i've been thinking about saving face

i've been thinking about my saving grace

The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark the 1st chapter!

I don’t know about you, but often it takes everything I have just to get here Saturday night/Sunday morning. And a lot of the times I am here, man, I’m just barely hanging on.

This life is no easy thing. It’s hard to keep up the faith…

Week after week, we do what we can to get through the days, to run from our unclean spirits. It’s no easy thing to get here, and many weeks, by the time we finally stagger through the doors, those rotten spirits have had their way with us. All too often, we gather battered, beaten and bruised.

Then, when we finally make it here, wouldn’t you know it, those foul spirits dare to show their faces even in this place; in God’s temple. 

There’s no escape!

That’s what happens in today’s Gospel, you know. Jesus is in the temple teaching, and an unclean spirit dares to interrupt the sermon!

Of course, we don’t need the Gospel to tell us about how those grungy spirits always seem to be after us, clinging so close, coming even here. 

All it takes is for the sermon to go a little long, and before we even realize it, our mind has begun to wander. Before we know it, our attention has slipped, and some rotten thought has jumped into that open space; seemingly out of nowhere.

No, those noxious spirits are always after us, coming even here. Apparently there isn’t a place in all creation we can go for relief…

And isn’t that always the way? 

We do what we can to get through our days, just trying to be good, to follow Jesus. Yet those unclean spirits are always at hand. Why they’re so heedless as to even show their faces here, in God’s temple!

Despite our best attempts we can’t get away from those sordid spirits of ours, we can’t find any shelter. Before we’ve even left this place, we’ve apparently already been beaten. 

Sure, we distract ourselves with resolutions to try harder next week; some new exercise, or detox for the possessed like us. Before we can even finish making yet another plan, another plan that, really, we know won’t work any better than the last, another Word busts in that breaks our concentration yet again:

“Zip it! Get out of here!”

For the 50th time in this short service, our mind is sent spinning!

Jesus has come to the temple today, and he’s livid! “Quiet,” he thunders. “Beat it.”

Here’s the thing, though, Jesus isn’t telling us to be quiet and get packing; like we might be tempted to worry -“if the pastor only knew what ran through my head.’ No, Jesus is telling the very spirits that have been assaulting us today, to button it up and hit the road!

That’s all it takes! A commissioned servant of God, wearing a stole, standing in front of us, and saying the Word today’s Gospel authorizes; “By the authority of Christ, you are free,” and those sinister spirits that have been chasing you leave.

That’s it! 

That Word of God which routed the unclean spirits in the temple that day; gets to work this day, freeing us from our unclean spirits. With that simple word, you are free! You’re free…

…Now, lest you think I live in some la-la land; I know, it isn’t as easy as all that. 

As soon as the echo from that promise, that seems too good to be true, fades away; the whole shoot and matchstick starts all over again, doesn’t it? 

Before the pastor has even gotten to the last ‘amen,’ our minds are at it again, wandering; and those unclean spirits are just waiting at the edges for the chance to capture you and I again…

“You can’t get away from me that easy,” the spirit whispers back, “you think you’re free? Ha! Just look outside the windows. No, you’re leaving here, right into my dominion. You’re mine,” the spirit threatens.

Before we’ve even gotten to the Passing of the Peace, those spirits have us on the run. Forget about next week, now we’re just trying to make it through the service.

So it goes, so ruthless are the unclean spirits we must do battle with, day in and day out…

Now, if nothing else, that’s why we come back here, why we gather week after week. This life of faith is no easy thing. It isn’t easy to keep up faith, is it? It’s hard to trust that God’s Word is enough to defeat our own sullied spirits. We come here, week after week, because those unclean spirits are relentless.

So hear this loud and clear, you who have been battered by those terrible spirits; and, by the way, I don’t tell you this on my own — although it has rang true in my own life. No, I what I am about to say, I say by the authority of the Gospel we just read: 

You who have been battered by the unclean spirits, those tremors of doubt you wrestle with, those threats from the unclean spirits that reduce you to a trembling heap; that is simply the convulsion of those wretched spirits, as Jesus chases them away, freeing you and I, claiming you and I.

Today’s Gospel doesn’t get it’s authority from that fact that it realistically describes the power of our own unclean spirits, although it does. No, today’s Gospel gets its authority from this Jesus who is more powerful than our doubts and our demons alike.

It’s been true all along! All it does take is a commissioned servant of God, wearing a stole, standing in front of us, and saying the Word today’s Gospel authorizes; “By the authority of Christ, you are free!” 

That’s all it takes. All it takes, whether we can bring ourselves to believe it or not! That’s just the way it is. Sure, we may have trouble recognizing this power of Jesus, but the unclean spirits don’t. When Jesus shows up and speaks, they have no choice but to do what he says.

You can go along pretending Jesus hasn’t already won the day, if that’s your thing. You can point to our own trembling, and insist you’re not free. Those tremors of doubt, though, they are merely the unclean spirits fleeing at Word of Jesus. The facts are the facts. 

Jesus has come to free us, all of us. And Jesus isn’t about to make any compromises. Jesus looks at you, and says, “I want all of that.”

Sure our grimy spirits may try to put up a fight, helplessly calling back (as they always do), “what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroys us?”

But before they can even finish, Jesus says, “bingo, now just be quiet for once, and get packing.” 

Jesus won’t make any deals with these spirits, Jesus isn’t about to share us. No, Jesus comes to free us, free us so that we may have no other gods but the one true, living God.

Jesus has come to free us. You’re free! 

And listen, I know, believe me, I know; it’s hard to believe. The Gospel always is hard to believe, sisters and brothers; but that doesn’t change anything! 

Recognize it, or not, believe this Word, or not; but those foul spirits do; and at Jesus' Word, they’re sent fleeing; at Jesus’ Word, you’re free.

So stop trembling!
Stop playing these silly games, you’re free. Yes, you!

Jesus’ authority extends to you, over those unclean spirits. Jesus has come  to free you, to make a claim on you, all of you. You’re free, those spirits don’t have a thing on you.

+ In the name of Jesus Christ + and him crucified, you’re free; there’s nothing to fear, why there’s nothing left even to say — Jesus has said it all. Go in peace.

Amen.