The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

What does this mean to say, that He did not teach as the scribes do? The scribes were the keeper of the scripture, and when they taught they would simply recite the scriptures, only adding contextual understanding and maybe definitional understanding, when needed. I suspect that they probably spent very little time explaining and teaching on what the readings should mean to their audience in their time. This process is called “exegesis”. This is what is supposed to happen at sunday mass. If you have a wise and knowlegeable priest that can unpack the bible and make it relevant to your life today, you should be very grateful, for this process is not easy, and requires a lot of study and preparation.

This is what I suspect that Jesus was doing in this passage. He was unpacking the scriptures, connecting them to other scriptures, and giving deeper understanding, and explanation to the audience. This is a really important part of any study of the bible, and it is what I am trying to do here every day. The great majority of christians go to mass only once a week, if at all, and that 15 minutes of the priests homily is the only bible study they get all week, so it is really, really important that it is explained in a way that is digestible, and applicable to their lives, this this world today.

So lets dicsuss what is happening in todays scripture. What does it mean to teach with authority?  Well this reflects back to the book of Deuteronomy. Near the end, right before they cross the Jordan and enter into the promised land, Moses gives a speech.  It is the last thing he will say to his fellow Jews before he dies. In that speech he tells them that the LORD with raise up for them a prophet “like” him, from among his kin.  This word “like” is crucial here, because it can mean “similar to” or “equal to”. The jewish people believed that there was no human before or after Moses that was equal to him, not even the great prophets like Isaiah or Jeremiah. So this prophesy can only mean one thing, that the messiah will come from the jews, and will be not only equal to, but greater than Moses.

So in todays reading, the Jews murmur among themselves, thinking…, “who is this man that teaches with authority.” they are saying that Jesus is teaching like the prophet that Moses prophesied. And teaching as if He has that authority that was foretold by Moses. What I find really interesting is that it is not the chosen people that recognize that Jesus is actually that promised prophet, but it is the deamons that do. And they recognize that Jesus is, the one whom all the prophets after Moses, fortold, and that he is not only equal to Moses, but that He is the great high priest, The Son of God, and the Messiah that they have all been waiting for.

This is a lesson for us all, that we should not presume to know what everything that happens in the world means. That we need to be humble and listen for God’s teaching, and recognize Him when He appears in our lives, even if it is the most unlikely of persons that points Him out to you. Nevertheless, What a scene this must have been…, It would have been amazing to hear the Word of God, explained by God Himself. I hope that when we get to heaven we will get to do just that, and a million other amazing and wonderful things that God has planned for us in eternity with Him in Heaven.

Oh lord, help me today to come to know you better, so that I can share your word with all the world. amen.