The Authority of Christ
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
MK 11:27-33
Jesus and his disciples returned once more to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple area, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders approached him and said to him, By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them? Jesus said to them, I shall ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me. They discussed this among themselves and said, If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?—they feared the crowd, for they all thought John really was a prophet. So they said to Jesus in reply, We do not know. Then Jesus said to them, Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Grace Prayed For
I pray for the grace of spiritual honesty and submissiveness to Christ’s authority.
Reflection
The religious leaders are more concerned with their own status and the opinion of the ‘crowd’ than with the truth. This passage warns us against the ‘fear of man’ which can paralyze our Mission. Our Baptismal Mission emphasizes that we operate under the authority of Christ, share in His role as prophet. If we are constantly checking the ‘human origin’ of our actions—worrying about optics or popularity—we lose our apostolic edge. In Prayer, we must ask for the honesty that the chief priests lacked. Do we really want to know the truth, or are we looking for justifications for our own comfort? In Community, we should foster an environment where we can speak the truth in love, rather than ‘discussing among ourselves’ how to save face. Finally, our Mission is built on the reality that Jesus is Lord. When we act in His name, we don’t need to apologize for the Gospel. To incorporate this, practice integrity today. When faced with a choice, don’t ask ‘what will people think?’ but ‘what does the Lord require?’ By submitting to His authority, we find the true freedom to serve without fear.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post