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21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. 27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him. 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. (Mark 1:21-28 NIV Bible)
Dear Friend, may the blessings of God's power be with you as you lift up prayers for yourself, for persons in your life that matter, more so as you pray for people you don't even know, and may we as the Body of Christ pray for those whom no one sees, nor wants. Yes, they're out there and if you say, "I never see them..." Gotcha! Pray for The Rev. John Fletcher, pastor of Kelsey Memorial UMC in Corpus Christi. As a DS I asked him to leave Shiner (Shh, please don't tell the folks there!) and to bring him to a church where he has made quite an impact on many lives. John had a bout with cancer and John won, but this past week, John was told that the cancer was back, and to quote what John shared, "with a vengeance." May the vengeance be that of God's as He destroys the cancer in our brother's body. Pray because God answers prayer! Pray for all who asked your church to pray for them (Your church's bulletin should have those names!), and pray for those who put their lives in harm's way to serve and protect us.
Most of our churches have a worship space we call the sanctuary. That's such a beautiful and powerful word. Most of us of a certain age may remember the dear hearts who tried to keep us as kids out of certain areas and for us to maintain a certain silence and respect during worship. I'm thankful that my home church of El Buen Pastor Methodist (pre-1968) Church in Kingsville, did not have any strict restrictions about "DO NOT ENTER HERE" and I think that started to mold my heart towards what would come to me in the 11th grade of high school. The sanctuary should be a safe haven for all who entered there to worship God. But alas, we don't have to look any farther than recent news of shootings in sanctuaries, or abuses in same, or harsh words being exchanged, or angry criticisms towards pastors and lay leaders from others; all in the safe haven that should be the sanctuary. And this passage proves that even with the presence of Jesus in their midst, people in the synagogue at Capernaum, there was a demon-possessed man. And on that morning there was a disruption.
Jesus taught in that worship space on that Sabbath. Jesus taught, unlike the rabbis, with authority and a command of Jesus knowing and also being the Word! I tend to believe there was an excitement on Jesus' part in sharing truth and life. He shared with love of the people, which, by the way, is the secret to great preaching. My mentor, Rev. Jose Galindo would say, "If the people know you love them you can read pages from the phone book and they'll say it was a great sermon." Confession: I've yet to preach from the phone book. The hard part today would be in finding one! Kids, if you don't know what a phonebook is, ask grandma or grandpa.
Jesus' preaching that day drew out the demon's fear. "What do you want from us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?" There are several things we should note in the demon's words. The demon(s) knew Jesus. Not just by name, but also by fame and as the second question states, by power, too. "Have you come to destroy us?" Ouch. They knew Jesus' power and ability to destroy them. We don't read about any other diety having such encounters. Mohammed, Buddha, any other so-call divine characters, never were called by name or feared by demons. This man, in whom the demon lived, had had more than his share of darkness in this life. At some point he had an encounter with evil and evil came to reside in him. Evil is real, dear friend. Evil comes from Satan and as Scripture says, roams around like a lion, searching for someone to devour.(1 Peter 5:8). And he found this man. The evil controled the man, allowing for some liberties, like going to worship in the synagogue. And this could lead to an entire discussion about why the man sought the sacredness of the synagogue while possessed by a demon?
The demon hears what it didn't want to hear; Jesus commands it to be quiet and then to leave the man. That was it. The demon as it had feared had its existence inside the man threatened and then ended, for Jesus confronted the darkness and broke it. The pain of the outside world that had come to live inside the man had met He who delivers us from such pain and miserable existence.
The people were amazed at Jesus' authority and the "new teaching." They saw and believed that Jesus could control demons and the darkness they represented. And they were determined to share these news with others, and the entire region of Galilee heard of Jesus' power and ministry.
As we live our lives we need to have our hearts open to authentic teachers of love and hope; those who speak with deep conviction and whose words resonate with our spirits. We should also not fear the darkness because we know Jesus. There are struggles and pain in the world and we should face them with Jesus on our side. Jesus represents and is the Light of the world; we need Him, and nothing else. We also need to believe in the power of God's word. Jesus presents new beginnings and transformation that can happen in Him. If we are struggling with darkness, let Him take over and give you light. In Jesus come to embrace the potential of change need in your life. There is no need to continue trusting in things outside of God's realm.
PRAYER: Loving God, grant us ears to hear your voice, spoken through authentic teachers and whispered within our hearts. Help us to face the darkness in ourselves and in the world with courage and faith. And open our spirits to the transformative power of your Word, that we may experience the wonder of new beginnings and walk in the light of your love. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Seek authentic teachers that help you confrotn darkness with faith and love.
Receive my love for you. I thank God for you,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
