Friday, November 20, 2009
A Voice of Authority
(Matthew 7:28, 29)
People need to hear a definite message. One of the great characteristics of our Lord’s preaching was its simple, black-and-white quality. Jesus didn’t mince words, nor did He attempt to please everybody. He simply took a stand, preaching a cogent, poignant message. Jesus knew that truth is not determined by popular opinion, and that truth is too important to tone down for the sake of cultural sensibilities.
His methodology drew great crowds—specifically because “he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (29). The “scribes” were religious teachers of the law. In addition to being copyists of the manuscripts, they developed a system of Biblical interpretation highly regarded by the people. Their problem, however, was the self-contradictory nature of their traditions and interpretations. In fact, they had so many ways of looking at various passages that they promoted confusion, rather than clarity, among the masses. In other words, they were willing to hedge on the truth—especially in order to blow with the prevailing winds of popularity. Eventually, the people saw right through their religious politics.
Jesus’ preaching was a breath of fresh air. His words rang with the power of the Old Testament Prophets, “Thus saith the Lord.” And, when He was finished speaking, His message was clear—so clear that He was eventually crucified for it! We can certainly learn from Jesus’ methods. Because truth always matters, we should proclaim it in as simple and forceful a manner as possible—avoiding at all costs scholarly hedging and “doubtful disputations” (Rom. 14:1). In short, we should just preach the Word!
