January 29th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
Mark 1:21-28 (NRSV)
The healing of one with an unclean spirit
They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 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." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Reflection
I noticed how Jesus cast out this unclean spirit without a touch being made. It wasn't the body of the poor guy afflicted with this spirit; it was that the spirit had assumed it's presence in this person. Jesus' love for the man was so great that he stopped an important portion of the Jewish sabbath in the reading of the Word. Jesus paused what he was doing to take care of the needs of a man afflicted with something he did not deserve. Jesus cast out the unclean spirit, Spirit to spirit with his Word. Jesus is Word. The Word Jesus was reading is Word. The Word Jesus cast was his very self. In some sense Jesus' Spirit took over the place of the unclean spirit within this poor man. That's authority!

And a few years later, Jesus would do this very same thing for all of us. He would take our place on that cross and become our sin to die and rise again. Cast out the unclean spirit and place in us a clean Spirit. No wonder all the people were amazed. Who would have thought of that? Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, your love is beyond anything I can imagine. Create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right spirit within me... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen