Thursday, 3/23They went to Capernaum; and when the Sabbath came, he 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, throwing him into convulsions 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. What if Jesus gave a sermon at Christ Church Greenwich? When I read passages like this one from Mark’s Gospel, I often wonder what the experience was like for audiences who came to hear our Lord. What did he say, how did he say it, and how did people react? The text says “they were astounded.” Why? Rather than repeating traditional teachings, Jesus spoke with “authority” — as the “author” of our faith, of our salvation. Which of course, he was. He’s then interrupted by the man possessed. Ironically, it is the unclean spirit who reveals Jesus’ true nature. The miracle of the exorcism and profoundly new lesson stun those in the synagogue: “What is this?” What would create the same feeling of wonder and disorientation today? Listening to Jesus in our church would not make us feel warm and fuzzy. Few encounters with him were that. It would be more shock and awe. He would challenge the foundation of our beliefs. He would question our assumptions of right and wrong. He would leave us asking: “What is this?” With the passing of two thousand years, it’s difficult to read this story and fully appreciate the earth-shaking impact of Jesus’ words and deeds. Yet to ask again “What is this?” is to discover anew his message of what truly matters in this life. And what doesn’t. - Randy Schwimmer Today's |