The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany – January 29, 2006
Mark 1:21-28
 
            When the car flies in front of you as the driver runs a red light and almost smashes into you, your heart races, you can’t breathe and you think how nice it would be if a police officer were sitting nearby and instant justice could happen. Then you give thanks to God the red-light-runner missed you and you escaped unharmed.
 
            That did not happen to me on Friday, but instant justice did. I was sitting stopped in commuter traffic on route 66 a few minutes after visiting Grace Shaner in Fairfax. I had almost reached Manassas when the slow traffic finally came to a stop.
 
            It was then a driver pointed her Volkswagen between me and the car in front of me, cutting me off. There might have been two feet, 24 measly inches, between my car and the one in front of me. With no signal or regard for me, the driver managed to inch her bumper between us as she tried to change lanes.
 
            What she had failed to notice was the Virginia State Police officer sitting in the median to our left. The officer turned on his pursuit lights, beeped his siren for a moment and when the lady looked, motioned her over to the side. When traffic began moving again I could see the officer giving the Volkswagen driver a lecture. It was instant justice for one who would cut off other drivers in traffic.  
 
            I thought about the gospel lesson for today when I watched this scene take place. It was without challenge that the officer had authority. He exercised the authority granted him to cite violators of traffic laws.
 
            The scene in the gospel today is Jesus teaching with authority. He does not have a uniform. Jesus is not endowed by the state with policing powers. He does not have some kind of degree or special training. Jesus is God teaching with authority. And people are listening.
 
            Listening is a problem for us, isn’t it? There are a lot of voices out there to listen to and you would be amazed who it is people actually do listen to.
 
            Last weekend if you had quarterback on your team whose first name is “Jake,” you needed to prepare for a loss. Both “Jake’s” at quarterback lost last week.

            Something similar is going on in the book reviewing world. If your name begins with the letter “O” you can review books. Perhaps the most famous “O” doing this is Oprah with her book club. If Oprah selects a book for reading you can count on it becoming a bestseller.
 
            William Blum who wrote “Rogue State: A Guide to the World’s Only Superpower” got an endorsement about a week ago for his book. It was another “O” person who suggested people read Blum’s book. It was not Oprah, but Osama bin Laden who suggested reading “Rogue State.” Within 24 hours it became a bestseller and William Blum a momentary celebrity.
 
            Can you imagine, Osama bin Laden voices an endorsement and people buy the book? It shows how willing people are to listen to any voice that seems to have authority. How confused are we when we buy books endorsed by Osama bin Laden?
 
            Might we turn our ears from the clanging voices of the world to listen to Jesus and his voice of authority? Jesus speaks to us from the cross, willing to give his life for us. Jesus speaks from the cross and his words of authority are mercy and forgiveness. He is not making endorsements like Oprah or Osama. Jesus, with his authority given by his giving his life, says, “I love you. You are forgiven. Welcome to the kingdom.”
 
            It is these words of authority that literally transform your life. Jesus says to you: “I love you. You are forgiven. Welcome to the kingdom.” And you are never the same.
 
            We are not the same because the cross makes us people of compassion. In the gospel lesson Jesus is interrupted by a man with an unclean spirit. He takes time to heal him. While teaching Jesus stops to compassionately care.
 
            Note how it is an interruption. Most people do not like interruptions while in the midst of work. On task, most folks say, “Don’t bother me, I’ve got to get this done.”
 
            Jesus interrupts his teaching with authority to take time for the man. Can we handle interruptions? Can we see that interruptions are ministry for us, as they were for our Lord Jesus himself?
 
            At the workday yesterday I was very impressed by the hard work and single-mindedness of the folks cleaning out the lower half of the building. Two dozen people were working hard, staying on task, getting the job done. I wonder how we would have responded if we had been interrupted by someone asking for help? I wonder if we would show the same compassion our Lord showed to the man who needed healing?
 
            Paul thinks so. In the second lesson today he is writing to the people of Corinth about eating food that has been sacrificed to idols. His point is that it is just meat and you don’t have to worry; but, eating such meat might be an example that will lead another person to believe in false gods and thus sin. A person of faith, a compassionate person, Paul would argue, abstains from the meat so that others who are weak may not be misled.
 
            From the cross, Jesus not only validates his authority in mercy and forgiveness, but continues to teach us what it means to be compassionate followers of his: dying to self we live for others. Now, that’s amazing. Amen.