What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?

Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!" But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

- Luke 4:31-37

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was preaching in His hometown of Nazareth. In the synagogue, He read the words of Isaiah's prophecy: "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor..." Jesus declared, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." But His neighbors and those who knew Him growing up in Nazareth could not believe what He taught. When He chastised them, reminding them that those who benefited from the gifts of the prophets Elijah and Elisha were not themselves Jews, they took him out of the city and sought to throw him down over a cliff.

Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. Capernaum was a major city on the northern shore of the Lake of Galilee. It is to become Jesus' headquarters, so to speak. My study bible notes that "Jesus derives His authority from His messianic identity -- unlike the scribes and the Pharisees, who claim authority because of their academic credentials as teachers of the Law." Jesus' authority comes from within Himself; this is an important point of which to take note in all of the Gospels. It is a great source of contention when dealing with the authorities in the temple.

Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!" But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" My study bible notes: "The demon and the possessed man speak in the plural we, expressing their fear before the divine presence of Jesus. The demon recognizes Jesus as the Holy One of God, but is rebuked for his hostile boldness." In other readings, we learn that Jesus seeks to quiet the demons who recognize Him until such time as Jesus Himself is ready to reveal His own identity. The demons know who He is. At once it is established that we are dealing not merely with a worldly reality but also a spiritual one - one which is entirely involved in our world although a great mystery to us. It is from this place of spiritual reality that Jesus derives - and uses - His power.

Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region. We turn once again to the source of Jesus' authority and power. It is not a worldly one. He doesn't bear the credentials of having studied under a great and recognized teacher - which would give Him authority among the rabbinical scholars and in the temple.

Readings such as this one open up a great question for us: How do we recognize spiritual authority? Of course we have all of our own institutions and authorities and credentials too. But Christ's authority comes from a different place - and, as we have seen, it takes a particular form of reception or perception to recognize that authority. They could not do it in Nazareth, His hometown. There were too many assumptions about what was possible for Jesus to do and to be for that to happen - and envy, as well. What does it take for these people in Capernaum to understand and to receive Him? Why does Jesus perform healings, miracles and signs in some places and not in others? As He indicated in yesterday's reading, God's grace works among the faithful. It is faith that unlocks the doors. Authority or some form of qualification by inheritance or title or appellation or tradition simply doesn't work of itself alone when we are speaking about the spiritual. Spiritual life is here and now, real, and in the present moment. It is alive. It does not exist merely in declarations or oaths or a statement of principles. It is something that we must live, that lives in us, and that sparks our hearts to perceive it and receive it. How would you or I recognize Jesus' authority in our midst today? Would we or could we understand the power of the Spirit at work? We need to keep this in mind as we seek to understand our faith at work in us today in the here and now. Spirit is alive and well. It works in us. It confers authority, and it gives us spiritual eyes and ears with which to see and hear. Can we pray for this for ourselves? Can we be awake to it now?