Daily Mass Gospel Reflection - Astonishing

Word on Fire Ministry ^ | 8-31-2021 | Aux. Bishop R. Barron

[MurphsLaw]

TWENTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

LUKE 4:31-37

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches in the synagogue at Capernaum. One of the things that he comes to do is to teach, for at the root of our troubles and our suffering is a powerful clouding of the mind. What is it like to be in the same room with Jesus? The people “were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority.”

“Astonished” is a pretty strong word. But we have to understand the tenor of the time. When a Jewish rabbi would speak, he would reference his teacher—another rabbi—who in turn had learned from another rabbi and he by another and so on. Finally, appeal would be made, implicitly or otherwise, to Moses, who had received the word and Commandments of God on Mt. Sinai.

What makes Jesus’ teaching so striking—apart from the content, which is striking enough—is his manner of teaching. He doesn’t appeal to “Rabbi so and so” and finally back to Moses. He teaches on his own authority. The Greek word behind “authority” here is instructive—exousia, which means “from his own being.” He moves through his public life, Chesterton said, like a lightning bolt.

[MurphsLaw]

Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,
you have no need for anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know very well
that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.
When people are saying, “Peace and security,”
then sudden disaster comes upon them,
like labor pains upon a pregnant woman,
and they will not escape.

+++Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.
He taught them on the sabbath,
and they were astonished at his teaching
because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an
unclean demon,
and he cried out in a loud voice,
“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!”+++

[GOP Poet]

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[Marchmain]

Harkening back to Chesterton, this contradicts some people’s theories that Barron is a “heretic.”

[MurphsLaw]

Well... I wouldn't get to concerned with that...

If you ever happen to know an Atheist- who denied the existence of God, for a good deal of their life- and then have a conversion to Christ- into the Church no less !-
You too would realize all those running around shouting "heretic" and "damnation" have no idea of the incredible power God's Mercy can have in store for us flawed sinners- all of us - at any point in our lives...
Until then... the ego-drama will abound...

[ebb tide]

Bp. Robert Barron’s Spiritual Poison