Reflection -- So, who is this?

Mark is not one to waste words.  His story of Jesus gets right to it from the very first chapter.  He wants us to sense the power and excitement of the story.  No long passages for character development, scene setting, or background here.  There is nothing about Jesus’ birth or childhood.  We have to turn to the other gospels for that.  The are no heavenly choruses, shepherds, or magi announcing the Christmas story; no flight into Egypt; no visitation to the temple by the 12-year-old.

In Mark, Jesus appears on the scene as an adult.  He is baptized by John the Baptist, endures temptation in the wilderness, and calls his first disciples.  All this happens in the first 20 verses!

It’s clear from the first that this is not going to be the story of an ordinary person.  Throughout these few verses we get strong clues about who Jesus is. 

John tells the people that he baptizes with water, but that someone is coming who will baptize them with the Holy Spirit.  When Jesus is baptized, there is a voice from heaven saying “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  Then Jesus invites Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow him.  There is something so compelling about him that they drop everything ¾ family, friends, business, everything! ¾ and immediately accept the invitation.

The rapid pace continues with today’s verses.  We find Jesus teaching in a synagogue.  Those who hear him are astounded.  This is not just another teacher.  This is someone who is even more than an expert on scripture like a scribe.  This is someone with real spiritual power and authority!  But still his hearers don’t get it!  They ask “What is this?”

The question is not “what?”, but “who?”  And someone knows the answer to that question!  And it is not the good folks in the religious community!

A man with “an unclear spirit” enters; or more accurately, afflicted with many unclean spirits, for the spirit speaking refers to “us.”  The recognition is instant.  “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.”  Then Jesus speaks and the man is restored to wholeness, relieved of the misery inflicted by the spirits.

Somehow we moderns get embarrassed by talk of “unclean spirits.”  It is not “scientific.”  What will people think if we take such language seriously? 

And yet there is something deep within our souls that knows it is real.  It is the reason that films like the Star Wars epics, with their talk of “The Force” and “The Dark Side” resonate.  The Apostle Paul said it best.  “For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”  He also gave us the answer.  “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:12-13)

I believe with every fiber of my being that we in the church are often not the powerful force building the reign of God that we ought to be because we are still standing around asking “what is this?” when we ought to be on our knees in awe acknowledging “I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”  If we do not know what “the dark side” knows about the One at the core of our faith, how can we possibly hope to succeed?

Mark wants us to get excited about our faith; to claim its deep power.  It is time we learned that lesson.  It is time to get real!

revclay

_______________________________

Mark 1:21-28

They went to Capernaum; and when the Sabbath came, [Jesus] 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. 

[NRSV]