Sermon: 1/31/21

Let the words my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you O Lord,
our strength and our redeemer. Amen
Remember back when you were in school? We all had a favorite teacher—one that inspired
us or just had a unique way of teaching us what we needed to know. I remember
Fred Parish, who taught Architectural History—short red-haired man with a great sense
of humor. I remember him telling us that there was nothing new in architecture since
medieval times except for the geodesic dome. Everything is a copy of something done
before. Creativity is limited to rearranging older elements into something that appears
new.
Mark tells us a story about Jesus, early in his ministry, going to the synagogue in Capernaum
on the Sabbath. Perhaps he was invited to speak, but nevertheless, he began to
teach. In both Mark and Luke who record this event, they tell us that the people were
amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority. One who
had authority—what does that mean? It means he taught without referring to other teachers
or scribes. And in this case, it went farther than that. It meant commanding to the
unclean spirits—who obeyed him.
Jesus was interrupted by a man with an unclean spirit—a demon. The spirit immediately
recognized Jesus—”I know who you are, the Holy One of God”. Jesus commanded the
spirit to be quiet and come out of him. And the spirit did come out of him.
Notice, notice the reaction of the people. They were all so amazed that they asked each
other, “What is this? A new teaching and with authority! He gives orders to unclean
spirits and they obey him.”
We know what the new teaching was then and is now: “The time has come. The kingdom
of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”. This was the new teaching—
they had not heard it before from the rabbis and priests.
But I would challenge you to think about something else that was happening. Jesus was
teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum at a worship service—there were people gathered.
And when did they worship? On the Sabbath! Why is this important? This Jesus
who was teaching with authority healed a man on the Sabbath! That was something
strictly against Jewish law—working on the Sabbath and healing was definitely work.
Note also that the people seemed more amazed at the new teaching rather than the healing.
Or maybe they considered the healing as part of the new teaching. This new teaching
that went beyond the Jewish law. This new teaching that put helping one’s neighbor
ahead of keeping the law. Jesus chose to care for the man and to free him from the
demons, rather than worry over the details of the law. Here, in this passage, Jesus is not
condemned for healing on the Sabbath, but he soon will be, as his fame spread
throughout the region and his authority becomes a threat to the established Jewish worship
and teaching.
And since that time, 2000 years ago, the message has not changed. Repent and believe
the good news. What has changed is how the message is delivered—how the
church gets the message out not only to her members but to those who are searching for
meaning in their lives. If there is one thing this pandemic has done it has made congregations
and their leaders think outside the box on how we yell from the mountaintop. So
then, how can we be creative?
We have experienced changes here in our congregation. And we know that if we are to
continue to make a difference in people’s lives, more changes will need to be made. We
can no longer wait for the people we invite to come into this building—social distancing
and everything that goes with it. God’s good news needs to be delivered to them and
maybe that even means to join them in their homes to worship, when we feel comfortable.
What a zany concept that would be! Joining someone in their home to worship. But that’s
not being very creative, is it? That’s what the first Christians did. They had nowhere to
worship and that’s where they met. (Peter’s house) They didn’t have web pages and Facebook,
but the concept is the same. And maybe that’s what our viewers are doing right
now with their families, or maybe they’re waiting to do it around a meal like the early
Christians did.
The Old Testament law had many rules concerning diet, relations with other people, and
worship. Many of these rules we routinely break, many we adhere to. We eat shrimp,
catfish, and pork and think nothing of it. In the reading from Deuteronomy, especially in
the 18th chapter, there are instructions for priests. Paul writes in Corinthians concerning
if it is OK to eat that was sacrificed to idols. What matters is how you feel about the meat.
Will it challenge their faith, or ours? Will it become a stumbling block to the weak? Do you
want to be right, or have a relationship? The laws prohibiting work on the sabbath carry
deep meaning for many people of faith, and yet on this sabbath Jesus rebukes an unclean
spirit and frees a man. This was something the people in the synagogue were not used
to. But Jesus taught with authority. No quotes from past prophets. And the demons left.
Our faith is not private. It is not held closely and kept hidden. It is an outgoing faith spread
from person to person throughout this community and the world. What the world needs,
we have! We have the responsibility to share, to announce the good news to our neighbor.
The world around us is full of the demons of the feelings of loneliness, meaningless, depression,
and addiction. How we do that as children of God varies with each individual
and with each congregation. The key is that we do it. We do it in the manner in which
God reveals to us. Let the world be amazed at this new old thing. Let us cast out the
demons. Amen and amen.