Monday, February 1, 2010

casting out demons

Good morning Church,
This morning we follow Luke for another lesson before returning to Corinthians. I know it can be hard to follow the story in Luke since we often leave it for a while in between readings. We'll really jump into that story more consistently after Easter. To take a second for the big picture, Luke has presented the announcement stories for the special births of John the Baptist and Jesus, then the two births. After that we get a few stories from Jesus' childhood. Chapter 3 gives us the preaching of John to prepare the way for Jesus, then Jesus arrives, is baptized and anointed by the Holy Spirit. Luke gives us Jesus' genealogy then shows us the Holy Spirit leading Jesus into the desert to face Satan's temptation. After defeating Satan Jesus returns to start preaching; we saw him in Nazareth yesterday and today we see him in Capernaum.

It's interesting that Luke tells the story in this order, since in our passage from yesterday Jesus suggests that the crowd in Nazareth would say to him, "Do here the miracles we heard you did at Capernaum." That implies that this story happened before Jesus went to Nazareth, though he certainly could have gone twice. I'm sure we can think of stylistic reasons Luke might choose to present these two episodes as he does even if they actually happened in opposite order. As it happens, many scholars believe the stories about Jesus might have existed for some time as independent episodes before the Gospel writers shaped them into a unified narrative.

One of the striking things about this story is that the demons Jesus casts out know who he is and Jesus doesn't want them to tell anyone. Scholars have come up with different theories about why Jesus wanted to keep his identity a secret, and I won't review those now. I think we can come up with most of the same possibilities on our own. Luke and the other Gospel writers don't get into the why; they just mention that Jesus didn't want it to get out.

We also notice Peter has a mother in law, which implies he has a wife, though she isn't mentioned. Later Peter will mention to Jesus that the disciples have left everything to follow Jesus and perhaps he's thinking of a long ministry on the road away from his wife. Paul writes in First Corinthians that some apostles, specifically Peter (Cephas) traveled with wives. We don't hear about Peter's wife or mother in law again, but knowing she's there adds some depth to the sacrifice of the disciples' ministry with Jesus.

Blessings,
Sam

Luke 4: 31-44

31He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbath. 32They were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority. 33In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34“Let us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 35But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”

When the demon had thrown him down before them, he came out of him without having done him any harm. 36They were all amazed and kept saying to one another, “What kind of utterance is this? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and out they come!” 37And a report about him began to reach every place in the region.

38After leaving the synagogue he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. 39Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them. 40As the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them. 41Demons also came out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.

42At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. 43But he said to them, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.

2 comments:

  1. I have always wrestled with "demons" in the Bible, no pun intended. It makes me feel as if sickness or affliction is something that possesses me, something that can simply be "cast out". Too black and white. Aren't we all possessed by the "spirit of an unclean demon" in one form or another?

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  2. First, Susan, thanks for being the first person to comment on the blog. You're right to struggle with demons and to question whether they can simply be cast out. We are all possessed by some demon or another. Demons can be symbolic of things like mental illness, social oppression and greed, and recognizing that there is a spiritual aspect to all those things is helpful. Usually our healing from those things is fragmentary: we aren't simply healed, but partly healed and partly still "possessed." In Luke 11:24-26 Jesus talks about an unclean spirit who returns and brings his friends; maybe that's a helpful metaphor because the things that get in the way of our relationship with God and others usually keep trying to come back. The good news is that Christ can heal us, even if that's not the end of the struggle.

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