Week 24—Tuesday 3 John 11-12
3 John 11-12
“A NEW KIND OF TEACHING!
HE SPEAKS WITH AUTHORITY”
This distinctive thing in the Christian faith, namely the Word became flesh, instead of the Word became word, is seen in this passage:
Now there was a man in the synagogue possessed by an unclean spirit. He shrieked: “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” Jesus rebuked him: “Be silent,” he said, “and come out of him.” And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry left him. They were all dumbfounded and began to ask one another, “What is this? A new kind of teaching! He speaks with authority. When he gives orders, even the unclean spirits submit.” (Mark 1:23-27, NEB)
Note, Jesus would not allow evil spirits to confess his Messiahship. Why? It was valuable testimony! Yes, but it was given by those who had no intention of obeying him, so it was the Word of confession of his Messiahship become word. It was out of line with what he was doing. The Messiahship confession would have to wait till it became the Word become flesh—confessed by those who would embody it. To Jesus it was reality or nothing. Had he been a self-seeker, he would have grasped at this: “Look, the devils know me.” But he was a Redeemer, and redemption can come only through Reality.
And the people saw this difference: “What is this? A new kind of teaching! He speaks with authority.” The authority of embodied fact and not of mere words. His teaching hit people with an inner thud—it was “a new kind of teaching,” a teaching that was interpretation of lived-out life. It was a teaching you could not argue with, as with a verbal proposition; it was fact you had to accept or reject. And those who did reject it knew it was to their doom. The evil spirits felt this reality too and they obeyed—often reluctantly, but they obeyed.
Dear Redeemer, your authority reaches to the world of evil spirits. Then it will reach to my inner world, too. You can command where I cannot command—the subconscious. Speak the authoritative word there and make me free—conscious and subconscious. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I will accept no backing save the backing of Reality.