When Demons Come To Church
Preaching
The Miracles Of Jesus And Their Flip Side
Miracle narratives from the Revised Common Lectionary with a fresh look at the other side of the story
We still have help when evil grips us and demands
to raise a ruckus in God's holy sanctuary,
there is a freeing which empowers us once again.
We invite with welcome all sorts and kinds of humanity.
In my younger years this was not such a difficult miracle of Jesus to explain. But now, after many years of ministry and experiences of unexplained demonic situations and people, I'm not all that sure.
It's probably from some writing named "A day in Capernaum." According to Mark's account, Jesus had been announced by his cousin, John the Baptist, then baptized by him. He chose his ministry style by being tempted in the wilderness; and after calling his first disciples, it was time to begin. They started out with a bang in the synagogue at Capernaum. Jesus was the guest teacher that Sabbath. It was going very well because, unlike the teachers who quoted others for their authority, he spoke with his own authority and belief. This amazed his listeners.
Then it happened! A man there started to raise a ruckus. Mark and Luke, who probably heard Peter tell about that very day, said the man "... who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out ..." (Mark 1:23), not the last person to cause a disturbance in church, I dare say!
Demon possession was an accepted belief of those ancient times. Scholars still find in graveyards skulls which have had a hole cut in them to let the evil spirits out. It was thought by most that two angels named Assael and Shemachsai revolted against God because of their lust for mortal women and produced children which became the world's demons. This was so firmly believed that by the year 340 A.D. the Christian church had an order of exorcism.
One hundred years ago, preachers simply told of this incident in the Capernaum synagogue with a sense of awe at the marvelous power of this Messiah Jesus. They claimed it was the beginning of a new ministry by "the Holy One of God" (Mark 1:24b). And there was a wonderful air about the telling we would describe today as, "Hang on to your hats, folks, this Savior and his days on earth are going to be something awesome."
Since psychological science and understanding of mental health have come into their own, we now have taken another look and would explain the demon-possessed man as a mental patient with neurotic problems. We have said also that Jesus simply helped him by accepting what the man believed about demon possession. Jesus' confident, firm, authoritative manner, using the same words he would in stilling the storm later, reassured the man, much like he would the storm in that Lake Galilee squall which so terrified the sailors.
There are times we need such calming in our lives. Jesus can do that for us. He points out a confidence that he is always with us, gives us a new set of priorities, provides friends so we are not alone, and points us to the cross to assure us we are forgiven. For our help we are provided medication, therapy, and support groups to see us through.
The demonic is still with us and after us, although we have given it various clinical names. Oh, we don't talk any longer about a personal devil in long red underwear, with tail, horns, and a pitchfork. Still, we can be consumed (possessed) by powers which rule our lives, like alcoholism, wealth addiction, racism which perverts creation itself, sexual obsession and abuse, drug addiction, lust for power, and plain old guilt, greed, and self-centeredness called narcissism.
This miracle does tell us there is a power greater than these. To be in Christ gives us a spirit and others to help us break free, overcome, and regain mental health.
I'm really glad for this story of healing in the Capernaum synagogue, for it reassures me that our Christ is interested in our mental and physical health as well as the security in eternity of our soul. No wonder Saint Luke, the doctor, also told this story, probably with great delight.
Mental health professionals perhaps say a quiet, "Hallelujah!" at its reading, for it affirms a certain Christ-like ministry to those whose mental faculties have become, for whatever reason, disoriented. And it argues strongly for Christian mental health and medical institutions and chaplains. There is a wholeness about the Christian in mind, spirit, and body.
On the flip side of this exorcism in the Capernaum synagogue is a little detail important for us who are members of congregations. When this demon-possessed man caused a disturbance in worship, Jesus did not have him removed from among the listeners.
Because the Christian church does and should attract all sorts of people, from misfits to malcontents to egomaniacs, there will always be those who cause a ruckus in the congregation. The demonic has put on church clothes and has joined us for worship, often affecting our imperfect attempt at ministry. It's clear from this story we should not only encourage them to be there with all their unpleasantness, peculiar behavior, and downright strangeness, but we should reach out to them with God's undeserved and forgiving, graceful love that healing might take place. And even if it does not take place, where is a better place for them to be than in our congregation of believers and forgiven saints?
The flip side of this miracle of driving out an evil spirit is also this: Instead of explaining the event as something we can now put in psychological terms as to why the man behaved as he did and how Jesus dealt with it as sort of a supernatural psychiatrist, let's consider the real possibility that there is still a strong demonic power which works against God! -- And that so far medical science has not been able to discover a physical power to overcome it.
As a young pastor I was sure I could rationalize away this act of exorcism by Jesus in the church that day in Capernaum. Like some other miracles, it could also be rationally explained how Jesus did it and why it worked. We could relegate the whole matter of demon possession to the sphere of primitive thought.
I'm not so sure any longer!
My many years of ministry and travels to many cultures have caused me to take another look. I believe the other side of this miracle is the demonic's presence yet today in an unexplainable way in our world, even with all its sophistication and diagnosis. There is still a very strong, addictive power, well-organized, which works against God and God's church and ministries. While it is obvious in other lands, it is also here with us.
I witnessed it in Liberia, West Africa, as I was preaching through an interpreter into the Loma language. Wozi, in the interior, is a center of animism. They had laid a vine around the entire town to keep me out. During my preaching the "Lion" came to town to try to scare my young listeners away from hearing the gospel. They also played drums and danced outside the building to drown out the gospel proclamation. But through all the fear and superstition, we were heard and the Holy Spirit moved some to believe. Still, there is the demonic which tries to drown out the gospel in our communities.
We have not arrived at perfection yet in the field of mental and physical health science. Just as we have not yet discovered the reason or cure for cancer or AIDS, we have not yet learned the reason for the demonic which still enters us and destroys the way God would have us be.
Often the role of our faith is to cope with that which we may someday, but do not yet, understand. So, we who are Jesus' contemporary disciples in the synagogues of our towns today do have a remedy for the threat and presence of the demonic in our lives. Like this disruptive man at Capernaum, we also have a Savior here who says today: "Come out of him (or her)" (Mark 1:25b). In the confession and absolution, and in the real presence of Jesus at communion, that which is demonic and rules us can be defeated and called out.
We even have a bonus which that Capernaum fellow didn't have available yet. Through our baptism, like that of Jesus in the wilderness, we have God's powerful Holy Spirit which wants to crowd out the not-as-strong demonic one.
It's time to recognize again that there is a strong and effective power which works against God. It cannot yet be described in medical textbooks or diagnosed with a suggested medication therapy. But it's there. And so is the Christ. And he calls even today through this sermon, hymn singing, praying, confession, communing, and what Jesus did on that cross of Calvary. -- Come out of him! Come out of her! Be quiet and come out! Amen.
to raise a ruckus in God's holy sanctuary,
there is a freeing which empowers us once again.
We invite with welcome all sorts and kinds of humanity.
In my younger years this was not such a difficult miracle of Jesus to explain. But now, after many years of ministry and experiences of unexplained demonic situations and people, I'm not all that sure.
It's probably from some writing named "A day in Capernaum." According to Mark's account, Jesus had been announced by his cousin, John the Baptist, then baptized by him. He chose his ministry style by being tempted in the wilderness; and after calling his first disciples, it was time to begin. They started out with a bang in the synagogue at Capernaum. Jesus was the guest teacher that Sabbath. It was going very well because, unlike the teachers who quoted others for their authority, he spoke with his own authority and belief. This amazed his listeners.
Then it happened! A man there started to raise a ruckus. Mark and Luke, who probably heard Peter tell about that very day, said the man "... who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out ..." (Mark 1:23), not the last person to cause a disturbance in church, I dare say!
Demon possession was an accepted belief of those ancient times. Scholars still find in graveyards skulls which have had a hole cut in them to let the evil spirits out. It was thought by most that two angels named Assael and Shemachsai revolted against God because of their lust for mortal women and produced children which became the world's demons. This was so firmly believed that by the year 340 A.D. the Christian church had an order of exorcism.
One hundred years ago, preachers simply told of this incident in the Capernaum synagogue with a sense of awe at the marvelous power of this Messiah Jesus. They claimed it was the beginning of a new ministry by "the Holy One of God" (Mark 1:24b). And there was a wonderful air about the telling we would describe today as, "Hang on to your hats, folks, this Savior and his days on earth are going to be something awesome."
Since psychological science and understanding of mental health have come into their own, we now have taken another look and would explain the demon-possessed man as a mental patient with neurotic problems. We have said also that Jesus simply helped him by accepting what the man believed about demon possession. Jesus' confident, firm, authoritative manner, using the same words he would in stilling the storm later, reassured the man, much like he would the storm in that Lake Galilee squall which so terrified the sailors.
There are times we need such calming in our lives. Jesus can do that for us. He points out a confidence that he is always with us, gives us a new set of priorities, provides friends so we are not alone, and points us to the cross to assure us we are forgiven. For our help we are provided medication, therapy, and support groups to see us through.
The demonic is still with us and after us, although we have given it various clinical names. Oh, we don't talk any longer about a personal devil in long red underwear, with tail, horns, and a pitchfork. Still, we can be consumed (possessed) by powers which rule our lives, like alcoholism, wealth addiction, racism which perverts creation itself, sexual obsession and abuse, drug addiction, lust for power, and plain old guilt, greed, and self-centeredness called narcissism.
This miracle does tell us there is a power greater than these. To be in Christ gives us a spirit and others to help us break free, overcome, and regain mental health.
I'm really glad for this story of healing in the Capernaum synagogue, for it reassures me that our Christ is interested in our mental and physical health as well as the security in eternity of our soul. No wonder Saint Luke, the doctor, also told this story, probably with great delight.
Mental health professionals perhaps say a quiet, "Hallelujah!" at its reading, for it affirms a certain Christ-like ministry to those whose mental faculties have become, for whatever reason, disoriented. And it argues strongly for Christian mental health and medical institutions and chaplains. There is a wholeness about the Christian in mind, spirit, and body.
On the flip side of this exorcism in the Capernaum synagogue is a little detail important for us who are members of congregations. When this demon-possessed man caused a disturbance in worship, Jesus did not have him removed from among the listeners.
Because the Christian church does and should attract all sorts of people, from misfits to malcontents to egomaniacs, there will always be those who cause a ruckus in the congregation. The demonic has put on church clothes and has joined us for worship, often affecting our imperfect attempt at ministry. It's clear from this story we should not only encourage them to be there with all their unpleasantness, peculiar behavior, and downright strangeness, but we should reach out to them with God's undeserved and forgiving, graceful love that healing might take place. And even if it does not take place, where is a better place for them to be than in our congregation of believers and forgiven saints?
The flip side of this miracle of driving out an evil spirit is also this: Instead of explaining the event as something we can now put in psychological terms as to why the man behaved as he did and how Jesus dealt with it as sort of a supernatural psychiatrist, let's consider the real possibility that there is still a strong demonic power which works against God! -- And that so far medical science has not been able to discover a physical power to overcome it.
As a young pastor I was sure I could rationalize away this act of exorcism by Jesus in the church that day in Capernaum. Like some other miracles, it could also be rationally explained how Jesus did it and why it worked. We could relegate the whole matter of demon possession to the sphere of primitive thought.
I'm not so sure any longer!
My many years of ministry and travels to many cultures have caused me to take another look. I believe the other side of this miracle is the demonic's presence yet today in an unexplainable way in our world, even with all its sophistication and diagnosis. There is still a very strong, addictive power, well-organized, which works against God and God's church and ministries. While it is obvious in other lands, it is also here with us.
I witnessed it in Liberia, West Africa, as I was preaching through an interpreter into the Loma language. Wozi, in the interior, is a center of animism. They had laid a vine around the entire town to keep me out. During my preaching the "Lion" came to town to try to scare my young listeners away from hearing the gospel. They also played drums and danced outside the building to drown out the gospel proclamation. But through all the fear and superstition, we were heard and the Holy Spirit moved some to believe. Still, there is the demonic which tries to drown out the gospel in our communities.
We have not arrived at perfection yet in the field of mental and physical health science. Just as we have not yet discovered the reason or cure for cancer or AIDS, we have not yet learned the reason for the demonic which still enters us and destroys the way God would have us be.
Often the role of our faith is to cope with that which we may someday, but do not yet, understand. So, we who are Jesus' contemporary disciples in the synagogues of our towns today do have a remedy for the threat and presence of the demonic in our lives. Like this disruptive man at Capernaum, we also have a Savior here who says today: "Come out of him (or her)" (Mark 1:25b). In the confession and absolution, and in the real presence of Jesus at communion, that which is demonic and rules us can be defeated and called out.
We even have a bonus which that Capernaum fellow didn't have available yet. Through our baptism, like that of Jesus in the wilderness, we have God's powerful Holy Spirit which wants to crowd out the not-as-strong demonic one.
It's time to recognize again that there is a strong and effective power which works against God. It cannot yet be described in medical textbooks or diagnosed with a suggested medication therapy. But it's there. And so is the Christ. And he calls even today through this sermon, hymn singing, praying, confession, communing, and what Jesus did on that cross of Calvary. -- Come out of him! Come out of her! Be quiet and come out! Amen.
