A Devil of a Sabbath Day

In Nomine Iesu
St. Mark 1:21-28
January 29, 2012
Epiphany 4B

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus~

It was a devil of a Sabbath Day for the Savior. The Son of God was right where you would expect Him to be on a Sabbath—in church among God’s people. But it’s a surprise appearance by a member of the enemy camp that threatens to steal the show—or at least spill a few secrets about the Savior.

St. Mark describes this unexpected synagogue visitor as “a man with an unclean spirit.” We might say that he was demon-possessed—that the devil exercised a degree of control over this man in a way that goes beyond our understanding. Any talk about demons, devils and spirits can go terribly wrong in one of two ways. Christian author C. S. Lewis identified these two problematic approaches to devils in his preface to “The Screwtape Letters.” Here’s what Lewis wrote: “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”

Lewis’s words are a helpful reminder for us as we dig deep into today’s Holy Gospel. Whatever the Holy Spirit means for us to understand about this man’s condition—whatever is meant by “unclean spirit”—we would do a grave disservice to this text by concluding that the man was just suffering from some sort of mental illness—that those rubes in the First Century were guided by superstition rather than science. In other words, we don’t dare attribute this man’s odd behavior merely to a malfunctioning brain. For as surely as there are angels, there are evil angels, demons, unclean spirits. They seek to destroy everything good—especially your faith in Jesus the Christ. Disbelieve in their existence at your own peril.

But if disbelieving in devils is one error, then the opposite error is just as perilous—what C. S. Lewis called “an excessive and unhealthy interest” in them. And there is something about this man with his unclean spirit that demands our full and undivided attention. And if he captures our attention, then think about all the worshippers who had gathered at the synagogue that day—expecting a routine liturgy, with Jesus of Nazareth as the guest preacher.

If you’ve been attending church for any length of time, then you’ve probably come to expect a few distractions while you’re sitting in the pew: toddler temper tantrums, people passing out, cell phones ringing—even an occasional bat flying overhead. But to have a demonized man disrupt the Divine Service would probably be a first for most of us. We could spend the next thirty minutes speculating about this man and what he was doing in the synagogue that day. Was he a member of the synagogue? What did he look like? What did his voice sound like? (Was it spooky or normal?) But those aren’t the questions the Holy Spirit wants us asking about this account. The Holy Spirit always points us to Jesus—leads us to ask, “Where’s the ‘Jesus’ in this account? What of Jesus is being delivered here? What is Jesus saying and doing for us?”

So let’s back up for a minute and take it from the top—keeping Jesus in mind. It was a Sabbath Day in Capernaum and Jesus was right where you would expect to find Him. Jesus doesn’t sneak around like the devils; He’s got nothing to hide. The Sabbath was a holy day—a day designed for rest. But “rest” didn’t mean sleeping late, or breaking out the golf clubs, or heading out for bagels and coffee. “Rest” on the Sabbath meant rest from work, in order to worship. And worship means hearing God’s Word. “We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.” Coming to church and hearing the Word of God is not work; it is rest. Jesus says so. “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened,” said Jesus, “and I will give you rest.”

At the synagogue everyone was amazed and astonished at Jesus’ teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. The difference was that Jesus didn’t quote other rabbis. To hear Jesus preach was to hear God’s Word directly from God Himself. And when Mark reports that they were astonished at His teaching, the word for teaching also means “doctrine.” Jesus was delivering doctrine—law and Gospel that kills and makes alive—doctrine that delighted His hearers.

It was right about then, as Jesus was dishing out the doctrine, that the man with an unclean spirit attempted to steal the show. I don’t know how common demon possession was in first-century Galilee, but it sure seems like the devils were putting in overtime during Jesus’ ministry. And the timing and the place of this first encounter are not mere coincidence. You can be sure of this: wherever the doctrine of Jesus Christ is being taught, the devil and his demons will be hard at work. There’s nothing the devil despises more than the preaching of Christ crucified for sinners. There’s nothing more distressing for the prince of darkness than for you to know what you believe about Jesus and why.

This room is sometimes referred to as the sanctuary. But if by sanctuary we mean “a place where the devil can’t get after us,” we’ve missed an important point of today’s text. Jesus’ first encounter with one of Satan’s lieutenants happened in a room like this—in a gathering of God’s people, in a sanctuary. That tells me that the front lines of the battle against the forces of darkness are not located “out there” somewhere. The front lines of spiritual warfare are located right here. Let me give you an example of what happens right here on the front lines when you come to worship.

You hear the preacher declare that coming to church is a good thing. But the devil tells you that coming to church is the only thing. Just occupy the pew for 70 minutes or so, put in your time, see and be seen, shake a few hands—and then go back to your life of sin, comforted that you’ve been forgiven. It sounds so right, but it’s all so wrong. The forgiveness of your sins offered here is the full and free forgiveness of every sin, BUT it is never the permission to go on sinning in the same old ways—carelessly, casually, comfortably. God’s promised forgiveness can never be used as an excuse to go on living a lie. Lies are the native language of the devil and his demons. But those lies of his are never far from the truth—never so outlandish as to be unbelievable.

In fact, did you notice that when the demon spoke up in the synagogue, he told the absolute truth about Jesus—declaring that Jesus was the holy one of God come to destroy the works of the devil? That unclean spirit was right on all counts. But he spoke that truth to distract, to short-circuit Calvary, to prematurely let out the secret about who Jesus was and why He had come. The devil was desperate to keep the Christ from the cross.

That’s still the work of devils and demons in the church today. They’re not out to give you a good scare; quite the opposite. They want a Jesus proclaimed who was not crucified for our sins and raised again for our justification. They want a Jesus proclaimed who has no teaching—no doctrine—at all, a Jesus who approves and affirms whatever choices people think are right for them. They want a Jesus proclaimed who is just an example to follow, instead of a Savior whose bloody death saves us from death and damnation.

The Jesus who is present with us this morning is the same Jesus who spent one devil of a Sabbath Day in Capernaum. And His power over demons then is the same power at work among us today. With a word, Jesus silenced the unclean spirit in the synagogue: “Be silent.” It was the same word used by Jesus to quiet the wind and the waves. Jesus wasn’t flustered or surprised when the service was disrupted that day in Capernaum. It didn’t take much effort from Jesus to undo the devil’s work there. Jesus just spoke His Word. And that was enough.

Jesus’ Word is also enough for us today. If even the devils must submit to Jesus’ Word, then what is there Jesus cannot accomplish by His Word? Change water into wine. Calm wind and waves. Cleanse lepers. Raise the dead. Forgive sins. Declare sinners to be saints. His Word makes simple water to be a holy baptism—a cleansing splash of life and forgiveness and rebirth through the Holy Spirit. His Word makes simple bread and wine to be His own body and blood for us sinners to eat and drink. His Word works faith in your heart and sustains you when times are tough. His Word brings rest for the weary. And behind every one of Jesus’ Words stands the crucifixion cross of Jesus.

Devils and demons and evil angels are real; but they’re not out to scare you or go bump in the night. Nor do they merely want to get you to say or do bad things. They want to separate you from Jesus and His Word, and so destroy your faith. If that’s a troubling thought for you, you’re in the right place. You’re on the front lines of battle. It’s a devil of a Sunday once again here at Our Savior. But Jesus of Nazareth is fighting for you. Despite all the distractions and all the disruptions, Jesus is here for you. He is the holy one of God, your Savior—come to destroy death and give you life that lasts forever. Amen.

The Messenger Doesn't Matter

In Nomine Iesu
Jonah 3:1-5, 10
January 22, 2012
Epiphany 3B

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus~

I’m sure you know what it’s like to be a reluctant messenger. You’ve got something to say—something that absolutely, positively needs to be said; but it’s tough to get the words out. Maybe you’re reluctant to speak up because you fear the reaction you’re going to get. Maybe you’re reluctant to speak up because you think it will do no good—because saying something would be a huge waste of time and energy. Or maybe you’re unwilling to say anything because—deep down—you just don’t care.

When it comes to the truth about human life, it’s easy to be a reluctant messenger these days. When it comes to the truth that God loves life—that human life is a gift to be treasured and protected from the womb to the tomb—it’s easy to simply stay silent. It would be all too easy to overlook the sad fact that abortion on demand became the law of this land 39 years ago today.

But God’s message concerning human life is powerful and positive. It gives dignity and value to every human life. God gives us the truth about human life—and abortion—because He loves us. He wants the best for us. God’s truth about the sanctity of life may not be trendy or popular, but it is true. So let’s resolve this day not to retreat. Let’s not be reticent or reluctant. Let’s learn of this truth, and speak this powerful truth in love.

When it comes to reluctant messengers, no one takes a backseat to the prophet Jonah. The Lord had a message for the people of Nineveh; and He wanted Jonah to deliver that message. Today we heard how the Word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time. You already know what happened the first time. The first time Jonah ran away. The first time, the Lord said “go east” to Nineveh, and Jonah set sail for the western skyline. God said to do one thing; and Jonah did the polar opposite. Can you imagine it? Of course you can.

We listen to God just about as well as Jonah did. God says, “Thou shalt,” and we say, “I shan’t.” God says, “Go east” and we go west. God says, “Flee from sexual immorality,” and we dive in head first with our eyes wide open. God says, “Forgive your brother from your heart,” and we look for ways to even the score. God says, “Help and support your neighbor in every physical need,” and we look the other way so that we don’t even see the half-dead neighbors God has placed in our path. God says, “Speak the truth in love,” and we stay tight-lipped and loveless.

But learn from Jonah that our reluctance and our rebellion are no match for God. Learn from Jonah the futility of thinking that you can set sail on a Mediterranean cruise when God wants you and needs you to speak the truth to those who need to hear it. Learn from Jonah that God can be rather persuasive in re-directing us in the way of repentance. Jonah being thrown overboard—Jonah being swallowed by a great fish—Jonah being vomited up onto dry ground—let’s just say it was more than enough to convince Jonah to catch the next available flight to Nineveh.

But even after all that, Jonah didn’t head into Nineveh with a smile on his face. He was still reticent, reluctant, and really wishing he could be somewhere else. Because, you see, Nineveh was a dreadful place filled with dreadful people. Nineveh had a reputation for unmitigated evil. The prophet Nahum once said this about Nineveh: “Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims” (3:1). Not much of a vacation destination. You can see why Jonah had no interest in going there. Yet, God refused to write them off. And Jonah was the man God chose to speak to the people of Nineveh.

Nineveh was a city full of lies; and abortion is surrounded by lots of lies too. The advocates of abortion wrap up the ugly truth about abortion with pretty sounding words like “choice” and “rights” and “women’s health care.” But the truth is that abortion is murder. Like the city of Nineveh, abortion is “never without victims.” In addition to the millions of little victims who were denied their first breath and who were never held in their mothers’ arms, there are lots of living victims too. Abortive mothers and fathers carry around crippling burdens of guilt and shame and regret. God’s message about human life needs to be spoken for all of these victims.

I ask, why be reluctant to speak about this truth? Shouldn’t we be willing to speak up for those victims who cannot speak for themselves? Shouldn’t we accommodate expectant mothers in every way and give them every encouragement to choose life—or to choose adoption as a loving alternative? Shouldn’t we reach out to guilt-ridden mothers and fathers with the amazing message of amazing grace that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners—that in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting men’s sins against them—that although our sins have stained us blood red, the blood of Jesus can make the worst of sinners whiter than snow? Beloved in the Lord, there’s no message more powerful than that—because it’s God’s message to our dying world. And God calls even reluctant sinners like us to be His messengers.

And, don’t you dare think that your words and your actions won’t make any difference at all. For that’s what Jonah thought as he headed into Nineveh. In fact, if you read the book of Jonah, the dirty little secret it this: Jonah didn’t even want God’s message to succeed. Jonah didn’t want the people of Nineveh to repent and turn from their evil ways. Jonah wanted them to get what they had coming. He wanted to see fire and brimstone rain down on Nineveh—wanted to see Nineveh reduced to rubble.

That’s why the so-called sermon preached by Jonah was somewhat lacking: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be over turned.” In Hebrew, that sermon amounts to only five words. I once read where someone claimed it to be the shortest sermon in the Bible. A five-word sermon, delivered reluctantly and half-heartedly. No amusing little stories. No carefully crafted law and gospel. Jonah just said what he had to say, and not one word more. He said the bare minimum and hoped for the worst. If ever there was a sermon destined for failure, that was it.

But surprise, surprise: Despite Jonah’s reluctance—despite the fact that he was just going through the oratorical motions—his message achieved astounding results. The words he spoke went right to the hearts of his hearers. All the people of Nineveh believed God. All the people of Nineveh repented. They all covered themselves in sackcloth and ashes as an outward sign of their inner repentance. How could a messenger this bad get results this good? Because the messenger doesn’t matter. The messenger doesn’t matter when the message is the Lord’s. God’s Word has the power to change hearts and bring light and life where there is only darkness and death.

What does this mean for us? It’s every reason for us to speak up in word and deed about the sanctity of human life. Despite our weakness and our reluctance and our fear of what others may say—we have a powerful and positive message from God. And the success of this message—the results—don’t depend on our power, or on our speaking skills, or on how clever and smart and sincere we think we are. The results are in God’s hands. It’s not our message; it’s God’s. He simply asks us to speak it on His behalf. Our goal is simply to be faithful messengers. The results—the repentance—the saving of many little lives—that we leave to God and to His mighty strength. No matter how steep the odds may seem, as always we must remember, “Nothing is impossible with God.”

In Jesus Christ we can see what God really thinks about human life. In Jesus we see how the hands that knit you together in your mother’s womb—the same hands by which you were fearfully and wonderfully made—those hands were also stretched out on a cross for you—to pay the price for all of your sin. The hands of the resurrected Jesus are still scarred and always will be—as loving reminders that He can remove every scar that our sin might leave on us. And with those same hands, the Lord Jesus will one day embrace you face to face in heaven.

In this world, everyone knows, you usually get what you deserve. But where our God is concerned, the plot doesn’t always run in a predictable way. The bad guys of Nineveh didn’t get what they deserved. They got grace—they got compassion instead. And that’s how it works for every child of God—including you and me. The punishment and wrath we deserve for our sin—that’s not what we get. Instead, Jesus takes the punishment. Jesus takes the wrath. Jesus takes our sins. He gets what we deserve; and you get grace. You get compassion and healing.

We call that the gospel—the good news of God’s love for you in Christ. And when it comes to God’s love for you, He’s never reluctant. Never reticent. His message is all that matters. Amen.