20210112 THE AUTHORITY OF IDENTITY
12 January, 2021, Tuesday, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Green.
First reading | Hebrews 2:5-12 © |
The one who sanctifies and the ones who are sanctified are of the same stock
God did not appoint angels to be rulers of the world to come, and that world is what we are talking about. Somewhere there is a passage that shows us this. It runs: What is man that you should spare a thought for him, the son of man that you should care for him? For a short while you made him lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and splendour. You have put him in command of everything. Well then, if he has put him in command of everything, he has left nothing which is not under his command. At present, it is true, we are not able to see that everything has been put under his command, but we do see in Jesus one who was for a short while made lower than the angels and is now crowned with glory and splendour because he submitted to death; by God’s grace he had to experience death for all mankind.
As it was his purpose to bring a great many of his sons into glory, it was appropriate that God, for whom everything exists and through whom everything exists, should make perfect, through suffering, the leader who would take them to their salvation. For the one who sanctifies, and the ones who are sanctified, are of the same stock; that is why he openly calls them brothers in the text: I shall announce your name to my brothers, praise you in full assembly.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 8:2,5-9 © |
You gave your Son power over the works of your hand.
How great is your name, O Lord our God,
through all the earth!
What is man that you should keep him in mind,
mortal man that you care for him?
You gave your Son power over the works of your hand.
Yet you have made him little less than a god;
with glory and honour you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hand,
put all things under his feet.
You gave your Son power over the works of your hand.
All of them, sheep and cattle,
yes, even the savage beasts,
birds of the air, and fish
that make their way through the waters.
You gave your Son power over the works of your hand.
Gospel Acclamation | Jm1:21 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Accept and submit to the word
which has been planted in you
and can save your souls.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.1Th2:13 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Accept God’s message for what it really is:
God’s message, and not some human thinking.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 1:21-28 © |
Unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority
Jesus and his disciples went as far as Capernaum, and as soon as the sabbath came he went to the synagogue and began to teach. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.
In their synagogue just then there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit and it shouted, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him. The people were so astonished that they started asking each other what it all meant. ‘Here is a teaching that is new’ they said ‘and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him.’ And his reputation rapidly spread everywhere, through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.
THE AUTHORITY OF IDENTITY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Heb 2:5-12; Ps 8:2,5-9; Mark 1:21-28 ]
Humanity is in crisis today because people have lost their sense of identity. If is there is much confusion in the world today, whether with regard to moral values, meaning and purpose of life, it is because man does not even know who he or she is. The modern person today is not even sure of his or her gender, or that there is such a thing as gender even. If we do not even know who we are, we cannot speak about marriage and family. Without strong, lasting and loving relationships, without a family and without an identity, we will be totally lost in this world. Questions such as the value of human life, freedom and human rights and even animal rights will arise.
Indeed, the first reading wants to affirm our true identity. The author of Hebrews, citing from Psalm 8:4-6, says, “What is man that you should spare a thought for him, the son of man that you should care for him? For a short while you made him lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and splendour. You have put him in command of everything.” However, the responsorial psalm speaks of man even in a more dignified manner. “How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth! What is man that you should keep him in mind, mortal man that you care for him? Yet you have made him little less than a god; with glory and honour you crowned him.”
Indeed, we are not just made “a little lower than the angels” but “little less than a god.” Such is the dignity and place of man in God’s creation. Man has been given the authority to rule over all of creation. God, “gave him power over the works of your hand, put all things under his feet. All of them, sheep and cattle, yes, even the savage beasts, birds of the air, and fish that make their way through the waters.” This is why man is different from other creatures. Because we share in God’s intellect and will, are created in His image and likeness, we cannot kill our fellowmen and we have the freedom to act responsibly as stewards of God’s creation. (Gn 1:26-30) This is what is meant to be little less than divine.
Unfortunately, instead of using our authority to be masters of creation and to act on behalf of God, in His goodness and love, we allow creation to master us. When we give ourselves to the world and the flesh, it shows that we are no longer masters of ourselves. Our bondage to the pleasures of this world and the flesh means that we are not in control of ourselves. Most of all, we allow the devil and unclean spirits to have a hold over us. This was the case of many people during the time of Jesus, as we read in today’s gospel. Even in our time today, many are ignorant of the power and reality of the Evil One and his demons at work in our lives. The experience of the power of the evil spirits is strong, something that science cannot explain for it is beyond psychology. The truth is that when the Evil One has a hold over us, it means we have lost authority over ourselves. This is what it means to be under the possession of the evil spirits. When we are under their control, we are not able to act according to our true identity.
It is within this context that today’s scripture readings present Jesus as a man of authority who comes to give us back our authority. The author of Hebrew uses the phrase, “son of man”, a term used by Jesus Himself with implicit reference to the Son of Man in the book of Ezekiel (Ezk 21:2; 30:2), and especially the Exalted Son of Man in the book of Daniel who comes to the One of Great Age, receiving the authority to rule the world. (cf Dn 7:13) Christ, as the Son of Man, a true man, comes to lead man back to his true identity by leading the way. Jesus came to show us what man truly is, what he is called to be, his role in life as master of the universe and the future of his calling as God’s sons and daughters.
Jesus is the leader who would take us to our salvation. He does this by making Himself perfect through suffering. What does the scripture mean by this? Perfection is not in terms of moral perfection in this instance. Making Jesus perfect means that Jesus lived out His full identity to perfection as truly God and truly man. In other words, Jesus was who He is. Jesus was true to His being, His identity and His role on earth. He was a man true to Himself. This was how the gospel presented Jesus in today’s gospel. He was different from the religious leaders of the day. The evangelist noted that “his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.” His authority came from His consciousness of His being the Son of God. At His temptation, the Devil tried to make Him hesitate about His identity when he “took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.'” (Mt 4:5f)
Jesus had full authority over Himself and therefore over others. Before the presence of Jesus, those who lived in false identity would be exposed. In St John’s gospel, Jesus said, “I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge; on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge.” (Jn 12:46,48) Accordingly, it must be noted that it was not Jesus who took the initiative to exorcise the man from the unclean spirit. Rather, the man with the unclean spirit in the presence of Jesus, the light of the world, immediately felt threatened by Him and cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.” Jesus’ identity as God’s Son was so strong that evil spirits in the face of “the Holy One of God” submitted to His authority. It was Jesus’ presence and goodness that caused evil masked in the lives of people to be manifested and come out in the open.
This authority of Jesus was demonstrated not just in words but in deeds of power. Without showing any fear of the unclean spirit, with firmness and with a sharp command, He said to the unclean spirit, “‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him.” The aftermath of the event was met with amazement and wonder. “The people were so astonished that they started asking each other what it all meant. ‘Here is a teaching that is new’ they said ‘and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him.’ And his reputation rapidly spread everywhere, through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.”
However, Jesus’ authority came not just from His consciousness of His divinity and His intimate relationship with His Father but also with us. This is why the author of Hebrews said, “For the one who sanctifies, and the ones who are sanctified, are of the same stock; that is why he openly calls them brothers in the text: I shall announce your name to my brothers, praise you in full assembly.” Jesus is one with us. He shares our humanity and our struggles. He is not only identified with God but also with us. He can truly sympathize with us in our struggles, sufferings and temptation only because He is identified with us. For this reason, “he submitted to death; by God’s grace he had to experience death for mankind.” Through suffering, He shows us the way to perfect ourselves and grow to maturity the person that God has created us to be. Unless Jesus is identified with us in every way except sin, He cannot be our true leader because we would say, “after all, He is God and we are just human beings.”
Every Christian is called to model himself after Christ, “until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” (Eph 4:13) Before Jesus, we are called to follow Him, like the first disciples. When called, they immediately followed Him without question because Jesus exuded the authority of the Word of God. We can give absolute obedience because the Word is life. But for those who are evil, their response would be to flee, for the Lord will say to us, “Begone!” just as He commanded the devil to depart. What, then, is our choice? To be authentic, to be true to our identity and our role in this life, is what will make us stand out from the rest of the world.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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