Mark 1:27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching — and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.”
Sometimes it is hard to tell who is in charge of a group. This drives me nuts. We have gathered to make a decision, or carry out some business, accomplish a purpose, and no one steps up to take the reins of leadership. You look around and no one is providing any guidance. We just look like a flock of chickens hanging around outside the coup, waiting for the food to be scattered on the ground.
Groups exist to accomplish a purpose. The best groups have leadership that the group members respect and engage with as the tasks are accomplished. But without acknowledged leadership groups become gatherings. We just sit around and chat.
Sometimes the leaders is not the one at the front! Some leaders are incognito. They lurk in the background, but they are the ones who really pull the strings of leadership. Nothing happens without their tacit approval. In some cultures the husband is in charge of the home, but nothing happens without the wife’s approval.
So, how can you tell who is in charge of a group, who has the authority to lead? One way would be to see who is following whom. The chickens across the fence in our back yard have leaders. You can see them scurry across the field, and inevitably it will be the same chicken leading the charge.
You can look around almost any group, and over time you can see who is in charge. They are the one being followed. They have been given the authority to lead by the members of the group. Someone else might have given them the title, but the people give them their loyalty. They will follow.
The people recognize Jesus’ authority because of what He did. He went into God’s enemy’s territory and captured their flag. He is able to simply speak to the demons inside a person and the demons whimper in submission. This was seen as authority in action. When your enemies submit without a fight, they see your authority as demonstrated by your superior power.
And this is what we see reported in the text for today. “He gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” Oh, how parents wish their children would follow their directives! We all know what that feels like.
But Jesus had no problem giving orders to demons. They knew they didn’t have a choice. They had to obey. Jesus was in charge. And the people saw the results and wondered about the origin and exact nature of the authority Jesus possessed.
Today you will probably face a situation where you are either in charge or you know some else is in charge. As you enter the store, the restaurant, the church, the auto body shop, someone is in charge, and it probably ins’t you. (Even though the customer is always right!) You abide by their rules. You probably wear a mask! You give them your credit card.
We have the choice to acknowledge the authority that exists or we can rebel. Which do you think is appropriate for your circumstance?
The Arnold Journey 