Mark 1:21-28
The Man with an Unclean Spirit (refer to Lk 4:31–37)
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 silent, 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! Hem commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
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HOMILY / REFLECTION
During Jesus’s ministry, the world seemed so backward compared today. But yet one thing very familiar before and now: the astonishing spread of the news. Verse 28, “At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.” Just imagine mobile phones or cellphones or smart phones were not yet invented. But the spread of the news on Jesus’s authority casting out the bad spirit was so amazing it became viral, to borrow the words of the millennials, through the words of mouth! How much more if it happened nowadays! With the modern and high technology of today’s world communication, with just a click (with pictures pa) how wide and far the news about Jesus could reach! It could be a flash report, a big news indeed.
Whoever the writer of the Markan Gospel, he was the first to attempt to tell the story of the life and the death of Jesus. He possibly copied or drew on written collections of miracle stories, on parables, and perhaps on a written account of Jesus' death. The Markan Gospel combined these different elements and narratives with other traditions or customs passed on by word-of-mouth and handed down to create a new narrative or chronicle that started the gospel tradition. As mentioned by biblical scholars, the writer of Mark was a good story teller. In my opinion, he is akin to a news reporter bringing reports so fresh in our midst that one cannot help but goes with him in our imagination.
The Gospel today of the Fourth Sunday After Epiphany is Mark 1:21-28. It is a continuation of the last Sunday’s Gospel Mark 1:14-20 which was about the calling of the four disciples: Simon and his brother Andrew and the sons of Zebedee: James and John. The calling of the four happened after John the Baptist was arrested and imprisoned. Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God.
The story of Jesus teaching with authority and exorcising a demon (vv. 21-28) came right after the calling of the first disciples along the Sea of Galilee. They went to Capernaum, a prosperous town at the north end of the Sea of Galilee (verse 21) which Jesus made it his home after leaving Nazareth. The disciples had their firs-hand experience of Jesus’ teaching and authority. They were so astounded (verse 22) of what they witnessed, differentiating Jesus’ teaching and authority from those of the scribes.
Scribes are scholars who interpret and teach Torah and render binding judgments regarding its application. They tend to be conservative, rendering judgments based on standard —deriving authority from their knowledge of earlier experts on the law. The scribes are perceived to be the only group that have authority on interpreting the scriptures. By Jesus’ day, they are powerful and enjoy considerable deference. The best seats in the synagogue are reserved for scribes (12:39), and people rise to their feet when they enter a room. People call them “rabbi,” which means “great one”. They constitute a significant portion of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling body. The scribes quickly become Jesus’ opponents (2:6, 16; 11:27-28), and will play a major role in his crucifixion (8:31; 10:33; 11:18; 14:1, 43, 53; 15:1, 31)—in part because they consider Jesus to be sacrilegious, a heretical.
However, the truth why the scribes did not like Jesus and all about his teaching was because Jesus poses a threat to their comfortable lives. Throughout the Gospel narratives, scribes were akin to proud and arrogant intellectuals who look down people with less education about the law and prophets. They paraded themselves in their robes and wanted respect but Jesus rebuked them for not acting what they were expected of. And they were part of those in authorities who wanted Jesus to be arrested and to be silenced.
In our modern world, talk of spirits and demons seems primitive and makes some people uncomfortable and unbelieving, unless one had an experience. But in verses 23-26 the confrontation took place inside the synagogue between the man with unclean spirits and Jesus rebuking him (verse 25) saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” The people around saw how the unclean spirit resisted: throwing him into convulsion and crying out with a loud came out and left the man’s body (verse 26). Those who witnessed the incredible confrontation (verse27) were totally 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 Jesus’ fame began spreading throughout the surrounding region of Galilee (verse 28). It became viral indeed!
Mark uses “unclean spirit” and “demon” almost interchangeably. The former suggests ritual impurity or unworthiness, and the latter suggests evil. However, nowadays we prefer to speak of poverty and mental illness as the causes of bizarre behavior. We also hesitate to use the word evil, which sounds judgmental, and look to medical science to deliver us from our demons. Medical science has accomplished a great deal in that regard, and promises to achieve even more. However, medical science is unlikely ever to solve the problem of evil, which is a spiritual problem and a present reality. We have only to read newspaper, listen to radio and watch television as well as videos in our smart phones to confirm the pervasive presence of evil in our world.
In short, evil doings come in many forms like accusing innocents of trump up charges, arresting and putting them in prisons, acts of murder in broad daylight, the bombing of ancestral lands for the mining corporations, allowing excessive quarries for big companies flattening hills and mountains, the building of dams which submerged hundreds of barangays, and unending issues of corruption here and there. These are all happening unabatedly alongside with societal issues and concerns. The evils and demons of the Philippine society cause the number of Filipino impoverished families and communities. They resulted to internal Filipino refugees like the Indigenous peoples who are pushed away from their ancestral lands and become “bakwets” or dislocated communities instead! I am not talking here of make-believe stories or kathang-isip lang because these are realities in our midst. The floods submerged communities in just a little rain that made the old folks cried: these were not happening before, it is only now that floods were above the houses and destroying lives and sources of livelihood. I felt good the media and news reports made mentioned of the culprits. After the Typhoon Ulysses devastation, now mentioned the dams in opening the gates with large amount of water released led to submerge many places and brought countless havoc to the people.
Reality bites. It hits bellow the ground! Cemeteries were flooded and destroyed? Human dignity are violated. Victims and cases of extra-judicial killing have not stopped. In this time of pandemic, churches are being closed. What the living are doing? What is the accountability of all the churches as embodiment of the Lord Jesus Christ? Some questions and we are out of answers. God forgive us.
Mark doesn’t tell us what Jesus said that caused such amazement. However, we can imagine the kinds of things that he might have said based on the controversies in which he will soon be involved: calling a tax collector to be his disciple, defending his disciples when they fail to fast—defending the disciples when they pluck and eat grain on the Sabbath, healing on the Sabbath, teaching about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, warning against the tradition of the elders, a conversation with a woman on the well, teaching about marriage and divorce and other things.
The varying responses on how to confront the evils in our present time suggest that we should listen more carefully to Jesus. His teachings have become so familiar that we are tempted to hear them only at a superficial level. We need to study his teachings more deeply so we can understand their impact on the original disciples—and see how Jesus might be challenging us—jolting us out of our comfort zone. In short Jesus is inviting us, calling us and even pushing us out to the world: speak, act and do something toward the realization of God’s Promise.
The Markan Gospel story inspires us to stand in Jesus’ shoes and teach, as he did, with authority. We are tempted to dismiss the scribes as men of small vision and no courage, imagining that we have a larger vision and greater courage. However, if that is true, it is only because we have the advantage of New Testament revelation. We too are subject to human frailty (Romans 3:23) weaknesses and limitations. We need to study the Holy Scripture carefully and to pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. We need to approach our ministerial task with humility and with staying power from God. It also invites us to examine ourselves and decide on whose rule we are under, in which kingdom we now find ourselves, on whose side we are on. The choice is many as other say but in the IFI it is never and option to love and serve the Lord God but it is an imperative! Pro Deo et Patria.
Abiding in God’s grace, I do believe we can. We will have authority to cast out the evils in us, in the society and all structures that dehumanized and defame the image of God in us which is blocking the flow of God’s grace and blessing to pass. By prayers yes, active prayers we can change things into better but the challenge is, how ready are, how committed are we and how prepared are we to confront the unclean spirits, evils and demons away from our comfort zones. Must not we feel only amazed or astounded of Jesus teaching and authority because Mark goes on to demonstrate the authority of Jesus over the power of darkness as shown in the Gospel reading this Sunday.
Jesus called the first disciples. They witnessed the teaching and authority of Jesus. They experienced in their daily accompaniment with Jesus. Later in their lives they became partakers and doers in spreading the good news to all the ends of the world with teaching ability and authority.
For us Christian faithful it is not only the ordained who are called because Jesus calls us all, by the virtue of our Baptism we have our response-ability to walk the talk that Jesus has begun. It is imperative to be in one accord what God requires us. With humble hearts, we pray for God’s blessing and guidance. In the Name of the Triune God, the Creator, the Redeemer and the Sanctifier. AMEN.
References:
New Revised Standard Version (RSVP)
Wikipedia and Google Search
J.Dwight Pentecost, Study of the Life of Christ
Readings and commentaries from the Gospel of Mark
Marc Ellis, I am Who Love the Prophets
IFI Statement on Mission
