January 28, 2024, Epiphany 4B: "By What Authority?"

Our age suffers from a crisis of authority. Traditional institutions—the branches of American government, the university, and the church, among others—no longer have the authority they once did. So many authorities are challenged that it seems like we’re left only with the plywood authority of the sovereign self. But when Jesus speaks and heals, we see another authority at work. What is this authority? How is it distinct from every other authority we know? And how can Christians hope in this authority when all other authorities fail? Pastor David preaches “By What Authority?” based on Mark 1:21-28.