Monthly Archives: January 2012

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany: An Exorcism Performed by Jesus

Readings

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Psalm 111

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Mark 1:21-28

Devotion

Peace be with you!

A few weeks before Christmas, Jerry and I moved into our new home that we built. We were both excited to finally have our own space after living with my mom for two years. As we began the never-ending process of unpacking, we had a lot of energy to set up our home the way we wanted it and to show it off to friends and family. However, the week after Christmas, I was emotionally done with the unpacking process. We just had too much stuff that I did not know where to put and throwing it into the basement was not an option since this is Florida we are talking about.

I snapped. I was exhausted from constantly directing people where to put things. I wished I could do the unpacking myself, but my Cerebral Palsy limits my ability to do so. Three people were asking me where to put things all at once.  In my exhaustion, I started blowing people off. It felt like something moved into my body and made me do and say things I would never do or say otherwise. The stress of moving put me in a bad mood and made me do and say things that were not me.

Once the majority of the unpacking was done, the bad went out of my body, and I became me again. Thankfully after a few apologies, my friends came back and forgave me for my rude behavior, because they understood the stress I was under.

The Gospel reading today is a bit weird. Jesus performs an exorcism, which is something we, in the western hemisphere, only see in horror movies with priests chanting spells to release the evil spirits. To be honest, I avoid watching those movies, because 1) they give me nightmares, and 2) I cannot grasp the concept and reason behind exorcisms.  When I read Mark 1:21-28, I am a little taken aback by Jesus commanding an unclean spirit out of a man’s body. What makes it more awkward is this exorcism begins Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of Mark. Out of all the different kinds of miracles (healing, walking on water, raising the dead) the author of Mark chooses to document an exorcism first. Why?

The exorcism in today’s reading leads me to ask the question: “How are we possessed today?” It is a difficult question to answer, because as Christians we have to admit the Devil still has some power over us. We know that sin is a real force in the world that the Devil controls, but to admit the Devil has power over us is difficult for Christians to reconcile with our belief that God is all-powerful and has conquered sin, death, and the devil.

So then the question becomes “How does the Devil possess us today?” The first thing that comes to mind is when we do or say something out of anger, jealousy, foolish pride, etc. When we allow strong emotions to control our lives, we are allowing the Devil to have power over our lives. The week after Christmas, the Devil definitely had power over me as I took my frustration out on everyone around me. I was a real bear to my friends and family.

In Mark 1, when Jesus frees the man of the unclean spirit, he claims him for God’s purposes. Jesus continues to cast out unclean spirits through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection by which he redeems us for God the Father. Jesus restores our relationship with God and sends the Holy Spirit to possess us to do his work in the world.

Unclean spirits are cast out when we turn our minds and hearts to God the Father and seek forgiveness. Jesus reclaims us daily on the cross by giving us forgiveness in order to restore our relationship with God. Therefore, when we seek forgiveness and allow Jesus to reclaim us, Jesus cast out the demons in our lives.

When I asked for forgiveness from my friends, Jesus threw out the unclean spirit (the anger that caused me to lash out) from my body. He reclaimed me for God the Father who loves me in spite of my faults. We experience an exorcism when we are baptized and denounce the Devil. Although the Devil keeps trying to convince us otherwise, God has claimed us as his own and dwells within us.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for claiming us as your children. Help us to denounce the Devil, and deliver us from evil. Thank you for being in a relationship with us. Amen.

Works Cited

Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How are we possessed by sin, the world, and the Devil today? What demons possess us today?

2. How does Jesus cast out unclean spirits in today’s world?

3. How does Jesus reclaim you as a Christian on a daily basis?

Epiphany: King Herod and the Wise Men

Readings

Isaiah 60:1-6

Psalm 72:1-7

Ephesians 3:1-12

Matthew 2:1-12

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Remember the first time you heard about God the Father or Jesus Christ? The feeling of being free of this world for the first time is incredible because you no longer have to beat yourself up for [whatever “it” is] you did and regret. The feeling of the weight of the world being lifted off your shoulders allows you to take your first breath in a long time.

The faith journey is different for each individual. Some people receive God’s love and grace upon hearing the good news, while others request proof of God’s existence, even with his miracles all around them. Even with individuals who believe in God, their faith can be challenged by life-changing events, such as cancer, a car accident, bad decisions, a loss of a child, and the list goes on. As Christians, we dedicate our lives to walking through life with God by our sides. But sometimes it difficult to figure out where God is leading us– or at least that is what we tell ourselves when we refuse to answer his call for us. We deny we were given the gifts required for [whatever “it” is] God is calling us to do. My denial sometimes is that God has given me an unique voice as individual with Cerebral Palsy who has faith in the Triune God. I do not see anything unique in what I have to say. I am just doing to my part to spread the good news, which has not changed in two thousand years. But some people have told me that the way I speak the Good News is particularly powerful to them, because of my personal story. I still think my seminary professors and mentors have a more eloquent way to say the same things. I struggle with jealousy of their scholarly achievements. I worry that I will never get to their level.

In today’s gospel reading, King Herod is jealous of what he is hearing about this baby Jesus. King Herod calls upon chief priests and scribes to tell him where he can find this Messiah (Matthew 2:4). The chief priests and scribes tell King Herod the Messiah was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2:5). But they do not stop there ; they tell King Herod what he does not want to hear: “…for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel” (Matthew 2:8c, translation?).

This creates jealousy in King Herod’s heart, because a baby named Jesus is going to threaten his kingship. King Herod is thinking the baby Jesus is going to grow up and get a great army together. He fears that Jesus is going to take over his kingdom. In a way, Herod is certainly right, for this is what Jesus does by reclaiming people for God the Father. But Herod is also wrong in a way, for Jesus later comes to tell us that his kingdom is not of this world. However, King Herod does not understand the importance of a spiritual kingdom. He feels threatened and fears the worst.

Jealousy causes King Herod to call upon the wise men to go see this baby Jesus and to report back to him. We know from Matthew 2:13-17 King Herod will seek to kill the baby Jesus out of fear of his conquest over Herod. However, God outsmarts him by making the wise men have a dream and telling them to not to report back to King Herod. And God sends an angel to Joseph, telling him to escape to Egypt.

The wise men stand in stark contrast to King Herod. Instead of being threatened by him, they bring Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh – gifts of a king (Matthew 2:11). The wise men honor Jesus as they would the king of a country; they find or renew their faith in the Lord. Though the mystery of the Kingship of Jesus could not be fully understood by the wise men, they recognize his Lordship to the best of their ability. Though they do not yet understand it, Jesus will become a king in whole different sense, a king who saves us from our sinful nature. Even with their limited understanding, the wise men find themselves looking at life in a whole new way.

Take a moment to ask yourself where you fit into the story. Are you King Herod afraid of the next person who may steal your glory? Are you one of the wise men who are looking God’s love, peace, and grace?

Come, O Lord, Come.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Jesus Christ into the world. Help us to be amazed by your presence. Thank you for surprising us with your grace. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. Where do find God? How are you reminded of God’s presence?

2. Where are you in your faith journey?

3. When in your life have you been like King Herod, threatened by Jesus’ Kingship?

4. When in your life have experienced the surrender and awe of the Wise Men, who bowed down before Jesus?

5. What will you do this week to honor Jesus as King?

First Sunday after Christmas: Simeon’s Song of Death

Readings

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

Psalm 148

Galatians 4:4-7

Luke 2:21, 22-40

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Holidays are those times of the year where schedules are just a bit more hectic. We spend the whole month of December visiting and exchanging gifts with friends and family. It is splendid time. However, in the midst of all the holiday cheer, there always seems to be a few moments where you get a dose of reality: a friend or family member passes away, others are laid off from their jobs, or it is your first Christmas without a loved one. There are also those moments where two or more individuals who do not get along have to be in the same building. In my family, these individuals are my mom and her brother. If there is argument to be had, they do. In those moments, you are reminded that the cycle of life is still going on.

You say to yourself, “It is Christmas, for goodness sake. Why does [whatever “it” is] have to happen now? Why can’t we enjoy the season without the despair and without arguments?” My moment occurred when I felt ill and had to sleep all day. Although I enjoy my sleep, I had two people over to help me unpack and organize my new house. In my eyes, the day was wasted on being sick. Luckily, my two friends were able to continue unpacking and organizing without my help: a blessing in the despair.

Here we are, the Sunday after Christmas. Jesus Christ, Mary’s and Joseph’s son and the Son of God, has been born, and it is eight days after his birth. According to the Jewish law, Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple to be circumcised. To their best abilities, Mary and Joseph teach Jesus the Jewish ways.

Circumcision is an important event, particularly for a first-born son, since he is set aside as holy to the Lord. The symbolism here is important since Jesus is also God’s holy first-born Son. Mary and Joseph may not have known the true importance of Jesus being circumcised, but it sets the stage for his ministry.

A man named Simeon was in the temple when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to be circumcised. Simeon was looking forward to the redemption of Israel, which the Lord had promised to the Israelites. The Holy Spirit rested on Simeon and revealed that he would see the Messiah before dying (Luke 2:25-26). When Simeon sees Jesus being circumcised in the temple, he is overwhelmed with joy as he recognizes Jesus as the Messiah who is destined for the falling and raising of many Israelites (Luke 2:34). Jesus will redeem those who turn their backs to the Devil and will serve the Lord.

Simeon in his old age sings the song of death to praise the Lord for allowing him to meet the Messiah before dying and for allowing him to see the redemption of Israel. He can die in peace knowing his friends and family will be redeemed in the name of the Lord. It seems odd for Simeon to praise the Lord through the song of death, but Simeon is okay with dying now that he has seen how the Lord will redeem Israel through the Messiah eight-day-old Baby Jesus. The redemption of Israel is being set into action, and although Simeon will not be there to see it accomplished, he can die happy, knowing it will happen as the Lord has promised.

It is a well-known fact among those who work with the dying that some individuals hang on through the holidays to say final goodbyes to family members who live far away. This gift of closure gives the family members a chance to make peace with the loved one. Of course, this makes the holiday season hard for the surviving family members who live with shadow of their loved one’s passing as each new anniversary rolls around.

However, family members should rest assured their loved one has been saved and redeemed by the Savior Simeon celebrated so long ago. We celebrate Jesus’ birth as a way to remind us the joy Simeon had in recognizing what was to come and what is to come.

We owe God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Son on-going praise as they continue to offer us redemption and grace all the days of our lives. We should think of redemption as something that has happened in the past. We should also think of it as an ongoing thing; the world continues to be redeemed by the Lord. We are redeemed and given grace on a daily basis.

As we bury loved ones in the coming months—or as we mourn the loss of those we love who are long in the ground, let us lift their memories to the Lord and trust that he will redeem them as his children.

Although Simeon’s song of death seems out of place during the Christmas season, it reminds us of the joy found in redemption and grace through the Messiah. This reassurance in God’s on-going redemption and grace gives us the peace of mind, knowing the Lord will always redeem us as his children.

Come, O Lord, come.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for continuing to redeem us as your children. Help us to understand that redemption is an on-going experience. Remind us as we bury loved ones that you redeem them as your children. Thank you for giving us grace through your Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How do Simeon’s words of God caring for departed love ones bring you assurance?

2. How do you experience on-going redemption and grace?

3. How do you express joy and thanksgiving in recognizing Jesus as the Messiah?