Some of us are instinctively suspicious of dramatic and emotionally-charged moments - in religion or in life; others are almost addicted to those times, relentlessly pursuing them and impatient with the mundane. In this reflection, we ask what wisdom we can find when we consider the place of miracles in Jesus’ ministry.
Image - thanks to Nik and Angie
Of the four gospels included in the new Testament, Mark’s is most action-packed. It moves at pace; miraculous events come thick and fast. From the outset, a host of breathtaking actions is recorded. One of those from Chapter 1 is recommended for reading today and is paraphrased below:
The Man with an Unclean Spirit
They went to Capernaum. Jesus entered the synagogue and taught those gathered for worship. They were astounded at his teaching, for he seemed to have authority, unlike their regular teachers. Suddenly, in their midst appeared a man who was deeply troubled and shouted,
“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!”
Jesus rebuked him, addressing the unclean spirit within him and saying,
“Be silent. Come out of him!”
The spirit, throwing him into convulsions and crying with a loud voice, came out. Those watching were all amazed and kept asking one another,
“What is this? New teaching - done with authority! He commands even spirits and they obey him.”
From then, Jesus fame began to spread throughout the region.
Spend a little time reflecting on this story. How do you feel? You may like to use the image of the river and oars - a moment of luminous beauty on the quiet water.
Jesus silenced the aspect of the man that troubled him. Today, we might use the language of mental illness rather than having an ‘unclean spirit’. Whatever happened, Mark reports no deliberation or indecision. Jesus responded, apparently unperturbed, to a disruption (imagine it happening in church one Sunday!) using few words authoratively and with wonderful effect. The man is healed; his life changed in that moment.
Imagine seeing this happen. How would you feel about the man’s shouting? How would you cope if you were the one teaching at the front? What would you think about the way Jesus deals with the man? Who do you identify with in the scene? Spend some time here.
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Jesus’ dramatic behaviour has ripples. Not only is the man’s life changed but there is a great impact on the congregation who are watching. They told others. More people then heard about Jesus - or, rather, about the miracle he performed and the authority with which he operated. This celebrity was risky, for him.
All kinds of people will have been watching. Some excitable. Some cynical. Some horrified. Some captivated.
What would the healed man’s life have been like before this? What was it like afterwards? What part did his interaction with Jesus play in his future; how did he remember it? How did this miraculous event interact with the coming years? Did its memory fade over time? Did everything that followed pale into insignificance?
What of those suffering from troubling spirits - or mental illness - who are not healed? Do they sit in our congregations? Are they free to call out to Jesus? We do well to think of them, a few days after World Mental Health Day.
Moments of drama and healing are important in our collective story. They remind us of the promise of redemption; they re-ignite hope and enthusiasm, joy and praise. But, most of the time, the person with the unclean spirit will continue to live among us and will need to be brought as they are into community routines.
Miracles cannot be forced; like sunrise over a calm river. And yet we may miss them - miss the opportunity to share them, as the photographer on this river has done with us - if we are unwilling to do the mundane work; tire ourselves out by rowing early in the morning.
We offer this in closing. It is part of a poem In the Palm of His Hand, by our friend Kate Brumby. It is also a prayer for ongoing healing - be it mundane or miraculous:
Lord, may You and I pray for my soul
that by You it would be made whole
Lord, that it would not be bruised by careless thoughts
Lord, that it would not be bruised by spoken hurts
Lord, that it would not be bruised by false words
Lord, that it would not be bruised by gossip shared.
Lord, may You and I pray for my soul
that by You it would be made whole
Lord,that it would not be bruised by situations
Lord, that it would not be bruised by gratifications
Lord, that it would not be bruised by emotion
Lord, that it would not be bruised by any person
Lord, that You would reach down from above
that You would heal with Your love.