Mark 1:21-28
How do we see Jesus' authority and power?

There is a certain urgency in Jesus’ mission on earth which is more pronounced in Marks’ Gospel than in the other three Gospels. So by chapter 1, verse 20 of Mark’s Gospel Jesus has already been baptized by John, tempted in the desert, and called his first few disciples. Verse 21, which is the beginning of our passage today, marks the start of Jesus’ ministry, and he is introduced by Mark as a teacher with authority. It is interesting to note that Jesus’ authority is distinctly differentiated from that of the scribes. The scribes were the religious scholars of Jesus’ day, so it is an important factor to note that Jesus’ authority came across as very different from that of the scholars. So what was it that was different? Maybe it was something like “foreigners” with doctorates on Chinese culture who we may listen to with great appreciation of their derived knowledge. On the other hand, if a Chinese who lives and embody the culture talk to us about what it means to be Chinese we hear the story very differently. We would know that there is a distinct authority in the very being of that Chinese person when it comes to talking about Chinese culture. That distinction of innate authority is what Jesus came with when it came to teaching about God in the synagogue. And that is the core message of Marks’ gospel, which is, the identity of Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus came with the authority of being the Son of God.

But wait, as Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, all of a sudden the focus seems to change with an interruption from a man with an unclean spirit. When we first read the passage, the man with the unclean spirit pops up like an uninvited guest throwing everything off gear. Just as we begin to get excited about Jesus’ in-born authority, we, like the people in the synagogue get disturbed and wish we could remove from the scene this annoying man who starts shouting in the middle of Jesus’ sermon.  We like to build up a story in a particular way and this man with the unclean spirits definitely feels like he does not belong in the story. However, for Mark this is no interruption, in fact, it is further confirmation of Jesus’ authority not only to teach about God, but his authority over every circumstance in life. This man with the unclean spirits probably dealt with the torturous demons in his life constantly. But, like most of our uncleanness, this mans’ unclean spirits seemed to have been hidden in the fact that he was sitting quietly in the synagogue until Jesus came along.
The dirt and uncleanness of our thoughts and actions, and the grip of sin over our lives often remain hidden and unrecognizable until our lives are confronted with the piercing holy light of God’s presence. More often than not, we are afraid that the light of God comes pointedly as a punishment for our uncleanness lives. But the encounter with the man in the synagogue shows us clearly that the light and holiness of God comes into our lives mainly to deliver us. Jesus comes with that authority not only to recognize and bring to light our unclean spirits, but he also comes with authority and the will to cleanse and deliver us from the bondage of sin.

It does seem strange that the unclean spirits were the first ones to recognize and acknowledge Jesus as the Holy One of God, the one with the power to destroy them. It is strange to us because we think of unclean spirits as something outside of us, something that is not human. But take a moment to think about it, unclean spirits are actually very much a part of all our lives until God touches our lives. Is it not true that our bondage to all sorts of unclean spirits remains and becomes the very fabric of our lives until and unless we are confronted by God who shows and demonstrates to us that we need not be doomed to such a life. Jesus is the Holy one of God, and it is only in the presence of God’s holiness that we can truly recognize what is unclean or unholy in our lives.  The good news here is that Jesus comes with the authority to call out our unclean spirits and also the power to destroy that uncleanness and deliver us to make us holy people of God. Our amazement should not be in the fact that Jesus comes with holiness and authority, rather we should be amazed at just how much God cares that we should be clean and holy, worthy to be called and embraced as His children. Amen.