Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” Mk. 1: 27
Super Bowl Sunday!
In just a couple of weeks millions of people will gather around TV’s for the sole purpose of watching a gigantic combat take place.
Which team will be the stronger one, the champion? Which team will triumph over all the strategies the other puts forth?
Fans for each side will spend enormous amounts of time and energy doing all they can to make sure their team – and their team alone! – will be crowned with the glory of victory.
It’s our modern version of the greatest of all battles:
Good vs. Evil.
Ironically, the passage of Mark’s gospel we read today also has to do with a gigantic battle, only it’s one with eternal ramifications.
It’s the clash of the Stronger One vs. the Weaker One, the cosmic forces of Good vs. the cosmic forces of Evil.
God vs. Satan.
It can’t get much more momentous.
And if all this sounds a bit overblown, consider this:
Mark, the gospel writer, makes the initial act of Jesus’ ministry a confrontation, a battle against evil spirits.
Notice: There’s no mention of romantic nativity scenes, no blazing stars in the sky, no wise men arriving from afar. The names of Mary and Joseph are completely absent.
Instead, from the outset of his gospel, Mark portrays Jesus as the Stronger One who triumphs over Satan’s continual attacks.
Why?
Whatever would prompt Mark to begin his whole story about Jesus of Nazareth by emphasizing a cosmic battle?
First, remember that the ancients perceived the universe as being populated by a wide variety of very threatening spirits. In fact, most people then believed that the world they lived in was a place locked in a deadly struggle, a massive combat between God and the powers of evil.
And, due to the horrible persecutions of Christians taking place at that time, the rampant poverty, the multitude of illnesses no one could adequately treat, and the inexplicable mental disorders that baffled their society, most people believed that Satan was winning the battle.
Satan was viewed by many, therefore, as the ultimate ruler of the world.
Mark, then, begins his gospel by getting right to the heart of the matter:
Yes, Mark admits, Satan is powerful. But Jesus is more powerful.
Yes, Mark admits, Satan has a strong hold on the world. But Jesus is the Stronger One.
How does Mark demonstrate this? How does he prove his point?
Through Jesus’ “mighty deeds.” Through the miracles Jesus performs.
A leper is cleansed. A man with a withered hand is made whole. A woman with a hemorrhage is restored to normalcy. A “little child” who was deemed dead is brought back to life. A madman is calmed.
All are healed and given a whole new experience of life. And, as a result, the power of Satan is diminished.
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is confronted by “a man with an unclean spirit.” He is a man who represents everything that people feared – a man completely overtaken by evil, by Satan.
Their overriding fear was:
They could be next.
So, upon confrontation, Jesus immediately demonstrates his ultimate power over all their fears:
“Come out of him!” Jesus commands!
And, as a result, the evil spirit “came out of him.”
People witnessing this never-before-seen miracle are, as the gospel of Mark puts it, were “amazed …. He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
The battle was on.
Jesus was the Victor, the Stronger One.
In the healing of this man, God’s power is clearly demonstrated to be greater than Satan’s.
Love conquers hatred. Mercy defeats oppression. Peace wins out over violence.
Mark then tells us: “His fame spread everywhere.”
So much so, in fact, that the people begin to chant:
“We have never seen anything like this.”
Never!
Jesus sets a whole new standard for the people of that time and place.
And now, he turns to us. To you and me.
Now, he asks us to take up the mission of performing miracles in our own lives – miracles of forgiveness, miracles of service, miracles of generosity, miracles of peacemaking.
Now, Jesus in effect tells us, it’s our turn. The ball is in our hands, in our hearts and soul:
He’s calling for each one of us to teach with “authority,” and to heal with the power of grace all those “possessed” by the demons that grip people’s bodies and souls.
In other words, the Gospel of Mark is calling each one of us to understand that now it’s up to you and me to continue this gigantic battle of all battles:
Good vs. Evil, God vs. Satan.
The ultimate Super Bowl!
Perhaps a prayer composed by St. Francis of Assisi can best summarize our “game plan” as we attempt to follow Jesus in healing service to one another:
“May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships – so that we may live deep within our hearts. May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people – so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war – so that we may reach out our hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can actually make a difference in the world – that we can do what others claim cannot be done: bring justice and kindness to our children and the poor. Amen”
Ted Wolgamot, Psy.D.
