The Rev. Hugh Majors, writes that many scholars think that St. Mark's Gospel was set
down somewhere between 60 and 65 AD. The presumed primary audience is the Jewish Christian community, not in Judea, but perhaps in Rome. If these scholarly theories are true, then the story about Jesus' authority takes on a special kind of power and import. If the date of writing is correct, then Mark's Gospel coincides with the first major Roman persecution of Christians in Rome. Nero, the Emperor, singled out the Christians in Rome for serious persecution. This began a trend that ultimately resulted in the Empire-wide persecution during the reign of Diocletian.
In the story Jesus demonstrates authority in teaching the Scriptures. His authority is visible, audible, and amazes those who heard him. Jesus also demonstrates authority over the demonic. And, amazingly, the demon recognized Jesus as the anointed one who was coming into the world bringing the Kingdom of God. He asked Jesus, "are you coming to kill me?"
Imagine, if you can, that you were a Christian in Rome in 63 AD. You have a Jewish heritage. You are already part of the Diaspora, Jews living away from Israel. You are uncertain about your religious identity. You no longer go to the Temple in Jerusalem. You believe in Jesus. But you don't know whether this means that you are no longer primarily a Jew or whether this means that you are something else. To complicate the situation, Nero has begun to persecute Christians. In short, the question of religion's authority, authority in teaching Scripture, is immediate and personal. At the same time the demonic is immediate and personal. The Roman authorities might at any time come and get you. You could be executed in some terrible way-possibly fed to the lions.
Imagine hearing this text from the Mark's Gospel. Two of your serious anxieties are plainly faced. Jesus is the one with the authority to face them and overcome them.
Many scholars think that Jesus claimed his authority with Scripture by teaching its meaning directly. In the typical rabbinical way of teaching, the teacher would discuss all of the commentaries on a text. The discussion would be something like, "Rabbi Gameliel said…and Rabbi Moses says…but Rabbi Simon says…." Finally the teacher would conclude with his own viewpoint. Jesus didn't do that. He said, "Today this text is fulfilled in your presence." He taught with personal authority. He did not rely on the authority of the teaching tradition.
In confronting the demonic, Jesus exercised his authority to heal. The demon saw Jesus for who he was and is and responded with fear. Jesus' authority over the demonic was powerfully demonstrated.
The two displays of authority would have been a source of strength to the Jewish Christian in Rome in 63 AD. What do they mean in our time?
The Gospel is always good news. But before we are in it, we don't see it as good. To find meaning in life, to experience healing of that which is broken, we have to submit to his authority. But it is not in our nature to do that. We are rebellious. But when God gives us the gift of submission, we enter the meaning and joy that comes through Jesus.
William Willimon, former Dean of the chapel at Duke University tells us that today’s Gospel reminds us that God does more than simply care; God does more than merely stand beside us in the darkness of our despair. God powerfully reaches out to us, rebukes the demonic evil that has thrown us into this horrible situation, and thereby lifts us up. Sometimes God lifts us up by providing us with good friends who also show up, speak a word of compassion to us, lift us up in ways we couldn’t lift ourselves. This too, we believe, is part of God’s love.
In these first chapters, Mark surely means to show us that the cross of Christ wasn’t just a one-time event for Jesus but was part of his whole ministry. Jesus suffers opposition from humans and from demons who shout at him and curse him. Jesus suffers for his love for us. This is who God is. The cross is thus like a window into the heart of God. God doesn’t pull strings in our lives down here, but that doesn’t mean God is absent. God is especially here in our times of suffering. I’m sure that there are some here who could testify to that truth this morning. When we suffer, we want to get out of it and away from it as soon as we can. Jesus indicates that God is different from us in that God seems to seek out the sufferers. God tends to wade into the suffering of others and suffer himself. That is very good news indeed. For it means that when we suffer, we are apt to be very close to the suffering God. When we cry out, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” it’s there, right there, we see God with us. Do we see God with us in the pandemic we are confronted with? Are we willing to surrender all to the authority of Jesus to bring us through the pandemic? There is a story we tell in Kairos Prison Ministry to the residents on the weekend as we begin the three days together. A peasant farmer was walking to village to sell a bag of wheat. Suddenly, the King’s carriage pulled up and King asked him where he was going? He told the King he was going to sell some wheat. The King asked him if he would first GIVE him some of his wheat. The farmer said OK, and reached into his bag and took out ONE grain and gave it to the King, The King took out his bag of Gold, reached in and took out one coin and gave to the farmer and drove away. The farmer wondered if I had given the King my whole bag would he have given me his whole bag of Gold? Are we willing to surrender all to Jesus? All our worries, anxieties, fears and concerns about the pandemic, and the violence in the world?
We’re just beginning the Gospel of Mark, but let me tell you how this Gospel ends. The God who shows up in Jesus shows up at the end, most clearly and lovingly, not in some lovely forest glade where Jesus relaxes with his good friends. God shows up on the cross, a horrible end for one so good.
Where is God? Well, where there are crosses, there is God. God didn’t stay trapped in heavenly glory but rather came and confronted and squared off with the worst evil the world could give. For us and with us. On the First Sunday in Epiphany, at his Baptism we hear God say to Jesus “You are my Beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” On the Last Sunday in Epiphany, on the Mount of Transfiguration, we hear God say to the Apostles “This is my Son, the Beloved, LISTEN TO HIM!” Our lesson this morning has shown us that Jesus speaks with authority. These brackets of the first and last Sundays of Epiphany shows us where the authority comes from. Thanks be to God.
A. BACKGROUND NOTES: AUTHORITY:
AUTHORITY. The power or right to perform certain acts without impediment. It is based upon some form of law, whether divine, civil, or moral. Supreme authority is God's alone (Romans 13:1), hence all human authority is derived. The Greek word exousia furnishes the NT basis of authority, along with such words as dunamis ("power"), epitage ("command"), dunastes (Acts 8:27), and authenteo (1 Timothy 2:12).
1. God's authority is unconditional and absolute (Psalm 29:10; Isaiah 40:1), making Him supreme over nature and human history alike. From this intrinsic authority comes that of governments (Romans 13:1-7), employers (Ephesians 6:5-9), parents (Ephesians 6:1-4), church elders (Hebrews 13:7, 17), and others in positions of power. Similarly the angels function under divine authority (Luke 1:19-20), and evil spirits are also subject to God's power (Ephesians 6:11-12).
2. Because Jesus was God, His authority was not merely derived from the Father but was also intrinsic. His power knew no limitations (Matthew 28:18) and was the ground of His commissions to His disciples (Mark 6:7; John 20:22). A preeminent source of derived authority is the Scriptures, inspired by God Himself (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21) and therefore by His supreme authority. For this reason believers are required to obey them.
3. The general purpose of authority is to promote order in human society, and its highest use is an altruistic one, as Christ stated (Luke 22:26-27). Christians are given the authority to become children of God (John 1:12) and have the right to pursue certain forms of behavior (1 Corinthians 6:12). Ultimately all derived authority will revert to God, who bestowed it (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). (From The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright © 1988.)
B. DOCTRINAL POINTS
1. Jesus’ public work in the Gospel of Mark. The scene is set in the synagogue in Capernaum, on the Sabbath. He has overcome the power of Satan in the wilderness and begins his preaching in Galilee. Anyone who enjoyed the respect of the community could teach in the synagogue, but the surprising thing about Jesus was that he was no mere theologian! The source of his authority in word and deed is the focal point in the exorcism that follows.
2. The unclean spirit recognizes not only Jesus’ human origin [Nazareth] but also the divine source of his authority [God]. In the Gospel of Mark, only supernatural beings know fully who Jesus is until the death of Jesus, when the Roman centurion recognizes him to be Son of God. In the meantime, this is hidden from everyone else.
3. The power of God is operative in Jesus in overcoming the power of evil. The word of Jesus alone causes the demon to come out of the man. This is the key to the rest of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus confronts the power of evil in all of its manifestations and subdues it.
4. The people respond with surprise and wonder, which are not faith. They are caught up in the externals but fail to perceive who is behind it all. They are observing a wonderworker and intrigued by a new teacher. It is strange to call a deed a “new teaching,” but it serves to link Jesus’ words and actions to the authority which he has received from God in the gift of the Spirit. [Homily Helps: St. Anthony Messenger Press]
C. APPLICATION/DISCUSSION:
A newspaper physician/columnist received a letter from a man who finally had the ulcer he had been worrying about for years. Now he is worried about the ulcer and the surgery he figures he will need. The doctor’s response is that it sounds as though the man would have been greatly disappointed had the ulcer not developed. He labels constant worry as self-fulfilling prophecy. Worry creates self-fulfilling prophecy in other areas of life. A worried worker, fearful of losing his job, constantly voices his concern to a supervisor. His lack of confidence affects job performance and promotion does not occur. Soldiers taking Basic Training are given “Stress Cards” to check when they are being stressed out. The spirit of worry can cause us to challenge God’s presence in our lives. Jesus’ answer to the unclean spirit in the man at Capernaum was “Be quiet and come out the man!”
A priest tells this story: Once he was spiritual director for a Cursillo. (Cur-SEE-Yo is a short weekend course in basic Christianity). One of the candidates was a beautiful young woman who was getting a Ph.D. at a university. At a quiet point in the Cursillo weekend she asked if she might receive some spiritual guidance. The priest, of course, agreed. The woman's story was one of great achievements. She told about academic, athletic, and artistic success, and still she felt empty. She said it was as if she were trying to fill a hole in her life because she felt so empty. She felt she had been paying the world to make her a success. She had worked hard to have all of her successes, but they had not made her feel better about herself. Now, finding herself in a course that teaches that what she was seeking was free for the asking, she was amazed. The priest shared with her his own story of attempting to cure himself from his personal broken life. While different, it had similar themes. He told her how he had learned to accept Jesus as his only hope for life and joy in living. He told her how he thought he was going crazy, then realized in fact he was going sane! The young woman said that was what she wanted. The priest guided her through the process of claiming Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Afterward she said, "Only Jesus has the authority to give meaning to life and to heal the broken".
Comments