besquared.org Blog

Today’s Text

I’ll say a word about demons (more than I want to really). It was common during that last century to dismiss demons. During that century our understanding of mental maladies increased so greatly that many were convinced that one no longer needed supernatural explanation for disease or distress. In some extreme versions of this literature, writers would examine the short accounts of demon possession and try to determine the “real” problem. Christians who did this not doubting Jesus power to heal, they just were responding to the different interpretive framework that modern medicine provided for understanding illness. Since Jesus never affirmed nor critiqued the framework of his time, I would suggest that we are not bound by it.

In recent years a counter-trend has developed. It finds it roots in two parallel streams. The first is a renewed interest in Satan. Even in my life time I have heard an amazing transition in speech about Satan. In particular, the metaphor of a great cosmic battle between two great forces, has been slowly moving to a central place in popular thought. On a personally, I regularly talk to out-of-work cold sufferers who understand themselves to be beset by Satan. (I have some concerns about this trend but that is for another time.)

In parallel to this we have the collapse of modernity and its impact on how we think about modern medicine. Even as medicine is more and more capable, we as a culture are increasingly skeptical of its ability to explain everything. So we are more ready to accept the possibility that some physiological maladies might have non-material causes.

In light of this we are more open to the realities of demon possession. (This is in no small part due to increased globalization which has brought us into contact with cultures that have never forgotten about demons.) I think that in general this is a good thing. However, I do sometimes worry that this is moving toward excess. As Lewis reminds us in his classic “The Screwtape Letters” the devil is equally pleased by both the materialist and the magician. And so I hope that we as a church will walk the fine line of acknowledging the real power of the demonic, without seeing a demon behind every bush or sneeze.

As we strike this balance what is most important for me to affirm is that in this text we learn that Jesus is stronger than demons. Not a little bit stronger, and not just acquainted with something stronger. Jesus is immeasurably stronger. They cower before him because they know who he is. I think that we are in a cultural mood right now to give satan and his minions way too much power. As far as I understand scritpture the only thing that God has not overcome is the power of human choice (this of course is by God’s choice and not resulting from weakness). So I am always wary when we talk about satan having “blocked our way” or having been “overcome” by a demon.

If you want to know more I would talk to Tom Moen. I am still learning on this topic.

What do you do, if you are healed from a fever? You get up a serve. This story will preach. It is short but so powerful. Jesus encounters a sick woman. He heals her. She serves. I hope that the church is always proclaim this truth. We have been saved from death for a life of work in God’s kingdom. (If you don’t believe that this story presents a relevant principle for all of us, check out Ephesians 2. I will give 10,000 points to the first person who can comment with the relevant verse.)

I think that I know a few great stories form church history of people were injured in wars and stuff who while in the hospital began to care for others and then eventually that grew into a lifetime of caring for other. That would be cool if I could throw one of those in. I can’t right now, but I do know a guy who used to come to me for math tutoring who later became a math tutor. (Somehow that doesn’t have the same drama does it.)

Anyway, here is my new thing whenever I recover from a fever, I am going to try to thank God for my restored health and look for the service that God would have me do.

We learn a lot about Jesus ministry in this section.  We learn that he was not satisfied to enjoy the love a crowd but he always pressed on to share the news with those who had not heard. We learn that he taught in the synagogues and he taught with a new authority.  He healed and cast out demons.  He is a now a many without a home but he is also firmly pursuing his own way. (See last post.)
We will keep looking to see what Jesus expects from the good people of his day.  For now it is enough to notice that Jesus has not given up on the synagogue or the people of Galilee.

May we who are recovering become the servants of those who are still sick,

-Ethan