Jesus had just survived a violent mob, set on killing Him (Luke 4:28-30).  Townspeople from Nazareth had just tried to kill Him for declaring Himself as God's Messiah who had come to save those with faith.  And He said that if Jews would not believe, salvation was open to the Gentiles (Luke 4:24-27).  His authority was so evident and powerful that they could not ignore His words: but they hated Him for it.  So, they had hustled Him out of the synagogue and tried to throw Him off a nearby cliff. In His home-town, Jesus had needed to be quite pointed: He was the Messiah, the King, and could never accept the patronage of those who wanted to promote Him as their celebrity.

A week had passed and Jesus had travelled 20 miles to teach in Capernaum's synagogue alongside Lake Galilee.  The crowds wanted to be taught; they were eager to hear Jesus explain God's Word.  There was no doubt in their minds that His words 'rang true' ... they had the inner impact of being authentic.  While totally agreeing with the Scriptures, Jesus made their Bible come to life.  They knew that He was speaking the truth, and had the right to say it.  And the people liked what they heard.

Someone who is good and transparently authoritative will naturally attract supporters and admirers.  The larger, cosmopolitan fishing and trading port of Capernaum was different from the smaller, more rural, Nazareth.  Along the lakeside, it was easier to get lost in the crowd, to be an admirer without being a disciple.  It was easier to hear the truth and yet think no action was required.  Jesus’ authority was recognised but would they let Him get close enough so that they might submit to His authority which would change their lives? (Romans 10:3).

That is how many people think about Jesus today.  He seems good from a distance, and His words sound wise.  But most people are reluctant to get too involved: perhaps they secretly fear that if Jesus is right, He will command their attention and call them to follow Him.  Today, the words and life of Jesus are admired by many, who even dignify Him with titles such as 'teacher' or 'prophet'.  His words can be added comfortably into many religious soups; but when people realise that He is God and He has the full authority of God (Matthew 28:18) ... either they have to give their lives to Him, or they try to get Him out of their lives.  Real authority is never neutral.  Authority demands obedience.  Therefore, rejecting the authority of Jesus invites His judgement (John 3:36).  That is why it is important to declare that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9-10) and invite others to submit to His authority (Hebrews 12:9).