“And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.” (Luke 4:31b-32)
There are few things more amazing, breathtaking, jaw-dropping, powerful than a musician or group who have absolutely mastered their instrument. Whether it’s the depth of a soul shaking bass vocalist, the intricacy and finesse of a talented pianist, or the immaculate synchronization of a philharmonic orchestra (that was a mouthful!). There’s something about this talent and gifting that leaves you breathless—astonished. This word, astonished, or in the Greek, ekpléssó, occurs thirteen times across the synoptic Gospels, and it means, “strike out of one’s senses.” If you’re like me, that’s pretty much exactly how I feel after leaving an incredible musical performance and am left reflecting on the memory for days, even years. That is also how I want to feel when encountering the Word of God every single time.
And if you’re also like me, there are many more times than I’d like to admit that I am not left astonished by the Word of God and the authority in it. Sure, we could come up with reasons for why we aren’t. It’s because reading a speech is not as powerful as hearing it preached. We aren’t because we’re half-asleep in the wee hours of the morning. Because we “just aren’t feeling it” today. Because our routine has been uprooted and thrown away. Because our sin has turned our hearts cold toward God (even when He is right there waiting for our return). Because we (fill in the blank). Despite the many reasons, the truth is that Jesus, the Word of God Himself, and his authority and power are astonishing, and maybe we just need to allow them to astonish us by submitting to His authority.
How could we be astonished by God if we don’t fully acknowledge his authority down to even the most mundane things? Perhaps we look at our lives and don’t see (or are blind to) the authority and power God truly has over it. Our view may be too narrow, too limited to see the height, depth, and breadth of God’s authority and love over our lives (Eph. 3:18). His authority is his love for us and that is something we cannot take for granted or reject because we think otherwise. After all, it is his love for us that has given us salvation through Jesus, his plan for us before the foundation of the world.
My prayer is that we would be astonished by Jesus and his authority at any moment. If we truly believe his authority over every single aspect of our lives, humbling ourselves to it, I am certain there are countless opportunities to be astonished by his deep care over us.