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Call to Worship  (Psalm 111: 1 to 3 and 7 to 10) 

Leader: With all my heart I will thank the Lord where God’s People assemble.

All: How wonderful are the things He does,

Leader: All that God does is full of honour and majesty;

All: His righteousness is eternal.

Leader: In all He does God is faithful and just;

All: All His commands are dependable,

Leader: He sets His people free

All: And has made an eternal covenant with them.

Leader: The way to become wise is to honour the Lord,

All: He gives sound judgement to all who obey His commands.  God is to be praised forever.

Leader: This Psalm is a hymn of praise to be sung by the People of Israel when they gathered together to worship God.  One Commentator notes that, in the original Hebrew, “each half-line begins with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet”, something that is sadly missing in our English translation.  (A Weiser The Psalms p698)  The Psalm commences with words of adoration for God’s rule in Nature and in History.  The writer states that the greatness of God, His splendour and glory, are manifested in His Works throughout Time.  They continue by declaring that God’s rule has never yet been found wanting, and it is that which makes possible a person’s trust in and reliance upon God.  God’s gift of divine grace and the fulfillment of God’s will are inseparable aspects of His nature.  (A Weiser The Psalms p698 to 701) 

  As we, too, reflect upon these things as we gather here together for worship, we are led to share the words of the worshipping people of the Psalmist’s day, as we say, “God is to be praised forever.”

Prayer of Praise    

Leader:  Almighty and everlasting God, the giver of life and the source of peace, we thank you for leading us through the past week, for the guidance that you have provided and the grace that you have so freely given.  We thank you that we can so openly come together to offer you our worship; we thank you for the privilege of meeting in public to offer to you our praise and thanks.

  We praise you that we can confidently declare that you are our God, and that we are your People.  We praise you for your work of redemption in each of our lives, for the sacrifice of your Son for each one of us.  We praise you for the openness by which you welcome us, despite our backgrounds and our past. 

  Living and loving God, in your great love for the World, you desire to help us and to keep us safe.  This was most visible when you sent your Son to be our Saviour and Lord.  That you, Creator of Heaven and Earth, should so care for us is almost beyond our imagination.  How can we come with anything other than praise and adoration for your priceless gift of life to us, a gift made possible through the sacrificial love of Jesus, your Son, our Lord and our Saviour.  Guide us and strengthen us by your Spirit that we may give ourselves to your service, and live this day, and always, in love to one another, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Hymn

“Majesty”  Scripture in Song Volume 2 Number 1 (206)

Majesty, worship His majesty.

Unto Jesus be all glory, power, and praise.

Majesty, Kingdom authority

Flow from His throne unto His own, His anthem raise.

So, exalt, life up on high the name of Jesus.

Magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus, the King.

Majesty, worship His majesty.

Jesus, who died, now glorified,

King of all Kings.

Jack Hayford 

Leader: Merciful God, you alone can judge rightly our innermost thoughts.  You alone see whether we observe your Laws from the heart or only keep them outwardly.

All: We confess that often we have failed to be an obedient Church.  Often, we have not done your will and have rebelled against your purposes.  We seek your forgiveness.

Leader: Merciful God, you alone can see whether we are driven by our desires or by our love.  You alone see what motivates our actions and our speech.

All: We confess that often we do not calm our anger nor our annoyance.  Often, we have not loved our neighbour, nor have we heard the cry of the needy.  We seek your forgiveness.

Leader: Merciful God, you alone know whether we truly seek to be reconciled to you and to be reconciled to those who live around us.

All: We confess a stubborn heart that refuses to accept that we can be in error, that we make mistakes, and that we cause sorrow for you and for others.  We seek your forgiveness.

Leader: We confess, merciful God, our readiness to affirm our belief in your guidance, yet we fear to move into the unknown on behalf of the Gospel. 

All: Break through our resistance and our fear O God, with your perfect and all-reaching love; so that we may hear and respond to your call, your promises, and your leadership in our lives with heightened enthusiasm and deepened faith. 

Leader: Gracious and loving God, forgive our lack of trust in you; help us when we hesitate, and strengthen us where we are weak.  Blow your Spirit afresh into our hearts and minds so that we may have the courage to follow Jesus wherever he leads us. 

All: Forgive us, we pray.  Cleanse us from all of our sin, and thereby make our worship acceptable to you.  Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness  (from 1 Corinthians 8: 6)  

Leader: There is only one God, the Father and Creator of all things.  There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, through whom all things were created, and through whom our salvation comes.  Having confessed our sins and with faith in the grace of God, we can be confident that God has heard us, and that God has forgiven us.

Response: Thanks be to God.

Sharing the Peace 

Leader: The Apostle John records these words of assurance from Jesus to his Disciples; “Peace is what I leave with you.  …  You will have this peace by being united with me.”  (John 14: 27a and 16: 33a)

  In the same way, we are to share this assurance with those with whom we fellowship, both those here with us today and those who are absent from our midst.  So, with upraised hands, let us share together these words of Jesus.  May the peace of God be with you.

All: And also with you.

Children’s Talk

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Since its inception in 1886, Coca-Cola has been notable for its advertising slogans.

In the USA

• 1886 – Drink Coca-Cola
• 1905 – Coca-Cola revives and sustains.
• 1906 – The great national temperance beverage.
• 1908 – Good till the last drop.

In Australia

• 1961 – “Be refreshed”
• 1964 – “Things go better with Coke”
• 1972 – “It’s the real thing”
• 1977 – “Coke adds life”
• 2020 – “Together Tastes Better”

  We are all familiar with the soft drink, Coca-Cola.  Some people enjoy drinking it, some choose not to drink it.  The latter group are the ones who have read the internet reports about how effective Coca-Cola is in, not just cleaning your silverware, but in clearing your clogged drains.

  The contents of this beverage are detailed on the side of the can.  Are you aware that there is no fat in Coke?  Good for your health then?  Well, just remember that neither is there any protein in Coke.  However, it is low in salt, one can represents only 2% of your recommended daily intake.  The downside, of course, is that one can also represents 44% of your recommended daily intake of sugar.

  One thing is certain, ‘Since its inception in 1886, Coca-Cola has been notable for its advertising slogans’.  We can see from the slide that the Australian 2020 slogan is “Together Tastes Better”.  From what I can gather, in conjunction with this slogan is the campaign to “shareacoke”, a campaign to encourage you to share a drink of coke together with family and friends.  Part of this is the ability to “personalise” your can of Coke, meaning, to purchase cans of Coca-Cola with personalised names on the side.

  A couple of weeks ago, my daughter-in-law, gave me one such can to drink.  The can that she chose to give me, and which was meant, in humour, to infer some characteristic about me, says: “Boofhead”.  It’s not a word that I use, so I was curious as to its true meaning.

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“Boofhead”

  According to a book titled “Australian Nicknames, “boofhead” means “to be fairly clueless”.  The Australian National University Dictionary Centre states that “boofhead” means “a fool or simpleton, a stupid person or an uncouth person”.

  This got me thinking, because it was the view of a Galilean which held by the average person living in Jerusalem in the time of Jesus, especially the religious leaders.

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The Land of Galilee

  Galilee, at the very least, was seen as an intellectual, social, and cultural backwater.  The general understanding among Bible scholars was that the Jewish leaders despised Galilee and all who came from the area.  John records Philip telling Nathanael about the one whom Moses and the Prophets wrote, Jesus from Nazareth.  Nathanael’s automatic reply was, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”  (John 1: 45 and 46)  .  On the Day of Pentecost, a crowd gathered in Jerusalem, excited at hearing the Apostles talking to them in their own languages.  “In amazement and wonder the crowd exclaimed, ‘These people who are talking like this are Galileans!  How is it, then, that all of us hear them speaking in our own native languages?'”  (Acts 2: 7 and 8)  .

  Why was this so?  Galilee, unlike Judea, was not populated predominantly by Jews.  People from many other races had settled there, people from Egypt, Arabia and Phoenicia, people who had brought their own religions and customs with them.  Galileans spoke with an identifiable accent and spoke a distinct dialect, which was why bystanders in the Courtyard of the High Priest where Peter was warming himself after Jesus was arrested, could easily identify him as coming from Galilee.  (Mark 15:70)  (Universal Bible Dictionary p174) 

  Galilee was comprised of the land of two of the northern Tribes of Israel, Zebulun and Naphtali.  The town on Nazareth, where Jesus lived, is sited in the land of the Tribe of Zebulun.  The town of Capernaum, where Jesus lived with his Disciples, is sited in the land of the Tribe of Naphtali.  It was the land of these two Tribes that was the first of the land of Israel to be annexed by the King of Assyria, Tiglath Pileser III, in 734BC.  The Jewish population of this area were deported to various parts of Assyria.  Non-Jewish settlers were brought from Provinces of Assyria to inhabit the land, people who worshipped their own foreign gods as well as the God of Israel.  Thus, the people of Galilee were seen by the Jews in Judea, especially by those in Jerusalem, as inferior peoples and no longer fit to be called true Jews.  Thus, the Land of Galilee was often referred to as the Land of the Gentiles.  (The Illustrated Bible Dictionary Part 1 p537) 

  On that basis we can understand, though not accept, the criticism of Nicodemus by the Jewish authorities when he questioned their judgemental stance against Jesus before they had heard Jesus answer the charges brought against him before a Court.  They said of Nicodemus, “are you also from Galilee?  (John 7: 52a) 

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“Jesus did not stay in Nazareth, but went to live in Capernaum, a town by Lake Galilee, in the Territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.”  Matthew 4: 13

“The Land of the Tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali was once disgraced, but the future will bring honour to this region. … The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”

  Isaiah 9: 1b and 2a  [quoted in Matthew 4: 15 and 16] 

  But, it is from these verses that we glimpse the compassion of God for Humanity, in His taking the steps needed for a reconciliation between Himself and Humanity.  We clearly see the grace of God, for He is sincerely and earnestly offering to all Peoples, to Jew and to non-Jew, straightforward and simple steps leading to reconciliation; “turn away from your sins and believe the good news”  (Mark 1: 15b)  .  And the first peoples to whom this Good News was preached were the peoples of the Land of Galilee, the land of two of the northern Tribes of Israel, Zebulun and Naphtali.  The people whom Jerusalem rejected were the first to hear the Good News of God’s acceptance of them.  

  This was foretold by the Prophet Isaiah, therefore it wasn’t anything new or unknown to the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.  They seem to have chosen to ignore this prophesy, based on their own preconceptions and prejudices about who and what the coming “Messiah” would be.  And such preconceptions and prejudices led them to reject Jesus. 

 So, the message for us from these verses is, “Don’t be a ‘boofhead’!”, look at who Jesus was and what he did, listen in your hearts to his claims, and, in response, obey his call to “turn away from your sins, believe the good news, and to come and follow me.”  (Mark 1: 15b and 19a)  .

Prayer for Illumination

All: Holy God, through your Holy Spirit, instruct us that we might rightly understand the Word of Truth, and find ourselves as People who reflect the Living Word, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Readings

Deuteronomy 18: 14 to 22

14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. 

15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 

16 For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.” 

17 The LORD said to me: “What they say is good. 

18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 

19 I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. 

20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.” 

21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?” 

22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.

Reader: This is the Word of God.

All: Praise to you Almighty God.

Mark 1: 21 to 28

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 

22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 

23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 

24 “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!” 

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 

26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. 

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 

28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

Reader: This is the Gospel of our Lord.

All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

Hymn

“Jesus, lover of my soul“  TiS211  AHB139  MHB110

Verse 1

Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy refuge fly,

While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high;

Hide me, O my Saviour hide, till the storm of life is past;

Safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last.

Verse 2

Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on thee;

Leave, ah, leave me not alone, still support and comfort me:

All my trust on thee is stayed, all my help from thee I bring;

Cover my defenceless head with the shadow of thy wing.

Verse 3

Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in thee I find,

Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.

Just and holy is they name, Iam all unrighteousness;

False and full of sin I am, thou art full of truth and grace.

Verse 4

Plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;

Let the healing streams abound, make and keep me pure within:

Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of thee,

Spring thou up within my heart, rise to all Eternity.

by Joseph Parry

Sermon

Screen 1

AUTHORITY

  The Captain, standing on the Bridge of a Naval vessel, saw a light directly ahead of them, coming towards them on a collision course with the ship.  He quickly sent a signal, saying “Alter your course 10 degrees to port!”

  A reply came back, saying “Alter your course 10 degrees to port.”

  The Captain was not amused.  He signalled again, saying “Alter your course 10 degrees to port.  I am a Captain in the Navy!”

  The reply came back, saying “Alter your course 10 degrees to port.  I am a seaman third class.”

  The Captain was furious.  He signalled a third time, saying “Alter your course 10 degrees to port.  I am in command of the largest battleship in the Navy!”

  The reply came back, saying “Alter your course 10 degrees to port.  I am in command of a lighthouse.”

(1500 illustrations for Bible Preaching number 46 p26)

  The Captain of the battleship had all of the signs of authority; the command of a large ship, the gold braiding on the shoulders of his jacket, the benefits of his years of experience as a Naval office.  But, given the circumstances, he did not, in fact, have the authority over the other sailor.

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Authority: the right to determine, to adjudicate or to settle issues or disputes, to control or to command, or to be an accepted source of information and advice.

The Macquarie Dictionary 1985 edition

  It is easy to find a definition for “authority”.  But, is it as easy to define how authority is attained, or what characterises authority?

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What characterises authority?

  I’m sure that if you found yourself “between a rock and a hard place”, you would ascribe authority to, and to be willing to give heed to, someone who could suggest a way out of your difficulties that had the potential to succeed.  But that surely can’t be all that there is about authority.

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“I learned that a great leader is someone who has the ability to get other people to do what they don’t want to do and to like it.  (Harry S Truman)

“A leader does not impose a decision, they mould one.”  (Nelson Mandela)

  Here are two statements from well-known authority figures that are seemingly contradictory.  Harry Truman’s statement, does, on the surface, seem to talk about imposing your will and understanding upon another person.  Nelson Mandela’s statement warns of doing just such a thing.  So, then, which way should authority be wielded?

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Boadicea – “She was very tall and her aspect was terrifying, for her eyes flashed fiercely and her voice was harsh.”  Dio Cassius in Roman History  Book 42  Volume 8

Adolf Hitler – “his magnetism, his curious ability to mesmerise and control those around him”

William Shirer in The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

  Boadica, or Boudicca as she is also known, was Queen of the Iceni, a tribe in Ancient Britain.  From the description of her by Dio Cassius, she had the appearance of an authoritative figure.  Outraged by the Romans and their treatment of her and her people, Boadica used her authority amongst her people, and some neighbouring tribes, to instigate a rebellion against the Romans in Britain.  Ultimately her forces were defeated, leading to the subjugation of her people, the plunder of her lands, and her decision to die by her own hands rather than face capture and imprisonment by the Romans.  Though her cause was righteous, and she had exercised her authority legitimately, it all counted for nothing.  (Encyclopedia International volume 3 p178 and the Penguin Biographical Dictionary of Women p77) 

  Adolf Hitler exercised legitimate and immense political, economic, social and military authority over Germany for over a decade.  William Shirer, in his writing on Hitler, emphasised the incomprehensible way by which Hitler was able to convinced the German People to allow him to lead them as he sought fit.  Yet he has been described as “one of the evil geniuses of History, who set in motion events that convulsed Europe and the world”, events that resulted in the total military defeat of Germany, the utter destruction of towns and cities, the displacement of millions of people and the redrawing of National boundaries.  (William Shirer in The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich and Encyclopedia International volume 8 p460 to 462) 

  In today’s reading from Mark, we are told of the authority of Jesus.  What characterised his authority and how did Jesus exercise his authority?

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Present day Capernaum – looking south

  In Mark 1: 21 we are informed that Jesus and his disciples were in Capernaum, located by the shore of Lake Galilee.  Matthew 4: 13 tells us that Jesus went there to live.

  This slide shows us the southern half of today’s Capernaum.  This part is owned by the Franciscan Order who have built a monastery there.  Their monastery is the large rectangular building situated near the foreshore in the upper right of the photo.  The large whitish ruins in the centre of the photo was a 4^th century synagogue.  The octagonal building in front of the synagogue is a church that has been built over the foundations of what is said to be a first century church that is said to have been built around the home of Simon and Andrew  (refer to Mark 1: 29b)  .

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Present day Capernaum – looking north

This slide shows the northern half of today’s Capernaum.  This part is owned by the Greek Orthodox Church which has build a monastery on the site, the building highlighted by the red domes.  From this photo you can gauge the extent of the unexcavated part of the town.

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Present day Capernaum looking west from Lake Galilee

This photo shows the whole of the town, looking from the waters of Lake Galilee.  One writer states that, if the tide is sufficiently low enough, you can see the remains of the jetties and piers to which the fishing boats would tie up when in port.

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Ruins of the fourth century Synagogue in Capernaum

  We read that a 1905 German expedition to the region uncovered the remains of this fourth century synagogue, a conclusion based on coins found under the foundations and inscriptions on the walls.  It has been partially rebuilt by the Franciscan monks who live nearby.  (Henry Halley in Halley’s Bible Handbook p404) 

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Foundations of a first century synagogue in Capernaum

  Upon excavating the building, the floor of a still older synagogue was found, which is widely accepted is the synagogue referred to in Mark 1.  (Henry Halley in Halley’s Bible Handbook p404) 

  It brings a sense of reality to the Bible passage when you can view not just the actual site, but what is reported to be the actual building.

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Preaching in a synagogue

  We read in verse 21 that “Jesus went to the synagogue and began to preach”.  It is uncertain whether the synagogue at Capernaum was furnished simply, as shown in this drawing,

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Christ preaching at Capernaum

by Maurycy Gottlieb, a Polish Jewish realist painter, during1878-1879, now held at the National Museum in Warsaw

 or whether it was something that was more spacious and opulent, as it is displayed in this painting by Maurycry Gottlieb.  Perhaps the painter sought to portray the fourth century synagogue as the first century synagogue.

  It was the expected practice for all adult Jewish males to attend the synagogue on the Sabbath.  And we see that Jesus and his disciples followed this practice.  It was the custom for the leader of a synagogue to arrange who would read and speak on a Scripture passage each Sabbath.  If visiting teachers were present, synagogue leaders would often invite them to preach.  At this stage in his ministry, this provided Jesus with numerous opportunities, for, wherever he went, he would invariably be invited to teach in the synagogue in the town where would currently be visiting.  (Graham Swift in Mark in New Bible Commentary p856)  And, so we read, “Jesus began to preach”.  Jesus would have been handed a scroll containing portion of the Old Testament.  He would read a passage from the scroll, and then talk on the passage, while either standing at a lectern, as we see in the painting, or sitting down, as we read in Luke 4: 20. 

  Nothing is recorded of the actual teaching of Jesus that day. However, the response to the teaching of Jesus, as one commentator writes, was based on an appreciation that “unlike any other teacher whom those present had heard previously, Jesus seems neither to have quoted from nor referred to any teachings of famous rabbis for precedent.”  They were amazed at his teaching.  We presume that this was based not only on the content of his teaching, but also at the quiet assumption of personal authority displayed in the manner of his presentation.”  (Alan Cole in Mark p61)  This was in contrast to the caution or hesitant teaching of others and to an absence of the stress placed on Law and Tradition that was preferred by other teachers.

  Why should we not have expected such a response to Jesus?  In our reading from Psalm 111, we hear such phrases as:

V2a – How wonderful are the things the Lord does!

V3a – All God does is full of honour and majesty

V7b- all of God’s commands are dependable

  How does the writer of Psalm 111 know these things?  They know it because the works and the words of God have been recorded in the Old Testament Scriptures.  A reading of and contemplation about Old Testament passages naturally leads to an appreciation of the wondrous nature of God.

  Not only that, for, in verse 10, we read: God gives sound judgement to all who obey His commands.

  This means that a living out of God’s Words, as recorded in the Old Testament, leads to wisdom as to how to act and to guidance as to how to make sound decisions, the very things that God seeks for a person in their daily life.

  If Jesus, in his teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum, spoke openly about God and about God’s words for us, and did not refer to Human teaching about ‘applied Law’ or about ‘cultural traditions’, how could his hearers not fail to respond with praise and worship of God and also with a deeper awareness of the application of God’s wisdom to daily living?  It is no wonder, then, that they were “amazed at the way he taught” and that they recognised that “he taught with authority”.  (Mark 1: 22) 

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Eleventh century fresco of the Exorcism at the Synagogue in Capernaum.

  All except for one man.  His response was totally different.

  “Just then,” we read, “a man with an evil spirit came into the synagogue”  (Mark 1: 23) 

  I prefer the King James / Authorised Version reading where it has “a man with an unclean spirit”.

  The word “spirit” is the Greek word “pneuma”, meaning ‘breath’ or ‘breeze’ and is correctly read as ‘spirit’, implying that what was different about the nature of the man was not something of the ‘physical realm’ but something of the ‘spiritual realm’.  (refer to Strong’s Concordance – New Testament reference 4151)  The word “unclean” is the Greek word “akathartos”, meaning impure or foul, and can be applied in a spiritual context to the ‘demonic’.  (refer to Strong’s Concordance – New Testament reference 169) 

  What is there in the context of the words of the passage that confirms this understanding for us, and discounts the notion that he was suffering from epilepsy or another physical ailment or from some form of insanity or of an unstable mind?  The description of what took place is clearly distinguishable from a mental disorder.

  In verse 23 we read that the man came into the synagogue and screamed, disrupting the worship of God.  Only Satan would seek to disrupt the worship of God.

  In verse 24 we read that the man correctly identified the person standing before him, “Jesus of Nazareth”.  But he did so, not out of a sense of joy or even curiosity, but out of a sense of dread and fear.  “Are you here to destroy us?”, the man asked.  Only something originating from Satan would fear the Son of God and not welcome his presence with joy.

  Also in verse 24 we read the man addressing Jesus with the use of a specific term.  “I know who you are,” the man claims,” you are God’s holy messenger.”  This brings to mind God’s promise to Moses that we read in today’s passage from Deuteronomy 18, that God would one day send a Prophet to the People of Israel.  In verse 15 we read Moses telling the people, “God will send you a prophet like me from among your own people and you are to obey him.”  In verses 18 and 19, we read of Moses repeating this promise from God.  “I will send them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will tell him what to say, and he will tell the people everything I command.  He will speak in my name”.  Only something from the spiritual realm would seek to describe Jesus by using the term found in this Old Testament prophesy about the Messiah.

  Henry Halley, in his handbook on the Bible, makes a reference to such a phenomenon, and seeks to explain it in this manner: 

“The rather plain implication of Scripture is that ‘demoniacs’ were not mere lunatics, but cases of ‘invaded personality’; and that demons, whatever their origin or nature, were evil spirits that did actually enter and afflict, one way or another, certain persons.  It is thought to have been a special exhibition of the Devil against Jesus, permitted by God, during Jesus’ stay on Earth.”  (Henry Halley in Halley’s Bible Handbook p373) 

  Why is it important to reach this understanding?  We must understand the context of the situation so that we can understand the response of Jesus and the response of those present in the synagogue.

  What was the response of Jesus, for it is Jesus who must respond to the man and to the situation, because it is plain to all who were there that Jesus is the man’s focus?

  Firstly, we read Jesus ordering the demon, “be quiet”.  The Greek word is “phimoo” meaning ‘to muzzle’.  (refer to Strong’s Concordance – New Testament reference 5392)  So, we understand the strength of the words that Jesus used.  His intent was to muzzle the unclean spirit, to stop the unclean spirit from speaking and making any further references to Jesus as God’s promised Messiah.  Given the common misunderstanding at the time that the Messiah would come as God’s mighty warrior who would rid the country of the hated heathen Romans, Jesus was not seeking to rouse the people to an armed rebellion against the Romans based upon a false understanding of the mission and ministry of Jesus.  Jesus had not yet had the time to go throughout Galilee and Judea so as to explain “the kind of Kingdom that he had come to inaugurate”.  (The Lion Handbook to the Bible p501) 

  Secondly, as an example of the desire of Jesus to show compassion upon someone in need and as an example of the desire of Jesus to rid the World of impurity, we read Jesus ordering the unclean spirit, “come out of the man”.  (G Beale and D Carson in Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament p129)  There was no need for Jesus to place his hands upon the man, there was no need for Jesus to enact any specific ritual or to recite any specific rite, nor was there any need for Jesus to call upon the name of a higher authority as the means by which the unclean spirit would be cast out of the man.  Jesus spoke those five words and it was done.

  Why should we not have expected such a response by the unclean spirit?  Jesus spoke in the name of God, as Moses foretold that God’s promised messenger would do.  That was all that was required.  Jesus demonstrated that the power of God far exceeded any capacity of the unclean spirit to harm or to hurt.  Henry Halley describes the actions of Jesus as “demonstrating that the power of Jesus extends even into the unseen realm, and that faith in Jesus is the protection from whatever evil those in this unseen realm might be able to do.”  (Henry Halley in Halley’s Bible Handbook p373)  Graham Swift, in his Commentary on Mark, notes that Jesus had, during his 40 days in the wilderness, “challenged the Prince of Evil, therefore it is little wonder that the subordinate spirits of wickedness realized that, in Jesus, they had met their conqueror.”  (Graham Swift in Mark in New Bible Commentary p856)    

  Mark’s record of what took place in the Capernaum synagogue shows that those who were present and who witnessed what had just taken place, only too readily recognised that the power of God was with Jesus.  “The people were all so amazed.” Mark records them saying to one another,” This man has authority to give orders to the evil spirits, and they obey him!”  (Mark 1: 27) 

Screen 14

“An appreciation of God’s Word and of His Creation should lead us to a recognition of God’s sovereign right to govern His creatures, and should lead us to a voluntary and whole-hearted willingness to listen to and to respond with obedience to God’s authoritative Word.”

[Alan Catchpoole in The Wisdom that founded the Earth p68 and p206]

  The amazement that the men in the synagogue felt from hearing Jesus teach, coupled with the amazement that they experienced from watching Jesus interact with the man, confirmed their impression that, in Jesus, they had found someone who was invested by God with authority.  And it appears that the men who were there, present in the synagogue, were only too eager to share what they had seen and heard with their family and friends, who then passed this news on to other family and friends.  “The news about Jesus spread quickly everywhere in the province of Galilee.”, so we read.  (Mark 1: 28) 

  Though it must be acknowledged that the words and the actions of Jesus led people to wonder about him, the question must be raised about whether the people were then led to a belief in Jesus.  (Alan Cole in Mark p62)  We read that “news about Jesus spread quickly”  (Mark 1: 28)  , so quickly that we read that a crowd soon gathered outside the home where he was staying and that Jesus was soon healing many who were sick and driving out many demons.  (Mark 1: 34)  But, did people come just to see the miracles being performed by a man, or did they come to find out more about the man who was performing the miracles?

  Moses gave to the People of Israel a simple test to gauge whether or not what a prophet was saying was a message from God.  “If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and what he says does not come true, then it is not the Lord’s message.”, advised Moses.  (see Deuteronomy 18: 22)  And the converse is also true.  If what he says does come true, then it is the Lord’s message.

  The men who were in the synagogue that Sabbath day surely would have perceived the truth in the words and the actions of Jesus, for why else would they have recognised the authority by which Jesus spoke and acted.  If these men had followed the simple test that Moses had advised, they could not have come to any other conclusion other than that Jesus truly was speaking and acting in the name of God.  That surely should have been enough for them to believe in Jesus as the Prophet and Messenger sent by God, as was foretold by Moses.

  Alan Catchpoole, in his book “The Wisdom that founded the Earth”, writes that “An appreciation of God’s Word and of His Creation should lead us to a recognition of God’s sovereign right to govern His creatures, and should lead us to a voluntary and whole-hearted willingness to listen to and to respond with obedience to God’s authoritative Word.”  [Alan Catchpoole in The Wisdom that founded the Earth p68 and p206] 

  May we be eager to find out more about the man, Jesus, who spoke with the authority of God and who acted with the authority of God.  May we be eager, not just to hear the news about Jesus, but to recognise God’s sovereign right to rule our lives and to trust and obey Jesus.  Amen.

Hymn

“O love how deep, how broad, how high”  TiS194  AHB6  MHB62

Verse 1

O love how deep, how broad, how high!

It fills my heart with ecstasy

That God, the Son of God, should take

Our mortal form for mortals’ sake.

Verse 2

He sent no angel to our race

Of higher or of lower place

But wore the robe of Human frame

Himself, and to this lost World came.

Verse 3

For us he was baptised, and bore

His holy fast, and hungered sore;

For us temptations sharp he knew;

For us the Tempter overthrew.

Verse 4

For us he prayed, for us he taught,

For us his daily works he wrought,

By words and signs and actions, thus

Still seeking not himself but us.

Verse 5

For us to wicked hands betrayed,

Scourged, mocked, in purple robe arrayed,

He bore the shameful cross and death;

For us at length gave up his breath.

Verse 6

For us he rose from death again,

For us he went on high to reign,

For us he sent his Spirit here

To guide, to strengthen and to cheer.

Verse 7

To him whose boundless love has won

Salvation for us through His Son,

To God, the Father glory be

Both now and through Eternity.

Attributed to Thomas a Kempis, translated by Benjamin Webb

Offering

Offering Prayer  (from Uniting in Worship Red Book p605 number 2)  

Leader: Blessings to you, Lord God, our provider and sustainer, for through your goodness to us we have these gifts to share.  Please accept and bless our offerings that they may be used to proclaim your glory and for the service of your Kingdom.  Amen.

Prayers for Others

Leader: Let us bring our cares and our concerns before God.

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that the authoritative teachings of Jesus will guide and challenge us as we seek to be more authentic disciples.  May we seek you first in our lives and to love others with the love with which you love us.

We pray that we may understand your Word more clearly, that it may awaken new insights in us for the renewal of the Church and the advancement of your Kingdom.

We pray for all who exercise authority, that they may use their authority as Jesus did, to free people, to heal the sick, and to build up the community.

We pray for all who are bound by evil, that your Spirit may release them from addictions, greed, anger, and vengeance, so that they may live lives in the freedom of your children.

We pray for school students as they commence a new school year, that they may value the education that is freely offered to them.  We pray for their teachers that you will give them the strength and energy to teach and mentor their students for their growth and development.

We pray for all who have mental and emotional illness, that your love will strengthen, heal, and sustain them along life’s journey.

We pray for all who are grieving, that they may experience your comforting presence and the loving support of others.

We pray for all who are held unjustly, for those caught in human trafficking, and for prisoners of conscience, that you will free them and give them strength.

We pray for all who are suffering, that you will protect those who are in the cold, guide the unemployed to new job opportunities, and help families find sufficient food and housing.

We pray that you will heal the sick, curb the transmission of the coronavirus, sustain all who care for the sick, and guide those who are working to administer the vaccines.

God of Peace, we pray that you will impel the World’s leaders to a deeper dialogue that will promote safety and development for all people.

Copyright © 2021. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.

https://liturgy.slu.edu/4OrdB013121/ideas_other.html

  We pray for Kylie Conomos, the Chaplain at Bald Hills State School, as she commences her school year and her care for those who are in need or are troubled.  We pray for Ian and others who have volunteered to teaching of RI at Bald Hills State School.  Please guide their preparations and inspire the children as they are exposed to your Good News.

The Lord’s Prayer

All:Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

  your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

  Give us today our daily bread.

  Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

  Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

  For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

  Now and for ever.  Amen.

Hymn

“The Earth is the Lord’s”, number 23 in Hymns and Songs

[Sung to the tune Dix – please ignore the lyrics shown on the screen and sing the words below]

Verse 1

God of concrete, God of steel,

God of piston and of wheel,

God of pylon, God of steam,

God of girder and of beam,

God of atom, God of mine,

All the world of power is thine!

Verse 2

Lord of cable, Lord of rail,

Lord of motorway and mail,

Lord of rocket, Lord of flight,

Lord of soaring satellite,

Lord of lightning’s vivid line,

All the world of speed is thine!

Verse 3

Lord of science, Lord of art,

God of map and graph and chart,

Lord of physics and research,

Word of Bible, Faith of Church,

Lord of sequence and design,

All the world of Truth is thine!

Verse 4

God whose glory fills the Earth,

Gave the Universe its birth,

Loosed the Christ with Easter’s might,

Saves the World from evil’s blight,

Claims us all by Grace divine,

All the world of Love is thine!

by Richard G Jones

Benediction and Blessing   

Leader:  Let us do as Moses told the People of God, let us follow the words of the One who has been sent by God, the One who speaks and acts in the Name of God, the One who paid the ultimate cost for each one of us, for in following Jesus, God’s messenger, we are following God.  Let us, then, be on our separate ways, blessed by the love and mercy of God, given life through the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ, and strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Benediction Song 

“May the feet of God walk with you”  TiS779

May the feet of God walk with you, and His hand hold you tight.

May the eye of God rest on you, and His ear hear your cry.

May the smile of God be for you, and His breath give you life.

May the Child of God grow in you, and His love bring you home.

by Robin Mann