Teaching with Authority and Clarity

Our big word today is “Authority”. In the first reading, we heard about God’s plan to raise a spiritual leader like Moses whose teaching will carry the same authority like that of Moses. In the gospel St. Mark tells us that the people were amazed because Jesus taught with authority.

But what does it mean precisely to say that Jesus taught with authority? The common explanation is to contrast Jesus’ method of teaching with that of the Scribes. Biblical scholars say that the Scribes taught citing past Rabbis to give credibility to their teaching. Jesus on the other hand taught as one who knows the mind of God. But I tell you, there is more to the idea about Jesus teaching with authority.

A little background will help us here. During the Israelites wandering in the desert, God officially chose Moses and made him the custodian of the Jewish faith. Everything he taught was considered binding. Jesus is the new Moses. To say that Jesus taught with authority is to state that He taught with clarity and certainty. Consequently, what He taught must be believed. What He taught is binding.

Our Savior came to instruct us in doctrine, and salvation is more than just being nice, it also requires true and orthodox belief in what our Lord has taught us.

There is a growing concern amongst Catholics with regards to some hot button issues like Abortion, Homosexuality, Euthanasia, transgenderism, transsexualism and the likes. In the first place, if we are true to Jesus, these issues are not supposed to be hot button issues in the Church. If Jesus were to be around today, He will tell them clearly, yes I love you the way you are but I love you so much that I don’t want you to remain the way you are. Jesus was always clear in His teaching. His teaching was obedient-centered. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says, “Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you.”

The point is Jesus knows that Satan likes to cause confusion. So He deliberately avoided giving any impression of ambiguity in His teachings. But what do we get today? A very different story. Today we hear how some Bishops and Priests cause anxiety amongst the lay faithful because of the ambiguous nature of their teachings on matters of faith and morals. Ambiguity is the tool of the devil to cause confusion in the Church. Those preachers, Priests and Bishops who teach with ambiguity are failing Christ. In fact they are doing great disservice to the Gospel and the Kingdom.

Some of you come to me grieving about what this Bishop or that Bishop have said or have done. I am very proud of you for being upset about the errors that these Bishops and Priests are spreading. But to say you are confused is unacceptable to me. The teachings of the Church concerning faith and morals is clear. And it should be very clear to the mind of anyone who knows his/her faith. No pastoral initiative or innovation is able to make any serious Catholic to be confused. Proliferation of errors can never be a distraction to a serious Catholic. In fact it becomes a motivation to share and live the true faith.

If you know your faith and believe in Kingdom values more than your personal preferences, no News station/channel can confuse you. No Bishop can confuse you. No Priest or Pope can confuse you. No politician who parades himself/herself as Catholic can confuse you. If you have heard me preach and teach these past three years, you are not permitted to be confused. Amen!

And to all those who are cafeteria Catholics, today’s gospel challenges you to reconsider your position. You can’t be a Catholic and choose what you want to believe. That’s not how it works. The CCC #88 states, “The Church’s Magisterium exercises the authority it holds from Christ to the fullest when it defines dogmas, that is, when it proposes, in a form obliging the Christian people to an irrevocable adherence of faith, truths contained in divine Revelation or also when it proposes, in a definitive way, truths having a necessary connection with these.”

Some Catholics do not believe in Confession. Others do not believe in Marian devotion. There are some too who do not believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It is one thing to have some doubts but it is another thing entirely to be vehemently opposed to these core doctrines and resist any form of participation in them. I have a good friend here at Our Lady of Joy. His name is John. John is not Catholic, but he attends daily mass whenever he is in town. He tells me how much he enjoys the Catholic liturgy and our faith. But he also admits that he struggles with accepting Marian devotion. One very encouraging thing about him is that he joins us for the rosary after mass. That’s the right attitude of a good Christian. He is open to understanding the truth of that particular aspect of the faith.

I will conclude with the exaltation of the Psalmist; “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”