Date: 20 Jan 2000
Time: 19:39:32
Of all the nouns in this text, the most common, occurring four times, is "demons." I am drawn to preach on demons, something along the lines of: "Demons are the evil forces that keep us tied to sin---for them to possess us, they have to have an external source, such as the systemic evil of Nazism AND an internal acquiescence to this force. Jesus' redeeming power enables those possessed to cast off the evil and enter the kingdom of God." How far to go in a general discussion of evil? To name demons? Such as Demon Rum; sex addiction; gambling; and whether to include as demons what we understand nowadays more as illness---such as post-traumatic stress disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder? I await your thoughts with eagerness. Peace be with each of you. DeacDr in Tenn
Date: 21 Jan 2000
Time: 15:26:29
Last week we were introduced to the theme of discipleship as Jesus begins forming a new kingdom community. This week we see how this new community functions: those who recieve healing then serve. (Mark 1:31)
By the way, this will not be the last time in Mark's gospel that women will take the lead as true disciples of Jesus.
...Nigel in Australia
Date: 24 Jan 2000
Time: 13:22:03
Even after the whole city had visited his door for healing, Jesus goes to a deserted place. Just a short period of time afer Satan had tried to direct the ministry of Jesus by tempting Him in the wilderness, Jesus understands the importance of solitude. Just how important is solitude when you are making decisions? Also, no doubt the dicisples are pleased at the attention displayed by the town, but Jesus stayed focused. LET US GO ON..... How many times do we stop because we think we are successful. Let us go on and proclaim the message. Is that what we came to do? RT in SoCar
Date: 24 Jan 2000
Time: 21:06:34
Biblical scholars used to think the Gospel of John had too much gnostic influence to be as close to the historical Jesus as Paul and the synoptic gospels. It was thought that "gnostic thought" represented some sort of primitave or magical world view that was unworthy of mainstream Christian thought. Now leading biblical scholars are having second thoughts about this. What if it turns out that concepts of demonic posession were a greater misunderstanding of Jesus healings that gnosticism ever was? What if John and James and the wisdom traditions are closer to the historical Jesus than is this synoptic view of Jesus who does battle with demonic spirits?
Date: 26 Jan 2000
Time: 16:25:15
I agree that the concept of "demon possession" is a 1st century description of certain disorders. makes me wonder: if Jesus had come in today's world would he have used modern medical concepts to heal people? Interesting how God always seems to come down on our level of understanding, just like the parent does in order to help make the toddler make sense of the world.
Date: 28 Jan 2000
Time: 13:45:09
JG in WI
In last week's lesson, we read how Jesus taught and dealt with one man who had a demon. Today we read of how Jesus healed many and, again, dealt with demons.
Ron Hutchcraft gives a great illustration of these principles in a devotional. He says that he knew a girl who got up early every morning and skated for hours, working out and improving her skills. Day after day before school she was up and working. Years later, he was traveling and saw the girl on television competing in the winter olympics! She was then in the spotlight; but Ron knew how she got there. It was the hours on the rink before school, day after day.
What was the secret of Jesus' success and spiritual power? It's found in v. 35. Daily time with God. Daily time in realtionship with the father. Hutchcraft's devotional is called, "No Shortcuts For Champions." There's no shortcuts for spiritual "championship." It's daily time with God.
Date: 29 Jan 2000
Time: 04:02:54
RE last week:
Nailbender: AMEN. and AMEN.
kent in Québec
Date: 30 Jan 2000
Time: 21:39:31
We tend to think of Jesus as a Billy Graham of his time, a preacher whose brilliant ideas and eloquent speeches attracted crowds of thousands to hear him. Jesus was a brilliant orator. He knew how to tell a story better than anybody. He could inspire and captivate and motivate people with his eloquence. But as in Edgar Guest’s "Sermons we see," (http://www.appleseeds.org/Sermons_Guest.htm) the essence of Jesus’ influence on the people of his time. There was simply no misunderstanding how he acted and how Jesus lived. Last time we saw him drive out a demon from a man who was suffering terribly from demonic possession. Here we hear about Jesus curing Peter’s mother-in-law. Next time we will hear how Jesus healed a man suffering from leprosy. Everywhere he went, Jesus would come upon people in terrible misery, like Job‘s misery in the Old Testament, and Jesus would lay his hands on them and heal them. DeaconTim in Ohio
Date: 31 Jan 2000
Time: 01:56:08
I believe that Satan is still busy sending out demons and unclean spirits. And they may not be as recognizable as Nazis or addictions to drugs, gambling & alcohol or mental illness. Demons also show up as envy, argumentativeness, bigotry, discouragement, negativity and self-doubt, to name a few. Violence, deception, greed, satisfaction with our own life while others around us are hungry, homeless, hurting are more demons that can possess us. The hope that Jesus gives us is that he is master over those demons and has the power to drive them out. He has the power even now to work healing in our lives, to help us cope with the damage done by demons. The power of evil was evident to the people of the first century, and evil is still very real. The power of God, in Jesus, was also evident to the people of the first century as we see in this passage from Mark, and it too is still very real, praise God. JG in NJ
Date: 31 Jan 2000
Time: 02:45:43
This passage is certainly a reminder of how important it is that we remain connected to God. Bishop Job teaches that we should spend an hour a day, a day a month, and a week a year in retreat and prayer. Keeping our connection with God. Jesus knew this as he got up early and went to a deserted place and prayed. Sounds like He was recharging His batteries. How interesting that those who know the power of Jesus search for him. Are the disciples warning Jesus or informing Him? Just thinking... PS in Iowa
Date: 31 Jan 2000
Time: 11:39:28
Flirting with demons - dangerous stuff!!
I think a question that comes to my mind from this passage is; What power is it that silences demons?
And what I am often confronted with in these incidents involving evil, is the way us Christians - tend to present the passages as if they are speaking to someone other than ourselves. (The ones out there.) We have the demons, we carry the evil and when love confronts us with the truth we tend to cry out a little, and contort and convulse as we are forced to face our lack of love. Yet unless we are confronted with the light of Christ's truth, we will remain in the darkness. Remember, John reminds us that we prefer the darkness to the light, so that our deeds won't be exposed.
Now as for Jesus seeking solitude. You try confronting people with the truth about their own demons and see if you don't tire and get drained. Eventually you know, if you keep at it, people would rather crucify you, than face up to the truth.
JG in NY is correct in my view. There are many demons just as there were in Jesus' day. Each of them very subtle in their controlling influence of us. We succumb to them in the false belief that we are only human after all. The worse demons to deal with are those who lurk in the synagogues (churches), wolves wrapped in sheep's clothing. These demons present themselves as people doing God's will. And the most dangerous demon as M. Scott-Peck points out in one of his books, is the spirit of the "lie". (To not be true to yourself) The devil isn't called the prince of liars for nothing.
Flirting with demons is dangerous territory. Thank goodness Christ presents us with the means to heal people's lives, by giving us the authority of love through our baptism, and the power of the eucharist. Not only do we receive our own healing from demons, by the spirit that lives in us, but through our own struggle, we can proclaim the gospel to others.
"Deliver us from evil". Evil knows truth alright, just as unloved people instinctively seem to know genuine love when it is offered to them.
This is never very comfortable to deal with, but necessary.
Nice to be back with you after a break.
KGB in Aussie.
Date: 31 Jan 2000
Time: 18:02:14
I want to be a bit careful of too much demon stuff. Last week it was not a "demon" but and "unclean spirit" which Jesus cast out. To me there is a difference. The unclean spirit may have be just a judgmental spirit - Can any good thing come out of Nazareth - What right do you, a carpenter's son from a backwood's village, have in telling us, jews in an important fishing town, what to believe. Today I would be careful of too strong an emphesis on casting out demons or unclean spirits. For me the emphesis seems to be the contrast between servanthood (Peter's mother) and greed or self-gain (the whole village wanted Jesus' healing and blessing). But notice that not all are healed only "many" were healed. The important thing for Jesus seems to be sharing the message. But Mark does not tell us what the message is. I believe the message is an invitation to be in relationship with God (Love God and one another) - Not just to be blessed by God. God is not just a sugar-plum-fairy. He calls us to be a co-worker with him in the Kingdom of God. He sends us the Holy Spirit to empower and guide us. I believe the emphesis should be on the solitude and prayer. That process by which we may discern God's will for our lives and find power to live that will out.
B.W.
Date: 31 Jan 2000
Time: 18:15:39
on the subject of demons, I ask you all to ponder this, have you personally ever been in the presence
of someone who exuded evil, you could feel the evil?
how did you react physically? spiritually? I write this because often we are so postmodern to write on evil/demons and yet and yet, evil is still present.
micki
Date: 31 Jan 2000
Time: 20:39:19
I agree with RT in SoCar - and BW - this gospel message is not about casting out demons or curing people. This message is about what Jesus ministry will be. How will it be shaped? What will it entail. Even today - we focus on what happens to us rather than the process of the happening. The text says directly "THEY" were bringing people to Jesus all through the evening - "THEY", being Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John. They saw him call out the unclean spirit in the synagogue, they saw him take Simon Peter's mother-in-law by the hand and "the fever left her" - it is so early in Jesus ministry - it is clear that Jesus does not want the disciples to get caught up in the crowds and the excitement gathering people and healing them. He wants the people to know about the authority from which he speaks. He wants people to know God.
On another note - I was taken by the words "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark. . ." -- recall that this is when Mary Magdalene ( or all 3 women - depending on which gospel you're reading ) rose to tend Jesus' body following his death on the cross. Just a thought - but there may be a connection there as to what habits and impressions Jesus leaves behind.
How often are we so caught up in the excitement that we forget the purpose. How often do we rely upon our own strength rather than drawing from God's power through Christ. We tend to like the attention by itself - though fleeting.
Just some thoughts. --L I L
Date: 31 Jan 2000
Time: 20:46:00
DEMONS! UNCLEAN SPIRITS?! I prefer to preach in a positive mode, which is to say it does not matter what illness, hurt, or evil we are possessed with. What ever it is, and what ever it was Jesus dealt with, it was something that kept us apart from God. There is nothing more important than "connectedness". It is what makes Christianity unique among world religions. We know we have a connection with God through Jesus.
Date: 31 Jan 2000
Time: 22:54:03
My church is beginning to see the need for evangelism, my emphasis for Feb. is on evangelism. What hit me in this text is Jesus said he had to go to other towns to proclaim the message. Wouldn't we rather stay where we are already known and accepted? Jesus was popular where he was...he could have stayed where he was comfortable. I think I will stress the fact that God wants to move us out of our "comfort zones". And the way we know what God is calling us to do and where God wants us to go is through prayer. And when we are prayed up and being obedient then we too will have the power to heal ourselves and others. Teri-n-TX
Date: 31 Jan 2000
Time: 22:54:43
My church is beginning to see the need for evangelism, my emphasis for Feb. is on evangelism. What hit me in this text is Jesus said he had to go to other towns to proclaim the message. Wouldn't we rather stay where we are already known and accepted? Jesus was popular where he was...he could have stayed where he was comfortable. I think I will stress the fact that God wants to move us out of our "comfort zones". And the way we know what God is calling us to do and where God wants us to go is through prayer. And when we are prayed up and being obedient then we too will have the power to heal ourselves and others. Teri-n-TX
Date: 31 Jan 2000
Time: 23:13:46
Hi Everyone,
For those of you preaching about demons this week there is an excellent article in WEAVINGS the Nov./Dec. 19997 issue. It is entitled "Exorcism and Deliverance " by Avery Brooke. I found this to be helpful and well balanced. It also gave some good counsel on approaching evil/demons. I am taking a different track this week, having preached on "the unclean spirit" this past week. It may well have been a demon; several of my sources referred to it as such. Anyway, my husband is also ordained and a hospital chaplain. We rarely get to be together on Sunday, each of us ministering in different places. So since he is home recovering from minor surgery, we are going to preach together...a dialogue sermon...As we looked at the Scriptures this morning we talked about the tension between relating to God..(prayer and worship), relating/ ministering to those in our families, or inner-circles such as Peter's mother-in-law, and minstering to and serving those outside our doors..our neighbors near and far. I think that many in our congregation are struggling with this question of balance between home/family/work/church. I know that we sure wrestle with it as a clergy family.So often our churches call people out to another meeting or event, when they may need to be home with their closest neighbors of all their families. I think that exploring this fills out the idea of call, which is sometimes to those closest to us,rather than leaving them in the boat with Zebedee ?? I think that it is not either/or but both/and yet more often ministry...answering the call.. are equated only with leaving and going. How might our prayer direct our ministry and tell us each day when to stay and when to go..and where we might minister each day. I hunger for a more balanced approach lived out by those around me and especially from the leadership in my denomination, which so often models the workaholic ethic inthe name of the Lord.(now there is a demon/unclean spirit for you !) VMRT in CT wgere we finally have some beautiful snow !
Date: 31 Jan 2000
Time: 23:19:37
PS One more thought; after Peter's mother-in-law is healed they have a meal, break bread together. This is a communion Sunday for us, so I wonder how might the breaking of bread, the sacrament inform this debate(see above)!? VMRT in CT
Date: 01 Feb 2000
Time: 10:53:38
Mark. The gospel of confrontation. The Light says to the darkness, "I know who you are." And the darkness says to the Light, "I know who you are." R. in Rossville, GA
Date: 01 Feb 2000
Time: 14:03:51
It is important that the scripture regarding Simon's mother does not focus on her serving the disciples. Healed only for serving can be construed to mean that women are only for serving men. I do not preach this to the entire congregation but use it only as a precaution against misuse.
Date: 01 Feb 2000
Time: 19:26:34
Re: Mark1:29-39
I believe that it is important to see this entire passage as one in the context of v. 38 'Jesus Proclaims The (message)Gospel', healing, enabling Simon's mother-in-law to return to servanthood, casting out demons... Jesus shares the good news of the kingdom by giving himself away. We are invited...
Hank
Date: 01 Feb 2000
Time: 20:36:53
I get the feeling that Mark is trying to say something to the Church about what it means to be a participant in the good news of God. It would be nice to know the sitz im leben of the text. Any thoughts?
The text is certainly warning the Church against the danger of the approving crowds and the "settling" of the gospel in a particular location (a pre-cross location).
By the way, I am to announce to an approving congregation this Sunday that I will be going to another town to preach the gospel. I see your prayers.
+Soul Man E
Date: 01 Feb 2000
Time: 21:55:46
What do we say about healing in Holy Scripture? So many of the commentators speak of it only through metaphor, or as our Lord's way of confronting the powerful within the culture. Rarely do we hear how peoples lives were renewed and uplifted through their faith, hope, and love. How do we make these lessons speak to our own people who thirst and hunger for new life.
tom in ga
I aint no charismatic or fundamentalist, just someone who believes that the living Jesus continues in our midst.
Date: 01 Feb 2000
Time: 22:01:03
What does it mean that everyone is searching for Jesus (v.37)? What are they searching for and why can't they find him?
And the response of Jesus is unexpected and abrupt. Instead of responding to the immediate need, Jesus remains committed to his original mission.
There is something here that I haven't quite gotten my mind wrapped around yet. But it is intriguing.
Date: 01 Feb 2000
Time: 22:02:22
Some good stuff's emerging this week. Last week I spoke about the unclean things that get into us and how Jesus cleanses us and enables us to begin anew. This scripture ties in so beautifully with the O.T.lesson in Isaiah as Jesus goes out in the morning darkness to wait for/be with God. We all need that quiet time when we just rest in God's loving embrace, listening to the songs of angels and tasting the goodness of the Lord. I once met a preacher who said he spent the entire morning in prayer or he wasn't able to do anything the rest of the day. But more than that, we just need to spend time waiting for/with God because it pleases God. Give God a chance to bless us. After all, God is God. -Fisherfolk in OH
Date: 01 Feb 2000
Time: 23:44:11
Hi - I too started with the theme of "demons" but after searching the web and Biblical dictionary was not satisfied with some of the explanations. I particularly was unsure how the demons expressed themselves. Did they actually speak? If so in what language? Where did the demons go when they were cast out. We know about the pigs, but what about other demons. Anyway, I am not dwelling on the demons, rather, I am concentrating on what Jesus said after his solititude. "I know why I have come forth" I will concentrate heavily on the need for solitude and spending time witj Jesus in order to find out just why "I/you/we have come forth". I want to talk about how to discern what Jesus has called us to do with our lives. I'd like to tie it into Black History Month. I'd like to talk about how some famous Blacks were destined for greatness but through adversities maybe demons like racism, sexism, illnesses, poor education, etc.l were deterred, but through seeking out God's will were finally able to make it and beat the odds. Any ideas - does this sound plausable?
Date: 01 Feb 2000
Time: 23:45:31
Hi - I too started with the theme of "demons" but after searching the web and Biblical dictionary was not satisfied with some of the explanations. I particularly was unsure how the demons expressed themselves. Did they actually speak? If so in what language? Where did the demons go when they were cast out. We know about the pigs, but what about other demons. Anyway, I am not dwelling on the demons, rather, I am concentrating on what Jesus said after his solititude. "I know why I have come forth" I will concentrate heavily on the need for solitude and spending time witj Jesus in order to find out just why "I/you/we have come forth". I want to talk about how to discern what Jesus has called us to do with our lives. I'd like to tie it into Black History Month. I'd like to talk about how some famous Blacks were destined for greatness but through adversities maybe demons like racism, sexism, illnesses, poor education, etc.l were deterred, but through seeking out God's will were finally able to make it and beat the odds. Any ideas - does this sound plausable?
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 02:22:24
This week I shall probably reflect the Markan reading upon the Isaiah reading. We're still "not there." We still need strength for the journey. I intepret Jesus' exorcisms and healings as an inbreaking of the kingdom of God: There is no evil and no illness in the kingdom of God. However, we still await that final manifestation and flowering. Until then we "exorcise" evil among ourselves and our society. We heal as "best we can," be in physical, mental, or spiritual. Every little bit counts in a world of "misery." We anticipate in the Lord's Supper the bringing together of the people of God from the "four courners of the world." We celebrat an event that is yet to take place, but its implications for our daily lives never leave us. Mark in Va.
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 02:34:13
The unknown poster above speaks of the intrigue of finding Jesus.
I believe firmly that all of us are searching for Jesus in one way or another. But I think that focus is misplaced. I believe we've all found Jesus. Our focus ought to be on knowing Him.
Rick in Va
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 02:49:25
What I find interesting in this text is Jesus' pattern of opperation, established early on and maintained throughout his ministry.
1. Engage in active ministry.
2. Retreat for prayer and reflection.
3. Expand upon that ministry(innovate).
Repeat process.
How often do we get stuck in one stage and forget about the others? Effective work, however, requires us to recycle ourselves through the process - continuously.
Regarding demons. Anything that controls one's life is demonic - including sex, drugs, and gambling. In Jesus time epilepsy was seen to be a form of demon possession. But I don't see the brief reference to demons in the text to be the focal point of the text. The point I believe is that Jesus exercises authority over everything that can possibly destroy you in body and spirit.
DR
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 03:39:02
What language do you think these demons spoke?
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 03:59:17
To me, Mark’s point seems to be that the demonic forces are not the ones which most greatly affect Jesus’ ministry. To this point in the gospel, Jesus handles the demonic with ease. In fact, throughout the gospel, the demonic is no match whatsoever for the power of God in Jesus. In Mark, Jesus’ real opponents are very often the all-too-human disciples. This passage gives us a glimpse at how ornery they will become. Let me explain:
What strikes me about this passage is the difficulty of the ministry which Jesus has taken up. Everyone so far has been responding positively to Jesus, spreading his fame throughout Galilee (1:28). So, now the demand for his presence and attention becomes almost overwhelming. The entire city of Capernaum swamps Simon’s house. The episode of prayer comes smack-dab in the middle of four healing stories. Mark wants us to know that Jesus drew strength for healing from outside his own person–from God. To be a healing presence requires prayer and introspection. (Interestingly, in 9:14-29 the disciples are unable to exorcise a spirit from a man’s son. After Jesus casts out the spirit, the disciples ask, “Why could we not cast it out?” Jesus replies, “This kind can come out only through prayer.” Apparently the disciples do not pray, or at the least, they do not associate prayer and healing.) The word translated “hunted” in 1:36 has quite hostile connotations in Greek. It is as if the disciples are trying to force Jesus back into service. You see, Jesus need not fear Satan. Jesus handles Satan’s temptation in less than a verse (1:13). The disciples are even more adversarial.
It is not the supernatural which distracts me from prayer. Usually it is my own sense of ministry. My own overwhelming calendar and my unwillingness to carve out genuine time for renewal are far worse enemies than the evil one. Satan is no match for God’s kingdom in Jesus. Sometimes, regrettably, Jesus’ present-day disciples are. Mea Culpa!
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 14:59:24
I think we can see in this passage the main elements of Jesus' ministry in microcosm: (1) he responds to people's needs (healing); (2) he proclaims the message (confronting evil, casting out demons); (3) he withdraws to nurture his relationship with God. The first two are two sides of the same coin: he proclaims the Gospel partly by meeting people's needs, by <i>being</i> good news to them as well as by <i>telling</i> them good news. The third is essential because being in touch with God is the foundation of all ministry. <p> This shows a pattern for our ministry too: for everyone's ministry, both those of us who are ordained or authorised, and everyone who undertakes any kind of ministry in the name of Jesus. We need all these elements, although the balance of them will be different for different people, and we need to work together in community to get a good balance overall. <p> The service I will be preaching at on Sunday includes the baptism of two children, and I think that this pattern for ministry is also relevant to the special ministry of parents and godparents. <p> Jeremy in Hampshire, UK
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 15:26:47
Howdy, I am struck by the irony of using the Gospel famous for the "Messianic Secret" during the season of Epiphany - a time that showes who Jesus is. I also harbor several musings concerning the lesson such as the contrast between the actions of Simon's mother-in-law and the disciples. It seems the disciples spent their time directing people towards Jesus while - as Mark puts it - Simon's mother-in-law began serving them. Why the difference in the identification of actions. Were not the disciples also serving? Is there some subtle difference? Back to the Messianic Secret. If you take what is the shorter ending to Mark, you have a picture of someone crying "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" and, then, dying a criminal's death. Not a likely picture for a Messiah. Then a soldier proclaims "Truly this man was the Son of God!" What spurred his confession? Can it be seen in this lesson? Jesus' focus on proclaiming the message? Are the doings with the demons and the healings a result of the proclamation that - when focused upon rather than the proclamation itself - lose the proclamation? Maybe Simon's mother-in-law is descrbed as "serving" because her actions most closely resembles those of Jesus. Rather than simply pointing, she points with her serving. Jesus serves and, when people start to clamoring to him as though he were a magician, he moves on before the proclamation is lost upon them.
Yarnspinner, VA
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 16:49:25
I think that in this passage we see several of the priorities of Jesus' mission and ministry.
We see the priority of people. Jesus ministers to the crowds, but Jesus also ministers to one individual who has fever. People matter more than programs!
We see the priority of prayer. Jesus took time to be alone with the Father. He needed to get away from the demands of ministry and find spiritual refreshment. Do we neglect the importance of prayer and solitude in our own ministries?
We see the priority of preaching. Preaching the good news of the kingdom of God was more important than spectacular miracles, for many lives would be changed by this more mundane ministry. If we overlook the importance of sharing God's word, we are neglecting the most important thing!
J.D. Ward, Ponca City, OK
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 17:52:57
There's something annoying to me at first reading about Peter's Mother-in-Law being healed to serve - is that all women are good for?!? I think though she must have thought that being permitted to serve, when a few minutes earlier she was struggling with a life threatening fever must have been a great gift. When we are healthy we take for granted the ordinary pleasures - and grumble about the mundane and tedious tasks we are given to do. Illness makes us realize how precious life is, even the tedious bits. Since this is February 2nd, I'm reminded of one of the most underrated movies of the decade, "Groundhog's Day." This is the story of a man who is condemned to repeating the same dull day over and over again. After exporing the possibilities of using the day for hedonism, nilism, and manipulating others, he finally decides to sanctify his time by using the day to serve others and make himself better. Suddenly the mundane becomes blessed. How does the task of serving dinner change after the server has been touched by Jesus' healing? Lisa in So. IL
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 17:54:15
This passage seems to point that Jesus heals all sorts of illinesses in asll sorts of environments fro all sorts of people. This passge is about the sovereinity, cgwaciousness and holiness of God as given through Jesus Christ. Where Jesus is so is God. The dsciples don;t get it. The crowds hunger for it. But Peter's mother-in-law shows us the reposne of discpleship - the act of service (diakonia). God's presence in Christ is transformative and life giving, life saving.
Dale in Brantford, Ontario
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 19:05:20
Hello all, I have not contributed before, but have enjoyed your comments. So, here are some thoughts. As I studied this passage, I was caught by the fact that Jesus wanted to move on to preach in other cities, which he says is his mission (why he has come). This conclusion came after prayer, which focused him! This concept is rooted in the words of Mark 1:14-15 where his ministry begins and he preaches repentance for the kingdom of God is near. The healings, demon exercisms, etc. are all just side benefits. John says they are to establish that he is the Son of God so that we would believe and have life in his name (John 20:30-31). The reason Christ came was to establish the New Covenant and proclaim repentance, the rest is peripheral. We often focus on the peripheral, forgetting the main focus. Just some thoughts. TH of New York
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 19:53:08
To Rick in VA:
I am the unknown poster who is intrigued by the search for Jesus. Perhaps it is the wrong focus. However, I can't seem to quit wondering about it.
Don't you find it somewhat ironic that everyone is searching for Jesus because he's not where they think he ought to be. We do the same thing. We pray for the sick and when they don't recover, we wonder where Jesus is. Has he moved on? Has he committed us to prayer and moved on to another arena of ministry? Are we to do the same. Just what are we to think about Jesus' comment in v. 38?
These are the questions that I find intriguing.
Paul in Illinois
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 20:13:38
Earlier 'DR' commented on the pattern of Jesus ministry. 1. Engage in Activce Ministry; 2. Retreat for Prayer and Meditation; 3. Expand on that ministry. I like it, but would add one. His day began in the Synagogue on the Sabbath. He started teaching and worshiping within his community. From that place he went out to engage in further ministry (recall, he had already healed a man while in the synagogue) both private and public, then retreat to pray and then went on to another town to preach. 1. Community worship, which includes teaching/learning. 2. Active ministry; 3. Reflection and Prayer; 4. Refocuse on Preaching to those who have not heard.
JME in Toronto
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 20:14:10
Earlier 'DR' commented on the pattern of Jesus ministry. 1. Engage in Activce Ministry; 2. Retreat for Prayer and Meditation; 3. Expand on that ministry. I like it, but would add one. His day began in the Synagogue on the Sabbath. He started teaching and worshiping within his community. From that place he went out to engage in further ministry (recall, he had already healed a man while in the synagogue) both private and public, then retreat to pray and then went on to another town to preach. 1. Community worship, which includes teaching/learning. 2. Active ministry; 3. Reflection and Prayer; 4. Refocuse on Preaching to those who have not heard.
JME in Toronto
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 20:37:42
A few weeks ago we had Philip "found" by Jesus and then Philip went and "found" Nathanael and told him they had "found" the one whom Moses and the Prophets had spoken about -- and it was Jesus. When Nathanael questions and doubts that Jesus (from Nazareth) could really be "the one" Philip simply says "come and see".
Here - in this gospel we have a situation where the disciples come to "find" Jesus -- they hunt him down because there is commotion and people want to see more -- I hear the foreshadowing of the 4/5000 who say "show us a sign". Like Paul in Illinois, I think there is something about this search for Jesus. What do they hope to find? Do they want what they find when Jesus suggests they go on to the next town? There are some unanswered questions here. But the point I keep coming back to is - Jesus has a purpose and as he seeks to do God's work and make God known among the people, he cannot be distracted by what the people want. It is not about what we want - it is about the relationship God wants - with us! Perfectly illustrated in the prayer life of Jesus. This incident very well might be the first time the disciples have seen Jesus take pesonal devotional time.
In this passage Jesus is asking the disciples to "come and see". I wonder what we "come to see" at church. My people say - "come join us - we have such a warm and friendly church family" (and we actually do). Other churchfolk might say "come and see our programs" or "come and see our building" or "come and see our pastor" or "come and see our children". . . and the disciples say to Jesus "come and see the crowds that have gathered". But Jesus says to the disciples - no, "come and see God". Come and see where God will lead us, what God will do and let us spread the message instead of getting caught up in what we want to see.
It's so easy for us to forget what we're really about, who we are and whose we are. It's so easy to forget when we get caught up in being entertained, amazed and astounded.
L I L
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 21:16:04
Most scholars believe that the demons spoke in King James English --just like Jesus did except for the red print.
Date: 02 Feb 2000
Time: 22:46:28
I currently am stuck with the idea that one of the things that Jesus was teaching the disciples in this story is the importance of a sense of wholeness, and healing within one's own household before one goes out to other's houses. I wonder if Simon was more interested in "helping others" and overlooked the healing that was needed within his own life and family. Not that this is a story about self-serving, but rather Jesus pointing out the need to make sure one's own life is whole and healed. One could say that this is exactly what Jesus was doing when he went out to pray. He was tending to his own needs, then going out. Just a thought on a sunny ground hog's day
-Tabor in CO
Date: 03 Feb 2000
Time: 04:29:10
Any good connections between this and the Isaiah passage? kbc in sc
Date: 03 Feb 2000
Time: 12:49:29
Dear Paul in Illinois,
Your questions are good ones. And I think the answers come the more we know Jesus. We'll never know him perfectly on this side of eternity, but we can surely know him better and more fully on this side.
I think L I L has summed it up very nicely:
"But the point I keep coming back to is - Jesus has a purpose and as he seeks to do God's work and make God known among the people, he cannot be distracted by what the people want. It is not about what we want - it is about the relationship God wants - with us!"
Amen!
Rick in Va
Date: 03 Feb 2000
Time: 16:02:45
O.K., here goes- several unrelated bits to several folks and everybone else, too. 1st, thanx to the unknown poster(please tell)who cleared up the language of demons! I needed the chuckle. I too think KJV english is demonspeak, especially when it ties my toungue during a responsive reading from the Cokesbury hymnal(which one of my congregations insist on still using occassionally<demon of nostalgia>). Speaking of demons- thanx to whoever reminded us WE have 'em too. I met with my Pastor/Parish Relations Comittee last week, concerning my next year's appointment, and had such an unclean spirit the rest of the week that I couldn't concentrate on sermon writing and had to revive last cycles sermon. A big thanx to VMRT and Lisa and all the other clergywomen who pop my guy-eyes open from time to time. I still sometimes hear a lay man say, "I'll never listen to a woman preach!" They don't hear me often either. Sigh. I hadn't thought of the meal Peter's mother served as a type of eucharist but considering the healing she had, it was definitely a celebration meal of joy, not just a chore. I think of the hymn, "Take Our Bread" (U.M.Hymnal)which reminds us it is our bread(not manna from heaven), sanctified by Christ's presence with us, making the mundane holy. I think I may preach on the disciples desire to draw Jesus back and His desire to go on. How's this for a synopsis? Long before his enemies drove nails in his hands, his friends drove nails in his hems. "Nails in His Hems" might make a good sermon title. Lastly,(is anyone still reading?), concerning the 1st/20th century viewpoints on demons-What if(now this is only a what-if; don't imagine you know me now)-what if they were right and we are wrong? What if, instead of them naively believing diseases to be demons, we are the naive ones calling "dis-ease" what is actully malevolent sentinence? Just something to think on. tom in TN(USA)
Date: 03 Feb 2000
Time: 16:31:59
Thanks to Paul in Illinois and Rick in Virginia. I think I will preach Sunday on the phrase "everyone is searching for you." In one sense that phrase is about the world searching for Jesus, even though they may not know what they are searching for. But in another context, the story is about Jesus needing to get up before dawn to find some time to be alone, quiet, away from the clutching, ever-present demands of the world. For me, that is also a description of my Christian walk. I, too, need to find rejuvenation, spiritual nourishment, from a world that often sucks me dry or leaves me feeling scattered and chaotic. I think many of the folks in church, too, think that being a Christian should mean eliminating all our problems and stresses. The truth about all those demands, problems, stresses, worries is this: "they are all searching for you." They will seek us out. We can't get away from them, any more than Jesus could get away from his. I know that I have to do what he did, find the quiet space with God. Sometimes I have to re-focus my mind away from the familiar issues that seem so overwhelming. Go on to another village. Put things in perspective. Trust in God's grace. -- Tim in Deep River
Date: 03 Feb 2000
Time: 18:45:25
KBC in SC asked if there are any connections between this text and the Isaiah 40 text. I believe there is. In this text we see Jesus modeling attention to prayer. In Isaiah we see a big part of what prayer is, remembering who God is, waiting, and being renewed. Jim in SC
Date: 03 Feb 2000
Time: 19:34:40
To all who are "searching" :
I found some really cool stuff I want to share with you. The first is a sermon by Barry J. Robinson entitled "Don't Make Me No Hero." You can find it at http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/b-or05-keeping.html. Check it out. You won't be sorry.
The other is an medical analysis of the text by Michael Hoy. You can find that at http://www.crossings.org/theology/theolo206.htm.
The conclusion I am coming to is that exorcism and healing are natural outcomes of coming into contact with the Messiah. However, it is the message of the Good News that brings wholeness. What are we wearching for? A quick fix? The fulfillment of our immediate needs? Or are we searching for the wholeness that comes from entering into the Good News?
Let me know what you think!
Paul in Illinois
Date: 03 Feb 2000
Time: 19:37:01
Again this week, thanks and appreciation for the many thoughtful contributions.
I. Reflections on what Jerome Frank, in his book *Persuasion and Healing - A Comparative Study of Psychotherapy,* calls “nonmedical healing”: A. The healer helps to create an attitude of “expectant trust” in the person who is suffering, an attitude which “in itself can be a powerful healing force” (p. 74) B. The healer acts to “stimulat[e] or strengthen the [person’s] natural healing powers” (p. 47) C. The healer acts as a “conduit” for “supernatural healing forces” (p. 47) D. The example of Lourdes in France: “The processes by which cures at Lourdes occur do not seem to differ in kind from those involved in normal healing, although they are remarkably strengthened and accelerated....Healing is not instantaneous, as is often claimed, but, like normal healing, it requires time. It is true that the consciousness of cure is often (not always) sudden and may be accompanied by immediate improvement in function--the paralyzed walk, the blind see, and those who had been unable to retain food suddenly regain their appetites. But actual tissue healing takes hours, days, or weeks, and persons who have lost much weight require the usual period of time to regain it, as would be expected if healing occurred by the usual processes.... “It should be added that cures at Lourdes involve the person’s total personality, not merely his [or her] body. The healed, whatever they were like before their recovery, all are said to be possessed of a remarkable serenity and a desire to be of service to others.” (p. 70).
Jesus' healing of Peter's mother-in-law empowered her to be of service to others. To VMRT in CT: I wonder if there might be eucharistic overtones in her "diakonia".
Doug in Riverside (where it never snows and rarely rains)
Date: 03 Feb 2000
Time: 21:10:48
To Tim in Deep river --
Wow! And thanks I loved the title and the explanation following : EVERYONE IS SEARCHING FOR YOU.
How appropriate for this present time and again thanks for the words.
L I L
Date: 03 Feb 2000
Time: 22:10:10
Thanks for all the good comments. I am especially struck by Jeremy in Hampshire, UK and others who speak of this passage as a model for ministry. This is particularly intriguing to me as I am ordaining/installing church officers this Sunday. I think Jesus offers us an important example as he responds to the needs of the people rather than to their desires. It is clear that there was still much to be done in Capernaum- many sick and many demon possessed who clearly had a need for the heal Jesus possessed, but Jesus would not be distracted from his mission by the many demons that surround him. As clergy, you and I both know that the church is full of demons that want to distract us from our mission, but through prayer and meditation, we can stay focused on our mission.
In my denomination (Presbyterian (u.s.a), we refer to ourselves as a representative church. Many within the church misunderstand this to mean that our officers are to represent the will of the congregation, but the denomination is clear that the role of officers is to represent the will of God to the people of God.
Kudos to Yarnspinner who points out that when the healings become the focus of ministry, proclaimation is lost. The healings are a sign of God's power and presence, but when the focus become the healing, the healings fail to point to God. How often does this happen in our own churches? How often does a good and powerful ministry become the focus of the church distracting it from its true mission to proclaim Christ to the world?
Just some rambling thoughts that will hopefully become the basis of a sermon.
JR in Big D
Date: 03 Feb 2000
Time: 22:31:14
Paul in Illinoins, I like the idea you're thinking about. While there is much in this passage and in the epistle to give us a pattern for our lives (eg, Jesus taking time to listen to God, Jesus not doing the popular thing but the more deeply needed thing), this time I'm more drawn to what Jesus shows us of God. God cares about and heals our bodies. Healing comes in many ways, including through prayer, faith, laying on of hands. But there is something even more important than bodily healing that God wants to do with us. God wants to bring us to the wholeness that comes through hearing and responding to the gospel. Because that is what God wants, Jesus (and Paul) preach. For Sunday I want to help people see, trust and live into both aspects what God does: (1) the physical healing, which is one expression of 2)the deeper action of bringing us to a wholeness that is much more than just physical health and which can be very real without good physical health. (Working that out will be tomorrow's job!) rdm
Date: 04 Feb 2000
Time: 00:39:38
Yahweh sought to free the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt - in order that they might be free to serve him.
Is not this story somehow behind the story of Peter's mother-in-law - she is freed from her sickness in order to serve the Lord.
Does God simply heal us or is our healing a sign of conversion and deeper faith and life.
tom in ga
Date: 04 Feb 2000
Time: 04:00:19
Better late than never. I'm a first time contributor, and thanks for the insights. I'm focusing on the prayer aspect of the passage. Jesus goes to a lonely place to pray. Though he never mentions the experience of his baptism, I see Jesus going to prayer as a renewal of the event. The prayer affirms his identity, as spoken by God, and clarifies his mission, as one called to proclaim the gospel. I'm seeing some connections between the importance of prayer for Jesus and the link it fulfills in our own lives. When we pray we listen for God to affirm who we are as those called to mission and named as God's children.
Date: 04 Feb 2000
Time: 04:00:42
Better late than never. I'm a first time contributor, and thanks for the insights. I'm focusing on the prayer aspect of the passage. Jesus goes to a lonely place to pray. Though he never mentions the experience of his baptism, I see Jesus going to prayer as a renewal of the event. The prayer affirms his identity, as spoken by God, and clarifies his mission, as one called to proclaim the gospel. I'm seeing some connections between the importance of prayer for Jesus and the link it fulfills in our own lives. When we pray we listen for God to affirm who we are as those called to mission and named as God's children.
Date: 04 Feb 2000
Time: 04:04:47
03 FEB 00 Another link between Isaiah and Mark, I think, is the emphasis of the actor (i.e., the subject of the verb). Who is the one giving strenght to the faint? God. How is it that Peter's mom-in-law recovers? She is healed..."he came and took her by the hand and LIFTED HER UP." I'm reminded of son in law Peter's "water walk." Went well for awhile, then faltered (he started playing "Rocky") for whatever reason, and Jesus "pulled him up". I believe Dale in Ontario has identified a sort of "pattern" of Christ's power, which serves to show how broad it is... the healings alternate in place (e.g. around/in the synogogue or as far out of it as foreign land, opposite the Sea of Gerasenes (Mk 5). Men, women and children. Christ has the authority to save us... all of us. Peter in CA
Date: 04 Feb 2000
Time: 04:26:21
here i am - late again, and after i had promised myself to get my sermons doen early so a deaf person in my congregation could get a typed version from my secretary. oh well, some weeks are hectic (all weeks actually) i too was intrigued with the searching for Jesus, and titled my sermon accordingly. but as i was pondering it seemed to me that there were different reasons for searching here. the mother-in-law uses her finding, being touched ny Jesus to perform acts of hospitality which were considered acts of devotion to God (this is not a woman put down; check out Abraham). and Jeus as he goes to search in the wilderness knows that he will choose to follow God's will - to go to other towns to preach. but the crowds? why are they searching? are they not trying to hang on to Jesus for their own sakes?
glad to see others on the same train of thought. stories are welcome. grace and peace to all, rachel
Date: 04 Feb 2000
Time: 13:35:18
I found this to be a perspective worthy of consideration. He had just started, his heart and head full of great ideals, foreseeing and wanting a total change of the world: the introduction of the Kingdom of God. That morning it all ended up with some cups of coffee, as it so often does. What happened? He came from the synagogue where a devil had been chased away. He went to the house of Simon Peter, most probably hoping for some breakfast, as all of us would. The lady of the house was sick. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with fire in her bones, as the text reads. That's a nice way of saying she had a fever. Jesus went up to her, took her hand, and healed her. She got out of her bed and started to wait on them. In no time they were sitting in front of their breakfast. Or, translating this into the realities of today, in front of their cups of coffee. In the meantime, the story spread all through the place: He was healing. However, the day remained calm. Nobody was allowed to move, since it was a Sabbath. But in the evening, when walking was allowed, they came from all sides in droves, carrying, pushing, and pulling their sick, young and old. He, full of compassion, healed as many as he could handle that evening. Their enthusiasm grew at each blind one that saw, at each crippled one that walked, at each deaf one that heard, at each possessed one that got free, at each leg that was stretched or lengthened. It got dark, the healed ones went home, and the sick ones, too, hoping for tomorrow. During the night, he got restless. He came out from under his blanket. He went outside. He walked away from it all. He disappeared into the desert, and there he must have been asking himself: "Is this healing? Are those cups of coffee what I came to do? Is this my mission? Is this all?" By morning, he knew his answer. I think we all can understand what happened to him that night. 1 think we do because all of us have been in that same situation. You had a friend, a friend with a problem, a very serious problem. Maybe it was a drinking problem, and you said to yourself: "I have to do something about it. He or she is going to blazes. You can't drink the amount of bourbon he is drinking, or the amount of sherry she is drinking, without serious harm. I have to talk to him, I have to talk to her." First you delayed, postponed, and procrastinated, but finally you had suffi-cient courage to go to your friend and talk. You sat down. You drank a cup of coffee, and you talked about that coffee, about the weather, and about some other trivial things, and when it was time to leave, you had not spoken one word about the mission you had been on. When the others discovered that he had disappeared, they went looking for him. They needed him because the sick were filling up the yard in front of the house where he had slept. They asked him to come, but he had made up his mind. He had understood, and he told them: "No, I have to move on. I have to go on preaching the Kingdom of God, because that is why I came! Let us go!" And they left. What he made clear to them, he wanted to make clear to us. We, too, often think that he only came to heal, to get rid of our toothache, our stomachache, to save us from danger, or something like that. He definitely did, but that was not all. He came to change the whole world. He came to introduce the Kingdom of God, and that is more than healing a sickness or two. When you look at television on Sunday morning with a cup of coffee in your hands, your TV screen is full of all kinds of healing. Blind see. Deaf hear. Livers and kidneys are restored. Legs are stretched and lengthened in miracu-lous ways. Even the dumb suddenly start to speak. If all that is true and authentic (and haven't you sometimes had your doubts?) it certainly belongs to his Kingdom, but it definitely is not all. That is what he understood that night in the desert after his spate of healing. The Kingdom of God is a complete overhaul, a totally new creation: The new world and humanity that the prophets---including Jesus--dreamed and spoke about. Let us not drown the Kingdom of God in cups of coffee. Let us not restrict it to a sick tooth here or a sick stomach there. Let us live in the fullness of its expectations: a new world, a new heaven, a new universe--God all in all. (from, Praying and Preaching the Sunday Gospel)
therevvv
Date: 04 Feb 2000
Time: 15:00:42
For those of you looking at the idea of searching for Jesus--Thomas Troeger has an interesting article in this month Lectionary Homelitics---Jesus the Hunted, Jesus the Hunter. Does it seem that we have lost track of Jesus of his whereabouts? Jesus has left where we usually find him and gone off to a deserted place. Troeger suggests that maybe his ministry to you is to be Jesus the hunted so you leave the habitual haunts of your faith, because like him you need to move on to new territories. Maybe we are wrong to preach Jesus is always with us. Sometimes he is like the pioneer or scout going out ahead. May Jesus knows that if he does not go leave us to hunt for him, we will become presumptuous and complacent about our need for him.
But Jesus is also the hunter--"I have come to call not the righteous but sinners" It is Jesus the hunter who persists in searching for those whom the world has given up on. It is Jesus who hunts the weary and the faint hearted. Who is Jesus for you--the hunted or the hunter.
Sorry about the long post
John in PA
Date: 04 Feb 2000
Time: 15:20:16
“You know you’re in a small town when... The airport runway is terraced... Third street is on the edge of town... Every sport is played on dirt... You don’t use your turn signal because everyone knows where you’re going... You dial a wrong number and talk for fifteen minutes anyway... You drive into the ditch five miles out of town and the word gets back into town before you do... You write a check on the wrong bank and it covers it for you... The pickup trucks on main street outnumber the cars three to one... You miss a Sunday at church and receive a get-well card... Someone asks you how you feel then listens to what you say.” p.457 Hewit, Illustrations Unlimited. I thought this might be of some help in starting your sermon. The demon stuff can get a little heavy. But, the villiage concept is especially unique to Jesus' time. Jesus does live in our time as well. We can not rush past those who suffer in the villages. So often we want to jump quickly into the fight and speak to the headline news and cover stories. Tony Compel in his book The Power of Delusion writes of a house wife who when confronted by a very brilliant female University Professor at an evening social event confronted Tony’s wife by saying and what is it that you do? Well today... “I was socializing with two Homo Sapiens in the dominant values of the Judeo-Christian tradition in order that they might be instruments for the transformation of the social order into the teleologically prescribed utopia inherent in the eschaton.” Then she followed that with, “And what is it that you do?” Needless to say, it was not quite as overpowering. But, these are powerful issues for women. It is a fool who thinks that God is not interested in the spiritual well-being of women and that their value is placed on their secular activities. There is enormous pressure on women to work outside the home or not to work outside the home. And, to outwardly judge or misjudge their depth and perception of the spiritual life is ludicrous. But, like all women and men they need to feel useful and being in service is what the word of God proclaims. To serve in the world. This is what Jesus did. This what we are to do! But, it is with the family and in the home that our setting takes place. And we must ask the question, is Jesus just a guest or is He a member? I’m not quite sure what I would do if the whole town showed up at my door and would I be equiped to care for them. Yet, should I be concerned. The scriptures tell us that the whole town showed up at the door of Simon’s mother-in-law. They were all curious, they were all hungry and in need of some kind of healing, whether it be spiritual or physical, and it is Jesus that meets their need. DFL
Date: 04 Feb 2000
Time: 18:40:10
Dear Friends: Thank you for your wonderful ponderings. Here I am just really getting into the meat of my sermon, and you've been helpful as usual.
My basic concept before reading all of you is that Jesus heals because people need healing. He often meets the needs of those around him. But he tells us here what his purpose is: to proclaim the message. As we who follow Jesus try to model our lives after his, we can find a renewed sense of purpose here. We tend to focus on our many ministries to our community--all of which are important as they meet people's needs. But we often forget about proclaiming the message. We invite people to the party, but we forget to tell them why we are celebrating.
B.W.: You thoughts about what the message is are helpful. God calling us into relationship and service.
Unknown poster: Regarding Simon's mother-in-law. I remember reading several years ago that in healing her, Jesus restored her to her place in the family. I can't find one of the sources that spoke about this, but see Malina, Bruce J. and Richard L. Rohrbaugh: Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels. Fortress Press 1992, page 181.
My mother is 86 years old and gradually is having to cut back on her activities. One of hardest things for her to face is that she can no longer entertain guests in her home, serving them foods that she has prepared, and making them feel welcome. If Jesus could restore her strength, what Joy she would have in being able to serve him in her home.
I don't think the issue here is the role of women as servants, but rather the restoration of those who are healed by Jesus. My own story includes being restored to my place in my family and in my church because of the love of Jesus Christ.
Thank you Jeremy for a simple structure that can be used to help us understand the ministry of Jesus. I was missing the boat by not taking about the third ess4ential of being in touch with God.
Blessings to all of you as you continue your sermon preparation. Pam in San Bernardino
Date: 04 Feb 2000
Time: 22:40:39
A couple of thoughts: The one healing focused on is that of Simon's mother in law who promptly gets up and serves, i.e. blesses others. The community clammers to be helped by Jesus, but he leaves town, when surely there were more to heal. It reminds me of two Easter stories: Mary trying to cling to Jesus, and Jesus disappearing at the precise moment the two disciples on the road to Emmaus recognize him. We want him here to hold onto, but his message is "the kingdom of God is at hand," and his intent is to take this message to other villages. Is there something here about us empowered, liberated by Jesus to perform these ministries within our communities: we don't need him here in physical form to take care of us. The people in Capernaum, like Simon's mother in law, are empowered to live in the reality of the kingdom breaking forth even now as he goes on to others in other communities. Anyway, just some thoughts. Jeff in NJ
Date: 04 Feb 2000
Time: 22:45:15
Desperate preacher, indeed!
Here it is Friday night, and I'm just getting to my homily. Scrolling through the multitudes of postings has brought me to a few insights, which may be of help to someone else who is even more delinquent than I am. 1. We're still in the very early stages of Mark, when he SEEMS to be trying to convince his readers that Jesus is the Great Wonderworker. (So, why would Jesus not stay and "bask"?) Only at 8:27 does he begin lowering the boom, when Jesus first predicts his suffering, death, and resurrection. 2. The servanthood of Simon's mother in law reminds me of the servanthood of Jesus at the Last Supper in John, when he washed their feet. 3. The "moving on" aspect of the ministry of Jesus reminds me of the Journey to Jerusalem motif in Luke, where Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem, where the cross awaits. 4. Sorry, couldn't find anything remarkably Matthean here! :) 5. The reference someone made to the sharing of the meal shows one more connection to the Easter Event. 6. The reference to "rising early, just before dawn," is another connection to Easter Sunday. (16:2) This passage, in a hidden way, is very Paschal in character. I wonder if there is an intentional connection on Mark's part: Here, it is just *before* dawn; later, it is just *after* sunrise. 6. The demons aren't allowed to speak, so typically of Mark; it seems there is a gradual revelation of who Jesus is, and the time is not yet ripe. 7. When Jesus leaves the village behind to preach in others, he says, "For this purpose have I come." He refers to preaching, not healing. The words are more important than the deeds. Yet in Mark, we hear very little of what Jesus actually said, while at least in the first half of the Gospel it seems that the deeds trump the words. (Cf. last week: "He commands even the unclean spirits..." as proof of his teaching authority.). When we finally hear what Jesus is saying to the disciples, beginning in chapter 8, we understand that his main message is about the cross: his (and our) need to approach it and embrace it.
Conclusion? Right at the very beginning of his Gospel, Mark is very slyly giving us loads of hints about the ministry of Jesus and the shape of discipleship. It involves healing, yes, and preaching the Word, and probably most importantly, servanthood, but all within the context of the Paschal Mystery, the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ.
Hoo boy! This is my first posting and I'm really gabby! Sorry.
Metz in Indiana
Date: 04 Feb 2000
Time: 23:31:04
Great contributions, lots to think about. But help! I'm preaching at an All Age Service (sermon lasts about 8 minutes) and I need ideas for visual aids for the gospel passage. I like the idea of Jesus' priorities being people, prayer and preaching and have a few thoughts milling about in a very busy head. Can anyone with a good imagination help with visuals that won't take an age to prepare?
Chris, Surrey
Date: 05 Feb 2000
Time: 00:00:22
Full sermon minus a copyrighted illustration.
Rev. John Nadasi lutherfetch@yahoo.com
Mark 1:29-39 and Ephesians 6: 10-20 February 6, 2000
…Mark goes to great length in his Gospel to show us that Jesus' Ministry was to heal not only the sick, but the demon possessed. The belief in demons is something that we as a church have trouble embracing. In fact, for the most part, demonic possession is almost never mentioned at all.
I cannot recall a single incident when I was growing up that I heard anything about demonic affliction or possession in the church.
In our day and age, the belief in Satan has largely been replaced With a belief that evil merely exists in social institutions and how we treat one another. The belief in an intelligent living force of evil has been Dismissed as unintelligent, superstitious, and naïve.
People who risk sharing about a personal experience of the demonic are regarded as flaky, fundamentalist, or mentally ill. What is left of the church when this happens is that we bear more Resemblance to the ACLU than we do to the teachings of Jesus Christ. We become a dead religion without spiritual power.
Many say that what Jesus and the gospels referred to as demonic possession Can now be explained in more medical terms. These people that he healed were not possessed, But were actually suffering with things that a good psychologist or doctor could cure.
And, to be honest, this explanation sounds good. It sounds good because we don't want to live in a world that is beyond our control. We don't want to live in a world that is beyond our understanding. We don't want to live in a world where monsters really do exist.
We can close our eyes and pretend that demons do not exist. We can close our eyes and believe we are in control. We can close our eyes and believe that science holds all our answers.
And, as a church, we have had our eyes closed so long to the existence of Satan, That we have become blind to him. And, in our blindness, we have become more vulnerable than ever To the teachings and the lying tongues of demonic spirits.
Let's take a look at verses 32 through 34 again…
Mark 1:32-34 32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. (NRSV)
Mark makes a distinction… Those who were sick OR possessed with demons. And he cured those who were sick with various diseases AND Cast out many demons.
Sickness and demonic affliction are NOT the same thing. Reducing Jesus to a psychological healer and a physician of the body Are not enough.
There were demonic presences being lifted out of these people and silenced.
How do I know this? How can I speak with so much conviction about an incident Where I was not involved?
Because I have had my own experiences. And they are experiences that I feel called to share with you.
There was a young man who I will call Joe. Joe is 2 years younger than I. I guess he would have been about 20.
I had known him for about a year. Joe shared with me that he had been sexually abused at the age of 8 by a babysitter. He was constantly haunted and plagued by the memories Of his abuse. It would never leave him.
Joe had turned to drugs and alcohol for consolation. This lifestyle did not last long, as he was caught and suspended from College. His life was a mess.
The day came that Joe and I were driving in my car back to his house. He had been asking me questions about God, And my own dramatic lifestyle change.
I shared Christ that day with Joe, And he invited him into his life.
We drove back to his home and went to his room. He sat on couch, and I was looking through some of his cd's and mentioned To him that some of the music he was listening to was lending to his Problems.
Joe just smiled. He probably was thinking that I was a flake.
As we sat and talked, I look up at a Smashing Pumpkins poster hanging on his wall. I saw one of the faces in the picture contort a twisted smile at me.
I stepped back, pointed at the poster, and said, "Joe! That thing is staring at me!"
Joe began laughing at me, And then he looked into the poster. His jaw dropped to floor and he gasped.
From behind that poster, A black demonic shadow leaped out of the wall and left through a window. The Holy Spirit poured into the room with such intensity and power That there was no question that we had just witnessed A powerful act of God.
Joe looked at me with tears pouring out of his eyes. And he cried… "My God, My God. The whole time I have been sitting in here thinking about suicide, I have been staring into that poster looking for answers."
Folks, that is one of many incidents that I have encountered. I am sure that many of you here today have had your own experiences. Maybe you have been willing to share them, Maybe not.
I don't tell you this to scare you. I tell you this because you need to be aware that the presence of Satan And the presence of demons do have the power to influence you.
Maybe, had John Salvii heard about the lying presence of demons He would have sought help.
Does anyone remember John Salvii?
John had aspirations of becoming a Catholic priest. Instead, he became a killer when he picked up a rifle and gunned down An abortion clinic. If memory serves me correctly, he killed the doctor, a bystander, and Critically wounded the nurse.
What does this have to do with our story? John's parents told CNN that the night before John Salvii committed these acts, he had a conversation with a "Black - winged creature in the living room."
They also said "we should have gotten him into counseling."
Although it is true, They should have gotten him into counseling, It would no have taken care of the problem.
True, John likely had mental problems, But I absolutely believe in my heart, That the night before John Salvii committed those murders, He sat in his living room and had a conversation with A black winged creature.
No, not a figment of his imagination. No, not some illusion. No, not some schizophrenic episode, But an intelligent, living, force of evil.
Lets look again at Scripture…
That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
There is clearly a distinction between demonic affliction and physical sickness. Jesus healed both.
Lets look at the final verse…
And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Because they knew him. Why does Mark tell us this? Why does Mark make it a specific point to tell us that the demons knew him?
Its not the first time that Mark has illustrated to us the demons Recognizing Jesus' authority.
Look back a few verses to 23-24 and you find…
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." (NRSV)
Are we to understand that Satan has taken up preaching?
Here we are in chapter 1 of Mark. God's dove has descended and declared Jesus as God's Son. From there, our next two witnesses of Christ's divinity comes From the devil.
Let me tell you what I understand. Let me tell you what I take from this text. Let me tell you what I have experienced in my faith walk as a Christian.
Jesus Christ has absolute authority over Satan's power. Jesus Christ has beaten the power of sin and death. Jesus Christ has the power to command demons out of the afflicted And possessed.
I also find it to be worth noting that this man was in the synagogue! Why is that significant?
It means he was a church goer. His rear end warmed the pew every Sabbath. He was likely a respectable member of society and his church. People likely turned around as he walked down the street And said, "now here is a holy man." It wouldn't surprise me if he was clergy.
Yet, we find that this man is plagued by a demon. And the demon speaks for the man. Listen again…
"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."
How can this be? How can a holy man, a man who goes to worship on the Sabbath be plagued?
What about us? What about Bible believing, baptised, born again Christians? Can we be afflicted or possessed?
I am going to say conditionally yes. That condition is only if you open the door to it. Only if you believe his lies. Only if you consult mirror, mirror on the wall, Or any other voices that tell you that you are Substandard, no good, ugly, or a failure.
Why did I say I wouldn't be surprised if he was clergy? Because clergy are under more attack than anyone else on the planet. And, there is no one that Satan loves more than lukewarm clergy.
Folks, pray for your pastors. Pray for the church.
And this is the kicker folks. Listen up. Satan only has the power that you give him. I am going to say that again. Satan only has the power that you give him. I was watching a science fiction show a few weeks ago. And, I was particularly stunned by the story line. In this show, two FBI agents were investigating a murder in a Small Tennessee town.
These murders were shrouded in mysterious and unexplanable supernatural And demonic events involving snake attacks.
The likely suspect of the murder was a snake handling preacher from the Church of God with Signs and Wonders.
The pastor was a radically judgemental fundamentalist bible thumper. He was the kind of guy that everything was black and white, The viewer was led to believe that he was the killer.
As the show goes on, The agents consult another town pastor. He was well educated, caring, sympathetic, soft spoken And his biblical exegesis was such that it would make any Liberal seminary proud.
A battle raged in this town between God and Satan.. The climax of the show reveals who the killer is.
Satan was the likeable, caring, soft spoken man.
The show ends with the agent stating, I never believed the devil was a kindly old man Telling me what it is that I wanted to hear.
Profound. Profound beyond words, especially coming from a prime time Science fiction show.
Unfortunately for the viewing audience, They get a good lesson about the nature of the beast, But not a lesson in how to stand firm against him. And sadly, it is a message that is never preached from most Pulpits, particularly in the more educated and orthodox Traditions such as our own.
It is all too true. We as a church have been lulled to sleep. We have discounted Satan as an entrenched social evil Rather than a conscious foe.
And Satan will continue to rock the cradle As the denominations continue to sleep.
Folks, it is time to wake up. What do we do when we are confronted by the teaching of demons? What did Jesus do? He told them to shut up, didn't he?
He did not debate them, He did not reason with them, He did not quote scripture to them.
He told them to be silent. Shut up. Shut up devil!
So, what do you need? What do you need to be able to recognize and silence the work of Satan?
Let's turn back to our first text of the morning…
Ephesians 6:10-20 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 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. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times with every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
Okay, There is a lot here, isn't there? I can, and will give you the full sermon On Ephesians 6: 10-20 on another Sunday.
For now, let me give you the run down. TRUTH! RIGHTEOUSNESS! FAITH! SALVATION! When Jesus faced the devil he always confronted him with the truth. He did not debate him. He told him the truth.
So let me give you the truth this morning… You are a child of God! Righteousness comes from Christ. Salvation by Faith.
This is what it means to stand firm. Satan has no power over you. That does not mean tomorrow. That doesn't mean when you get your act straight. That means now!
In the name of Jesus Christ you are free! I am making that claim this morning. Anyone who wants to be released this morning, come forward and kneel at this alter. Don't let Satan keep from you the blessing that is here for you this morning.
I am not only talking to the person who feels they need it, I am far more concerned about the person who feels that they don't.
I will anoint you with oil and pray over you. Anyone else who feels led to come and pray for their Neighbors, you just come behind the rail with me.
When we are finished, I want you to gather around And I want you to lay hands on me and pray.
People of God, Let us wake up this morning. Let us become a force that the devil fears. Let us be the evangelical community God intended the Methodists to be.
Date: 05 Feb 2000
Time: 02:22:22
Rev. John,
AMEN! AMEN! and AMEN!
I'd say you're preaching it brother. Don't let go of that fire.
Wahoo... and a main-liner to boot!
You go Rev. John...
Rick in Va
Date: 05 Feb 2000
Time: 12:08:16
Peter's Mother-inlaw: Healed Returned to her way of life Out of love and common hopitality of the time she responds; lovingly with a meal served by grateful hands.
I do not believe we should read our 21st. century into her time. Should we not see that Jesus never ask her for anything it was her response? If it were you that Jesus healed how would you respond? I would want to do something for him. I would want to do something for Jesus NOW. Randy in Wauseon
Date: 05 Feb 2000
Time: 17:23:55
Home for three days with a terrible cough, cold, and a fever, I can identify with Peter's mother-in-law. I would love Jesus to come and take me by the hand and heal me so that I can get up and celebrate and preach tonight and tomorrow... As it is, I will do it and hope my voice holds out, but it would be a lot easier and a lot more pleasant if I didn't have this bug.... Because I love what I do...
Also, as I read the passage, they went to the synagogue, and returned home. Any meal, on the sabbath, would already be prepared, just needing to be set out, and the crowds wouldn't be there until after sundown....
So cast a prayer for Butch's mother-in-law, that she can serve and offer hospitality, in Jesus' name! Thanks, VicarJane in Lenox.
Date: 05 Feb 2000
Time: 19:30:00
Mikki:
Yes, I have been in the presence of someone who exuded a sense of evil.
He was the step-father of one of our foster kids - he had raped her in the past and was on his way to our home with a loaded shotgun when he was apprehended by the police.
ANON to protect youth identities
Date: 05 Feb 2000
Time: 19:31:37
Mikki - you asked for reaction. Sorta like having someone kick you in the stomach. Yucky all over.
ANON again
Date: 06 Feb 2000
Time: 01:19:19
These thoughts have been running around in my head all week, so I thought I would post them, even at this late date. It bothers me that after the Sabbath ends, the whole city comes to Jesus for healing, from both the physical and the Spititual. They did, probably most of them, did not come to hear what Jesus had to offer them. They came to use him, to use his power to heal to make "their life better." How many of us use him at our convenience, when we need healing? When we need his power to help us through some struggle that we are going through. THEN, when he has answered our prayer, healed us, do we go back to putting Jesus on our back burner. Spend little or no time with him. Put him in our wallets like our credit cards. These people wanted the same instant gratification that so many of us rely on today. D.E.B. in NY
Date: 06 Feb 2000
Time: 01:42:19
D.E.B. in NY
Ah, good question! I have just returned from a workshop ("rest-shop") with Father Thomas Keating on Centering Prayer. He reminds us that Jesus is notinterested in "everybody" - but in you. It is not how "they" respond, but how do I respond. Such a response from this great Trappist pushes my false self out of the way (which wants everyone to fit my mold) and allows me to hear the hunger of my own heart.
tom in ga
Date: 06 Feb 2000
Time: 02:31:33
D.E.B. in NY: The real hero of the Gospel passage we're looking at is Simon's mother in law, not the crowds who were looking for power, comfort, gratification; not the disciples, who were looking for a slightly refined, religious version of the same. Upon being healed, she took upon herself the role of the servant, serving not only Jesus but also the unknowing disciples who wanted more of the heady experience of healings and miracles, AND the crowds, who simply wanted what they wanted. It seems that she listened to what Jesus said (whatever he said) before he said it. She was his sermon in action.
Metz in Indiana