“LIGHT AND STRENGTH FOR THE JOURNEY”
A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Sunday, February 22, 2009
I Kings 19: 9 – 18; Psalm 27: 5 – 11; I Peter 1: 16 – 21; Mark 9: 2 – 9
Back when I was 10 or 11 years old, I could identify the gleam of the headlights of the 1950 Buick our family owned, as its headlights shone on that big chrome grill, from about half a mile away. You see, we kids used to peer out of the big picture window of our house, waiting for mom to come home at night, and the area where we lived on the northwest corner of town made it possible to see her car coming from a long distance away.
Now a 1950 Buick had two big headlights (they all did in those days), and a big chrome grill that had vertical chrome bars in it. When the headlights were on at night, the light would bounce off these vertical bars (and the big chrome bumper that was in front of them), and if you knew the car well enough, you could tell whether or not the pattern of lights and reflections was the car that you were waiting for.
So, we’d wait for a set of headlights to come rolling along, hoping that the lights and the reflections would match the ones we were looking for.
For, you see, the correct set of lights and patterns meant that mom was coming home. Her return and her presence meant joy and security. Her presence brought the light of love into our lives and into the home. Her presence shut out the darkness of the Nebraska winter night. Her presence allowed us children to look ahead at life’s journey with confidence.
This childhood memory of mine – seeing her car coming down the street - served to connect our past experience with mom’s presence the next occurrence of the same experience again. It served both to remind us of the past experience, and to awaken our hopes and expectations for the next time the same experience would occur again.
Today’s gospel text functions the same way: It connects us to the first time the disciples experienced Jesus’ identity with God the Father on that holy mountain, and it serves to prepare us for our encounter with Christ on the mountain of our lives.
The light of Christ, reflected in today’s text, means joy and security for us who witness that light through the text before us today, and through the eyes of faith, just as it did for Peter, James and John.
The Transfiguration[1] of our Lord is a foretaste of the resurrection, and it is meant to give the disciples a glimpse of the light of God’s glory, and strength for the journey ahead, which will lead to Good Friday, and then to Easter Sunday.
Before we delve into the implications of this event for the original disciples, and for us, we should pause to look at the text itself, and at its context within Mark’s gospel account.
As we consider the context of the Transfiguration, we can readily see that a pattern of ups and downs has characterized Jesus’ ministry and His presence among the disciples….In the most recent incident preceding the Transfiguration, we see that Mark tells us (8:31 – 33) that Jesus began to teach His disciples openly that He would suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed.
Talk about a “downer”!
Perhaps because of what Jesus had said, the disciples (and particularly Peter) react in the way they do…..Notice Peter’s response: Mark tells us that he took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him.
Obviously, following a road to Jerusalem that led to suffering and death for their leader didn’t fit into the plans that the disciples must’ve thought would be the way the kingdom of God would come into being. After all, wasn’t Jesus the miracle-worker, the healer, the charismatic teacher and preacher? Hadn’t He come in the power of David of old, that great king who united the 12 tribes as no one had ever done before? Couldn’t He be the Messiah, God’s anointed one, the one who would throw the yoke of Roman occupation off? How could suffering and death be a part of that plan?
But the road will lead to Jerusalem, to suffering, rejection and death. And the disciples will walk that road with Jesus.
It’s entirely possible that the disciples heard the first part of Jesus’ prediction about what would lie ahead of him and them, and not the last part….Maybe that’s why Peter reacted the way he did, rebuking Jesus.
For the last part of Jesus’ statement said that He would rise again after three days. Maybe the disciples hadn’t kept their ears open long enough to hear those words.
Perhaps our Lord knew that these disciples needed strength for the journey. Perhaps they needed something to give them a bigger glimpse of God’s plan. Maybe they needed to see some of the glory that the Christ possessed before His coming among us as one of us.
And so, in God’s providence, the glorious light of God’s presence blinds the disciples’ eyes. Mark tells us that “He was transfigured before them, and his garments became glistening, intensely white.”
But notice also that Jesus is now accompanied by two other figures, two figures who are intensely important to the history of God’s chosen people: Moses, the great giver of the law and mediator of the Covenant, and Elijah, whose reappearing would herald the coming of the “day of the Lord”, as the Old Testament prophet Malachi had predicted.[2]
Before we look more closely at the implications of the Transfiguration, let’s pause to consider what the presence of Moses and Elijah might signify to the disciples, and to us.
First, we consider Moses, the great mediator of the Covenant between God and God’s people, in the Law (or Torah), given at Mt. Sinai. Notice that the giving of the Law took place on a mountain, and that its transmission was accompanied by flashes of light, clouds, and so forth.[3] Notice that the imagery and language is remarkably similar in many respects between Exodus and Mark.
The meaning seems to be that Jesus Christ will be the mediator of a new covenant between God and human beings.
Second, we consider Elijah’s presence. Clearly, the implication here is that the “great and terrible day of the Lord” (Malachi’s words) has arrived. The kingdom of God is here![4]
I said earlier that Jesus may well have intended to give the disciples a glimpse of the future glory that awaited Him, after His death. As I reflect on today’s incident, I think that’s part of the strategy that God is using here.
For, you see, the disciples looked back on this incident, remembering the brilliant light and the dazzling white garments, and understood that it was the first time they’d ever seen Jesus in the divine glory with which He was surrounded before His coming to earth.
It is a foretaste of the resurrection, when Jesus will appear again, dazzling and glistening.[5]
Now, let’s apply the lessons of the Transfiguration to our lives today.
We are on a journey….We stand on the mountain top of the end of the season of Epiphany, a season of the Church Year in which we have walked with the Lord, seeing Him heal, hearing Him teach. We stand with the early disciples today on the mountain top, as the eyes of faith allow us to see Him transfigured before us, and we catch a glimpse, with them, of the glory of the Christ which has existed from eternity. We see a bit larger picture of God’s great plan, God’s working in the person of Jesus Christ.
But, our road will now lead down from the mountain top of the Last Sunday in Epiphany, down into the season of Lent. The road of Lent will lead us to Palm Sunday and to the Lord’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. This road will lead us to Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the darkest of times for us, and for the early disciples.
We need strength for the journey. We need to harbor within our hearts and minds the glistening light of the Transfiguration, remembering that it is but a shadow of the glorious light of the Resurrection.
Light and strength for the journey. Truly, God is good to all of His people.
AMEN.
[1] The Transfiguration account is heard twice during the Church Year: Always on the last Sunday of Epiphany, and again on the Feast of the Transfiguration, which is August 6th.
[2] See Malachi 4: 5 – 6.
[3] See Exodus 19 – 20.
[4] It’s worth reading the interchange that took place between the three disciples who witnessed the Transfiguration and Jesus following this incident. See Mark 9: 10 – 14.
[5] Notice the similar language that Matthew will use to describe Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance, as he says that Jesus’ appearance was “like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.” (Matthew 28: 3)
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
6 Epiphany, Year B
“WOULD YOU LIKE A WHOLE LOAF, OR JUST HALF?”
II Kings 5: 1- 15b, Psalm 42: 1 – 7; I Corinthians 9: 24 – 27; Mark 1: 40 – 45
A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Sunday, February 15th, 2009.
“Would you like a whole loaf with this morning’s sermon, or just half a loaf?”
As I ponder the gospel text before us this morning, that’s the question that comes to my mind…..
You see, in order to benefit from the wisdom that Holy Scripture seeks to provide us, we need to be willing to accept “a whole loaf” of that wisdom. We can’t settle for “half a loaf”, picking and choosing our way through the reality of an encounter with God that the reading of Holy Scripture entails.
We are obliged to look at all the threads present in any given situation (or at least as many threads as we can discover) as the gospel writers relay to us the events of our Lord Jesus Christ’s life.
Now, for today’s sermon, I will be focusing on just the encounter of the unnamed leper who kneels before Jesus today. Therefore, we’ll be looking at only the encounter itself, and not at the latter part of the text, which deals with the leper’s broadcasting the good news of what Jesus had done for him.
And, as we do so, we are obliged to draw out all the threads we possibly can, in order to consume a “whole loaf” of God’s wisdom, as it relates to the nature of who God is as we see that image in Jesus Christ, and as it relates to the ways in which God relates to us in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
So, let’s begin.
At first glance, we notice that the man who approaches Jesus is afflicted with one of the most dreaded diseases in antiquity, leprosy. The ancient rabbis called this disease a “living death”, for the person who had it was forced to leave family and community, and was consigned to a life lived outside the city or town. The restrictions of Leviticus 13 – 14 call for the person to wear torn clothing, and to cry out “Unclean, unclean' [1] to warn others to keep their distance, lest they, too, become infected with the condition, as well.
So serious was the regard for the various skin conditions[2] that come under the word “leprosy”, that the rabbis of Jesus’ time regarded the healing of the condition to be under the sole authority and power of God. (The commentators on this text are correct, then, when they maintain that the healing that Jesus performed today is an implicit acknowledgment of the presence of God within Him. Put in other words, the healing makes a Christological statement about Jesus’ identity.)
Now, turning to the text, we notice that barriers are being broken.
First of all, the leper does not keep his distance. Instead, he comes before Jesus and kneels down, seeking healing. Furthermore, he doesn’t yell out, “Unclean, unclean”, but comes, expressing his faith in Jesus’ power to heal by saying, “If you will, you can make me clean.” And so, the first barrier is broken.
Secondly, Jesus reaches out and touches the man. The second barrier is broken with this action, for Jesus has now become ritually unclean by touching the man.
With Jesus’ action, we see that Jesus is “all about” breaking down the barriers that separate people. Recall with me that, at one point, in response to the criticism that He hangs around with the low-life dregs of society (the tax collectors and sinners), Jesus replies that he has come “not to call the righteous, but sinners,” prefacing this remark with the comment that “those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." [3]
This last point brings us to the issue of a whole loaf, or simply half a loaf.
You see, many people today catch on quickly to Jesus’ love and care for people, and His willingness to hang out with and accept a wide variety of people.
So far, well and good….There’s no escaping the reality that Jesus’ actions confirm his compassion, care and acceptance of people, people of widely varying situations, conditions and illnesses.
Thus far, we’re in complete accord with the record that the gospel writers have provided for us.
We’ve got “half a loaf”.
But the other part of the equation often gets forgotten, or is simply neglected.
That other part, the rest of the loaf, is that Jesus never left people where He found them.
Now, if we are ready to accept and remember this second part of the relationships that Jesus had with those He met, then we are able to see the image of Jesus that Holy Scripture paints for us.
The point seems to be that, if we are willing to enter into an encounter with Jesus, then we must be ready for change to happen.
May I say that again? If we are willing to enter into an encounter with Jesus, then we must be ready for change to happen.
Because it will! Jesus never leaves us where He finds us.
Consider the leper in today’s account….his leprosy was gone, healed. Mark tells us he was healed “immediately”.
The implications for that man go far beyond a mere healing, for his healing meant the restoration of relationships. It gave him the ability to become a member of the community again. It meant the possibility of going to the synagogue and the temple again.
The leper’s life was changed for ever.
Jesus comes, offering acceptance and love.
Jesus comes, offering healing, restoration, and a change in circumstance.
Today’s text calls us to remember to ask for a whole loaf, a whole loaf of Jesus’ acceptance and love, and the change of life that that encounter always leads to.
AMEN.
[1] The famous scene in the movie Ben Hur probably represents fairly accurately the conditions of lepers in the ancient world.
[2] In biblical usage, the word “leprosy” probably referred to a number of skin conditions, not just leprosy as we regard it today, which is known as Hansen’s Disease.
[3] Mark 2: 17
II Kings 5: 1- 15b, Psalm 42: 1 – 7; I Corinthians 9: 24 – 27; Mark 1: 40 – 45
A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Sunday, February 15th, 2009.
“Would you like a whole loaf with this morning’s sermon, or just half a loaf?”
As I ponder the gospel text before us this morning, that’s the question that comes to my mind…..
You see, in order to benefit from the wisdom that Holy Scripture seeks to provide us, we need to be willing to accept “a whole loaf” of that wisdom. We can’t settle for “half a loaf”, picking and choosing our way through the reality of an encounter with God that the reading of Holy Scripture entails.
We are obliged to look at all the threads present in any given situation (or at least as many threads as we can discover) as the gospel writers relay to us the events of our Lord Jesus Christ’s life.
Now, for today’s sermon, I will be focusing on just the encounter of the unnamed leper who kneels before Jesus today. Therefore, we’ll be looking at only the encounter itself, and not at the latter part of the text, which deals with the leper’s broadcasting the good news of what Jesus had done for him.
And, as we do so, we are obliged to draw out all the threads we possibly can, in order to consume a “whole loaf” of God’s wisdom, as it relates to the nature of who God is as we see that image in Jesus Christ, and as it relates to the ways in which God relates to us in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
So, let’s begin.
At first glance, we notice that the man who approaches Jesus is afflicted with one of the most dreaded diseases in antiquity, leprosy. The ancient rabbis called this disease a “living death”, for the person who had it was forced to leave family and community, and was consigned to a life lived outside the city or town. The restrictions of Leviticus 13 – 14 call for the person to wear torn clothing, and to cry out “Unclean, unclean' [1] to warn others to keep their distance, lest they, too, become infected with the condition, as well.
So serious was the regard for the various skin conditions[2] that come under the word “leprosy”, that the rabbis of Jesus’ time regarded the healing of the condition to be under the sole authority and power of God. (The commentators on this text are correct, then, when they maintain that the healing that Jesus performed today is an implicit acknowledgment of the presence of God within Him. Put in other words, the healing makes a Christological statement about Jesus’ identity.)
Now, turning to the text, we notice that barriers are being broken.
First of all, the leper does not keep his distance. Instead, he comes before Jesus and kneels down, seeking healing. Furthermore, he doesn’t yell out, “Unclean, unclean”, but comes, expressing his faith in Jesus’ power to heal by saying, “If you will, you can make me clean.” And so, the first barrier is broken.
Secondly, Jesus reaches out and touches the man. The second barrier is broken with this action, for Jesus has now become ritually unclean by touching the man.
With Jesus’ action, we see that Jesus is “all about” breaking down the barriers that separate people. Recall with me that, at one point, in response to the criticism that He hangs around with the low-life dregs of society (the tax collectors and sinners), Jesus replies that he has come “not to call the righteous, but sinners,” prefacing this remark with the comment that “those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." [3]
This last point brings us to the issue of a whole loaf, or simply half a loaf.
You see, many people today catch on quickly to Jesus’ love and care for people, and His willingness to hang out with and accept a wide variety of people.
So far, well and good….There’s no escaping the reality that Jesus’ actions confirm his compassion, care and acceptance of people, people of widely varying situations, conditions and illnesses.
Thus far, we’re in complete accord with the record that the gospel writers have provided for us.
We’ve got “half a loaf”.
But the other part of the equation often gets forgotten, or is simply neglected.
That other part, the rest of the loaf, is that Jesus never left people where He found them.
Now, if we are ready to accept and remember this second part of the relationships that Jesus had with those He met, then we are able to see the image of Jesus that Holy Scripture paints for us.
The point seems to be that, if we are willing to enter into an encounter with Jesus, then we must be ready for change to happen.
May I say that again? If we are willing to enter into an encounter with Jesus, then we must be ready for change to happen.
Because it will! Jesus never leaves us where He finds us.
Consider the leper in today’s account….his leprosy was gone, healed. Mark tells us he was healed “immediately”.
The implications for that man go far beyond a mere healing, for his healing meant the restoration of relationships. It gave him the ability to become a member of the community again. It meant the possibility of going to the synagogue and the temple again.
The leper’s life was changed for ever.
Jesus comes, offering acceptance and love.
Jesus comes, offering healing, restoration, and a change in circumstance.
Today’s text calls us to remember to ask for a whole loaf, a whole loaf of Jesus’ acceptance and love, and the change of life that that encounter always leads to.
AMEN.
[1] The famous scene in the movie Ben Hur probably represents fairly accurately the conditions of lepers in the ancient world.
[2] In biblical usage, the word “leprosy” probably referred to a number of skin conditions, not just leprosy as we regard it today, which is known as Hansen’s Disease.
[3] Mark 2: 17
Sunday, February 08, 2009
5 Epiphany, Year B
“TRINITY CHURCH: A CASTLE IN THE KINGDOM”
II Kings 4: 8 – 37; Psalm 142; I Corinthians 9: 16 – 23; Mark 1: 29 – 39
A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker, given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Sunday, February 8, 2009
Every kingdom needs a castle. The kingdom of God deserves not just one, but many castles, places where the king resides, places where the monarch’s character is known and experienced.
The kingdom of God is populated by countless numbers of castles, places where the king takes us permanent residence among us….these castles are our churches.
Trinity Church is one such castle. But, unlike an earthly kingdom in which a king might have many castles, which are visited from time-to-time, the heavenly kingdom that has broken into our world has royal palaces where the king may be known, where the king’s direction and leading may be experienced.
That is, after all, one of the principle reasons that the Church exists: to make known the kingship of Jesus Christ, to make known His teachings, to extend His rule over us and over all the world, one heart at a time, for our hearts are castles, too, places where God seeks to take up residence.
Today’s gospel reading relates to us the workings of the kingdom. In one sense, as a commentator I consulted said this week, the activities that Mark relates to us today are those of a “typical day in the kingdom.” Exactly so.
So, what are the typical activities of the life of the kingdom – or, put another way – what are the concerns of the kingdom of God? What is the character of God as we see it in the hallmarks of the kingdom that God ushers in?
Looking at our text (and remembering our text from last Sunday) we may see that they are the following:
II Kings 4: 8 – 37; Psalm 142; I Corinthians 9: 16 – 23; Mark 1: 29 – 39
A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker, given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Sunday, February 8, 2009
Every kingdom needs a castle. The kingdom of God deserves not just one, but many castles, places where the king resides, places where the monarch’s character is known and experienced.
The kingdom of God is populated by countless numbers of castles, places where the king takes us permanent residence among us….these castles are our churches.
Trinity Church is one such castle. But, unlike an earthly kingdom in which a king might have many castles, which are visited from time-to-time, the heavenly kingdom that has broken into our world has royal palaces where the king may be known, where the king’s direction and leading may be experienced.
That is, after all, one of the principle reasons that the Church exists: to make known the kingship of Jesus Christ, to make known His teachings, to extend His rule over us and over all the world, one heart at a time, for our hearts are castles, too, places where God seeks to take up residence.
Today’s gospel reading relates to us the workings of the kingdom. In one sense, as a commentator I consulted said this week, the activities that Mark relates to us today are those of a “typical day in the kingdom.” Exactly so.
So, what are the typical activities of the life of the kingdom – or, put another way – what are the concerns of the kingdom of God? What is the character of God as we see it in the hallmarks of the kingdom that God ushers in?
Looking at our text (and remembering our text from last Sunday) we may see that they are the following:
- Healing (today’s text)
- Driving back the forces of evil (today’s text)
- Teaching and preaching (last Sunday’s text and today’s)
- Prayer (today’s text)
These are the hallmarks of the kingdom, those things that will make its presence easy to identify, those things that make it the unique gift of God in Jesus Christ that the kingdom is.
As we look at today’s text, we notice that it begins with the account of the healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. She is restored simply by the touch of Jesus’ hand, and is restored to an active role in the life of her family, as she (as the oldest woman in the household) assumes her rightful role within the society and culture of her time.
In due course, many in the area begin to hear about Jesus’ teaching, preaching, healing, and the casting out of demons. (This point is implicit in the text, for Mark tells us that the “whole city was gathered at the door.”) They come, bringing their problems to the Lord for resolution and deliverance.
Demons are cast out (just as they were in last Sunday’s text), and people are healed of their physical infirmities and illnesses.
Then, Jesus rises very early in the morning to go out to a lonely place to pray. We see from Jesus’ comment that the reason He came out to pray in the lonely place was to be prepared for the next phase of His ministry.
Turning to the idea of Trinity Church being a castle in the kingdom of God, how might the marks of the kingdom be seen here? What distinguishes this place, marking it as a place where the King of Kings and Lord of Lords resides among his subjects?
Simply these four marks of the kingdom: Healing, driving back the forces of evil, teaching and preaching, and prayer.
Let’s look, then, at some of the ways these marks of the kingdom are to be found here at Trinity:
Healing: Prayers for healing and anointing with holy oils (known as unction) are regularly offered and regularly received here at Trinity Church. In addition, our parish prayer list exists as a vehicle for everyone in the parish to lift before God those persons for whom prayer is requested. Using the parish prayer list as a guide to our daily prayers keeps those persons before our consciousness, and before the Lord. Through prayer, ancient wrongs and emotional and spiritual scars are healed, and people come under the protection of the Lord, shielded from the destructive powers of addiction.
Driving back the forces of evil: As was noted in last week’s sermon, when the Lord Jesus Christ confronts the powers of evil, we are freed from the grip (or the influence) of those forces, and we are restored to a personal, one-on-one relationship with God. Remember that Jesus Christ came (and comes) to restore to us the relationship that Adam and Eve enjoyed in the Garden of Eden before the Fall: they enjoyed a personal, face-to-face with God as they walked with Him in the cool of the evening. Theologically, that is the point of Jesus’ coming, to restore that broken relationship with God.
Teaching and preaching: Numerous opportunities for learning exist here at Trinity: Sunday School for children, Bible Study for adults, both offered on Sunday mornings. Our Wednesday morning Informal Discussion Group offers in-depth theological training, as well as a walk through the sacred pages of the Bible. Since Lent will soon be upon us, it’s time we mention the Lenten offerings that are planned for the month of March: Three successive Tuesdays will be the meeting time for a series on “Repentance and Restoration”. The dates for these offerings are March 3, 10 & 17. The devotional Forward Day by Day offers a chance to practice prayer as well as a brief lesson for each day of the month. Furthermore, your Rector is available just about any time for individual study, or simply to explore answers to questions that have arisen as a result of your own walk with God. Preaching (you may have noticed) has a particularly pedagogical character to it here at Trinity. More simply put, the sermons that you hear have a strong teaching aspect to them.
Prayer: If the old saying “An army marches on its stomach” is true, then for the Church, the saying could be modified to say, “The Church marches on prayer”. Notice how much of our worship together consists of prayer….most of it is. In addition, Trinity is a place that seeks to be a place of prayer, both corporate (when we come together to worship), and private (when we pray for one another, for the needs of this place, for the concerns of this community, for the welfare of the world, and for the occasion of offering to God our thanks and praise). Notice that Jesus, in today’s gospel, went out to a lonely (the Greek word denotes a “desert”) place, a quiet place, to pray. Traditionally, the desert was the place where one went to meet God. We today need that quiet place….That’s one reason that our Anglican worship places such a high premium on the quietness and stillness that is a requisite quality for worship….we do not seek to entertain here at Trinity. No, instead we remember the majesty and honor that the king who is in our midst deserves. That is why our worship maintains these qualities, which are necessary in order for us to be delivered from the noisiness of the world around us.
One final note must be made: If Trinity Church is a castle in the kingdom of God, one of many such castles, by the way, then it would be well for us to remember why this castle, Trinity Church, exists….
- Like an earthly castle, it seeks to do honor to the resident of that majestic place. Trinity seeks to do honor to the God who came among us as one of us in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
- But this castle also exists for the welfare of the subjects of the kingdom. That would be you and me. For, you see, we are also residents of the castle, made residents by the invitation of the king, our Lord Jesus Christ, whose coming among us was for the purpose of healing us, of driving back the forces of evil, for teaching us the ways of God, and for the prayer life that we share with Him.
Thanks be to God!
AMEN.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
4 Epiphany, Year B
“THE KINGDOM COMES, WITH AUTHORITY AND POWER”
Deuteronomy 18: 15 – 20; Psalm 111; I Corinthians 8: 1b – 13; Mark 1: 21 – 28
A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker, given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Sunday, February 1, 2009
And so, the Kingdom of God comes, with authority and with power.
Today’s gospel text recalls for us the first public act of Jesus’ ministry, an act which brings into reality God’s kingdom.
The kingdom comes with authority: Notice that the bystanders who hear Jesus’ teaching remark that He teaches “with authority, not like the scribes.”
The kingdom comes with observable power: the man with the unclean spirit is freed of the spiritual bondage that the forces of evil exercise over him as Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit, saying, “Come out of him!”.
But lest we get ahead of ourselves, let’s back up a little, to the very beginning of Mark’s gospel account (only 20 verses beforehand – remember that Mark’s writing style is concise and to-the-point), and trace the events that have brought us to the confrontation which is before us today.
My purpose in retracing our steps is to bring to our consciences the opposing forces of God and evil, and how that affected the man in possession, and us.
So, beginning at Mark 1: 1, we read, “The beginning of the Gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” There it is, plain and simple.
Next, Mark retells the story of John the Baptist, and of Jesus’ baptism by him in the River Jordan. As Jesus is coming up out of the water, Mark tells us that He “saw the heavens torn open, and the spirit descending on him in the form of a dove, and a voice from heaven, ‘Thou art my beloved son, with thee I am well pleased.’”
From there, Mark tells us that Jesus was driven into the desert for His temptation, for forty days.
Then, last week, Jesus announces the coming of the kingdom, saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
So, with Jesus’ baptism, at which time the Father announces His presence with the blessing pronounced upon the Son, and with the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, the fullness of God has come among us. The full presence and power of God enters into our world, ready to reclaim for God the human beings God created and whom God loves. God reclaims them and us from the forces and clutches of the powers of evil. (More on that in a minute.)
Now, we turn to the acknowledgement of the unclean spirit of Jesus’ identity.
Upon seeing Jesus enter the synagogue at Capernahum, the unclean spirit cries 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.”
Notice the voice of the unclean spirit, who identifies himself in the singular, saying, “I know who you are.” Yet, the unclean spirit might well be speaking for others (perhaps the entire cosmos of unclean spirits) when we hear these words, “Have you come to destroy us?”
And so, the battle is joined.
The forces of God (remember, the fullness of God, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit) confront the forces of evil, not just this singular unclean spirit, but the entire cosmos of evil spirits, and their mentor, Satan.
But where is the man who is possessed by the unclean spirit?
Where is he in all of this?
Is he in a “no man’s land”, able only to dig a foxhole in hopes of avoiding the rounds which will shortly fly over his head?
No!
For the man, remember with me, is possessed. He is in the enemy’s camp, held prisoner.
In a real sense, the man is caught up in the battle, vulnerable. He will shortly become the focus of the battle itself.
But Jesus comes to rescue the prisoner, to set him free from the evil powers from which he is unable to free himself.
And so, the unclean spirit releases his hold on the man, as the possessed man is convulsed by the departure of the unclean spirit.
You and I are in the same predicament as this possessed man.
“Ah,” we may say, “I’ve never been possessed by an unclean spirit.” (In truth, some of the accounts in the Bible which are described as possession might well be known today as a mental disorder or a physical malady such as epilepsy, but the truth remains that demon possession is real, and must be taken seriously, though it is a rare occurrence.)
“Good!” we say in thanksgiving to God.
And yet, we are in the same situation as the possessed man, for the powers of evil still try to entrap, ensnare and capture us, holding us – if not captive – then under their influence. Outright, total possession by an unclean or evil spirit is rare. But the influences of the powers of evil are commonplace. These influences affect you and me, day in and day out. These influences intensify whenever we draw nearer to God. For, you see, the powers of evil do not want to give us up to the freedom that God promises in Christ without a fight.
So. like the man in today’s account, we are unable to free ourselves from the influences of the forces of evil which seek to destroy body, soul and mind, and in the process, to separate us from God’s protection and God’s love.
As we reflect back on it, that’s exactly the same situation that confronted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis, chapter three)….They, too, were ensnared by the forces of evil, and were separated from God’s love and God’s presence, subject – as are we all who are their descendents – to the powers of evil, and prone to lead sinful lives, which separate us from God.
But, with today’s action, the kingdom of God swings into action.
How does it do so? Does Jesus, with a sweep of His arm, banish all the forces of evil, all the unclean spirits, and yes, even Satan himself?
No.
You see, the kingdom of God comes one person at a time. God, through Christ, reclaims us, one-by-one, from the clutches of evil, and He does so in the world at large, one person at a time.
“Thy kingdom come,” we pray each Sunday in the Lord’s Prayer. “Yes, thy kingdom come,” we continue to pray, one person at a time, beginning with your heart and my heart, then spreading to the person next to us, and then to the person next to them.
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
AMEN.
Deuteronomy 18: 15 – 20; Psalm 111; I Corinthians 8: 1b – 13; Mark 1: 21 – 28
A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker, given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Sunday, February 1, 2009
And so, the Kingdom of God comes, with authority and with power.
Today’s gospel text recalls for us the first public act of Jesus’ ministry, an act which brings into reality God’s kingdom.
The kingdom comes with authority: Notice that the bystanders who hear Jesus’ teaching remark that He teaches “with authority, not like the scribes.”
The kingdom comes with observable power: the man with the unclean spirit is freed of the spiritual bondage that the forces of evil exercise over him as Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit, saying, “Come out of him!”.
But lest we get ahead of ourselves, let’s back up a little, to the very beginning of Mark’s gospel account (only 20 verses beforehand – remember that Mark’s writing style is concise and to-the-point), and trace the events that have brought us to the confrontation which is before us today.
My purpose in retracing our steps is to bring to our consciences the opposing forces of God and evil, and how that affected the man in possession, and us.
So, beginning at Mark 1: 1, we read, “The beginning of the Gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” There it is, plain and simple.
Next, Mark retells the story of John the Baptist, and of Jesus’ baptism by him in the River Jordan. As Jesus is coming up out of the water, Mark tells us that He “saw the heavens torn open, and the spirit descending on him in the form of a dove, and a voice from heaven, ‘Thou art my beloved son, with thee I am well pleased.’”
From there, Mark tells us that Jesus was driven into the desert for His temptation, for forty days.
Then, last week, Jesus announces the coming of the kingdom, saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
So, with Jesus’ baptism, at which time the Father announces His presence with the blessing pronounced upon the Son, and with the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, the fullness of God has come among us. The full presence and power of God enters into our world, ready to reclaim for God the human beings God created and whom God loves. God reclaims them and us from the forces and clutches of the powers of evil. (More on that in a minute.)
Now, we turn to the acknowledgement of the unclean spirit of Jesus’ identity.
Upon seeing Jesus enter the synagogue at Capernahum, the unclean spirit cries 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.”
Notice the voice of the unclean spirit, who identifies himself in the singular, saying, “I know who you are.” Yet, the unclean spirit might well be speaking for others (perhaps the entire cosmos of unclean spirits) when we hear these words, “Have you come to destroy us?”
And so, the battle is joined.
The forces of God (remember, the fullness of God, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit) confront the forces of evil, not just this singular unclean spirit, but the entire cosmos of evil spirits, and their mentor, Satan.
But where is the man who is possessed by the unclean spirit?
Where is he in all of this?
Is he in a “no man’s land”, able only to dig a foxhole in hopes of avoiding the rounds which will shortly fly over his head?
No!
For the man, remember with me, is possessed. He is in the enemy’s camp, held prisoner.
In a real sense, the man is caught up in the battle, vulnerable. He will shortly become the focus of the battle itself.
But Jesus comes to rescue the prisoner, to set him free from the evil powers from which he is unable to free himself.
And so, the unclean spirit releases his hold on the man, as the possessed man is convulsed by the departure of the unclean spirit.
You and I are in the same predicament as this possessed man.
“Ah,” we may say, “I’ve never been possessed by an unclean spirit.” (In truth, some of the accounts in the Bible which are described as possession might well be known today as a mental disorder or a physical malady such as epilepsy, but the truth remains that demon possession is real, and must be taken seriously, though it is a rare occurrence.)
“Good!” we say in thanksgiving to God.
And yet, we are in the same situation as the possessed man, for the powers of evil still try to entrap, ensnare and capture us, holding us – if not captive – then under their influence. Outright, total possession by an unclean or evil spirit is rare. But the influences of the powers of evil are commonplace. These influences affect you and me, day in and day out. These influences intensify whenever we draw nearer to God. For, you see, the powers of evil do not want to give us up to the freedom that God promises in Christ without a fight.
So. like the man in today’s account, we are unable to free ourselves from the influences of the forces of evil which seek to destroy body, soul and mind, and in the process, to separate us from God’s protection and God’s love.
As we reflect back on it, that’s exactly the same situation that confronted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis, chapter three)….They, too, were ensnared by the forces of evil, and were separated from God’s love and God’s presence, subject – as are we all who are their descendents – to the powers of evil, and prone to lead sinful lives, which separate us from God.
But, with today’s action, the kingdom of God swings into action.
How does it do so? Does Jesus, with a sweep of His arm, banish all the forces of evil, all the unclean spirits, and yes, even Satan himself?
No.
You see, the kingdom of God comes one person at a time. God, through Christ, reclaims us, one-by-one, from the clutches of evil, and He does so in the world at large, one person at a time.
“Thy kingdom come,” we pray each Sunday in the Lord’s Prayer. “Yes, thy kingdom come,” we continue to pray, one person at a time, beginning with your heart and my heart, then spreading to the person next to us, and then to the person next to them.
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
AMEN.
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