Mark 1:21-28

The Man with an Unclean Spirit

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. 23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24 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.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He[a] commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Reflection/Sermon:

I.       If your schedule is full but you wish you had more time to read the Bible, Mark wrote his Gospel for you!  Almost all we need to know about Jesus is in chapter 1 — and we can read THE WHOLE CHAPTER during a commercial in one of tonight’s NFL playoff games.

II.     In chapter one of Mark’s gospel, Jesus is announced by John the Baptist, he’s baptized and God says Jesus is his son, he begins his ministry and preaches his first sermon in just one sentence:  “The kingdom of God is near — repent — believe the good news!”  Then he gathers disciples, casts out an evil spirit, and heals every sickness and disease. All we need to know about Jesus and we can read in ALL in the time of a commercial!

III.    There are two contradictory themes in the readings from last week and this week —“Repent!” And the impossibility of change without God’s help. 

IN THE READING TODAY — A MAN WHO WANTS TO REPENT CAN’T — the evil spirit in him was stronger than he was.  Jesus said, “Repent!”  But the man couldn’t.

IV.     Who can’t identify with that?  Look at all the anonymous groups that have been established to help us with our addictions — all of which are our struggles with a spirit that is stronger than us.  There’s AA and also Adult Children of Alcoholics, Al-Anon and Alateen, for friends and families of alcoholics.  There are ANONYMOUS GROUPS for:

Cocaine, clutterers, crystal meth, co-dependents, debtors, emotions, food, gamblers, heroin, love, marijuana, narcotics, neurotics, nicotine, overeaters, pills, racists, sexaholics, sex addicts, sexual compulsives, survivors of incest, sex and love addicts, sexual recovery, under earners , workaholics.

There’s even an ANONYMOUS group FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE RECOVERING FROM RELIGION! — because in many places, religion is not the good news of love and forgiveness Jesus proclaimed, but there are harmful expressions of religion — like that which killed Jesus.

IV.     That’s the problem.  Jesus says “Repent!” And we try but can’t.  Even the apostle Paul said, “I want to repent — but I can’t.  Something more powerful than me interferes.  I want to do good but I do evil.”  That’s our dilemma!  Maybe we want to stop gossiping — but the urge to trash-talk is greater than our power to stop it.  Or I want to be a good person, but sometimes the mean and vindictive version of me comes out!  Paul said, “I’m miserable—who will help me?”  Then he said, “Jesus.”

V.      I’m reading a book of sermons by a man named Peter Marshall.  In a sermon is about repenting, Marshall asked:  “If the first disciples had gone to a job interview to be disciples to Jesus — would they have been hired?”  He says “NO.”

Simon Peter was impulsive, stubborn, and angry. 

The brothers James and John were obsessed with status — they wanted to be in charge, the disciples closest to Jesus.  And they were violent — if someone crossed them, they want God to destroy that person.

Thomas had no faith — he doubted everything.

As a group, the disciples were not kind or patient or trusting.  They were not “spiritual” — none of them.

VI.     But Jesus called them.  They lived with Jesus and after three years with him — THEY HAD NOT CHANGED!  They were JEALOUS of each other.  They ARGUED and they were COWARDLY — they ran when Jesus was arrested.  When threatened with arrest, Peter BETRAYED Jesus — threw him under the bus to save himself.

But the three years with Jesus did something to them and in them.  “THE FUEL HAD BEEN LAID ON THE FIRE, BUT IT WAS NOT LIT.  THE SEED HAD BEEN SOWN, BUT IT HAD NOT GERMINATED.”

SO WHAT CHANGED THEM?  NOT the crucifixion.  NOT the resurrection —but THE THE HOLY SPIRIT: pentecost.

VII.    And that holy spirit is still with us — and changing us — healing us from the unclean spirits of fear and anger and the desire for retribution. 

Day by day WE BECOME AN EXPRESSION OF JESUS that the world is seeing for the first time.