The Pastor’s Sermon - February 5, 2012 - Epiphany V

Disclaimer: At the request of a few of the congregation, I’m ‘publishing’ the text of my sermon ‘as written.’ I cannot guarantee that I will deliver the sermon ‘as written.’

“...he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons... In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.”

• This passage from Mark's Gospel contains an interesting contrast. Jesus heals many people who were sick, and it didn't appear to matter what disease presented itself. He also set about to casting out demons. But then, he goes off by himself to pray in a deserted place. It's interesting that Mark sets these two so closely together.
• Once again the message Jesus preaches is the message of the Kingdom of God, the message that God reigns over all that exists and that we are part of that reign.
• In healing the sick, Jesus confronts the evil of sickness in the world, bringing it into the light of the Kingdom. Sickness might not be evil in the sense of malicious intent, but it is not a good thing. It is also not an expression of the goodness of creation,
• The casting out of demons and unclean spirits (the same thing, just using different expressions, depending on whether you speak Greek or Hebrew) is further confrontation of evil in the world. Here the intelligence and motivation of true evil is laid bare.
• In Biblical times, the work of demons and unclean spirits was used to explain the unexplainable in human behavior. Often demons were blamed for what we would know as epilepsy or mental illness in our time. These illnesses were unexplained and the causes were beyond anything people knew at the time, so the work of demons was the only thing that made sense to them.
• Think now. Have you ever encountered evil? Have you stood in the face of the evil one? I'm not talking about incompetence or stupidity – there is enough of either available in the world and both cause problems and cost us plenty.
• Here I am talking about true evil, malice personified in a person, place, or thing. Cartoon devils with their Halloween pitchforks are not the personification of evil; more often than not they are laughable characters. I have a feeling that many here have faced evil.
• True evil “smells”, makes us itch and squirm, and more often than not confuses us. That is the true sign of evil – a sense of confusion in the face of it, a sense that you've missed something and there are too many false paths, blind alleys, and misstated words to allow you to move through the surrounding fog without stumbling. Often you might feel that you are out of your depth or that something has slipped away just beyond your reach.
• Maybe you have faced and know evil in a person, in a group, or in a situation. Maybe you've felt the confusion that come with encountering evil.
• This is exactly what Jesus confronts in the story we hear today. The brokenness of creation of creation seen in illness and the presence of evil seen in the unclean spirits are both confronted and defeated. Those suffering are healed and those possessed are freed from their bondage. In both cases, the power of God is made manifest and is seen in power.
• What does Jesus do next? Does he crow in triumph? Does he gloat? No, he returns to the source of all his strength and power – his relationship with his Father. He goes to “a deserted place” to pray. He cannot continue his mission or even to live without constantly renewing his relationship with his Father. We have no idea what he prayed about or what words he used or if he even used words. His prayer was simply to be with the Father and to know the Father was present to him. That is the bottom line of prayer and enough for any day.
• Here is our lesson for today. Our call and mission – individually and as a congregation, indeed as an entire church- is to proclaim the Kingdom of God and the reign of God over all that exists. In particular and first of all, we are to follow the example of Jesus and proclaim the reign of God over all that is in us.
• We can expect this proclamation to be opposed by the broken elements of our world and lives. We may become discouraged and disappointed, angry and even despairing. We might even know and feel the presence of evil in this continued work for the Kingdom.
• The only way to counteract these influences is to renew and strengthen our relationship with our Father in Heaven. This is done by prayer through Jesus in the Holy Spirit. Anger, despair, discouragement, and disappointment cannot long stand in the face of the presence of God.
• How we pray is often less important than that we pray. Prayer from the heart is another way we follow the example of Jesus.
• The Kingdom of God is upon us and among us. Our mission has been what it always has been for the Church – to proclaim the Kingdom in word and deed. No power of earth or elsewhere can stand against this mission, for it has the presence of God in it. Our prayer and our worship continually places us in God's presence. That will be the following of Jesus who reminds us in Mark's Gospel: "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do."