Mark 1:21–28

²¹And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.

²²And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

²³And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,

²⁴"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."

²⁵But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"

²⁶And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.

²⁷And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."

²⁸And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Peter was excited that day when he got home from church. In his usual impetuous way he ran in the door and rushed into his mother-in-law's room where she lay gravely ill. "Mother," he shouted. She was too weak to respond, but turned her head and opened her eyes slightly. Peter's wife was there wiping her mother's fevered forehead with a cool wet cloth. The windows were shut and the single lamp gave out a dim light, They spoke in hushed whispers as they were gathered in sorrowful silence. Peter's joyous shouting and enthusiasm and energy were almost an unwelcome interruption to the solemn darkness that shrouded the sick bed.

"Mother!" he shouted, "He's here! I brought him home with me from the synagogue." "Who's here?" they wondered. "The Prophet that Moses foretold. The one like Moses, but even greater. He's here!"

He motioned for Jesus to enter into the dark room. Everyone quietly stood up in reverence and respect for this strange guest. "Didn't Moses say that God would raise up a prophet like him? Didn't Moses say that we must listen to him? Well, here he is!"

"Who is he, Peter?" they asked, puzzled.

"I'll explain it from the beginning. On Mount Zion when God made his covenant with the people and gave Moses the 10 Commandments, the people could not come close to the mountain. The presence of God was as a raging fire and clouds surrounded the mountain. It roared with thunder and flashed with lightning, and the people were terrified. So they cried out to Moses and said, 'Let us not hear the voice of God or see this great fire any more, lest we die.' God said, 'They are right. Instead of speaking in this great voice and showing this great fire, I will send a prophet like you from among the brothers. I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak everything that I command him and whoever will not listen to him will be punished.'

"Here he is," shouted Peter, "the prophet like Moses himself. He is the prophet who would speak the word of God. This man here, his name is Jesus. He spoke today in the synagogue, but his words were with the authority of God himself. We were all amazed at his teaching. He is truly greater than Moses. For he has authority even over the demons. Moses led us out of bondage in Egypt, but Jesus freed a man from the bondage of an unclean spirit right there in the synagogue. I tell you, this is the prophet like Moses, but who is greater than Moses."

For Moses led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt through the waters of the sea. Jesus leads us out of bondage to sin and death through the waters of baptism. Moses freed the Israelites by the death of the first-born sons of Egypt. Jesus frees us from death by the death of the first-born Son of God. Moses redeemed the Israelites with the blood of the Passover lamb; Jesus is the Passover Lamb whose blood redeems us from sin and death.

The sea could not hold the Israelites in slavery. Moses split open the sea and led them out in a mighty charge. Nor can the gates of hell prevail against the church. Jesus is God crashing into the world to break open the doors of death and lead us out in a great charge. For Jesus is the prophet who came to proclaim freedom to the captives and liberty to the oppressed. Moses led the Israelites out of the land of slavery to the Promised Land; Jesus leads us out of the kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God, the eternal Promised Land.

The journey of the Israelites began in water through the death of the first-born, saved from death by the blood of the lamb; so our journey begins in the water of baptism and through the death of the Son of God and the blood of the Lamb he leads us to the Promised Land.

God told the Israelites to listen to Him. He who did not listen would be taken into judgment. But the people did not listen to God. Adam and Eve did not listen to his command and so they broke their relationship with God. The Israelites did not listen to Moses and the ground opened up and swallowed them. Miriam did not listen to Moses and she was struck with leprosy. They broke their relationship with God and the broken relationship with God brought them into judgment. That is why Moses told them to listen to the prophet or they would come under judgment.

The man in the synagogue had an unclean spirit. "Unclean" to the Jews meant a "broken relationship with God." The laws and regulations of the Old Testament, the dietary laws, the laws about clean and unclean foods, about touching unclean things, and about defiling oneself were all about their relationship with God. Being "unclean" meant "out of relationship" with God. An unclean spirit is a spirit out of fellowship with God. Therefore, a man afflicted with an unclean spirit, was also out of fellowship with God. He was separated from God. And separation from God is the worst punishment and darkest hell there is.

Just as by not hearing and obeying the word of God we are out of fellowship with God, we become unclean, we are separated from God. Our often lackadaisical attitude toward God's word, our lack of attention we put to hearing and learning God's word, all separate us from God. And this separation from God results in judgment. It results in sinful lives. It causes our messed up lives. It breaks our relationship with others, with our husbands and wives, with our parents and children. It results in addictions. It results in abuse. It results in sickness and pain. It results in death; eternal death. Separated from God we are trapped in a world of hurts and pains. We feel lost and afraid. Separation from God is death and corruption. It is oppression; it is bondage; it is slavery.

The Israelites were slaves in Egypt, but Moses delivered them through the violent death of the first-born of Egypt. Jesus delivered the man from the unclean spirit, and it left him with screaming and convulsions. Both of these point to the violence of Christ's death on the cross whereby he delivers us from the slavery of sin and death. Deliverance from sin requires violence. Without the shedding of blood there is not forgiveness of sins.

So Moses commanded the people to listen to and obey the prophet. When the people saw the unclean spirit come out of the man they were amazed at Jesus' teaching because he taught as one with authority: authority over demons and evil spirits. Authority over life and death. Authority over sin and evil. And they worshipped him and they spread the news of him throughout the land. For he had released the man from bondage. He has released us from bondage to sin as well. Now sin has no power over us. Our deliverer has smashed open the door and led us out of the prison of sin. "Praise the Lord," sings the psalmist in our Psalm today. "Great are the works of the Lord. He has shown his people the power of his works. He is faithful and just. He sent redemption to his people and has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name." He was faithful to his promise to send a prophet and he has revealed his splendor and majesty.

Through the waters of baptism he has brought us into relationship with God. He has united us to the Father and he has become one with us. In the Communion of his Body and Blood he communes with us and unites us to himself and to all the angels and saints in heaven who worship him day and night.

We are no longer separated from God. As the Introit today tells us, "blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, who sins are covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity." He has forgiven our iniquity and our sin. He surrounds us with shouts of deliverance just as he delivered the man with the evil spirit. We are no longer in bondage. All is made new. All is restored. God is in the business of taking that which is broken and making it new. He takes our broken lives and makes them new. He picks up the pieces of our broken homes and families and puts them back together again. When Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall and was smashed into pieces, all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put him back together again. It takes more than horses and kings. It takes God, through his Son Jesus Christ to put back our lives and relationships. He delivers us from the addictions, from the abuses, from the slaveries in which we live and makes us free. He comes to proclaim good news to the poor, listen to him! He comes to proclaim freedom to the captive, hear him!

And as the fame of Jesus spread that day through all the region, so we shout from the house tops the good news. Jesus is leading His church out of the prison of hell through the water of baptism to the Promised Land by way of the cross. As Jesus releases us from the ravages of sin, so through our acts of mercy and deeds of love he releases people from poverty, suffering, and illness. Let us shout the good news of liberty and freedom through all the land. Let all God's people say: Amen.