Compassionate Power

In reading the gospel of Mark 1:21-22 recently, a discussion arose about the words, the people were astonished...for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

How does one teach with an authority not like the scribes? I think perhaps Jesus drew his hearers into a dialogue rather than instructed them like servants. He acted like one of them instead of talking down to them. Where's the authority in that? Well, think for a minute, who you would rather trust: the doctor right out of medical school, or the seasoned one who has had many years experience? We know the seasoned one has been around long enough to have had plenty of "trial and errors," and we tend to trust his instincts more.

I think Jesus taught in that kind of manner, as one who lived, not as one who theorized. He brought it to the people as a message to the individual, inviting dialogue, hearing the responses, tailoring the message to the situation. We've all heard enough generic messages given to the masses to last us more than a lifetime. Perhaps that is why Mark doesn't give us the conversation that sparked this comment. Maybe we wouldn't understand, because it was meant for their ears, not ours.

But just think: if this is the power of Jesus, then it is ours as well, every time we speak from our experience and not from our imagination. Every time we enter into earnest dialogue. Every time we treat the individual as unique, and not just part of the masses.