Time After Epiphany: Possession

11:21 AM

Looking ahead to Sunday, our gospel reading will tell the story of Jesus healing a demon-possessed man (Mark 1:21-28). Professor David Lose at Luther Seminary reminds us that while we might not be demon-possessed in an Exorcist sort of way, we are yet so often possessed by things that are not of God:

Earlier in the chapter, Jesus was blessed and baptized with the Holy Spirit as he heard the promise proclaimed to him, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased!" Now Mark contrasts this experience with that of the man possessed by an "unclean" spirit, a spirit that is most assuredly not telling him that he is beloved of God or God-pleasing in anyway. Indeed, we would be far better served to abandon our Hollywood-fed images of demons causing us to vomit and spin our heads (Exorcist-style) than as those forces that are diametrically opposed to God' will. Rather than bless, they curse; rather than build up, they tear down; rather than encourage, they disparage; rather than promote love, they sow hate; rather than draw us together, they seek to split us apart.

So maybe we could boil down the first chapter of Mark leading up to this story this way: Jesus has been baptized, tempted in the wilderness, and now comes to proclaim and demonstrate the kingdom of God on earth, and he does this by opposing the forces of evil which would rob the children of God of all that God hopes and intends for them. ("Possessed," on WorkingPreacher.org)
Love

You Might Also Like

0 comments