First Reading (Deut 18:15-20) Moses foretells the coming of a prophet who will speak God’s word to the people.
Second Reading (1 Cor 7:32-35) Paul urges everyone, but especially those who are celibate, to give their undivided attention to the Lord.
Gospel (Mk 1:21-28) The prophecy of Moses is fulfilled in Jesus.

Deuteronomy presents Moses as the ideal prophet (First Reading). The prophet can never speak on his own authority, but speaks on behalf of God. The Jews believed that God would raise up in the last days a prophet like Moses. The early Christians regarded Jesus as the awaited prophet, the Messiah and Saviour. His teaching was given with authority and confirmed by miracles, the sign that God was with him. In today’s Gospel we see how Jesus spoke with authority, and how the ordinary people recognised this.

Note that the accent throughout this scene is on Jesus’ teaching. ‘He entered the synagogue and taught’. They were astounded a his teaching’. He taught as one having authority’. What is this? A new teaching – with authority!’.

Everything about Jesus, not just what he said, carried authority, for it brought people in touch with the author of life, and so was a ‘word of God’, revealing the mystery of God and able to engage the hearts and the minds of anyone who was open to listen to him.