4th Ordinary Sunday, Cycle B

1st Reading: Dt 18:15-20

Our first reading occurs in the midst of a long section of laws in the Book of Deuteronomy. It is presented as being given to them shortly before entering the Promised Land. This short selection is connected with the Israelites being told not to listen to the soothsayers and fortunetellers who live in the lands they will be entering.

2nd Reading: 1 Cor 7:32-35

Our second reading is a continuation from last week. It continues Paul's contrasting living according to the world vs living according to the Spirit. The teaching may sound strange to 21st century ears and deserves a whole homily to deal with it effectively; but, we are not going to do that.

Gospel: Mk 1:21-28

Jesus goes into Capernaum and teaches in the synagogue. The people notice that he teaches with authority. The unclean spirit, in a man in the synagogue, addresses Jesus and says he knows who Jesus is. Jesus quiets him and tells him to come out of the man. The crowd notes that he has power over unclean spirits and his fame spreads.

Homily

Even though the Gospels of Luke and Matthew seem to follow the outline of Mark’s, Mark’s is quite different from theirs.

In Luke and Matthew, Jesus goes into the wilderness, fasts for forty days and is tested by Satan with three temptations as if his wilderness experience is a preparation for his public ministry and separate from it. In Mark, however, it may be that his forty days signify the fullness of his public ministry on earth and the selection we have today is his first temptation.

Follow the flow... After Jesus’ baptism he is sent into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. He is among the wild beasts but there is no enmity between them, like Adam and Eve before the fall. John is arrested and Jesus begins preaching that the reign of God has begun. He gathers some helpers and goes to the Capernaum synagogue to preach. There he experiences that first testing.

It sounds to me that the devil tries to get the upper hand by arrogantly challenging Jesus and saying “I know who you are [turkey]” Jesus tells the devil to shut up. Now I know we’re not allowed to say “shut up’ but that is pretty much what the Greek actually means. Jesus’ authority over the devil demonstrates that the reign of God, which we talked about last week, has indeed come to earth.

We all have unclean spirits that try to control us. These possession stories always reminds me of the Fleetwood Mac song “My Little Demon” by Lindsey Buckingham. He explains that it is about the inner demons we all have. He says that they sometimes get the best of us. He suggests that we should fight it [them].

…We don’t have the power to fight them alone. People in 12 step programs know that. But, Jesus has power and authority over all those demons. All we have to do to be free of them is allow Jesus to reign in our lives.

Open yourself to the Reign of God and experience its benefits in your life.