Where all roads lead to freedom

Mark: The Urgent! Gospel
NOW - we bind and release
Mark 5:1-20

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If you looked at today’s Gospel reading on Friday 

when the bulletin and email went out,

I wouldn’t fault you if you considered staying home,

because you weren’t very excited to

listen to a story and sermon on the

exorcism of a howling demoniac that lived in a cemetery.

What a strange and awful story to plan a whole service around!

I wouldn’t fault you if, in the end,

you came only to hear the SVCC kids sing.

But now that you’re stuck here with me for a few minutes

with this horror story—

and you’re not going anywhere because the SVCC

still has one more song—

my aim is to make you glad you stuck it out,

because this story is a Gospel Story,

it is good news for everyone,

and, believe it or not, it relates to everyone.

Despite how strange and otherworldly it might seem,

there are many paths, many roads into this story.

Which path you take, of course,

depends on where you start from.

But regardless, all roads lead to freedom!

_____________________

Let’s revisit the context of this story.

I mentioned a few weeks ago when we started into Mark’s Gospel,

that Mark likely emerged as a summary of Peter’s preaching,

possibly compiled by John Mark,

while both he and Peter were in Rome,

while Rome was at war against their own Jewish people

back in Jerusalem.

So this Gospel is aimed at convincing Gentiles, primarily,

Gentile citizens of the Roman Empire,

that the Jewish Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah,

the promised Savior,

and the only true Son of God,

despite the fact that the Roman Emperor,

who people worshiped as a God,

claimed for himself the title, “Son of God.”

So imagine Peter, and his secretary John Mark,

making this bold claim, in Rome, and broadcasting it

in outright opposition to the Empire,

and all the power of the Empire.

Pretty gutsy of them.

But they saw it as an urgent matter.

A matter of life and death.

That’s Mark: the Urgent! Gospel

This is the good news, the Gospel.

The power of God is power for life.

Jesus came on God’s behalf

to bring full, meaningful, and abundant life to everyone.

The death-dealing and violent power of Empire

is both false and corrupt.

It wields a lot of power. Oppressive power.

But it can’t deliver on its promise of life.

So stick that in the back of your mind, as I retell this story,

from the urgent Gospel of Mark.

_____________________

Jesus and his disciples leave the glory of Galilee,

where they were hugely popular,

throngs following every movement,

and they got into a boat and crossed over the sea

into Gentile territory.

And not just any Gentile territory.

They went to the Decapolis,

a region on the eastern edge of the Empire,

settled mostly by veterans of the Roman imperial army,

who were given these conquered lands

as payment for their service to Rome.

Symbolically, this region reeked of Roman military might and power.

And who was the very first human

that Jesus and the disciples encountered?

Well, when they got out of the boat, immediately—

there’s that word of urgency once again, εὐθέως—

immediately, as their feet touched the ground

in this land of imperial power,

they met a man too strong for anyone there to tame.

He was possessed of demons, we are told.

Demons by the name of Legion, because they were many.

That is military terminology.

Every original reader of Mark would have known

that Legion is the Roman word for a unit of 3,000–6,000

men in the imperial Roman army.

Coincidence, in the Decapolis? I don’t think so.

The townspeople, military veterans,

were unable to bind this man.

They tried.

They bound him with shackles.

They bound him with chains.

But he busted loose, no matter what.

He had no place of welcome or refuge.

He lived as an outcast,

in the only place he wasn’t resisted—

among the tombs, death surrounding him.

This is utterly dreadful.

Powers of evil at work that no one could overcome,

even those trained in Caesar’s army—

Caesar, who was called Son of God.

Did you hear the first words out of the mouth of this man,

when he saw Jesus?

“What have you to do with me,

Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”

His demons, named “Legion,”

recognized Jesus as the only one

who rightly held the title, Son of God.

Legion—the demon named after 3,000 men in Caesar’s army—

called Jesus by that name, not Caesar.

And the story unfolds in dramatic fashion.

Legion begged Jesus not to torment them,

but if they were going to be cast out, to please, please,

let them be cast into a herd of swine.

Which Jesus did.

And the herd of pigs became the host for the unclean spirits.

And the whole herd—2,000 pigs—almost enough to be a legion,

ran down the hill into the sea and drowned.

Those herding the pigs ran to tell the townspeople,

who came out to see Jesus,

and saw the formerly possessed man,

now clothed, calm, and in his right mind,

and begged Jesus to leave their region, now.

They were more afraid of the power that freed this man

than they were of the power that bound him to begin with.

And in the bittersweet ending, as Jesus got back in the boat,

the freed man begged to go with him.

Jesus said, no, you stay here and spread the good word.

“Go home, and tell everyone how much the Lord has done for you

and what mercy he has shown you.”

And the man went and proclaimed through all the Decapolis

how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed.

_____________________

Now, remember I said this story was good news for everyone.

And that there are many paths, many roads into this story.

And in this story, all roads lead to freedom.

What I love about the Bible is that often,

there is more than one meaning in a text.

There are often more ways than one to find truth in scripture.

And what it means to you has to do with where you start,

with your particular angle,

with your location,

with your world view.

This story is a prime example.

So what are some of these paths?

As I’ve already hinted, there’s a potential political reading.

In a context where the Roman Empire

was an occupying force, at war against the Jews,

it is not hard to find hidden symbolism throughout this story.

It took place in a region filled with veterans of Caesar’s army.

The demons, named after a legion of the Roman army,

occupied this man,

much like they occupied Judea, the land of Abraham.

Was this story an attempt, in code,

to predict the outcome of the struggle

between the Roman Legions,

and the children of Abraham?

Some scholars think there’s a not-so-subtle message in this story

that the power of the Gospel,

the power of the risen Jesus,

is stronger than, and more life-giving than,

the power of Empire, and political oppression,

and the power of violence.

And in the end, all those powers will bow to,

and need to give account to, the Lamb of God.

And all those they oppressed and bound will be freed.

Good news, right?

There are also sociological paths into this story.

Was this demoniac a scapegoat for the townspeople?

Were they projecting onto him

the sins and emotional wounds of the community?

Was it easier to overlook their own sins and shortcomings,

knowing someone worse off than they, the scapegoat,

the “black sheep” of the community,

was out there in the tombs, naked and howling?

Later, when he sat fully clothed, and sane,

and needed to be reintegrated into the community,

they couldn’t handle that.

It upset the equilibrium that the scapegoat provided for them.

So there’s a message in this story that the power of the Gospel,

the power of the risen Jesus,

is stronger than dysfunctional systems of family

and community and even church,

that have a way of scapegoating and marginalizing,

and keeping some people from living the full lives

they were created to live.

And in the end, the binding power of

sinful community narratives will bow to,

and need to give account to,

the Jesus who ate with tax collectors and sinners.

And all those who were bound will be freed.

Good news, right?

There are also personal and spiritual paths into this story.

If you start from a spiritual paradigm

that includes the potential for oppressive, demonic forces

to indeed possess an individual, and overpower them,

binding them, mind, body, and spirit,

and keeping them from being whole,

then this story, when read quite literally, is good news.

So there’s a message here that the power of the Gospel,

the power of the risen Jesus,

is stronger than any demonic force,

known or unknown, named or unnamed.

In the end, any spiritual force, in any form,

that keeps people from living full and whole lives,

marked by peace and joy and safety and fruitful labor,

that force must also answer to Jesus,

the great healer and restorer.

And all those who were bound will be freed.

Good news, right?

Many roads into this story, and they all lead to freedom.

_____________________

Friends, we live in a world where evil often seems to get its way.

The good people don’t always win.

Violent and deceitful people seem to work their way

into places of power and influence—

around the world, and in our own land.

And systems of violence and oppression are persistent.

We all know that slavery in America did not actually disappear

after the Emancipation Proclamation.

It only took different forms,

because those who held the power were not ready to release it.

And the legacy of white European oppression of native peoples

is also still with us,

in various forms, and to various degrees.

The powers of evil are persistent.

Devastating wars and acts of state-sponsored genocide,

still happen around the world—either currently, or in recent past.

Gaza, Ukraine, Darfur,

the Uyghur people in China, the  Rohingya in Myanmar,

the DR Congo, South Sudan, ISIS in various countries,

and too many more to name.

This kind of wanton destruction of men, women, and children,

and of whole communities,

is evil, and it’s persistent.

And individuals and family systems are also subject to forces of evil

that oppress and bind and restrict and abuse—

whether spiritual, mental, emotional, relational, physical,

or some combination of several of those,

because they all interconnect,

and keep us from being whole people.

Today’s strange Gospel reading is good news

for a world in chains, and howling,

and being tortured by demons of every variety.

Many of us feel—either individually, or socially, or politically—

that we are bound, prevented from living a full life.

But the urgent good news of Mark tells us,

there is an even more persistent power for life,

a power that is greater than the power that seeks death.

God is for life.

_____________________

20 years ago, Mary Louise Bringle wrote a hymn text

that took this Gospel story about the demoniac,

and brought it home to our present reality.  Listen . . .

Cast out, O Christ, cast far away the demons that destroy:

the haunting dreads that choke our souls, the hates that stifle joy.

Our raging griefs, our jealous fears are Legion in their name.

Our shackled hearts implore your grace to loose our binding shame.

Once long ago, from Galilee, you sailed to storm-tossed shores.

And still, in pow’r, you brave new paths to breach our bolted doors.

Your Word breathes life and health and hope that break through evil’s thrall.

You send us, strengthened, home in peace to live your gospel call.

—Phil Kniss, January 21, 2024

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The beginning of the good news of Jesus the Messiah

Mark: The Urgent! Gospel
"NOW - we turn toward the good news"
EPIPHANY
Mark 1:1-20, 2:1-22

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What’s the hurry—what’s so urgent—

in this Gospel according to Mark?

And what is actually in the text—or not in the text—

that makes bible scholars say

Mark is action-oriented, and has a sense of urgency about it?

Actually, there are plenty of clues.

When you hold Mark up and compare it to the other three Gospels,

of Matthew, Luke, and John,

you notice several things.

It’s the shortest Gospel.

It’s the earliest Gospel.

It’s the Gospel that contains by far fewer words spoken by Jesus.

It has the fewest parables.

It has no long teaching sections.

Not as much focus on what Jesus says

or what he and others think.

The focus is on what Jesus does.

And actually, some of the stories of what Jesus does,

are longer in Mark, than the other Gospels,

because Mark adds more vivid detail.

Mark does not include a birth narrative.

We start right in on his ministry activity.

If we had only Mark, we’d have no Christmas stories. Period.

And as we move from one vivid story to another,

we often find a Greek adverb—εὐθέως, (eu-theh'-os)

usually translated immediately, or at once, or directly.

Just to compare, this shortest Gospel uses that word 42 times.

Luke, almost twice as long, uses it 7 times.

That can’t be a coincidence.

The word appears 13 times in just the first two chapters.

In today’s reading we heard that

the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness

immediately they left their nets and followed him

immediately he called them

immediately the paralytic took his mat and walked out

Full disclosure.

I’m barely going to touch on the two long readings from Mark

we heard this morning, about Jesus’ baptism,

temptation, calling of disciples, and a healing story.

I hope you were listening well, when Silas and Wendel read them.

If not, read them again at home this week.

We’ll probably circle back to them a few times,

during our 13-week journey through Mark.

But this morning, my goal is to lay some groundwork

for that journey.

This is our fourth yearly cycle of the Narrative Lectionary.

Each year gives us a chance to spend lots of time in one Gospel.

We started with Luke, in 2021.

Then John in 2022.

Last year was Matthew.

This year we complete our 4-gospel cycle.

If your memory is sharp,

you might recall that each Gospel had its own character,

its own origin story,

its own “agenda.”

And that informs how we read that Gospel.

What a gift to have these four different complete tellings

of the story of Jesus.

Lots of common material between them.

But each one gives us a different, and unique portrait of Jesus,

and a different slant on how we follow Jesus.

And I think that’s beautiful.

You may recall last year, when we launched in Matthew,

I said that the probable origin of the Gospel

was a traumatized community of Jesus-followers

in the city of Antioch, soon after 70 AD,

when Rome defeated Jerusalem,

and left the city in ruins, the temple destroyed,

and over a million Jews dead in the city.

You just can’t NOT take that context into consideration,

when you read Matthew,

and see all the ways the storyteller tries to

build up a beaten-down people.

So what’s the back story of Mark?

Well, we can’t be certain.

Historically, there has been a widely-held opinion

that this Gospel is based largely

on the preaching of the apostle Peter.

And perhaps, it could have been written down, at least in part,

by John Mark,

the disciple who accompanied Paul for a bit,

but then left and became kind of a secretary to,

and interpreter of, the apostle Peter.

And there is the thought that the writing may have happened

while both Peter and John Mark were in Rome,

around 65 AD and following,

during a time when Rome was actively at war against

Judea, and the Jewish people in general.

There are multiple clues in the text that support these ideas.

Including this focus on the actions of Jesus,

more than his words and theology.

As a disciple, Peter was not a philosopher-theologian.

He was an action-oriented, impulsive, “git-er-done” disciple.

So Mark easily sounds like it could be Peter preaching.

And if the community where it was written was Rome,

and the audience was largely Gentile, not Jewish,

that would account for how often

Jewish customs are explained to the reader,

and the frequent words or phrases of Latin origin.

But regardless who first wrote down this Gospel, and from where,

it’s pretty clear the audience is Gentile,

and the intent is to convince the hearers

that Jesus, not Caesar, was the authentic Messiah, the Christ,

and that he came bringing Good News for everyone,

Jews and Gentiles alike.

_____________________

So if we say Mark is summarizing Peter’s preaching

in and around Rome,

the urgency of this Gospel begins to make a lot of sense.

Rome—this overpowering and highly militarized Empire—

was at war against the woefully weak

and pathetically underpowered forces of Judea.

This Gospel is not written from a place of strength,

or comfort,

or optimism,

or respectability.

It is written from the underside of society,

from the perspective of the oppressed and occupied.

And it’s written to citizens of the Roman Empire,

whose Caesar, whose Emperor, claims to be the divine Savior

and used the title “Son of God,” to refer to himself.

The urgent message of the Gospel of Mark

butts up against the Empire, head on, as an act of resistance.

No hesitation. No indecisiveness. Immediately. εὐθέως.

Here is my paraphrase

of the urgent Gospel message in the book of Mark.

“Join us. Join this fringe movement. Now. It’s the real deal.

It’s worth you taking the risk, making the leap,

and becoming a Jesus-follower.

Now. Do not waver. Do not delay.

The life you were intended to live can be found

in the community of those who follow Jesus.

It’s more real than the Empire.

It’s more life-giving than chasing wealth and power

and prestige, like Rome teaches you to do.

Furthermore, the Caesar is an imposter. He’s a fake.

Jesus is the Savior. Not Nero.

Jesus is the Son of God.

No earthly ruler can compete.”

And Mark puts that confrontational message in chapter 1, verse 1:

“The beginning of the Good News of Jesus the Messiah,

the Son of God.”

I used to think that was just a generic greeting to open the book.

Like, “Dear friends. Here’s what I’m going to write about.”

No!  Those are confrontational words, political words.

They are taken right out of the mouth of the Roman Empire,

and turned around against it.

Rome used the phrase “Good News” (or evangelion in Greek)

when sending word of military victories around the Empire.

Rome praised its Caesar as their anointed Savior.

Caesar accepted the honorific title of Son of God.

So everyone hearing this Gospel of Mark for the first time,

would have been jarred by that opening line.

“The beginning of the Good News of Jesus the Messiah,

the Son of God.”

Them’s fightin’ words.

So . . . do you think there are any points of connection

between that context for Mark,

and today’s violent and materialistic and politically fraught world

where we Jesus-followers live?

 Let me re-read my paraphrase of Mark’s urgent message,

and change just a couple of words, and see what you think.

“Join us. Join this fringe movement. Now. It’s the real deal.

It’s worth you taking the risk, making the leap,

and becoming a Jesus-follower.

Now. Do not waver. Do not delay.

The life you were intended to live can be found

in the community of those who follow Jesus.

It’s more real than the American Dream.

It’s more life-giving than chasing wealth and power and prestige,

like our Western culture teaches you to do.

Furthermore, the power elite in D.C. are imposters.

Wall St. and Madison Ave. are selling us cheap fakes.

Jesus is the Savior. Not your political party.

Jesus is born of God. 

No president or prime minister can compete.”

I look forward to continuing this journey through Mark,

with you, the family of faith at Park View,

and everyone listening in from the margins,

as we discover again, the relevance, urgency, and beauty

of the Gospel message of radical following of Jesus,

in our world today.

No better way to mark the beginning of that journey,

and the beginning of a new year together,

than to come to the Lord’s Table,

and remember where Jesus’ journey led him,

and the gift that his sacrificial life, death, and resurrection

is for us all.  (invite servers forward)

_____________________

The communion table at Park View

is open to all followers of Jesus,

who wish to commune with us,

whether or not you are a member of this congregation.

When indicated, come to the front by the two angled aisles.

And return to your seats either by the center aisle,

or the side aisles along the walls.

Ushers will dismiss you, beginning at the back.

If you are receiving communion today,

hold out an open palm, and receive a piece of bread

(free of gluten, eggs, or dairy)

then take a juice cup, and return to your seats with bread and cup

so we can eat and drink all together when indicated.

If any of you need or prefer to be served in your seat,

we will bring the bread and cup to you.

Just indicate with a raised hand at that time.

If you are not receiving communion today, for whatever reason,

you are welcome to come to the front anyway,

and come to Moriah or me,

and we will offer you a word of blessing.

_____________________

Listen now, to the words of institution, from 1 Cor. 11.

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,

and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said,

“This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant in my blood;

do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup,

you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

_____________________

Christ, who invites us to follow him in all of life,

now invites us to eat and drink with him.

Let us do so, in reverence, and in gratitude.

—Phil Kniss, January 7, 2024

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