Mark 1:21-28
Where does our authority, our ability, to speak truth to power come from? Where did the disciples get their authority? Acts 4:13 tells us, “when they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”Our authority, our ability to speak truth to power comes from spending time with Jesus. It does not require an education, it does not require being holier than thou, it requires Jesus, it requires the Holy Spirit, and it requires courage.To speak truth means we need to change our focus from the here and now, to a more eschatological focus. Our truth should not be about the whims of the day, because those whims change depending on who is in power. Our truth should not be about political correctness, because sometimes truth hurts. Our truth should be about leading others to Christ. Our truth must come from the Bible and the leadings of the Holy Spirit.Like the disciples, we have to spend time with Jesus. We have to read his teachings and encounter the living Christ. We have to read the Scriptures and let Jesus amaze us.