As If He Had Written Them

What was new and astonishing about Jesus was his authority

Mark 1:21-28

The lectionary Gospel passage for this coming Sunday is Mark 1.21-28. Whereas in the previous scene the evangelist used the refrain “immediately” to convey the power of the Lord’s summoning word, here Mark makes a similar claim by emphasizing that Jesus of Nazareth taught the scriptures with such authority it was as though he had spoken them in the first place:

They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 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.