4th Sunday of the Year! Authority emanates from Integrity!!

 

Authority comes from Integrity  

Practice what you preach!  or,  Preach what you practice!!

Gandhi had to wait two weeks to advice a child not to consume too much of sweets.  The mother of the child wondered and asked Gandhi, "why did you take two weeks to say this simple thing to my child?"  "I myself was eating a lot of sweets these days.  I had to forgo it for these couple of weeks to tell the child the same!" Gandhi replied!

The worst enemy to your preaching is your "Self"!  It murmurs when you are inconsistent!  You can put up a valiant face but the self opposes!  That is a good stage to rectify and become consistent with yourself!  Soon you will reach a stage where you don't hear any more the self!  It becomes numb!  That is a dangerous stage!

You can amass wealth, kill people, misappropriate, exploit, get drunk and do many inhuman activities, yet feel no prick of it and stand on a podium to preach the world, peace and joy! People yell from pulpits and podiums not out of a conviction but out of fear!  People who exhibit authority with violence and oppression often are cowards inside!

People were amazed at Jesus, "He is preaching with authority!"

People had listened to the teachers of the law several times!  But probably they did not reach their hearts!  But here is a different experience!

A lot of people know the inconsistency in preachers!  Even if you cleverly hide it, your eyes will reveal the inconsistency!  When you manage even the eyes, yourself disturbs you!  When you manage the Self, it is no more! You have killed it!

On the other hand, people with integrity don't fear threats and they don't mince words!  They may not be vociferous but will be strong and stable in articulation!   You cannot buy them!  You cannot bend them with force and temptation!

It is not perfection in a person I am talking about!  Don't mistaken it!  Rather, It is integrity!  They will stand by truth even if it humiliates them; not falsehood even if it bring glory!

These are people who will say sorry for their mistakes, will say, "I do not know", will be humble enough to accept their limitations!

Jesus' authority and boldness come from his integrity! Certainly not from a feeling of perfection or a feeling that He is the son of God!

Fear splits you; between what you are and what you want to be or, don't want to be!

Fear not! Just be yourself!  Your life and action are the best preaching materials!