The Scribes and doctors of the law were far from God and the people, unlike Jesus who was close to God and the people, Pope Francis taught in his homily January 9, 2018, at Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican.
This closeness to God and the people distinguished Jesus as a pastor and is what a pastor today must have – including the Pope. Otherwise, like the Scribes and doctors of the law, pastors may hold the truth, but not reach the heart of others, according to Vatican News.
Jesus is close to the people and thus understands their pains and sins. When one loses this closeness, the Pope said, the pastor ends up “in incoherent life.”
Authority is a gift that comes only from God, which Jesus gives to His own, according to the Holy Father. Authority in speaking always comes from one’s closeness to God and to the people. Authority is coherence, not double life. And if a pastor loses his authority, he should not lose hope, as there is always time to come close and reawaken one’s authority and prophecy.
JF
