Mark 1:16-34
Dear RTB’ers,
Over the years John and I have worked up our own chronology of Jesus’ early ministry in Jerusalem and Galilee. One of the outcomes of working through those events is that when Jesus calls Simon, Andrew, James, and John in today’s reading, it is likely that this was not the first time that any of them had seen (or even met) Jesus. So when Jesus says “Follow me…”, their immediate response is not just a sudden, instant reaction on their part, but probably something that has been brewing in their minds for some time and over many conversations.
I wonder about demon possession in that first century A.D. compared to demon possession in our own time. In today’s reading we see Jesus casting out an unclean spirit on the Sabbath in the synagogue, then casting out many demons in the city after sundown. So, what did the gospel writers know of demon possession back then? Were some of them ordinary illnesses? Today we see Jesus speaking with the unclean spirit in the synagogue, clearly one or more demons in that man. And what do we know of demon possession now? I’m sure there were many parents in the 1950’s and 60’s who thought that rock-and-roll was the work of demons. I remember a Christian conference some years ago where a missionary spoke of his children playing their music and the tribal chief asking why the children were calling forth the evil gods? And today, video games – demon-possessed? We don’t know what Satan has in store for us these days. However, we do know what Jesus has in mind for us as we seek Him and His Holy Spirit work in us. Let’s not trouble ourselves with demons and unclean spirits. Let’s seek Jesus whole-heartedly and let Him take care of everything else.
Blessings!
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