Sermon for January 5, 2020

Happy New Year 

The reading

Mark 1:21-45  

21 They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24 and he cried out, "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." 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching — with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. 29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed  with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." 38 He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." 39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. 40 A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." 41 Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" 42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, 44 saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

The message: (no manuscript this week so here is a quick outline)


Last week I shared a lot of introductory material about the Gospel of Mark, it is a book written to bring people to faith in Jesus, to show he was the long expected messiah, savior and Son of God. The book has a sense of urgency and centers around escalating conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities.


Mark begins with the message of John the Baptist, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.  I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit


The message of Jesus begins right after John is arrested, Jesus starts with the good news of God, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

Today, we see what happens when that person so much more powerful than John enters the world, when the kingdom of God has come near.


Jesus teaches with authority, he does not simply quote previous scholars or other teachers and agree or disagree. Jesus is not bound to any school, tradition or previous understanding,


Everything else that Jesus does, the signs of power, healing and restoring the sick and the casting out of demons, all serve as proof of Jesus authority, proof that the kingdom of God is here.


There is hospitality, the welcome into the home of Simon and Andrew


The kingdom of God has an immediate impact. There is restoration and reaction, a woman getting up to serve right after being healed of her fever, there is restoration and reaction, the cured leper immediately going and telling what had happened (despite being told directly, clearly by Jesus to not say anything)


There is the curing of the sick and suffering, all of them regardless of any social, economic or cultural factors.  


There is movement, going from place to place, entrusting the people who have seen, heard and experienced the kingdom of God to continue the work.  


There is confrontation with the authorities. Telling the leper to go and show himself to the priest, Jesus puts what is going on in the streets and towns and people, make the authorities see this, make them ignore the kingdom of God or welcome the kingdom of God.


What does it look like when the kingdom of God comes to our community? 


What happens when the kingdom of God comes near, People change, lives change, things change