What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out. It did not take long for Jesus to make an impression upon the people following the “launch” of his mission (yesterday’s Gospel reading). Having introduced his ministry in his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus proceeded to Capernaum where he not only taught in the synagogue but also worked his first healing miracle (as we may recall from yesterday’s Gospel, the reception he received from his hometown of Nazareth made him not to perform a sign therein). And just as it had happened in Nazareth, those who listened to him were amazed at the words that issued forth from Jesus’ mouth. They were words as they had never heard before. They were no ordinary words, for they had something unique about them. Jesus was not reading from some experts on religion or morals. Neither was he using some big, complicated words. On the contrary, they were simple and easy to understand. They were his own words. Yet, the words sounded very  authoritative. What, then, made the words to appear so different? What lent the words their authoritative taste? 
Firstly, the words that Jesus was using issued from him and as such were the verbal expression of who Jesus was and of what he was all about. Jesus was not out there for a show-off. Jesus’ intention was neither gathering a large following for himself nor establishing himself as a famous teacher of the law. His mission was teaching people the word of God. And since Jesus is the Word of God, he was simply sharing with the people his very self. Secondly, and equally integral to his mission, his words matched his actions. Whenever he lamented that the people appeared lost and without a shepherd, he set out to seek them and bring them back into the fold. Whenever he made an observation that the people were hungry, he provided food for them. Jesus never said anything that he didn't mean. It is this that made him different from other rabbis. And it is this that made his teaching authoritative.