Homily, January 28, 2024
From The Pastor
In the early days of ministry, the people were amazed at the words and deeds of Jesus. They expressed astonishment at the words of Jesus and the authority with which he speaks. What is going on here? Why were these people so impressed? The greater question is, why are we so much less impressed by the words and the works of Jesus in our time?
On the one hand, it is true that familiarity can lessen amazement in things that become common, even when such actions and events are clearly works of God. In their amazement, the people who personally encountered Jesus outwardly wondered, ‘What is this? What does this mean?
On the other hand, to look beyond the words will lead us to a deeper understanding of the meaning and purpose of the words and works of the Lord Jesus. Early on, the people seemed to learn less about what Jesus taught than how he taught. Jesus taught with authority. What does this mean? Through the words of Jesus, the people are hearing the truth of God directly from the mouth of God himself in the person of Jesus. This was in great contrast to the steady repetition of the teachers of the Law who typically taught and insisted on the best ways to follow the commandments of God. Law keepers were acceptably righteous, while Law breakers were rejected sinners. Big difference.
The words and actions of Jesus are intimately related. The words of Jesus have authority and the works of Jesus have power. In his words and deeds, Jesus is revealing his identity as the Holy One of God, the long-awaited Messiah. This is further confirmed in the encounter with the man with an unclean spirit. The ‘unclean spirit’ represents evil and those powers of darkness that are hostile to God and rejecting of Jesus. Mark, the gospel writer, sets up for us from the beginning of the ministry of Jesus the tension of the light of God against the darkness of evil. It is the work and intention of evil to defeat the mission of health and Divine goodness revealed in the Lord Jesus.
The truth of God revealed in Jesus is seen in his sovereign authority. The authority of God given through Jesus is the unchanging transcendent power of Divine love. Divine love is truth, revealed in the justice, mercy, and integrated wholeness of the human-Divine man, Jesus Christ. This love is purposeful, intentional, and undivided in the work of redemption for the eventual union of all things in God. This is the authority that amazed and astonished the earliest believers.
In contrast, the works of evil are experienced in the lies, deception, and cunning of the Devil. Such lies are evident in chaos, confusion, and disorder that leads to division, separation, and often violence stirred by hatred. Evil leads to dis- integration and fragmentation in its opposition to unity and health found in God.
Consider the efforts of the unclean spirit. The spirit is shown to perceive the identity of Jesus. With this knowledge, the unclean spirit cunningly tries to thwart the goodness and the good work of Jesus. The spirit boldly cries out with presumed authority over Jesus, “What have you to do with us (evil spirits), Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” The spirit knows exactly what Jesus is about and tries to scare him off. It is the work of Jesus to destroy all evil, and the spirit knows this.
Resolutely, Jesus rebukes the spirit, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The spirit convulses his victim with a loud cry and comes out. We are not told about the person who was under the spirit’s influence, or why the person came to this disorder. This point is that the person is now free, delivered from the grip of the spirit and able to express faith in the words and works of Jesus. The unclean spirit is left to wander in the wasteland, lost and unredeemed in his rejection of the truth of God revealed in the Lord Jesus.
This gospel invites us to ponder the authority and power of God that we hold and profess in the Lord Jesus. Jesus is the revelation of Divine love Incarnate for the redemption of humanity and all creation. In the work of our redemption there will inevitably be the tension and contradiction of sin and grace. This side of heaven, sin will be with us, and the disorder of evil will ploy against us in our desire to follow the light and goodness of God in Christ. Grace will always be with us such that when we fail or fall short, we can call on the Lord for mercy and forgiveness.
The dynamic of Mark’s gospel calls us to faith and truth in the power and authority of Jesus, the Christ. The question remains for us to answer, ‘What is this, and what does it mean? For the believer it means hope, promise, and freedom in the truth of eternal life. Jesus defeated evil, sin, and death through his death offered in perfect love for you personally and for all creation.
That is amazing and worthy of our astonishment. Deepen your faith in Jesus, reject evil, confess sin, and rejoice in the power and truth of our redemption.
Father John Esper
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