Ancient words of our faith
Handed down to this age
Come to us through sacrifice
Oh heed the ancient words of Christ
Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart
Sometimes stories in scripture can be a little difficult for us moderns to relate to.
I mean, if you really listen to them, there can be this sense, with some of them, that they are no longer relevant because of their world view.
Take today’s gospel for instance, with its story about a demon-possessed man.
In the ancient world, demons were considered to be the curse of all maladies: physical illnesses, as well as psychological, emotional, and spiritual problems.
The people of the ancient world believed that spirits were always intervening in human life, sometimes for good, sometimes to cause mischief, and sometimes for evil.
Spirits had the power to control human behavior and the only one more powerful than these spirits was God.
Archeologists have discovered a book that was read in the synagogues called The Testament of Solomon. It lists the names of all the spirits, what they do, and how to counteract them.
For us, citizens of the present century, stories about demons may seem a bit primitive.
Today we look to medical science to cure our physical ailments.
We speak of mental illness and chemical imbalance and we are blessed to have modern ways of treating the physical and mental ailments that the ancients called possession by demons.
But as Kathleen Norrin says in her book, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith:
“I suspect exorcism still has a place in our lives. Who has not felt the sudden lifting of what seemed an unbearable burden, the removal of what for too long had been an unsurmountable obstacle? Who does not have something deep within that they would wish to exorcise so that it no longer casts a shadow on their capacity to receive and give love?”
If we can relate to what Kathleen Norris has to say, then today’s gospel has relevance for us.
For in today’s gospel, Jesus lifts what is an unbearable burden for the demoniac.
He brings him back to wholeness so that once again he has the capacity to receive and give love.
This gospel story is the first miracle in Mark’s gospel. Isn’t it interesting that it is the story of an exorcism?
And why would Mark choose to tell this particular miracle first?
Because he had a point to make. By placing this story first in his gospel, he is making an announcement about who Jesus is.
Jesus has power and authority over spirits. And who is the only one who has power over spirits? God!!
So by telling this story right off the bat, Mark is revealing that Jeus is the Messiah.
The unclean spirit in the story recognizes who Jesus is – he calls him the Holy One of God.
And he recognizes Jesus’ power and authority: “Have you come to destroy us?” he asks.
And Jesus replies, “Be silent and come out of him.”
Jesus not only has power over the spirits, but he can silence them.
Not only can he lift unbearable burdens and remove unsurmountable obstacles, but he can silence the destructive screams and murmurings deep within us that threaten to destroy us and that keep us from being able to receive and give love.
That’s the message for us in today’s gospel.
And we all have those demons at one time or another in life. We’ve all had or still have burdens and obstacles and destructive voices in our heads that threaten to take away our peace.
In her book, Kathleen Norris talks about her own demons:
“When I think of the demons I need to exorcise, I have to look inward, to my heart and soul. Anger is my best demon, useful whenever I have to go into Woman Warrior mode, harmful when I use it to gratify myself either in self-justification or to deny my fears. What are your best demons?” she asks. “To name them for what they are and how they bring suffering, is half the battle.”
The other half of the battle is to stop fighting the demon on our own, admit we are powerless over it, and ask for help from the Only One who has the power and authority over it.
Our demons could be fear, addiction, depression, compulsion, prejudice, pride, greed, jealousy, lying, anger, laziness, being critical or judgmental, selfishness, lack of forgiveness, lack of acceptance or lack of self-esteem.
I think my best demon ever was the one I tried to do battle with when I was 29 years old. Its name was depression.
My parents and sisters chose to shun me because I decided to go to work two days a week and put my two children in day care.
It felt as though everyone I loved had abandoned me.
I fell into a deep depression. Up in the middle of the night, riding my bike all around town – very agitated. No peace.
Very fearful – lots of thoughts about death.
So afraid, I couldn’t close the door of the BR because of claustrophobia.
At work my boss called me in, “I don’t know what’s going on in your life but if you don’t get it together I’ll have to let you go.”
On the freeway – I remember the exact spot I cried out: “O God help me”
I’d attended church my whole life but something happened that had never happened before – I became aware of the Presence of God in the car with me.
Over the next 9 months I experienced that Presence – I journaled it all.
Jesus healed me – the demon left me and I began to experience joy again.
There is a story about a monastery in Europe, perched high on a cliff several hundred feet in the air. The only way to reach the monastery was to be suspended in a bsket which was pulled to the top by several monks, who pulled and tugged with all their strength. Obviously, the ride up the steep cliff in that basket was terrifying. One tourist got exceedingly nervous about half-way up when he noticed that the rope by which he was suspended was old and frayed. With a trembling voice he asked the monk who was riding with him in the basket how often they changed the rope. The monk thought for a moment and answered, “Whenever it breaks.”
There are times when inside ourselves we feel as though we are the one suspended in that basket hanging by a half-frayed rope.
The good news is that we are not at the mercy of the spirit that got us there and we do not have to wait until the rope breaks.
We have Jesus on our side. Jesus – just waiting for us to ask for help. Just waiting for us to cry out “Oh God help me because I can’t help myself.” Just waiting for us to admit that we can’t do it alone.
So today’s gospel asks us a simple question.
What is your demon? What burden needs to be lifted and what obstacle needs to be removed? What is it deep within you that is casting a shadow over your capacity to receive and give love?
Give it to Jesus today – ask for his help. Listen to what he says to you and you too will be amazed at his power. You too will say to yourself “What is this? He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him!”