The Voice of Authority

The Voice of Authority

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Mark 1:21-28

Prop: Print of photo at bottom of page (optional)

Good morning, boys and girls!

I want to share a story with you this morning about a dog at a baseball game.  It wasn't a hot dog, but a dog-dog--you know, the kind that barks.  I'm not sure why this dog was at the baseball game, but he was.

This was a big, major league game like the Dodgers (insert your nearest big league team's name here), and the stands were filled with thousands of people.  Somehow, the dog got out onto the baseball field!  The referees stopped the game because the dog was running all around, distracting the players and getting in the way.  One of the players could have tripped on him.

The crowd went wild!  Everyone started yelling at the dog, "Hey, Fido!  Get off the field!"  "Come on, Buddy!  We want to watch the game!"

The poor dog was afraid and confused.  He ran a ways, then cocked his head as if listening, then ran some more.  Then he stopped in his tracks.  He lifted his head.  His ears perked up.  It looked like he was running for third base!  He ran over the base and right up the the base of the stands where a woman was calling, "Rex!  Rex!  C'mon, Boy!  That's a good dog!  Come, Rex!"

The dog, Rex, barked and jumped excitedly at the spot where his owner was until the 3rd base player lifted the dog over the fence and into his owner's arms.  Rex licked her face and wriggled all over like he had never been so happy to see anyone in his whole, entire puppy dog life.  (Show picture.)

Isn't it amazing that in that crowd, and with all of those people shouting at him, Rex could pick out his mater's voice?  When he did, Rex responded immediately, didn't he.  Because he knew it was the voice of the one who loved him and cared for him.  It was the voice that had authority for Rex--the one he listened for and obeyed.

Early in his ministry, Jesus went to the synagogue in a town called Capernaum.  A synagogue is a place of worship.  At the synagogue, Jesus taught the people about God.  And all the people listened to him and learned from him, even people much older than Jesus, because he spoke with authority--like he knew what he was talking about.

Teaching was a large part of Jesus' work, or ministry.  And he always taught with authority.  Fortunately, people wrote down Jesus' teachings and they are collected in the Bible where we can read and learn from them, too.

Let's Pray. 

Dear God, we thank-you for Jesus, who taught his followers about you.  We are also grateful that we can learn from Jesus like they did, by reading the Holy Bible.  Help us to learn and live what Jesus taught.  Amen.