The Authority of Jesus

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’ When the demon had thrown him down before them, he came out of him without having done him any harm. Luke 4. 31-37

It has always interested me when Jesus and the demons meet up. First of all, they always know who he is, calling him by name before the crowd does. "Let us alone! 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," says the demon in today's reading from Luke. Secondly, Jesus' authority is one of Truth and he confronts the demons, recognizing them also, naming them and commanding them to be gone.

We must name the truth in order to be free of its demons. Otherwise, the truth will fester like a wicked boil until it pops, (and without being too graphic, the pus that comes from a boil is disgusting.)

It is with authority and power that Jesus commands the demon to come out of the man, and so we also might submit to Jesus' authority and power and dispel our demons. Unfortunately the departure of the demon does not always happen without doing harm. But a scar from where the boil popped can often be a reminder of the freedom that the authority of Jesus instilled.

Facing the truth can be difficult, but accepting the Truth of Jesus' authority can be glorious...like peace that passes all understanding.