In today’s gospel, twice Jesus amazed the people who were with in the synagogue. First, they “were astonished at his teaching for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.” Then, he further amazed his audience by casting out a unclean spirit from a man in the assembly.
It was the practice in those days for the scribes to teach by offering the instruction of others. Instead of asserting their own insights, they would say, “The rabbis have said this about that scriptural passage.” Jesus amazed his listeners by offering his own experience and understanding of scripture. It became apparent to them that his authority rose from his inner conviction about the truth of what he said. His magnetism wasn’t dependent on clever ways of mouthing what others had said or taught. His messages came from his own mind and heart, which were in constant touch with God.
Jesus knew that guiding his listeners to the truth was an important part of his redemptive mission. When Pilate addressed the question to him at his trial, “What is truth?” Jesus set aside the matter as an unsolvable riddle, but he knew the answer to Pilate’s question. After all, he left us a treasury of truth in the Gospel accounts of his public ministry. Studying his lessons and diligently trying to apply them to our everyday experiences can make a world of difference for us. Living that truth enables us to bring about the kingdom of God.
Jesus might have gained greater popularity in his lifetime by following the widely accepted philosophies of his day, but he chose instead to lead his small band of followers in the path of truth rather than to gain the acceptance of those who preferred being comfortable over being right. Jesus was willing to die for the truth he had come to teach the world rather than live for falsity, that is, live a lie.
So what is truth? Jesus could not have answered Pilate’s question in a few minutes that he had spent three years doing. Thanks to his public ministry, we have considerable knowledge to answer Pilate’s question. In one sense, truth is eternal and unchanging. God is truth and God is eternally the same. Yet, truth is always being reborn as we deepen our understanding and awareness of the message Jesus came to teach us.
Mark doesn’t tell us what Jesus said that day, nor what exactly was the nature of the man’s unclean spirit. We are told that the unclean spirit cried out, “I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Rather than let that unclean spirit control the scene, Jesus commanded it to be quiet. “Come out of him!” That the unclean spirit did, reluctantly, I might add, by convulsing the man and leaving him with a loud cry. What left a lasting impression on everyone was not the lesson of the day but what had happened afterwards. As the witnesses observed, “He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
That man in the gospel was not unique. We all have unclean spirits within us, tendencies to say and do things that are really against our best interests, a consequence of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden ages ago. That is, we are constantly being tempted to ignore the teaching authority of Jesus Christ. That unclean spirit within us knows who Jesus is but it will do its best to persuade us to ignore him. When it succeeds in luring us into sin, the odds are we then experience anxiety, for rarely does a sin leave us free of any consequences.
In his letter, Paul begins, “I should like you to be free of anxieties.” The solution to being free of anxiety is not found in one’s marital status, but in turning to Christ for guidance in living out our daily lives. Saint Augustine wrote in his classic, Confessions, “Our hearts are restless, O Lord, until they rest in thee.” His words are soothing for any restless anxious soul among us to hear.
Jesus began the kingdom of God in his lifetime 2000 years ago, so why is Satan’s kingdom still so powerful today? The answer is that the coming of God’s kingdom is a gradual ongoing movement in history. Many people have yet to fully heed the lesson we heard last week, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” Jesus left us the task of bringing about the kingdom of God, which comes a step closer to being completed each time we listen to and abide by his teachings. Think of God’s kingdom as a plant. Jesus planted the seed in our heart, now we must do our part to cultivate it, fertilize it, and water it through prayer, love and action based on divine truth.
Satan’s kingdom is so slow in dying because we are not carrying out our job as well as we should and could. Consider what has been in the news of late. In Olympia, there is a move to redefine marriage. The Obama Administration announced recently that all health plans must cover all means of artificial contraception. Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan of New York observed, “In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences…This represents a challenge and a compromise of our religious liberty.” Those protesting either items of legislation aren’t just Catholics either. Leaders of other denominations have spoken out against them as well.
To no surprise, I have found several Catholic sources supporting both moves, even dismissing the credibility of our Catholic bishops as they do so. I wonder to what degree anxiety shapes their stance, prompting them to dismiss the truth that the Church has always taught, adhering instead to a prevailing trend. Ignoring God’s truth isn’t going to free us from the anxieties that arise from our unclean spirits; that can only happen when we heed the divine truth while shaping and living out our convictions.