When I wrote my dissertation, I created endnotes. I generated pages and pages of references to the writing of other people. I pointed to places in books and articles written by other people as I tried to show that what I was saying was consistent with other people, was supported by knowledgeable people, was nothing particularly new.

I was writing as one who had no authority and who was borrowing as much as I could.

Many people write blogs and quote other people or refer to famous people or link to their posts. Many people in conversations mention all the famous people they know, all the famous people that know them.

When we hear someone with compelling ideas and we don’t see endnotes, we are pleasantly surprised. We mention them to other people. We drop their name.

That is exactly what people did at the end of the extended teaching recorded in Matthew 5-7. Matthew writes,

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. [Matthew 7:28-29]

I understand the teachers of the law. I understand the constant citation of the scholars who have come before me. It gets you tenure.

However, when you are the one who inspired everyone who came before, when one of your nicknames is “Word”, anything you said would sound fresh, would sound confident. You aren’t having to please anyone else, you aren’t having to justify your interpretation. You are merely explaining what you said before.

You speak with freedom. You speak with confidence. People find you refreshing. People find you encouraging.

People find you.

In his teaching, rather than reflecting scholarship, Jesus created something for scholars.

We are still creating endnotes quoting him.