St. Mark 1:21-28
Dearly beloved,
We Christians are well aware that we face blessings and challenges.
At times, we find a spiritual peace and calm. At other times, we face
trials and struggles. Much of what we contend with is due to external
forces. Today we face variables in our lives that are a result of the
languishing economy. A downward swinging economy will bring
additional issues and concerns to bear as time elapses.
This is nothing new to the world. The world has seen its shares of
difficulties. People have struggled and suffered. In fact, countless
generations have seen great troubles, which we have not seen. No
matter what the external variables may be in our lives, good or bad,
they always end up affecting something within us. Since we are
creatures with souls, everything has a spiritual impact, whether good
or bad.
In fact, when we talk about people, Lutheran doctrine makes a very
careful distinction about the status of souls. We believe and confess
that each and every person has one of two spirits dwelling within him
or her. Either a person has the Holy Spirit, received through Holy
Baptism, or he has an evil spirit. In other words, we don't believe
in neutrality. A person is not spiritually neutral. Either you
belong to God or you belong to the devil. There is no in between.
In the gospel for today, there is an encounter of great importance.
Jesus and the four disciples enter Capernaum on the Sabbath. They go
into the synagogue and Jesus teaches. Jesus puts people into
amazement with His teaching. He doesn't teach like the scribes. As
the people stand in amazement, a man cries out and alerts the entire
audience.
The unclean man cries out, "Let us alone! What have we to do with
you, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who You
are, the Holy One of God!" There are several things that we are to
learn from this. First, when the truth of Jesus Christ is proclaimed,
the evil spirits cannot remain quiet. Christ's teaching will pull
evil out of crowds.
That which is evil cannot bear the truth. Hebrews 4 emphasizes this:
"for the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and
of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents
of the heart"(Hebrews 4:12-13). In addition, it is what the demons
within the man actually say that bears some comment.
There they are with a crowd of people all around, paying close
attention to the teaching of Jesus. This is Christ's time to bring to
fulfillment centuries of Old Testament prophecy. The demon calls
Jesus, "Jesus of Nazareth," emphasizing Nazareth and reminding us of
Nathanael's words, "does anything good come from Nazareth?" More
striking than this is the demon's question "Did you come to destroy
us?" Remember, my dear Christians, that Satan is the author of lies.
Satan takes every opportunity possible to twist around God's word.
This demon is trying to portray Jesus as a destroyer. He does call
Jesus the Holy One of God, but he uses the holy name in a blasphemous
way. If this unclean spirit can convince the listeners that Jesus is
hard and vengeful, then maybe he can turn the people against Jesus.
But, we do not refer to Jesus as the destroyer. The Scriptures do
not refer to the Messiah as the destroyer, but as the Savior. Jesus
is the One who saves. Certainly, the devil and his minions will be
cast into the lake of fire as the Scripture foretells, but Jesus comes
to save people. The unclean spirit, in a very sly way, subverts the
Old Testament scriptures, which speak so clearly of the coming of the
anointed One to save mankind.
This is why Jesus silences the unclean spirit. Jesus will not
tolerate the holy Father's doctrine to be tarnished with lies. So,
Jesus being God, He casts the unclean spirit out of the man. This
gives the people in the synagogue more reason to marvel. Herein lies
the very character of Christ's ministry. Jesus teaches and He heals.
The heavenly Father's creation is in chaos, as we see with this man
possessed with a demon. Yet, Jesus brings order and peace in the
midst of chaos.
It is then what the people say that is worth paying attention to for
our learning. "What new doctrine is this? For with authority He
commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." Doctrine is
not just empty teaching, but it encompasses how one lives. Doctrine
is in the truth of the scriptures, but also living in conformity to
those scriptures.
What happens with this man in the synagogue is to be a pattern and
symbol of hope for all mankind. This world is filled with chaos and
disorder. This man with an unclean spirit symbolizes this reality.
St. Peter even points this out in 1 Peter 5:8-9, "Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring
lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith,
knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood
in the world."
The question for your life is this? Do you live your life in an
unguarded fashion? Do you guard and protect yourself from evil? Or do
you live without care? And what are your weapons for guarding your own
soul from evil? The weapons that we use as God's people are given to
us by Jesus--His word which binds evil spirits as we see in the
gospel. But Jesus gave the church the weapons, which we call the
sacraments. Baptism bestows the new life in Christ, while also giving
the Holy Spirit to the recipient.
Then, after much study and prayer through catechesis, we are gathered
around the altar for the Lord's Supper, where Jesus comes and gives
Himself to us in and under the bread and wine. Jesus sees this
spiritual battle which the church faces to be so critical that He
promises to come to us in Lord's Supper. To be sure, each of us are
on a spiritual journey.
This journey is filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, bumps in
the road, and times of peace. The important thing is that you belong
to Jesus, for He is the One who has command over evil and He
intercedes in your life. He did the best and most significant thing
by dying on the cross with your sins. Then, Jesus continues by being
in your life, all the while protecting you, wrapping you up in His
love, and promising the best of things when we look heavenward, which
the blessed inheritance of those who live in Jesus. Amen.
--
Rev. Chad Kendall
www.frchadius.blogspot.com
Trinity Lutheran Church
Lowell, Indiana
www.trinitylowell.org
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