* [1:21–45] The account of a single day’s ministry of Jesus on a sabbath in and outside the synagogue of Capernaum (Mk 1:21–31) combines teaching and miracles of exorcism and healing. Mention is not made of the content of the teaching but of the effect of astonishment and alarm on the people. Jesus’ teaching with authority, making an absolute claim on the hearer, was in the best tradition of the ancient prophets, not of the scribes.Tamora Whitney uses Psalm 95 to reflect on the difficulty, today, to hear the voice of God.
It’s more difficult today to hear and understand the voice of God, but not impossible. We can read it here in the scriptures. We can sense it in our conscience. We can see it in God’s creation. We should be alert and aware for where it will express itself. God is all around us. We need to recognize his voice when we hear it. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.Don Schwager shares the teaching of Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D. about knowing without loving.
"Those words show clearly that the demons had much knowledge, but entirely lacked love. They dreaded receiving their punishment from him. They did not love the righteousness that was in him. He made himself known to them to the extent he willed; and he willed to be made known to the extent that was fitting. But he was not made known to them as he is known to the holy angels, who enjoy participation in his eternity, in that he is the Word of God. To the demons he is known as he had to be made known, by striking terror into them, for his purpose was to free from their tyrannical power all who were predestined for his kingdom and glory, which is eternally true and truly eternal. Therefore, he did not make himself known to the demons as the life eternal, and the unchangeable light which illuminates his true worshipers, whose hearts are purified by faith in him so that they see that light. He was known to the demons through certain temporal effects of his power, the signs of his hidden presence, which could be more evident to their senses, even those of malignant spirits, than to the weak perception of human beings. (excerpt from CITY OF GOD 9.21)Friar Jude Winkler identifies signs of our relationship with God in the texts today. One of the signs of end times to his audience was Jesus resurrection. The advice of Paul was in the context that the end times had already dawned.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites Cynthia Bourgeault as he asserts that Jesus belongs to a stream of living wisdom that has been flowing through the human condition for at least five thousand years.
[Jesus was] a wisdom teacher, a person who . . . clearly emerges out of and works within an ancient tradition called “wisdom,” sometimes known as sophia perennis, which is in fact at the headwaters of all the great religious traditions of the world today. It’s concerned with the transformation of the whole human being. Transformation from what to what? Well, for a starter, from our animal instincts and egocentricity into love and compassion; from a judgmental and dualistic worldview into a nondual acceptingness. This was the message that Jesus, apparently out of nowhere, came preaching and teaching, a message that was radical in its own time and remains equally radical today.Our passion for teaching about our relationship to God is part of our history to ancient times. The Wisdom Tradition calls us to be transformed as disciples of Jesus to fullness of life.
References
(n.d.). CHAPTER 18 Priests. 1 The levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi .... Retrieved January 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/deuteronomy18.htm
(n.d.). 1 Corinthians, chapter 7 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/7
(n.d.). Mark, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/1
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved January 28, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/
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