Jesus taught "as one with authority." His words as well as his actions amazed those around him; in fact, in today's gospel story, it is his words that do the healing.

One of my favorite teachings from the epistles is almost a throwaway line from Colossians 3:21: “Fathers, do not nag your children, lest they lose heart.” That’s the old ICEL translation from the breviary, anyway.

It was a legendary tree. This happened so many years ago, and still, it is the topic of many a conversation in our family. I must have been 6 or 7, but I remember it like yesterday.

I was walking past a schoolyard and the kids were hanging out waiting for the bell to ring to start the school day. As kids will, some little third-grader was taunting another one. She said, “Why should I listen to you? You’re just a dork.”

In 1989, in the months leading up to the 40th anniversary of the communist regime in East Germany, a Lutheran pastor in the city of Leipzig began preaching at a peace vigil in the city’s Nicolaikirche. With every passing week, more people came to the vigil, and eventually attendance reached into the thousands.

My sisters and brothers, we pray to hear God's voice in our lives.

Authority and power are two different things: Power is the force by means of which you can oblige others to obey you. Authority is the right to direct and command, to be listened to or obeyed by others. Authority requests power. Power without authority is tyranny.