This past Sunday the Gospel was about Jesus going to church (synagogue) and when he was there, he was invited to teach. This is in Mark 1:23-26. As he was teaching, a man interrupted him by raising his voice. He said, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!”
Jesus immediately responded by saying to this man, “Be quiet and come out of him!” The text says, “The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.”
The man was possessed, which is to say he was defiled by an evil spirit. Somewhere along his journey in life, he took up ideas and walked with people that filled him with that which would destroy him – eventually.
Jesus wanted him to be quiet because he did not want people to know he was the Messiah. It was way too early for that. Much had to be done. Jesus also gave this man freedom by delivering him of this spirit.
Jesus has two kinds of authority. One, is throne authority. His other authority is what he says will come to be due to his annointing. We remember that at his baptism, the scripture tells us in Mark that heaven was torn open and the Spirit came upon Him as a dove.
In the spiritual life, we remember that “spirit” is the root word in “spiritual”. When we are baptized, we receive an annointing of the Holy Spirit. It is there and available to the degree we walk with God. Some never get to know God. That is sad. Others are baptized and the annointing is never nurtured, or if it is – sometimes very little. So, that person has little good spiritual influence in their life. Although we don’t know, this man was evidently not baptized and had nothing in common with Jesus.
The good news is he was delivered of the evil. He was set free. I would like to know what happened to him. Did he follow Jesus or just walk away?
God once told Jeremiah, and he tells us, too, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me WHEN you seek me with all your heart and I will bring you back…”
It only takes one thing to get right with God – a decision.
What is your decision? Which way will you go?
