Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 4: 31-37
The authority of Jesus brings freedom

In today’s Gospel, Jesus enters the synagogue of Capernaum and teaches with authority. The people are amazed. They had heard many teachers before, but Jesus is different. He does not lean on quotations or traditions; he speaks with the authority of one who knows. And immediately, this authority becomes visible: a man tormented by an unclean spirit is set free at a single word.

We may wonder what to make of these demons. The people of Jesus’ time believed that many illnesses and troubles were caused by spirits. Today, we explain things differently, yet we still know the reality of forces that oppress us—addictions, fears, lies, violence, hatred. They may not always wear the name “demon,” but they bind us and rob us of peace.

What is important is this: Jesus brings liberation. He does not use strange rituals or magic formulas. He does not rely on fear. With calm simplicity he commands, and freedom is restored. His authority is not the authority of power or control; it is the authority of love. It is the authority of one who comes from the Father and knows our hearts.

This passage invites us to ask: Who holds authority in my life? Whose voice do I listen to when I am troubled, when I am tempted, when I feel bound? So often we turn to voices that promise quick solutions, or to false comforts that only deepen the wound. But only Jesus can truly free us.

Let us welcome his word with the openness of the people of Capernaum. Let us bring to him what binds us, what darkens our spirit, and let him speak his liberating word. For even today, in the silence of prayer, Jesus says to each of us: “Be free.”

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Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025