In today’s gospel Jesus casts out an unclean spirit from a man. I believe the main reason to describe this event by the author at the beginning of his gospel was to reveal Jesus’ divine nature. Jesus performed this ministry many times and asked his disciples to do the same. We might think possession by evil spirts or demons was a problem two thousand years ago. In fact it is still a problem and ministry of healing from possession is still very much performed in our times.
A priest friend of mine is an exorcist. He is very busy in his ministry, and according to him the number of exorcists were doubled recently in his diocese. Personally I have prayed over and listened to confession of people who felt the devil had some power over them. It was always traumatic to see people slaved by evil and their aggressive reaction when the evil was confronted with prayer or sacred items. Unfortunately, Satan exists and does not rest even in our times. André Frossard in his book, 36 Proofs of the Existence of the Devil, writes the greatest victory of Satan today is the fact most people do not believe in his existence. I wonder, why people believe in good angels but do not believe in the devil. It is interesting how popular angels are right now and how unpopular it is to believe in the devil. The message of the gospel is clear. Satan exists and we must be aware of it.
There is a moment in today’s gospel when evil speaks in plural imposing an evil identity on the possessed person, “What have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” (Mark 1:24). Jesus stops and silences this rhetoric. A human being is not an evil. Then, Jesus casts evil away from that person. It is not true our nature and identity is evil. God created us good. Everyone is good. Our deeds and actions are sometimes evil. It must be distinguished and never confused. Today’s gospel encourages us to see good in every person, and separate people from their deeds.
Lastly, we heard Jesus taught and performed his action as one having authority, not like the scribes and Pharisees. “He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him” (Mark 1:27). The word authority used in the gospel of Mark comes from Greek exousia (ἐξουσία) which means divine authority or super power. People saw Jesus teaching and performing extraordinary deeds without hindrance, like a king or general. His authority was above the rules they knew or the prophets or even Moses. Jesus’ authority manifested the dominion of God, which was declared to be near (Mark 1:15) and was God’s reaffirmation of Jesus’ authority in the end-time.
We must never be afraid of evil spirits or possessions as followers of Jesus Christ. We must be aware of the devil and his works but always believe we are saved with Jesus. If we pray and receive Holy Communion and Jesus is in our hearts and minds, nothing can possess or separate us from him. Jesus’ authority is above unclean spirits and evil.
Fr. Andrzej