**A Matter of Knowing the Lord

        In today's Gospel reading from Mark 1, Jesus came to Capernaum, entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. Today many teachers or homilists are weak or instantly forgettable, for they sound like someone who doesn't personally know the Lord yet. To be effective, you must know the Lord and then share you thoughts based upon personal experience. Knowing the Lord in person is the key here.
          Also, in the synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit, he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are—the Holy one of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. Since the unclean spirit knew who Jesus was, it had to obey him. If we truly know who Jesus is, we would have no choice but to obey him too. The fact that many still do not believe in Christ is because they do not truly know him yet.