Devil in the Details

In response to those who are unable to attend my weekly Bible study on the Gospel According to MARK (Sunday’s at 10 am at Hollywood United Methodist Church), I share my thoughts and notes from previous sessions. While I’m not a scholar, I am an enthusiast. Enjoy!

MARK 1:22-28

All in one place – in a synagogue in Capernaum; a Shabbat like no other and will be remembered forever – from amazement to jaw-dropping. By the time it was over, the news couldn’t be spread fast enough.

First things first. Jesus had been invited to speak to those gathered at this center of learning. He was looked upon by the Ruler of the Synagogue as a scribe – a Torah-teacher. As such, a scribe “could not bring chiddushim (introduce new interpretations) or posek halakhah (make legal judgments).” [i] That was left in the hands of the rabbis.

Furthermore, nothing was more sacred to the Jews than The Torah. The first five books of the Old Testament (not a single book as we know it but scrolls) were law, absolutely holy and binding, and the scribes were “to extract rules and regulations from every possible situation in life from The Torah. …They were to transmit and to teach this law and its developments.” [ii] What began as a religion had become in the progression of years much more legalistic.

In the synagogue, when words came out of Jesus’ mouth, he spoke as though he had authority from beyond – and from beyond that of any rabbi. This had to be both unnerving and refreshing.

Unnerving because a scribe would always ‘begin with “There is a teaching that…” and would then quote all his authorities.’ [iii] That wasn’t the case. Jesus spoke with finality; yet, he wasn’t ordained as a rabbi. Even if Jesus was a rabbi,… “no rabbi taught against the halakhah (the way to walk) of his own rabbi.” [iv] Refreshing, for as Marc Denton (from the study group) said, “Jesus didn’t use footnotes.” He captured their hearts and minds.

No wonder those in attendance were amazed. Who was this Jesus?!?

…Then there’s a devil in the house.

Okay. Ask a room full of people if they believe in the devil or in demon-possession, and the answers will run the gamut. Put this to a group of psychologists, and the high majority would shake their heads and describe it as mental illness.

But to set the tone of the day – focusing specifically on these verses – let’s zip back 2,000 years. “The Jews, and indeed the whole ancient world, believed strongly in demons and devils.” [v] It doesn’t matter whether we believe in all of this; they did.

Did You Know…?

By AD 240, the Christian Church actually possessed an Order of Exorcists. Jewish and pagan exorcists used elaborate incantations, spells and magical rites. [vi] “The Jews, who believed the Devil caused illness and thus holy men could be channels for God’s intervention, had a long history of miracle workers. (One named Honi lived just before Jesus’ time and is mentioned by the historian Josephus.)” [vii]

Have you ever heard of the word “trepan”? I hadn’t until I read about a research project conducted in an ancient cemetery where several skulls had been “trepanned” – a hole had been bored in the skull (a procedure done while the person was alive). Are you kidding me?!? Why in the world would anyone do this? To allow the demon to escape from the body of the person possessed. [viii] Really?!? Wrap your mind around that!

If you want something closer to today, the belief in demons and healers is still prevalent. Check out this article about faith healers in today’s edition of the LA TIMES.

So, a deeply disturbed man shouts at Jesus, “What business do you have here with us? Nazarene! I know what you’re up to! You’re the Holy One of God, and you’ve come to destroy us!” [ix]

Clearly this man had a problem. And we could diagnosis the man from afar as mentally ill. Yet,… what about “You’re the Holy One of God, and you’ve come to destroy us!” How did he know that? Lucky guess?!? This exclamation must’ve caught the attention of everyone in the room.

The writer, Mark, included this event, to also establish “Jesus’ credentials, showing even the spiritual underworld recognized Jesus as the Messiah.” [x]

After Jesus shouted for the afflicting spirit to leave this hurting man, it did so. There was no elaborate exorcism, magical rite, trepanning procedure. Just a straightforward, “Get out of him!” No wonder those individuals at the synagogue were mesmerized by what Jesus had done – by words alone.

Then the people at the center of learning (and boy, did they get a lesson on that day) left the building and spread the news about Jesus – by this “new” teaching and curing/ridding a man from an affliction.

I close, sharing something Rev. Kathy said in her sermon a few Sunday’s ago. Reflect upon her words as I find them appropriate.

“This is the Jesus we worship today. The Jesus who bids us to come and follow him, heal the sick, care for the poor and work to reject those systems that reward greed over service; that reward limiting God’s love to some instead of proclaiming it for all; that reward riches on earth instead of riches in heaven.” [xi]

“New” teaching, indeed.

NEXT…

Take your troubles to Jesus.

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[i] Jewish New Testament Commentary, p. 87

[ii] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay, pp. 23, 24

[iii] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay, p. 24

[iv] Jewish New Testament Commentary, pp. 87, 88

[v] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay, p. 25

[vi] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay, p. 27

[vii] The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey, p. 92

[viii] The Gospel of Mark, Barclay, p. 25

[ix] The Message, Mark 1:23-24

[x] Life Application Bible, NIV, p. 1727

[xi] “Greed” – Jesus: A Rebel With A Cause, March 11, 2012