(Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Ps. 111; I Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21-28)
St. Christopher's, High Point, NC
MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH ... AND THE MEDITATIONS OF ALL OUR HEARTS ... BE ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE TO YOU --- OUR STRENGTH AND OUR REDEEMER AMEN
Mark's gospel is the shortest gospel because he tends to write like this ... in short bursts. I think this one would make a great, short movie clip. In today's world it would be seen on YouTube. Older people might remember that year's ago short movie clips would be run before the main feature at the movie theater. This is similar.
The movie trailer to this clip would probably feature the casting out of the unclean spirit - or demon as many translations phrase it. The movie student would wonder why the playwright has the unclean spirit ask if Jesus has come to destroy them.
One common answer is that the unclean spirit thought the end of the age had arrived with Jesus. The age when the kingdom of God would exist on the earth had begun and evil would no longer survive.
The movie student would also wonder what the playwright was using the unclean spirit to represent in today's world. Might it be alcoholism? Drug addiction? Sexual addiction? Excessive concern for material goods? Maybe a pathological need for security?
That is not clear so we move on to the question of why would Jesus tell the spirit to be silent? This actually is a recurring theme in Mark that Jesus instructs people to not tell others who He is. The classic scholarly answer is that Jesus wanted the focus to be on His resurrection, and not on lesser events.
But the most interesting character in this movie clip is not Jesus, or the unclean spirit but the crowd. Partially the crowd is most interesting because that is where we are. Few of us would claim to be Jesus and even fewer would admit to being the unclean spirit!
Notice the playwright's emphasis on the crowd's amazement that Jesus taught with authority. Interestingly the camera never goes into the synagogue so we have to guess what caused this awe. What would the crowd have seen/heard that caused them to use the phrase "with authority"?
It certainly was not the simple words. If Jesus was just repeating rabbinic teachings they would not be in awe.
Another possibility was that Jesus' teaching had more intellectual weight than other teachers. That Jesus used more footnotes and quoted more obscure theologians and used more multi-syllable words that no one could define. In fact that half of Jesus' talk was in other languages -- possibly those are what make the crowd said He taught with authority!
I don't think so. MAYBE if this was in the temple with the scribes and pharisees but Jesus is in Capernaum - with regular villagers. They probably had a decent knowledge of the Jewish scriptures but would not have been impressed by some ego centric theologian!
Then maybe they said Jesus taught with authority because he had a deep, booming voice! Maybe His voice and even some theatrics caught and held their attention.
I doubt that possibility also. I doubt the crowd would have been amazed, would have felt "He taught them as one having authority" simply based on the theatrics.
Once those options are gone we are left with surprisingly little. My belief is they recognized Jesus as one having authority because Jesus spoke to the deepest level of their being.
I believe God created us with an understanding of God ... with a linkage with God. I believe that is part of what is meant when Genesis says we were created in God's own image -- that we are created with an understanding of right and wrong. Good and bad. Maybe not all the specific details for unusual circumstances but the overall pattern.
When God says "you shall not murder" we know that is right.
When God says "Love your neighbor" there is something deep inside us that resonates with that. Something which knows we would be better off if we could live up to that.
I did not say it was easy! I said it was better. In fact it is very difficult. I can say I love everyone who lives in Montana because I don't think I know anyone who lives in Montana. Now loving everyone I know - that's hard. And yet, something inside me knows that would be the best way to live.
When God tells us to forgive others .... I really don't want to! I want to stay angry. But I know, and my doctor is happy to emphasize that I am healthier and happier if I can let go of that anger.
When God tells us to share our resources with others. ... I have had to rephrase that in my mind because it says to share our "bounty" with others and I don't think of myself as "bountiful"!
But we are bountiful. And when God tells us to share with those who need it I don't want to do that. There are times I would rather travel or buy a new car than give to the poor -- or the church. And yet, when I share what I do have ... and we have enough ... which is what God promises us --- "enough" ... when I share what I have my life gets better.
I believe the crowd knew Jesus had authority because He said things which people knew were right. Jesus connected with ... and still connects with our inner most selves.
Any decent therapist will tell you of times they simply repeat back to a client what the client has said... and the client thinks the therapist is a wonder worker!
We know what is our innermost needs. But Jesus helps us to hear - see - and feel them ... with the authority of knowing us better than we know ourselves ... Jesus teaches us.
There is another aspect to this lesson which is important. Apparently the crowd believed Jesus. And there is a hint of trust in Jesus.
I think that's the question the playwright poses to us --- Do you believe Jesus? Do you honestly and sincerely believe Jesus? .... and furthermore - do you trust Jesus? Do you trust God?
Those questions are closely linked because we cannot say we BELIEVE Jesus unless we trust Him. My suspicion is few of us distrust Jesus but few really trust Him.
To trust God is like taking the medicines the doctor gives us when we cannot even pronounce their name.
To trust God is like doing the exercises the trainer gives us even if all that talk about muscle groups makes no sense at all.
To trust God is to limit which foods we eat so we make the diet even though we really like those other foods.
To trust God is for the child to do as the parent instructs even when the child has no idea why.
To trust God is to accept the differences between "healing" and "curing" ... that God promised to "heal" but not necessarily to "cure".
Maybe the people who are best prepared to trust God are those who have been in the military and especially in combat. When someone yells "down" you do not call a committee meeting to consider the ramifications!
Few of us trust God or believe Jesus enough to act like that.
Certainly it is OK ... it is more than OK to question and struggle to understand what God tells us. I believe God wants us to study, wonder, reflect, struggle, debate so that we can learn what God is truly saying. Most issues are far from easy: war, abortion, homosexuality, capital punishment - for any of those reasonable arguments can be developed from either side.
Struggle is good. What is not good is disbelief. There is a very fine line here but a very sharp and dangerous line. It is OK to doubt we understand God but that is very different from doubting God.
We are invited and encouraged to struggle to understand what God is teaching us .... but that is very different from doubting that God's teachings are best.
Do we trust God? Do we believe Jesus and trust God? .... Honestly, I doubt it. Certainly not in the way the military person "trusts" the soldier who yells "down"! Certainly not in that instinctive way.
Why not? .... Most of us might argue that we would believe and trust God if we were sure what God wanted us to do. How easy it is for us to rationalize our disbelief. "Oh, 'when God said to love your neighbor' it did not include the check out clerk who just over charged me."
Or, "when God told us to 'share our bounty' He meant only things I don't want."
On a TV show the other day there was a great line: "It was not adultery - I am a religious person. It was not adultery because we are soul mates." .... I might have laughed except I had heard such rationalizations before.
I suggest we do not trust God enough to try and do what God tells us. We don't trust God enough. My suggestion is to take a chance. I once heard the advice that "God asks you only to take the next step - not the entire journey at one time."
Take a change - a risk - the next step. Trust God for a moment or two, a decision or two and see what happens. Trust God in some simple things and see if you can trust God in all things.
I suspect I will be working on this for the rest of my life!! That said, I have no doubt we will all discover we can really trust God.
Your homework sheet in the bulletin is intended to help you reflect on these questions.
May we all be open to hearing and trusting God.
AMEN
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