January 29, 2012 at St. Mark Church in Norman, OK
Deuteronomy 18: 15-20 + Psalm 95 + 1 Corinthians 7: 32-35 + Mark 1: 21-28
Two weeks ago, the Gospel led us to consider the first recorded words spoken by Jesus. Byron led us to reflect even more upon them last week, and today we hear the first miracle story in Mark’s Gospel. It is important for us because it directs us toward what is to follow. Days ago when I sat down with this gospel, I was fascinated by this sick man wondering what in world he was doing in that synagogue. Given the way that society was arranged, I am surprised he was allowed in. He was sick. He was unclean. He was disruptive, unpredictable, frightening, and it seems odd to me that he would have been there. When I got nowhere with wondering about that, two things came to mind: it’s not about him; and when it comes to people being possessed by evil spirits, they were more comfortable than we are. This whole idea spooks us. It is an idea we would rather not talk about unless we’re sitting around a camp fire and want to scare someone. It is the subject of movie thrillers to be viewed late at night, and always with someone else.
But evil and possession is exactly what this story is about. The the first miracle story is a conflict that casts Jesus in the role of an excorsit. In Mark’s Gospel, there are more exorcisms and references to exorcisms than in all the other Gospels. Mark casts Jesus in two ways: a teacher and an exorsit. We get that in this story becasue of where it takes place: a synagogue. It is in the synagogue that teaching happens, and Jesus is there both as teacher and as exorcist. Through these exorcisms, Mark will lead us not just to the revelation of who this man is, but to a growing awareness of who we are in relation to Jesus.
In this conflict story the crowd simply comes to wonder who he is. They do not make up their minds. They go away wondering where he got the power he has, becasue they can tell it is unlike any power and authority they have ever seen. In a later conflict story, they will continue to wonder, but among them will be some who have decided that his authority comes from: “Belezabub” or “Satan”. But that is going to come later. What gets their attention and causes their wonder is that he simply speaks and the evil spirit obeys.
At this time in human history, all illness was considered a possession, and exorcists were to them what doctors are to us. The exorcists of the time worked hard to cure and expel the evil. They would use incantatons and all kinds of dances, and herbs, potions, and tools to drive out the evil. They would sometimes even beat and scream at the person they were curing. Jesus does non e of that. He has no formula or incantation. He invokes no higher power or authority other than his own. He says: “Be still.” “Quiet”. “Come out.” This is the cause of great amazement. Jesus accomplishes by his word what others might spend days or nearly kill someone trying to accomplish.
Making matters more amazing is the fact that he does this without any reference to the Law or the Prophets. Teachers and Exorcists at that time always based everything they did on the scriptures. This made him a controversial figure. He did not behave like every other teacher. In fact we get a further and more clear sense of this when we remember the Sermon on the Mount with his repeated use of the phrase: “you have heard, but I say to you…..” He is claiming personal authority relying not on the Law and the Prophets nor on any other Rabbinical figure.
Now we like to think of Jesus as teacher, and we are programed to think of ourseleves as his disciples. I believe that thinking only of Jesus as “Teacher” and ourselves as “Disciple/Students” is to get only half the gospel. Mark would have us also see Jesus as “Exorist” leaving us to be the “Posssessed.” We must not shy away from that idea and cannot afford to refuse the role. We are possessed. We need the exorcist. We are possessed by all manner of evil that leaves us helpless and disoriented. We are possesed by materialism, consumerism, selfishness, all kinds of idiologies that compete with Gospel values. We are possessed by infidelity, immorality, laziness and pleasure. We are addicted to commercialism, technology, poronography, gambling, alcohol, drugs and way more besides.
It would be well for us to take seriously our own possessed condtion for none of these evils is cast out easily. A month from now Lent will be begin. There will be no better time to call upon the exorcist, and perhaps letting His Word set us free. What he says to that man in the synagogue, he still says to us: Be Quiet. Be Still.