Living in coronavirusworld 244: Of inaugurations, occupied territory and exorcism

 

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Together

Tonight in this season of “inaugurations,’ we study Mark’s account of the inauguration of Jesus’ ministry. (Mark 1: 21-28) Each gospel has its own version of how Jesus initiates his ministry. In Matthew, it’s the sermon on the mount. In Luke, it’s a programmatic statement of mission rooted in Isaiah with release to the captives, sight to the blind, etc. John starts with changing water to wine at a wedding at Cana of Galilee. Here in Mark, it’s the story of “the man with the unclean spirit.” The first of four exorcisms in Mark. 

In response, the people are astounded, a word used 10 times in Mark. 

The confrontation with the demon is interesting. First, in our contemporary understanding, demonic possession may be a way of describing what we understand to be mental illness. On the other hand, we understand  that substance addiction, and Alzheimers and bipolar can all possess someone and result in them  behaving other than themselves. In this story, the demon speaks in the collective (“what do you have to do with us?”) as if all that is demonic is somehow involved. All the force that oppress human beings. And the demon knows Jesus by name, both human “ Jesus of Nazareth” and divine, Holy One of God.” From Genesis 1 foreword, to know someone’s name (or to name them) is to have power over them. Jesus too is possessed, of the Holy Spirit, and the demon is trying to exorcise Jesus. So we have what is undoubtedly a loud contest with raised voices and shouting. A great movie scene. 

Note that this is happening in a synagogue, A holy place. I have actually  had this experience. Both alone at West Park where a man asked for an exorcism. After I “removed the demon” he turned and told  told me “and now he’s in  you.”(https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/335914640400880074/8707032854797775964) And once on a Sunday morning where Rafael, my Occupy Wall Street security guard literally wrapped the young man in a hug and walked him out of the sanctuary and stayed with him until the ambulance arrived. (https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/335914640400880074/5130785507670366507) 

What we’ve got here is a struggle over occupied territory. Just like the Romans are unjustly occupying the territory, the demons are occupying the man. Just as the demon has to be exorcised from the man, the people  need to be freed from occupation.  Just as our lives right now are occupied by a triple threat, the pandemic, race and political division.  Even with the promise of a new President, these forces remain. And as Eddie Glaude has said in Begin Again, a refection on the works of James Baldwin, the trauma of racism endures in our very  bodies to this day. We need exorcism. 

The control of occupied space extends to the synagogue. Who will control the holy space? Jesus walks in and  teaches with authority. The people see it immediately. The institutional leaders want to know where was he educated? Where did he get his seminary education and degree? Is he ordained? What denomination? Amber Leigh describes this as an issue of emotional (or intrinsic) authority over against positional authority. In community organizing one-on-ones, we all want to find out who ha authority in peoples lives? In any congregation, there are the “official” leaders and the “cultural” leaders, whose  support is needed for something to happen. Jesus’ authority came from the  center of his  being. 

To confront the demon that confronts us, it will take granting Jesus the authority over our lives, our beings. It will take the sustaining support of the Holy  Spirit. And the solidarity of the community of faith. Th inauguration os over. It’s time get to work. 

The Man with an Unclean Spirit

21 They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 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.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He[a] commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.