Jesus Meets The Official Spokesdemon
Preaching
Your Faith Has Made You Well
Preaching The Miracles
Miracle One
Jesus Meets The Official Spokesdemon
The Text
They 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, 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.
Most pastors begin their ministry with a warm welcome. Best behavior and friendliness are the order of the day among the laity of the new church. Pastor, spouse, and children (if any) usually sit down to a potluck dinner in a freshly scrubbed and decorated fellowship hall. The leaders of the church may make a speech, gushing about how happy the church is to receive the new pastor. All in all, the day of a pastor's first sermon usually is filled with bright smiles, firm handshakes, and best wishes. At the beginning of Jesus' ministry, he is greeted by a man with an unclean spirit.
By having Jesus confront a man with an unclean spirit right up front, the Gospel of Mark dives into the action. With no birth stories or genealogies, Mark rushes to Jesus' adult ministry. With a brief account of the ministry of John the Baptist and a bare-bones description of Jesus' baptism and temptation, Mark puts us into the thick of the fight by verse 21. Mark's spare description and immediacy convey a sense of urgency throughout the gospel. This first miracle helps to set the tone for the gospel, and helps us understand Jesus' ministry.
Background
This narrative describes a man "with an unclean spirit." We infer from the description in Mark that this spirit is a non-corporal entity which is somehow "inside" the man, and controls, at least, his movements and speech. Mark does not tell us how the demon got inside the man, or what has happened to the man's personality during the indwelling of the unclean spirit. We don't know if the man could or did try to resist the spirit or for how long the spirit had been inside him.
If we search the Old Testament for stories that describe exactly the same kind of phenomena, we will not find them. The Old Testament does not contain stories of unclean spirits who invade a person's body. Nevertheless, the Old Testament does contain stories of people who have been influenced by otherworldly beings, including God. Some of these stories may give us insights into this story in Mark.
In 1 Kings 22, King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah want to go to war with Aram over the territory of Ramoth-Gilead. As part of the preparation for war, the kings consult Ahab's "advisors," the prophets. The official prophets tell the kings to go to war, because they will surely prevail. Finally, they consult the true prophet, Micaiah ben Imlah, even though Ahab doesn't like him. Micaiah taunts the kings with a false prediction of victory. When the kings press him, he tells them that, in a vision, he "saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd" (1 Kings 22:17). Then Micaiah tells them that in another vision he saw the host of heaven sitting with the Lord. A "lying spirit" volunteered to influence the prophets to give a false prophecy of victory to Ahab. This passage does not indicate that the "lying spirit" was "inside" the prophets, but the spirit clearly influenced their speech. According to Micaiah's vision, not only did the Lord approve the plan, but was even the one who asked for volunteers to begin with! Clearly, even though the lying spirit could influence human action, it did not oppose the will of God. Causing the official prophets to lie was God's will.
1 Samuel 16:14 recounts the experience of King Saul. Because of Saul's disobedience and failure, the Lord has "rejected" him as king of Israel (16:1). The prophet-priest Samuel has hand picked David as Saul's successor. Verse 14 says that "the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul (see 1 Samuel 10:10), and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him." The "evil spirit" from the Lord seems to have been a kind of depression, because the text says that Saul's counselors invited David to play the lyre for him, so that he will "feel better." If our inference is correct that Saul suffered from depression, then this text represents an early interpretation of a psychological illness being attributed to an outside "spirit." The passage does not indicate that the spirit blocked Saul's personality, as the unclean spirit seems to do in Mark 1. The evil spirit came from "the Lord," so it was not an entity that sought to oppose God's will.
A third story comes closest of all to a parallel with Mark 1. In 1 Chronicles 21:1, Satan "incited David to count the people of Israel." In Satan's few appearances in the Old Testament he is usually a member of the Lord's court in heaven, often serving as an accuser (see Zechariah 3:1-2). A sense of rivalry exists between the Lord and Satan in the first chapter of Job, but Satan is fully under the Lord's control. 1 Chronicles 21 does not tell us much about Satan, but it is clear that he can influence David's decisions. The text does not indicate how Satan was able to "incite" David, but he does not seem to have gotten inside David. God is displeased at the census (1 Chronicles 21:7).1 Nevertheless, David takes responsibility (21:8).
These three examples indicate that the Old Testament contained the idea of an outside, spiritual entity influencing human behavior. A gap still exists between these stories and the account in Mark about an unclean spirit inhabiting a person. Accounts of demon habitation begin to appear in Jewish literature during the intertestamental period. Perhaps these accounts were influenced by Zoroastrianism, which had a well-developed demonology. By the time the New Testament was written, belief in demon possession and exorcism were commonly accepted.
The preacher may wish to check some other Old Testament references to demons, even though these passages do not refer to demons inhabiting a person. A few texts refer to making sacrifices to demons: Deuteronomy 32:17; Leviticus 17:7; and Psalm 106:37. A handful of texts allude to "goat-demons": 2 Chronicles 11:15; Leviticus 17:7. Psalm 78:49 mentions "destroying angels." Some texts seem to personify pestilence: Psalm 91:5; Habakkuk 3:5; and Deuteronomy 32:24.
This brief historical look at the background to the unclean spirit in this passage indicates that the Bible consistently affirms that some kinds of spiritual entities exist and bear some responsibility for evil and suffering. These entities can influence human behavior and decisions. The understanding of demons and unclean spirits that lies behind this passage developed after the writing of the Old Testament. That the understanding of demons evolved within the Old Testament and the intertestamental literature makes precise definitions of demons and statements about the exact origin of demons impossible to formulate. Demons were spiritual beings that opposed God's will and could influence human behavior.
Literary Analysis
Now that Jesus has been baptized, undergone his temptation and called his disciples, he begins his ministry. In Mark, Jesus' ministry leads eventually to Jerusalem. It begins now in Galilee, specifically in Capernaum. Even though verses 14-16 describe the content of Jesus' proclamation, we can assume that this is Jesus' first sermon and that the earlier verses represent a summary of Jesus' message. Jesus begins his ministry by preaching in a synagogue. The narrator holds back many of the details about this event. We do not know how Jesus was invited to preach or even what he said. The passage focuses our attention on the reaction to Jesus' message and the confrontation with the unclean spirit. This focus serves Mark's intention to connect Jesus' teaching with his actions of healing and exorcisms.
The scene contains three main characters: Jesus, the unclean spirit (the man possessed by the spirit is only a vessel and doesn't play a real role), and the congregants in the synagogue. The disciples are present, but do not act or speak. The scribes are mentioned, even though they are not present. The contrast between Jesus' teaching and that of the scribes foreshadows the conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders that develops later. Because the congregants act and speak as one, they represent only one character.
The congregants serve to help the reader understand the authority of Jesus' teaching. The narrator tells us that they were "astounded" at Jesus' teaching because he taught with "authority." The congregants themselves speak in verse 27. Their words link Jesus' teaching with his act of casting out the unclean spirit. The congregants serve to summarize the theology of the story.
What we know of Jesus in this story comes from what the narrator tells us, and Jesus' one line in verse 25. We know that Jesus taught and cast out an unclean spirit. We don't know how Jesus felt about encountering the unclean spirit or about his growing fame at the end of the story. Jesus largely remains a mystery to us in this story. The narrator's comment about Jesus' spreading fame foreshadows the crowds who will surround Jesus during his miracle-working ministry.
The most developed character in the story is the unclean spirit. We know something of his emotional state. He is afraid or at least apprehensive of Jesus, asking, "Have you come to destroy us?" (v. 24). He is the character in the story who is on a quest. He brings the fight to Jesus. He appears suddenly in the synagogue, confronting Jesus. In seeking Jesus out and calling him by name ("Jesus of Nazareth," v. 24), the unclean spirit is likely trying to vanquish Jesus. The unclean spirit knows that Jesus is the "Holy One of God" (v. 24). He believes that by calling Jesus' name he can gain control over Jesus, since knowing a divine being's name gave one a certain advantage over that divine being. Obviously, the unclean spirit's quest is a failed quest, as Jesus handily defeats him. The narrator adds to the drama of the story by telling us of the loud cry that the spirit makes when it leaves the man.
The plot of the story revolves around the conflict between Jesus and the unclean spirit. The suddenness of the spirit's appearance and his tough talk ("I know who you are,") make him appear to be a formidable opponent. Jesus defeats the unclean spirit with only a sentence. The spirit can offer no real resistance. We do not know what happens to the spirit once it leaves the man. We do not know if the loud cry is a death cry or only one of anguish at being vanquished. To the narrator, it is enough for us to know that Jesus easily defeated the spirit.
Theological Reflection
By placing this incident at the very beginning of Jesus' ministry, Mark indicates that a significant part of Jesus' mission is to purge the land of demonic forces (see Zechariah 13:2). Jesus performs the same ministry in Gentile territory in chapter 5 (the Gerasene demoniac). When Mark summarizes Jesus' ministry, exorcism or confrontation with unclean spirits is always a part of what Jesus does (see Mark 1:34; 3:11). The exorcism in Mark 9:14-27 highlights how difficult casting out unclean spirits is. That passage implies that, with enough faith, people can cast them out (see v. 19 and v. 29). In Mark 9:38, an unidentified exorcist is able to cast out demons in Jesus' name. Working outside the established "church," the exorcist can do what the disciples apparently cannot.
The role of demons in Mark raises theological questions about the creation. The book of Genesis affirms unequivocally that God's creation is good (Genesis 1:31, passim). The Gospel of John announces, "All things came into being through him" (John 1:3). Colossians 1:16 affirms that "all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created through him and for him (Christ)." These spiritual forces and power are part of God's good creation, even though they oppose God's will. As stated above, the role of Satan evolved within the Bible. Throughout most of the Old Testament, Satan was a member of God's heavenly host. Even though the popular belief exists today that Satan is a "fallen angel," the Bible never explains the origin of Satan and demons. (Isaiah 14:12-17, a poetic text, is not talking about Satan, but about foreign kings.) We do not know why they oppose God's will and torment human beings. Do they choose to be evil, or are they evil by nature? In the end, we are left with a mystery about creation -- why the evil powers are part of God's good creation, and why evil is so prevalent and so strong.
The presence of unclean spirits also causes us to reflect on human responsibility for sinfulness. Even though Mark describes possession by unclean spirits, he does not portray these spirits as causing sin. The unclean spirits and demons cause bizarre and self-destructive behavior, but not the kind of disobedience that Satan causes in 1 Chronicles, or induces in Judas in John 13:27. Still, even though human beings are responsible for their own sins, the presence of unclean spirits indicates that human sinfulness is part of the fallen creation. We are caught up in a corruption bigger than we are. We are trapped by forces stronger than we are. We will not overcome evil only by our own effort. Only in the fullness of the dominion of God will we be free of sin.
The unclean spirit correctly identifies Jesus, "I know who you are, the Holy One of God." Even though the key christological term for Mark is "Son of God," the term used by the unclean spirit helps us understand Jesus' identity. By acknowledging that Jesus is the Holy One of God, the unclean spirit affirms Jesus' priestly function. Aaron, the priest, is called the "holy one of the Lord" in Psalm 106:16. Jesus is the intermediary between the people and God. The understanding of the word "holy" goes back to the Old Testament cultus and refers to the set apartness, or ritual cleanliness, of a person or object. The spirit contrasts Jesus with himself by calling him "holy." Ironically, the unclean spirit is correct about Jesus' identity and mission ("Have you come to destroy us?") The human characters in Mark are not so quick to catch on.
The passage twice refers to the authority of Jesus' teaching. The congregants even refer to the exorcism itself as a "teaching." These references communicate the authenticity of Jesus' teaching and ministry, and to the congruity between Jesus' words and actions. The content of Jesus' teaching was that the dominion of God had come near. Jesus' actions manifested the reality of the in-breaking of the dominion of God.
Pastoral Reading
The preacher can help the congregation identify with this passage in at least two ways. In one sense, we are like the man with the unclean spirit. Along with the rest of creation we have been influenced by demonic forces. We know nothing about the man before he became the vehicle for the unclean spirit, but we know he was not himself. Neither are we. We do not know if the man was aware of his possession, but often we are not aware of the ways we have been corrupted by the demonic forces.
Another way we can identify with this passage is to connect Jesus' exorcism with the ministry of the church. In spite of our sinfulness, the risen Christ calls the church to continue the ministry of healing and opposition to the demonic. Just as Jesus faced a spiritual battle in his ministry, so the church faces a spiritual battle in its ministry in the world. Even if we don't believe in the actual existence of entities that can be called demons or unclean spirits, the evil of the world seems tenacious, intractable, and even cunning. Certainly, the evil of the world seems larger, more senseless and ferocious than humans should be capable of committing. Part of the ministry of the church is to oppose things in the world that seem demonic: racism, injustice, torture, oppression, addiction, hatred, exploitation, and a host of others. Even things we consider good, such as American military might, can be either demonic, or corrupted by demonic forces. These things seem demonic because they are so destructive and self-defeating. They serve no purpose and certainly oppose God's will for creation. They destroy people's lives and cause untold misery. Even if it is frustrating to do such battle, the church is called to be in conflict with these demonic forces. The implication of the exorcism story in Mark 9:17-31 is that the church can engage in this battle with faith and prayer. Just as Jesus' teachings and actions were congruent, so the church must maintain integrity between word and deed, if we are to bear witness to a world suffering from, yet oblivious to, the demonic forces.
Part of reading this story in a pastoral way is to decide what we believe about the biblical understandings of demonology. Do we believe in entities that oppose God's will and can influence human behavior? Are these stories part of the outdated mythology of the ancient world? If such entities exist, can they not understand that they cannot win out over God? What is their purpose in opposing God's will and seeking to cause destruction and tragedy? What do they have against God and humanity? By what mechanism do they influence human behavior and other events? If it is incorrect to speak of the demonic as entities, how do we explain the evil of the world? Why do we, with no outside influence, act in such cruel, self-destructive, and foolish ways? Why can we not choose to be sinless if no outside influence acts upon us?
Whatever our answer to these questions, we know that evil seems defiant and stubborn. Evil steals innocence. We are too often influenced, if not controlled, by such things as addiction, mob mentality, and our own weaknesses and compulsions. Parents, relatives, and even church members pass on their prejudices. Desperation makes us do things we wouldn't ordinarily do. The evil of the world is more than just the collective sins of humanity. We are caught in a web of evil that distorts our souls, individually and corporately. The presence of the unclean spirit in a place of worship raises questions about the demonic even in the church. Many things in the church are liable to demonic influence: our use of money, our willingness to be co-opted by political parties, even our quest for success as defined by the world's standards. A spiritual dimension to sin exists, and the church is called to identify it and battle against it. Only God can ultimately win the battle, but the church keeps up the resistance, as an act of faithfulness to God, and for the sake of those hurt most by the world's evil.
Preaching Strategies
The preacher has two hurdles to overcome in preaching this text. The first is to enable the congregation to think theologically about the demonic. The second is to enable the congregation to see how the risen Christ empowers the church's ministry against the demonic forces.
The challenge in helping a congregation reflect theologically about the demonic is that contemporary Christians in the mainline denominations do not take the demonic and cosmic dimension of evil seriously enough. The preacher certainly does not want to encourage any kind of simplistic belief in demons or demon possession. For example, people with mental illness are not "possessed." Yet, the existence of mental illness is an example of the fallen nature of the creation, of the demonic that seeks to corrupt God's good creation. We, as preachers, want to enable our congregations to see the demonic and spiritual dimension of evil. One strategy for doing that might be to lead the congregation to the recognition that evil seems to be more destructive, intractable, and senseless than human weakness could explain. Perhaps the preacher could enumerate examples of the terrible nature of evil: racism, cruelty, pointless nihilism, and self-defeating behavior. Once the congregation had an idea of how serious the problem of evil is, the preacher could move to a discussion of the biblical understanding of the demonic as the inexplicable corruption of God's good creation. As the Epistle to the Ephesians says, "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" (Ephesians 6:12).
For the second hurdle, the preacher could call the church to stand in opposition to the demonic forces in creation. In worship, proclamation, nurture, witness, outreach, and justice ministries, the church confronts the forces that seek to corrupt God's good creation. The risen Christ works within the church in these ministries. We do not see unclean spirits leave dramatically as in this passage, but we see the church's victories over the demonic forces in society. The preacher could give examples of how the church has successfully worked at reconciliation, the alleviation of suffering, reduction of violence, the reclaiming of lost lives. Each of these is a manifestation of God's victory through Christ over the demonic forces, and the coming near of the realm of God.
____________
1.ÊThe parallel passage in 1 Samuel 24 uses the same Hebrew root for "incite," but attributes the inciting to the Lord (1 Samuel 24:1). In that passage, the Lord is angry at Israel.
Jesus Meets The Official Spokesdemon
The Text
They 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, 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.
Most pastors begin their ministry with a warm welcome. Best behavior and friendliness are the order of the day among the laity of the new church. Pastor, spouse, and children (if any) usually sit down to a potluck dinner in a freshly scrubbed and decorated fellowship hall. The leaders of the church may make a speech, gushing about how happy the church is to receive the new pastor. All in all, the day of a pastor's first sermon usually is filled with bright smiles, firm handshakes, and best wishes. At the beginning of Jesus' ministry, he is greeted by a man with an unclean spirit.
By having Jesus confront a man with an unclean spirit right up front, the Gospel of Mark dives into the action. With no birth stories or genealogies, Mark rushes to Jesus' adult ministry. With a brief account of the ministry of John the Baptist and a bare-bones description of Jesus' baptism and temptation, Mark puts us into the thick of the fight by verse 21. Mark's spare description and immediacy convey a sense of urgency throughout the gospel. This first miracle helps to set the tone for the gospel, and helps us understand Jesus' ministry.
Background
This narrative describes a man "with an unclean spirit." We infer from the description in Mark that this spirit is a non-corporal entity which is somehow "inside" the man, and controls, at least, his movements and speech. Mark does not tell us how the demon got inside the man, or what has happened to the man's personality during the indwelling of the unclean spirit. We don't know if the man could or did try to resist the spirit or for how long the spirit had been inside him.
If we search the Old Testament for stories that describe exactly the same kind of phenomena, we will not find them. The Old Testament does not contain stories of unclean spirits who invade a person's body. Nevertheless, the Old Testament does contain stories of people who have been influenced by otherworldly beings, including God. Some of these stories may give us insights into this story in Mark.
In 1 Kings 22, King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah want to go to war with Aram over the territory of Ramoth-Gilead. As part of the preparation for war, the kings consult Ahab's "advisors," the prophets. The official prophets tell the kings to go to war, because they will surely prevail. Finally, they consult the true prophet, Micaiah ben Imlah, even though Ahab doesn't like him. Micaiah taunts the kings with a false prediction of victory. When the kings press him, he tells them that, in a vision, he "saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd" (1 Kings 22:17). Then Micaiah tells them that in another vision he saw the host of heaven sitting with the Lord. A "lying spirit" volunteered to influence the prophets to give a false prophecy of victory to Ahab. This passage does not indicate that the "lying spirit" was "inside" the prophets, but the spirit clearly influenced their speech. According to Micaiah's vision, not only did the Lord approve the plan, but was even the one who asked for volunteers to begin with! Clearly, even though the lying spirit could influence human action, it did not oppose the will of God. Causing the official prophets to lie was God's will.
1 Samuel 16:14 recounts the experience of King Saul. Because of Saul's disobedience and failure, the Lord has "rejected" him as king of Israel (16:1). The prophet-priest Samuel has hand picked David as Saul's successor. Verse 14 says that "the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul (see 1 Samuel 10:10), and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him." The "evil spirit" from the Lord seems to have been a kind of depression, because the text says that Saul's counselors invited David to play the lyre for him, so that he will "feel better." If our inference is correct that Saul suffered from depression, then this text represents an early interpretation of a psychological illness being attributed to an outside "spirit." The passage does not indicate that the spirit blocked Saul's personality, as the unclean spirit seems to do in Mark 1. The evil spirit came from "the Lord," so it was not an entity that sought to oppose God's will.
A third story comes closest of all to a parallel with Mark 1. In 1 Chronicles 21:1, Satan "incited David to count the people of Israel." In Satan's few appearances in the Old Testament he is usually a member of the Lord's court in heaven, often serving as an accuser (see Zechariah 3:1-2). A sense of rivalry exists between the Lord and Satan in the first chapter of Job, but Satan is fully under the Lord's control. 1 Chronicles 21 does not tell us much about Satan, but it is clear that he can influence David's decisions. The text does not indicate how Satan was able to "incite" David, but he does not seem to have gotten inside David. God is displeased at the census (1 Chronicles 21:7).1 Nevertheless, David takes responsibility (21:8).
These three examples indicate that the Old Testament contained the idea of an outside, spiritual entity influencing human behavior. A gap still exists between these stories and the account in Mark about an unclean spirit inhabiting a person. Accounts of demon habitation begin to appear in Jewish literature during the intertestamental period. Perhaps these accounts were influenced by Zoroastrianism, which had a well-developed demonology. By the time the New Testament was written, belief in demon possession and exorcism were commonly accepted.
The preacher may wish to check some other Old Testament references to demons, even though these passages do not refer to demons inhabiting a person. A few texts refer to making sacrifices to demons: Deuteronomy 32:17; Leviticus 17:7; and Psalm 106:37. A handful of texts allude to "goat-demons": 2 Chronicles 11:15; Leviticus 17:7. Psalm 78:49 mentions "destroying angels." Some texts seem to personify pestilence: Psalm 91:5; Habakkuk 3:5; and Deuteronomy 32:24.
This brief historical look at the background to the unclean spirit in this passage indicates that the Bible consistently affirms that some kinds of spiritual entities exist and bear some responsibility for evil and suffering. These entities can influence human behavior and decisions. The understanding of demons and unclean spirits that lies behind this passage developed after the writing of the Old Testament. That the understanding of demons evolved within the Old Testament and the intertestamental literature makes precise definitions of demons and statements about the exact origin of demons impossible to formulate. Demons were spiritual beings that opposed God's will and could influence human behavior.
Literary Analysis
Now that Jesus has been baptized, undergone his temptation and called his disciples, he begins his ministry. In Mark, Jesus' ministry leads eventually to Jerusalem. It begins now in Galilee, specifically in Capernaum. Even though verses 14-16 describe the content of Jesus' proclamation, we can assume that this is Jesus' first sermon and that the earlier verses represent a summary of Jesus' message. Jesus begins his ministry by preaching in a synagogue. The narrator holds back many of the details about this event. We do not know how Jesus was invited to preach or even what he said. The passage focuses our attention on the reaction to Jesus' message and the confrontation with the unclean spirit. This focus serves Mark's intention to connect Jesus' teaching with his actions of healing and exorcisms.
The scene contains three main characters: Jesus, the unclean spirit (the man possessed by the spirit is only a vessel and doesn't play a real role), and the congregants in the synagogue. The disciples are present, but do not act or speak. The scribes are mentioned, even though they are not present. The contrast between Jesus' teaching and that of the scribes foreshadows the conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders that develops later. Because the congregants act and speak as one, they represent only one character.
The congregants serve to help the reader understand the authority of Jesus' teaching. The narrator tells us that they were "astounded" at Jesus' teaching because he taught with "authority." The congregants themselves speak in verse 27. Their words link Jesus' teaching with his act of casting out the unclean spirit. The congregants serve to summarize the theology of the story.
What we know of Jesus in this story comes from what the narrator tells us, and Jesus' one line in verse 25. We know that Jesus taught and cast out an unclean spirit. We don't know how Jesus felt about encountering the unclean spirit or about his growing fame at the end of the story. Jesus largely remains a mystery to us in this story. The narrator's comment about Jesus' spreading fame foreshadows the crowds who will surround Jesus during his miracle-working ministry.
The most developed character in the story is the unclean spirit. We know something of his emotional state. He is afraid or at least apprehensive of Jesus, asking, "Have you come to destroy us?" (v. 24). He is the character in the story who is on a quest. He brings the fight to Jesus. He appears suddenly in the synagogue, confronting Jesus. In seeking Jesus out and calling him by name ("Jesus of Nazareth," v. 24), the unclean spirit is likely trying to vanquish Jesus. The unclean spirit knows that Jesus is the "Holy One of God" (v. 24). He believes that by calling Jesus' name he can gain control over Jesus, since knowing a divine being's name gave one a certain advantage over that divine being. Obviously, the unclean spirit's quest is a failed quest, as Jesus handily defeats him. The narrator adds to the drama of the story by telling us of the loud cry that the spirit makes when it leaves the man.
The plot of the story revolves around the conflict between Jesus and the unclean spirit. The suddenness of the spirit's appearance and his tough talk ("I know who you are,") make him appear to be a formidable opponent. Jesus defeats the unclean spirit with only a sentence. The spirit can offer no real resistance. We do not know what happens to the spirit once it leaves the man. We do not know if the loud cry is a death cry or only one of anguish at being vanquished. To the narrator, it is enough for us to know that Jesus easily defeated the spirit.
Theological Reflection
By placing this incident at the very beginning of Jesus' ministry, Mark indicates that a significant part of Jesus' mission is to purge the land of demonic forces (see Zechariah 13:2). Jesus performs the same ministry in Gentile territory in chapter 5 (the Gerasene demoniac). When Mark summarizes Jesus' ministry, exorcism or confrontation with unclean spirits is always a part of what Jesus does (see Mark 1:34; 3:11). The exorcism in Mark 9:14-27 highlights how difficult casting out unclean spirits is. That passage implies that, with enough faith, people can cast them out (see v. 19 and v. 29). In Mark 9:38, an unidentified exorcist is able to cast out demons in Jesus' name. Working outside the established "church," the exorcist can do what the disciples apparently cannot.
The role of demons in Mark raises theological questions about the creation. The book of Genesis affirms unequivocally that God's creation is good (Genesis 1:31, passim). The Gospel of John announces, "All things came into being through him" (John 1:3). Colossians 1:16 affirms that "all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created through him and for him (Christ)." These spiritual forces and power are part of God's good creation, even though they oppose God's will. As stated above, the role of Satan evolved within the Bible. Throughout most of the Old Testament, Satan was a member of God's heavenly host. Even though the popular belief exists today that Satan is a "fallen angel," the Bible never explains the origin of Satan and demons. (Isaiah 14:12-17, a poetic text, is not talking about Satan, but about foreign kings.) We do not know why they oppose God's will and torment human beings. Do they choose to be evil, or are they evil by nature? In the end, we are left with a mystery about creation -- why the evil powers are part of God's good creation, and why evil is so prevalent and so strong.
The presence of unclean spirits also causes us to reflect on human responsibility for sinfulness. Even though Mark describes possession by unclean spirits, he does not portray these spirits as causing sin. The unclean spirits and demons cause bizarre and self-destructive behavior, but not the kind of disobedience that Satan causes in 1 Chronicles, or induces in Judas in John 13:27. Still, even though human beings are responsible for their own sins, the presence of unclean spirits indicates that human sinfulness is part of the fallen creation. We are caught up in a corruption bigger than we are. We are trapped by forces stronger than we are. We will not overcome evil only by our own effort. Only in the fullness of the dominion of God will we be free of sin.
The unclean spirit correctly identifies Jesus, "I know who you are, the Holy One of God." Even though the key christological term for Mark is "Son of God," the term used by the unclean spirit helps us understand Jesus' identity. By acknowledging that Jesus is the Holy One of God, the unclean spirit affirms Jesus' priestly function. Aaron, the priest, is called the "holy one of the Lord" in Psalm 106:16. Jesus is the intermediary between the people and God. The understanding of the word "holy" goes back to the Old Testament cultus and refers to the set apartness, or ritual cleanliness, of a person or object. The spirit contrasts Jesus with himself by calling him "holy." Ironically, the unclean spirit is correct about Jesus' identity and mission ("Have you come to destroy us?") The human characters in Mark are not so quick to catch on.
The passage twice refers to the authority of Jesus' teaching. The congregants even refer to the exorcism itself as a "teaching." These references communicate the authenticity of Jesus' teaching and ministry, and to the congruity between Jesus' words and actions. The content of Jesus' teaching was that the dominion of God had come near. Jesus' actions manifested the reality of the in-breaking of the dominion of God.
Pastoral Reading
The preacher can help the congregation identify with this passage in at least two ways. In one sense, we are like the man with the unclean spirit. Along with the rest of creation we have been influenced by demonic forces. We know nothing about the man before he became the vehicle for the unclean spirit, but we know he was not himself. Neither are we. We do not know if the man was aware of his possession, but often we are not aware of the ways we have been corrupted by the demonic forces.
Another way we can identify with this passage is to connect Jesus' exorcism with the ministry of the church. In spite of our sinfulness, the risen Christ calls the church to continue the ministry of healing and opposition to the demonic. Just as Jesus faced a spiritual battle in his ministry, so the church faces a spiritual battle in its ministry in the world. Even if we don't believe in the actual existence of entities that can be called demons or unclean spirits, the evil of the world seems tenacious, intractable, and even cunning. Certainly, the evil of the world seems larger, more senseless and ferocious than humans should be capable of committing. Part of the ministry of the church is to oppose things in the world that seem demonic: racism, injustice, torture, oppression, addiction, hatred, exploitation, and a host of others. Even things we consider good, such as American military might, can be either demonic, or corrupted by demonic forces. These things seem demonic because they are so destructive and self-defeating. They serve no purpose and certainly oppose God's will for creation. They destroy people's lives and cause untold misery. Even if it is frustrating to do such battle, the church is called to be in conflict with these demonic forces. The implication of the exorcism story in Mark 9:17-31 is that the church can engage in this battle with faith and prayer. Just as Jesus' teachings and actions were congruent, so the church must maintain integrity between word and deed, if we are to bear witness to a world suffering from, yet oblivious to, the demonic forces.
Part of reading this story in a pastoral way is to decide what we believe about the biblical understandings of demonology. Do we believe in entities that oppose God's will and can influence human behavior? Are these stories part of the outdated mythology of the ancient world? If such entities exist, can they not understand that they cannot win out over God? What is their purpose in opposing God's will and seeking to cause destruction and tragedy? What do they have against God and humanity? By what mechanism do they influence human behavior and other events? If it is incorrect to speak of the demonic as entities, how do we explain the evil of the world? Why do we, with no outside influence, act in such cruel, self-destructive, and foolish ways? Why can we not choose to be sinless if no outside influence acts upon us?
Whatever our answer to these questions, we know that evil seems defiant and stubborn. Evil steals innocence. We are too often influenced, if not controlled, by such things as addiction, mob mentality, and our own weaknesses and compulsions. Parents, relatives, and even church members pass on their prejudices. Desperation makes us do things we wouldn't ordinarily do. The evil of the world is more than just the collective sins of humanity. We are caught in a web of evil that distorts our souls, individually and corporately. The presence of the unclean spirit in a place of worship raises questions about the demonic even in the church. Many things in the church are liable to demonic influence: our use of money, our willingness to be co-opted by political parties, even our quest for success as defined by the world's standards. A spiritual dimension to sin exists, and the church is called to identify it and battle against it. Only God can ultimately win the battle, but the church keeps up the resistance, as an act of faithfulness to God, and for the sake of those hurt most by the world's evil.
Preaching Strategies
The preacher has two hurdles to overcome in preaching this text. The first is to enable the congregation to think theologically about the demonic. The second is to enable the congregation to see how the risen Christ empowers the church's ministry against the demonic forces.
The challenge in helping a congregation reflect theologically about the demonic is that contemporary Christians in the mainline denominations do not take the demonic and cosmic dimension of evil seriously enough. The preacher certainly does not want to encourage any kind of simplistic belief in demons or demon possession. For example, people with mental illness are not "possessed." Yet, the existence of mental illness is an example of the fallen nature of the creation, of the demonic that seeks to corrupt God's good creation. We, as preachers, want to enable our congregations to see the demonic and spiritual dimension of evil. One strategy for doing that might be to lead the congregation to the recognition that evil seems to be more destructive, intractable, and senseless than human weakness could explain. Perhaps the preacher could enumerate examples of the terrible nature of evil: racism, cruelty, pointless nihilism, and self-defeating behavior. Once the congregation had an idea of how serious the problem of evil is, the preacher could move to a discussion of the biblical understanding of the demonic as the inexplicable corruption of God's good creation. As the Epistle to the Ephesians says, "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" (Ephesians 6:12).
For the second hurdle, the preacher could call the church to stand in opposition to the demonic forces in creation. In worship, proclamation, nurture, witness, outreach, and justice ministries, the church confronts the forces that seek to corrupt God's good creation. The risen Christ works within the church in these ministries. We do not see unclean spirits leave dramatically as in this passage, but we see the church's victories over the demonic forces in society. The preacher could give examples of how the church has successfully worked at reconciliation, the alleviation of suffering, reduction of violence, the reclaiming of lost lives. Each of these is a manifestation of God's victory through Christ over the demonic forces, and the coming near of the realm of God.
____________
1.ÊThe parallel passage in 1 Samuel 24 uses the same Hebrew root for "incite," but attributes the inciting to the Lord (1 Samuel 24:1). In that passage, the Lord is angry at Israel.
