Key Thought

Some folks have positional authority -- they've been appointed to a position. Some use that position wisely, while some misuse it to boss others around. Some folks have personal authority because of who they are and how they conduct themselves. Some folks speak with an authenticity and clarity that give them authority. Jesus had all three -- he was sent by God, lived with integrity, and taught God's truth. That's why he stood out. That's also why he was viewed as dangerous by his opponents. The point for us, however, is that we need to listen to what Jesus says! Jesus comes and gives us God's truth for our lives. Will we listen and follow him?

Today's Prayer

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Holy and righteous God, thank you for speaking to me so clearly through Jesus. His life and his words are so powerful. Open my mind and heart as I seek to understand and apply his words and his example to my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Jesus went to Capernaum, a city in Galilee. On the Sabbath day Jesus taught the people. They were amazed at Jesus' teaching, because he spoke with authority (power). In the synagogue there was a man that had an evil spirit from the devil inside him. The man shouted with a loud voice, "Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you come here to destroy us? I know who you are--God's Holy One!" But Jesus warned the evil spirit to stop. Jesus said, "Be quiet! Come out of the man!" The evil spirit threw the man down on the ground before all the people. Then the evil spirit left the man and did not hurt him. The people were amazed. They said to each other, "What does this mean? With authority and power he (Jesus) commands evil spirits and they come out." And so the news about Jesus spread to every place in the whole area. Jesus left the synagogue. He went to Simon's house. Simon's mother-in-law was very sick. She had a high fever. They asked Jesus to do something to help her. Jesus stood very close to her and commanded the sickness to leave her. The sickness left her. Then she got up and began serving them. When the sun went down, the people brought their sick friends to Jesus. They had many different kinds of sickness. Jesus put his hands on each sick person and healed them. Demons came out of many people. The demons shouted, "You are the Son of God." But Jesus gave a strong command for the demons not to speak, because they knew Jesus was the Christ. The next day Jesus went to a place to be alone. The people looked for Jesus. When the people found Jesus, they tried to stop him from leaving. But Jesus said to them, "I must tell the Good News about God's kingdom to other towns, too. This is why I was sent." Then Jesus told {the Good News} in the synagogues in Judea.

— Luke Luke 4:31-44 (ERV)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.