21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “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.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
How many of you have played that famous game of sneak up and surprise! You know the one where your child or friend hides behind a corner only to jump out at a complacent you and scare the bejeesus out of you. That is sooo much fun. And having a special kind of person in the house means you can never really be comfortable when going around corners or opening doors. And the truth be told I like playing that game. Crouching down and waiting patiently and very quietly until just that right moment when BOOOO!! And then there is the shriek of surprise and the cries of “Don’t do that!!!” followed hopefully by some good natured chasing around the house.
Jesus plays, sort of, this exact game in our Gospel lesson for the day.
Mark’s gospel says it is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In Matthew and Luke we get the whole Christmas story first. John starts at the beginning of all time. Mark isn’t like that. He is only concerned with what Jesus did, the very heart of the reason for His coming to earth. It is the gospel and it needs to be preached. There are people hurting and dying, there are unclean spirits to be rooted out.
And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.
That word, immediately, is so important to Mark and how he presents Jesus to us. Mark’s Jesus has a very clear picture of what has to happen and He isn’t going to waste any time in wondering about the right course of action, or the best way to do it. He doesn’t formulate a budget and a committee to decide if going to the synagogue is the best course of action. Jesus just goes, and how does he go? He goes immediately, right now.
Jesus knows there is a need for Him and He is going out to fulfill it. He is going to the synagogue.
The people are quite complacent with their same old teaching. Jesus comes to give them the gospel. He said something like this
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” Luke 4:18-19
And
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3-10
22And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.
And the people are astonished, or an even better translation is they were beside themselves, out of their minds at the wonders they were hearing. All of the things they were discussing before about how long their tassels could be and how many steps they had already taken that day and how they had to just leave the ox in the ditch because it was the Sabbath. The same old conversions of what did the law really tell us that we have to do to be blessed by God for there wasn’t much evidence of the blessing of God around them and here comes Jesus into their midst dropping a whole new way of thinking into their midst.
It is that point when you have heard nothing but how awful you are for all of your life, LAW LAW LAW and then suddenly THE Gospel. The cool waters of the gospel flowing over every part of their being and they soaked it up and reveled in it.
“YES a new teaching, with authority”
This teaching shakes up the people and a certain uninvited guest.
There is a demon in their midst. This unclean spirit that possessed this man was sitting back comfortably listening to the men’s mindless chatter about the proper keeping of the law. You can almost see it smiling inside. It knows that they don’t get it. This demon is well aware of whom God is and what He desires and it sits back and listens to these children of God completely miss the point.
This demon has taken control of this man and has made the man a plaything for itself. The demon has become quite comfortable living in this flesh and bones. It even goes to the synagogue!! And it is there in the synagogue that this demon has its final encounter with God. If the people’s world is shaken up, the unclean spirit’s is even more so for it came to be entertained by these people and suddenly from around the corner BOOOOO, it is GOD!!! Just like you the demon cries out in astonishment!
23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “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.”
This unclean spirit knows exactly who is in front of it. It is the one who created it long before this unclean spirit had sinned and been cast out of heaven. This demon is having a face to face encounter with the creator of everything and it is scared to death!! It is sure that its time of fun and playing about with this man is over and it is about to be destroyed.
Jesus has not come to destroy at this time; he has a different purpose. He has come to have mercy on this man, to set this man free. This unclean spirit that had possessed this man was going to have to go find a different place to live. Jesus has just proclaimed the most astonishingly good news ever to this man and all of those around and now tells the demon,
25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”
At the very word of God the demon has no choice but to obey, even though it doesn’t like it.
26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27
Away it went to not trouble the man again. This man is given a new hope, a new reality, a new way of thinking. The result is that none of the people there can shut up about it. They tell everyone they see in the entire region. How could they not. What has happened to them is so astonishing, so life changing, so freeing that they must tell all of their friends and family what is happening right now.
And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this event that happened 2000 years ago is still going on today. You know it is. Our hyper rational believe only what we can see with our eyes society would tell us that unclean spirits, demons, are just the stuff of fairytales. That they have no basis in reality, that the bible stories are just an attempt to teach us some moral lesson but this story didn’t really happen. But you know that isn’t true. You can clearly see the work of demons all around you; even feel their presence in your life.
You look around and you see a world gone mad over pornography and how it so pervasive, you know that is demonic in its inception.
You see all of the people and families torn apart by drug and alcohol addiction. There you can clearly see the work of unclean spirits in those families.
The terrible stories of the abuse of women and children both physically and mentally. Maybe you have experienced that first hand, the work of demons twisting the people we love for their own purposes.
The extreme poverty and lack of food of so many people in the world today brought about by warlords and greed.
There are the children who have been left as orphans because of war and sickness and disease and famine.
My dear friends when you hear people say there is no such thing as demons you almost can’t believe your ears for all of the evidence around you.
And not just all around you, but you personally. We all struggle with demons. Being children of God the troubles and the struggles come daily. The demons want nothing but to see you fall under their sway, to be able to poses you to be their own little plaything.
But here is the comfort for us. Jesus Christ comes to us immediately. There is purpose in His coming. There is deep love and desire for freedom for us, His children. He comes and He commands to the demons “Be silent and come out!!!!” He does not leave us to our own devices. He is not standing in heaven waiting around for us to realize our need for him. He isn’t hoping and praying that we will ask Him into our hearts. He comes immediately, right when we need it!! He is no impotent God who doesn’t affect things here on earth. He heals, He restores the sight, He lets the prisoners free, and He forgives and grants to us mercy.
In His body and His blood He proclaims to us that He will be with us always. In the opening of heaven He delivers to us the casting out of the unclean spirits. In His seeing us under the fig tree He hears our pleas for help and deliverance and He grants to us peace.
Then the same thing that happened to the men who gathered in the synagogue that day happens to us. It happens when we clearly see the authority of Jesus Christ to set us free from the oppression of the demons that torment you. When you see the deliverance of Jesus Christ through His blood on the cross to heal you and forgive you, we by nature can’t help but spread His fame into our entire region of Albion. You tell people of what Christ has done for you, not out of compulsion or by force but because it has left you astonished at how good God is for you. You see the people struggling with their demons and you want for them the same release that has been given to you and so you tell and you show and you spread the love of God in Jesus Christ.
Amen.
“All quotations are from the English Standard Version, Crossway Bible, 2001, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers”
