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JESUS’ AUTHORITY IN TEACHING (MARK 4:1-20)

REFLECTION

“Jesus’ authority in teaching” is theme for our reflection. Authority means the power to influence others, especially because of one’s recognized knowledge about something. To teach means to impart knowledge to or instruct someone as to how to do something. Teaching therefore means ideas or principles taught by an authority. Jesus’ authority in teaching means His knowledge or Words are the truth and are worthy of obedience. We shall reflect on the fact that Jesus’ authority in teaching opens our minds to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God and also enable us to produce fruits worthy of the Kingdom of God.

Firstly, Jesus’ authority in teaching gives us an understanding of the secret of the Kingdom of God. He said to the disciples ““The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables ¹² so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; (Mark 4:11-12). Dear friend, if we obey the impactful and authoritative teachings of Jesus Christ we shall understand God’s will for us. Obeying Jesus’ teachings gives us insight into the secrets of the Kingdom of God because He assures us that “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7) In other words, if we desire to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God or discover the Will of God for us to attain eternal life, we must listen to Jesus, the Son of God who is Himself, God, for He revealed us that “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30). To prove to humanity that Jesus has authority to teach and lead us to eternal life, God said on the day of Jesus’ baptism ““This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17), Again, during the transfiguration of Jesus, God said “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5) Dear friend in the Lord, we have no doubt in our minds that Jesus’ authority in teaching or His instructions is the only way to understand God’s will and to be saved. If we ignore or disobey His teachings, we perish for Hosea reminds us that “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Having a relationship with Jesus and being impacted by His teachings through obedience gives us confidence in attaining the eternal life even as we experience the glory of God daily. It is also important to understand that our love for Jesus is demonstrated through obedience, and this obedience is rewarded with the presence of the Trinity in our lives. It is for this reason Jesus said, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. ²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:23-26). God has not hidden the secret of His Kingdom from those who are willing to repent and be saved, He has revealed it to us through Jesus Christ, when “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14). Let us trust and obey Jesus and His teachings and we shall remain on the path of righteousness and be on the narrow path that leads to the Kingdom of God.

Secondly, Jesus’ authority in teaching enables us to produce fruits of the Kingdom of God when we are obedient. Jesus illustrated the impactful result of His teaching or the Word of God in the lives of those who obey or listen to Him, “like seed sown on good soil, those who hear the word and accept it, produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” (Mark 4:20). In other words, the impactful and authoritative teachings of Jesus Christ enables us to live a productive life that is pleasing to God. In the end, we shall be judged by how productive we have lived our lives according to the Word of God or the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is for this reason that Jesus admonished us, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21). We are required to produce fruits which are in the very image and likeness of Christ when we obey His impactful and authoritative teachings. These fruits are the reflection of the image of Christ through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The production of these fruits will render us worthy of the Kingdom of God. Let’s walk with Jesus daily by obeying His teachings through the study of the Word of God. When we constantly obey His teaching, we shall produce fruit that pleases God.

In summary, we have reflected on the theme “Jesus’ authority in teaching”. We have discovered that Jesus’ authority in teaching opens our minds to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God and also enables us to produce fruits worthy of the Kingdom of God. Shalom.

PRAYER
Holy Spirit, empowers us to overcome temptations that may cause us to turn away from the authoritative teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the impactful and life-transforming teaching of our Lord Jesus continue to reveal the secret of the Kingdom of God to us and also enable us to produce fruits worthy of the Kingdom of God. Amen.