| They went to Capernaum; and when
the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught.
They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them
as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just
then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean
spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do
with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy
us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But
Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come
out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing
him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They
were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What
is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands
even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At
once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding
region of Galilee. |
|
| Mark 1:21-28 |
| Dr. James Fowler is developmental psychologist and United
Methodist layperson who has contributed a major body of study
that gives us a means to talk about our faith development.
(1) His six “stages of faith” provide a framework
for looking at the spiritual growth of individuals and congregations.
He states that between the ages of 18-30 most young adults
choose to take responsibility, or not, for their faith commitments.
This is an important step in moving to a discerning faith.
It is only after this period of claiming responsibility that
people of faith can begin to see that the scriptures do not
provide black and white directives and answers. Then another
journey of learning how to live in the knowledge that faith
does not provide straightforward answers to our questions begins.
At this point we can accept that God’s truth often lies
in that which shocks and shakes the formulas we’d like
to contain God within. But standing in the midst of questions
and learn trust is a risky place to be.
|
| In today’s reading from Mark, the gospel writer shows
us a faith community who take responsibility for their faith
commitments. But they do this from an understanding that the
scriptures will provide an answer to the questions they bring.
That was how interpretation was done in the synagogue. Although
they were in awe of Jesus’ authority that day who could
be sure of what the “unclean spirit” was sure of?
That Jesus is God. “What is this?” they wonder. |
| I recently read a fictional account of an older gentleman
who taught and mentored a college student through a correspondence
of letters during an academic year. In “Letters to a
Young Doubter” William Sloan Coffin, a former university
chaplain at Yale and minister of Riverside Church in New York
City is the fictitious professor Bill who responds to letters
from a young student Tom. On this journey Bill supports Tom
sharing wisdom through dialogue. Bill shares pointers, not
firm answers. He shares the reasoning and faith he has based
his life on. This short novel made me reflect on the depth
of maturity a spiritual guide and mentor must have to bear
the questions, doubts and ego of a student who is a serious
seeker. |
| Mark’s gospel has already revealed to us that we are
a privileged audience as readers. You could say we are the
serious seekers he is writing for. We know things that those
who witness Jesus’ teachings and life don’t. The
narrator tells us in the first line we are reading, “The
beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Assumes
that we hear the prophetic voice linking this news to the Old
Testament as John cries out in the wilderness—a messenger
to prepare the way. None of this is explained, it is assumed
knowledge. At the baptism of Jesus the Spirit descends and
we hear what Jesus heard, “You are my Son, the beloved;
with you I am well pleased.” No one present hears this,
just Jesus and us. Jesus’ temptation shows that he is
One who is different than us. We are told he could withstand
temptations, even 40 days surrounded by wild beasts. None of
the disciples are told about this experience later in Mark. |
| Mark’s gospel has us experiencing Jesus from a privileged
vantage point. This point of view will probably prove to be
more of a challenge than we expect. We tend to believe that
we know the gospel story. What could be new or shocking to
us? Mark does what most great teachers do in his gospel. He
provides pointers along the way for us, but rarely gives pat
answers to satisfy our questions. Pointing to the gaps in what
is revealed and what is known we are left to wonder and yearn
to know more. We are expected to engage in this work of faith.
As privileged insiders we are to ask ourselves the questions
those in our text ponder, wondering what they may mean in our
lives. Also, we look for the gaps in the gospel story. |
| We might ask what Jesus was teaching the people after entering
the synagogue? Why doesn’t Mark tell us what he said?
Based on the people’s reactions we know that Jesus’ teaching
sounded different from the scribes’ interpretations of
the scriptures. They either shocked the hearers in horror or
were awe-inspiring. Possibly it is a mix of both. Jesus’ word
most certainly challenged the normal mode of interpretation
within the synagogue community to elicit this response. |
| Where in this passage does Jesus take us by surprise? If
we aren’t surprised, are we missing the point? As people
of the Living Word we are to claim gospel paradox. Even though
we know the good news we should be shocked when confronted
by it. It is so different from our desired way of living. Just
like the people in the synagogue, at least according to Mark’s
gospel, we should have more questions than answers when we
encounter God in Jesus our Christ. In fact, it’s biblical
to have questions upon catching a glimpse of the “Holy
One of God.” God does not fit into any spiritual, social
or economic system we have devised throughout time. The strangeness
of God cannot be tamed. Who is this? What is this? Where does
his authority come from? This passage is like a question and
answer session that is missing the answer section! |
| An “unclean spirit” cried out acknowledging Jesus
as the “Holy One of God” when the four disciples
following Jesus had no clue who he was yet. The “unclean
spirit” had taken over the man. The man was mute, taken
over and possessed. Jesus won’t stand for it. Creation
was restored on the Sabbath! The day of rest and renewal actually
became one for the man as the unclean spirit was forced to
leave him. The people in the synagogue heard and saw this and
began to understand themselves in a different way. |
| Our place of worship is to be a place where we come with
all our burdens, fears, hate and prejudices and acknowledge
that God is with us and that God can transform us just as Jesus
did by making the unclean spirit leave the man. The leaving
of the unclean spirit is like what happens to a person suffering
from an addiction when they receive treatment. Be it sexual
addictions, drugs, alcoholism or gambling, by silencing the
voices that bind our being God brings new life to us as individuals
and as a community of faith. In Jesus’ actions in this
text we see the way things should and will be in the future
for all. For God has drawn near to humanity in Jesus to show
us that God wills us all good things. |
| For Jesus’ “fame to begin to spread throughout
the surrounding region” the people in that synagogue
must have gone out and shared what had happen as they experienced
Jesus of Nazareth. They must have told the story of how those
who are bound, those that cannot even speak, can be set free
by Jesus of Nazareth who has power over demons. If those who
do not see Jesus as the triune God can proclaim such hope how
much more can we, the insiders to the faith, proclaim knowing
the good news of Jesus Christ? We can proclaim to one another
and to the world that God will release those that are held
captive. That God knows suffering as we do now. |
| Who is Jesus? The “Holy One of God” who came
with the authority to offer a deliverance greater than expected
to all. Even one who is bound by the powers and principalities
of this world, completely controlled by outside forces, can
be unbound by this good news. Praise be to God. |
| Amen |
| Beth E. Godfrey - January 29, 2006 |
| Central Presbyterian Church, Geneseo, New
York |
| (1) He is
the Director of the Center for Faith Development at Emory
University. His book is Stages of Faith (Harper & Row,
1981). |
|
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