Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God."
But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching--with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."
At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
Why do you think the unclean spirit obeyed Jesus' short seven word command so readily? Perhaps it was because the spirit recognized Jesus for who he was and this recognition eliminated even evil's capacity to ignore Jesus. Perhaps the strong words of Jesus connected completely with the prayers of any who had ever prayed for the tormented man. Perhaps Jesus' words were laser accurate, hitting the center of the man so precisely that the essential goodness of the man catapulted the "demon" in a heartbeat.
We may not fully understand the "why" ... but we learn, along with all the witnesses, that this Jesus is speaking words that astound, amaze and transform!
It must have been quite a scene. Normally crowds back away from distasteful, disruptive people. Or if any kind of power is exerted by the ones responsible for maintaining Law and Order, they approach the culprit and remove him. It is rare that the "powers that be" see these confrontations as teachable moments! But Jesus knew that it was a moment of transformative importance: Chaos, be silent. Darkness, here's the light. Uncleanliness, you are eradicated...rooted out!"
The people standing around, even the scribes, were on the brink of an amazing discovery -- that the words that Jesus spoke, whether they were words of story, or explanation, or invitation, or reprimand were authoritative! Long before human beings got the message that Jesus was the Son of God, they were affected by the piercing, probing and provactive power that was unleashed when he spoke. This power radiated from Jesus' core identity...not from his intellect or his "role".
Words of Truth
Words of Love
Words of Forgiveness
Words of Invitation
Words of Instruction
Words of Comfort and Healing
Even if his listeners did not know that they were in the presence of the one who is one with the Father, they did know that his words could not be minimized. Since Jesus IS the TRUTH, his words always connect at the core of our existence. His words affirm whatever inkling we have about what is true They call out any falsehood or deception which would lead us into sin of any kind. His words pierce us and deflate us and cleanse us And then they linger with us, lifting us to new heights, supporting us in ways no other words ever can.
This is not just teaching, or advising...or mentoring. This is transformation at the depths of who we are by the authority of the one who created us and compels us to be all that was intended when we were formed by His Hand.
Listen!
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