Epiphany 5B - Demons

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Introduction

In a Psychology course I attended there was a woman who sat near the front of the lecture theatre. 

Our lecturer would described a certain illness – like catatonic schizophrenia – or whatever else it was for the day, he would speak a bit about the possible avenues of therapy.

At the end he would ask: "Any questions?"

Without fail she would be first with her hand up – standing up so she couldn't be ignored:

"Has anyone tried exorcism…"

There would be a collective groan from the class – and our lecturer – patiently and diplomatically would say something like:

"Sometimes religious experience produces a change in people's behaviour or symptoms, but exorcism is no longer a big part of treating mental illness.  We now know many of the physiological causes of people's symptoms."

There is a scientific explanation for these things.

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Many people, have been caused a lot of pain by those who claim to cure us by exorcising our demons.

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We often explain what we don't understand by 'blaming it on the devil' or some or other super natural cause.

People claiming to be Christians (and sometimes I think (strangely enough) with the best intentions) have killed people with their superstition – literally. 

Even in South Africa today people are murdered and abused because of accusations of witchcraft and superstition.

Mark 1:29-39

What struck me as I read these scriptures was Jesus' engagement with demons. 

In John's gospel there is no mention of demons or exorcism – probably because the idea didn't feature in the culture of John's audience – but in Mark, and the gospels that used Mark as a source (Luke and Matthew) there is talk of demons and Jesus battle against the devil.

*  *  *

In the passage we read, Jesus heals Simon's mother in law and then many are brought to him at Simon's house for healing and ministry including those who 'had demons'.  Jesus heals many of the sick and drives out many demons.  Then goes on preaching in Galilee and the gospel describes his ministry as…

"…preaching in the synagogues and driving out demons."

*  *  *

For Mark's gospel Jesus battle against the forces of evil is quite significant, his ministry is described as a battle against the devil's occupying forces. 

The battle begins in chapter 1 with the defeat of their commander.

As soon as Jesus is baptised he goes to the desert to be tempted by Satan – he doesn't give in – he comes out victorious.

He then calls some disciples and immediately encounters a demon possessed man at the synagogue in Capernaum.

He casts out the demon which says to Jesus:

"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Are you here to destroy us?  I know who you are – you are God's holy messenger."

Jesus orders the demon to be quiet and leave.

People are amazed at how swiftly and neatly Jesus deals with a demon in the synagogue:

"What is this?  Is it some kind of new teaching?  This man has authority to give orders to the evil spirits, and they obey him!"

No one has ever seen such authority – such power over that which is evil.

Jesus goes through the land, preaching the good news, the gospel message – a new King is in power, the old King is defeated, and driving out demons.

As if he is shooing goats out of a garden – birds out of a fruit tree – flies from a picnic lunch.

What about Demons?

I think we know that Jesus speaks in Jesus' days in Jesus' ways…

Part of his being 'fully human' meant that he knew just as much science as the people of his time knew.  He did not know that water was two parts Hydrogen and one part Oxygen, he didn't reminisce about forming the planets with his Father and the Holy Spirit at the dawn of creation…

Jesus only knew what he needed to know in order to be obedient to the Father.

*  *  *

Pre-scientific people attributed a lot of things that aren't easily explained to spiritual causes.

Storms on the lake – caused by spirits or by God, not a high pressure here and low pressure there. 

Strange, inexplicable behaviour had to have a personal, spiritual cause.  If you were depressed – you were oppressed by a Spirit.

If in anger you became violent – it could be explained as spiritual torment.

*  *  *

Does this mean that what was described as a demon in the 1^st century can be explained away scientifically in the 21^st?

*  *  *

I don't think so. 

Because I think in our experience of the world we live in we are conscious of something like a demonic force.

Language and science are not enough to explain what we experience in the world around us and in us as evil – so we use a kind of poetry.

"The demon of addiction"

That force that is inside of us that's so powerful it seems to come from outside and overpower us…

"The demon of violence"

When we hear of the things people do in war – I am still traumatized by an article I read a while ago about a child who saw his parents hacked to death…

What causes people to act in ways that seem contrary to everything that is human inside of us?

What is it – is it the devil, a demon or some sort of chemical imbalance?

To tell you the truth I don't really know.

But I know one thing that comes up loud and clear, in the gospels in the Old Testament and in the new – that in the name of Jesus the demons (whatever they are or however we may explain them) flee, diseases are healed and people are restored to the image in which God intended them to live and that is what is important.

The Devil is not the opposite of God

Too many people have defined the Devil as the opposite of God.

As if there was an equal and opposite evil to all the good that God is.

It leads to a defeatist attitude.

Who am I to challenge this evil?

Woe is me?

The devil made me do it…

We will never be able to deal with poverty.

We will never be able to get rid of evil tyrants.

We won't be able to stop crime.

We will never see the Kingdom of God in our land…

*  *  *

That is not how the scriptures teach us to see the world that a good God created.  Remember the beginning of our story: "In the beginning God created the world and he saw that it was good…"

Writing to a people who feel defeated and hopeless Isaiah asks (and I skip a few verses as I read):

"Don't you know?
Were you not told?
Have you not heard how the world began?
It was made by the one who sits on his throne above the earth and beyond the sky…

To whom can the holy God be compared?
Is there any one else like him?

The Lord is the everlasting God; he created all the world.  He never grows tired or weary.  No one understands his thoughts.  He strengthens those who grow weak and tired… those who trust in the Lord will find their strength renewed."

- Isaiah 40:21-31

Too often I hear people giving the devil and his demons more credit than they deserve.  As if Yahweh the living God did not create the world and everything in it – as if Jesus didn't defeat Satan with his life death and resurrection.  As if the gospel of Jesus' victory was just a farce…

The Devil is not the opposite of God.  Demons and the devil are not that powerful.

When we grant the devil power that is not his we are drawn into superstition – watch out for Pokemon and Spiderman and be careful of this and that… watch out for those aroma therapy oils and star signs.  As if the Lord was not on his throne.  As if the demons we are up against were in children's toys and silly games.

They're not.

They're in our lust for power and wealth.  They're in our willingness to ignore our neighbours suffering.  They're in the systems that perpetuate suffering and poverty.  They're in our addictions to selfishness and prejudice.  They're in our ability to deny the evil that stares us in the face.

And they seem huge and terrifying, they seem to make their homes in us.

But I believe they are completely defeated and defeatable in Christ.

Dealing with our 'Demons'

Most of us – I think all of us – have what we would like to explain as mischievous demons.  Aspects of our characters with which we would rather not deal.  Thoughts and behaviours that destroy us and those around us.

I invite you to believe that these can be defeated, whatever their cause, overcome with the help of Christ.  Whose words to them are simply GO – and they have no choice but to flee when confronted by the one who has bound up their master.

I invite us to bring ourselves and each other to Jesus today – just as that first community did when they brought people to Simon's house when they heard Jesus was there and that there was the possibility healing.

I invite us to become a community like that.  A community of people who offer God's help to each other in our battle against that which is evil in the world.

Not in some sort of superstitious and judgmental – sensation seeking way.  But in a way that sees how God loves us and those around us and wants to see us transformed.