4th Sun of Year 28 Jan. 2018: Year B

May you at the Eucharist of today listen to Jesus, the prophet of God and be liberated through his words from all that prevent you from dedicating yourself fully to Christian living of love of God and neighbour. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

Doctrine and Faith

(Deut 18,15-20; ; 1Cor 7,32-35; Mark 1,21-28: 4th Sun of Year 28 Jan. 2018: Year B)

In the first reading, we heard what Moses said to the people: Your God will raise up; for you a prophet like myself, from among yourselves, from your own brothers: to him you must listen. Prophecy is a form of divine communication. Throughout the ages people have devised various ways of establishing communication with divine beings. The law of Israel condemned all such forms of divination, maintaining that only God could initiate the communication. While Israel did believe that some form of revelation often occurred in dreams and visions, they considered prophecy to be the primary means of divine communication. The function of the prophet was to re-say to the people what the Lord had communicated to him, often introduced by the phrase, thus says the Lord (koh amar Jaweh). Moses is not, normally, thought of as a prophet, but the first reading clearly states he is. He is, if we follow the simple definition of a prophet as one who re-says what God has communicated. In fact, he is considered the prophet par excellence. He received the word of the Lord in the form of the Law, and he acted as God’s spokesperson promulgating this Law to the community. In the passage, quoted above, Moses promised that God will not leave the people without a mediator. Rather, just as he has been chosen by God to be a prophet (Exod 4,12), so would another be raised. In fact, this promise of the prophet is a response to a request that the people made at the foot of Horeb (cf Deut 5,23-26). There, in fear, they realised that they could not approach God directly but would need a mediator.

The gospel of today presents Jesus as a prophet. As soon as he began his ministry he was revealed as a prophet powerful in words and in deeds. He enters a synagogue on a Sabbath and begins to teach. His first act was teaching, because he is the one who reveals the plan and designs of God, and all the mysteries that communicate new life. The people are stupefied by his teaching, because it is not just the ordinary teaching. The scribes were teaching but not with their personal authority: they based their teaching on what was said before. Their authority relied on the precedents already set by the teachings of others. Jesus, on the other hand, teaches like one having authority in his own right. He thus shows himself the Son of God, and not just a simple person who needed to base his teaching on the tradition of his predecessors. The people in the synagogue recognise this and marvel at it. What is more, he also reveals his power in deed. There was a man in the synagogue who had an unclean spirit that caused him severe physical suffering. If such an affiliated person was found in a holy place like the synagogue, he certainly would have to be removed. Jesus does not have the man leave, instead he casts out the evil spirit. This evil spirit recognises the power of Jesus and even affirmed his sanctity: What do you want  with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God. Jesus came to free men from the influence of evil spirit and to give them the true liberty as sons and daughters of God.  Jesus sharply rebuked the evil spirit saying: Be quiet! Come out off him! These sharp words of Jesus are enough to obtain victory over the evil spirit who goes out of the man shouting loudly. Thus Jesus establishes the reign of God in a previously disordered situation. Note that as Jesus confounds the evil spirit, he demands that it should not speak so as not to reveal his real identity which is not the focal point of the narrative. It is to be observed that just as people were astonished by the teachings of Jesus, so they were amazed at his power over the evil spirit.

The people of Jesus time believed that evil spirits roamed the world and caused havoc whenever and wherever they could. Are there signs that the evil spirits are at work in our own modern world, in the globalised world today and in our local communities? Are such evil spirits causing havoc among us today? The situation we find ourselves seems to suggest that the effect of the evil spirit is felt both in the globalised and local societies. We are caught in dysfunction and sin, and try as much as we may, we do not seem to be able to rid ourselves of their shackles. We live in the midst of battle between good and evil, the struggle of human finitude and failure. We may begin with good intentions, but we are so often sidetracked or derailed along the way. We are plunged into the throes of human suffering and pain, and there seems to be no escape from it. And what is, perhaps, the most difficult to accept is that evil appears to have the upper hand in this conflict. The devil seduces us in more ways than we can count  and we are often caught in its web before we recognise that the pleasures it holds out to us cannot really satisfy the desires of the human heart. It is only then that we reach out for salvation, that we heed the invitation of the reign of God.

 In the midst of all these to whom  do we turn? There have always been many and varied voices that claim to have the remedy for our ills. Prosperity preachers and politicians have stirred up crowds and ignited their emotions. Promises have been made and predictions advanced, yet the conflict goes on; the demons continue to hold sway. And then a voice is heard in the midst of chaos of our lives. This voice rings with authority: Be quiet! Come out! The demons recognise the authority in Jesus’ voice. They know who he is, but the people around him do not. They acknowledge his power over them, but again and again Jesus finds himself in conflict with the crowd and with their leaders over the question of his authority. How can this be since he has the credentials of the true prophet as described by Moses? In fact, he exercises the very authority  of God. When we are released by Jesus from the demons that possess us, we are freed from the stranglehold of evil and liberated to live far less encumbered and divided lives. We will then see that we can be so liberated in any lifestyle, within any commitment. No earthly reality will possess us, neither relationship nor obligations. Rather we will be possessed by Christ who liberates us for the reign of God. Therefore, whether married or unmarried, whether in the midst of the community or at its margins, we will be able to heed the voice of God in our hearts and recognise Jesus in our midst. Happy Sunday!

 +John I. Okoye

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