January 16, 2005

Preparing for the Job

by Pierre Gilbert

Mark 3: 13-19, 6:6b-13

Read: Mark 3:13-15:

3: 13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. [14] He appointed twelve-- designating them apostles--that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach [15] and to have authority to drive out demons.

Jesus called 12 men to be his messengers to the world. Three years, he spent with these men to prepare them for the most important mission given to any group of individuals. In our text, the mission of the disciples is crystallized in these two actions: They were to preach and to drive out demons.

Um… He gave them authority to drive out demons. Sounds a little weird, if you ask me. There are not too many churches today that can boast of a discipleship program where they intentionally teach how to drive out demons. So, what's going on? Well, first we need to understand that at the time of Jesus, both in Palestine and in the broader Greco-Roman culture, the common folks lived in a world where belief in evil powers, spirits and demons was predominant. The people of that time believed their destiny, their very life indeed was controlled by magical powers that were, for the most part, out of their control. Theirs was a life characterized by fear and a constant search to immunize themselves against those powers.

A critical part of the apostles' mandate consisted in addressing this worldview, this ideology of fear and terror that these people lived with. Though the authority to cast out demons did include the actual casting of demons, it certainly was not limited to that. Their ability to cast out demons represented a concrete proof that Jesus had the power to deal with evil. In fact, it was the proof that ultimately, evil could not stand in the presence of Jesus Christ.

The story of the demon-possessed man in Mark 5 is a wonderful example of the overwhelming power of Jesus Christ. Mark reports this story because it's the ultimate demon-possession story, I mean it's the exorcist movie taken to the power 10. Here is a fellow who lives in pagan territory. It is conceivable that Jesus would have little power over there. The man is infected by a legion of demons, possibly up to 6000 of them. He howls and mutilates himself. He is unmanageable. The best they can do is isolate him in a cemetery. Mark reports this case because this story best represents what evil can do to human beings.

The instant Jesus sets foot in this guy's backyard, something amazing happens. He sees Jesus, he runs to Jesus, and screams at the top of his voice. You would not expect such a man to run to Jesus. From the demons' perspective, it's the last person he should run to. The demons knew who they were dealing with; but they could not keep this man from running to Jesus Christ. But once he does, it's too late. Their goose is cooked. They have no alternative but to negotiate the terms of surrender. 6000 demons are no match for Jesus Christ who then proceeds to deliver this man and to give him his life back.

This is an extraordinary story. It reminds us of a truth that percolates throughout the entire Bible: We are free to turn to God. Regardless of what evil has done to us, there always remains a spark of freedom in the deepest recesses of our soul that enables us to turn to turn to Jesus Christ and to scream for help when all hope is gone.

This is the message the disciples were to preach. Jesus is not just an idea, a philosophy of life, an ideology. Jesus is the living God, the savior of the world. He is the one we can turn to even when all seems lost. (648 words)