He Did That?! Sampler by New Hope Publishers

HE DID THAT?!

“Has your real life so cluttered your view that you no longer see the real Jesus? Join Brenda Poinsett in this in-depth but readable study of Jesus as seen through the Gospel writer Mark’s eyes. You will experience the God who tossed out demons, commanded nature to obey, and made enemies all because He loved you. He did that? Boy, did He ever!” —Connie Cavanaugh, speaker and author of Following God One Yes at a Time “Brenda portrays a view of Jesus that’s seldom explored: the unmatched miracle worker, unconscionable rule breaker, and willing suffering servant . . . always challenging and never leaving people as He found them. Be prepared to see Jesus through a new lens that leaves you spellbound and saying, ‘Wow!’ ” —Janet Thompson, founder of Woman to Woman Mentoring, speaker, freelance editor, and author of Forsaken God? Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten “Brenda invites her readers to explore the Book of Mark like never before. With a unique perspective and personal stories to illustrate her points, Brenda reminds us to clean our glasses, improve our vision, and see the Savior for who He really is. Brenda sums it up best when she says, ‘He did that? He loved me that much? What a blessed Redeemer!’ ” —Michelle Lazurek, award-winning author and speaker “Brenda Poinsett has captured perfectly the nature of Jesus so often overlooked. In He Did That?!, our Savior is seen not as a passive servant but rather a proactive Messiah healing the sick, releasing the demonically oppressed, raising the dead, and offering Himself up as a substitutionary sacrifice—a real earth shaker. He did all that? Yes, and more!” —Kristi Neace, founder of Badge of Hope Ministries, Christian speaker, and author of numerous books including Unshakeable: Taming the Soul and Mind “Brenda Poinsett’s He Did That?! is an amazing view of the Book of Mark. Her insight into the Scriptures and ability to bring them into focus for us today is amazing. Her profound insights make for a great, heart-stirring view into the life of Jesus. This is a must-read for all women.” —Wanda Shellenbarger, women’s ministry specialist for the Missouri Baptist Children’s Home

“He Did That?! gives readers an opportunity to step back into the sandals of first century citizens. It brings the Gospel of Mark to life and gets us into the heads and hearts of those who were there. The perspective and depth of understanding gained from this book will impact your relationship with Jesus as He is revealed in fresh ways. As a seasoned Bible teacher, I give this book an A+!” —Julie Zine Coleman, speaker and author of Unexpected Love: God’s Heart Revealed in Jesus’ Conversations with Women “In He Did That?! Brenda Poinsett guides readers through the Gospel of Mark, coaching us in an exercise of fresh thinking that promises to stretch and flex our ideas of Jesus and His ministry. As I read through the chapters, I found myself pulled into the culture of Jesus’ day. Brenda leads us down the streets of a real world seeing people—Pharisees, tax collectors, ailing, searching, people—through the eyes of a man who was the Son of Mary and the Son of God.” —Patti Thornton, executive director of General Baptist Women’s Ministries “Wow! In her unique and incredible way, Brenda brings to life the Gospel of Mark to today’s women. Clean off those glasses, open your eyes, and have them transformed into deep spiritual eyes that see just how intentional our Jesus was in all He did while here on earth. You will never look at Jesus’ ministry the same way again!” —Barbara Matney, president of Woman’s Missionary Union® of Maryland/Delaware “Brenda Poinsett’s book He Did That?! shows the amazement and wonder that should fill us all when we think of the actions Jesus took as He fulfilled His ministry here on earth. It is practical and thought provoking to ponder the questions Brenda asks in each chapter. I personally have taken to heart the idea that my spiritual glasses need cleaning. I am going to seek God in a new way as I think of what He’s done to heal and save the world. I wonder how I will see Him differently. I am truly thankful that she wrote this book.” —Valerie Howe, adult specialist for the Missouri Woman’s Missionary Union®

Other New Hope® books by Brenda Poinsett He Said What?! Not My Will Holiday Living Unwrapping Martha’s Joy The Friendship Factor Wonder Women of the Bible Can Martha Have a Mary Christmas?

HE DID THAT?! JESUS’ AMAZING ACTS FOR WOMEN BY BRENDA POINSETT

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

New Hope® Publishers PO Box 12065 Birmingham, AL 35202-2065 NewHopePublishers.com New Hope Publishers is a division of WMU®. © 2017 by Brenda Poinsett All rights reserved. First printing 2017. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— without the prior written permission of the publisher. New Hope Publishers serves its authors as they express their views, which may not express the views of the publisher. The author has enhanced the retelling of some biblical incidents with details based on historical context and extrabiblical sources. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Poinsett, Brenda, author. Title: He did that?! : Jesus’ astonishing acts for women / by Brenda Poinsett. Description: First [edition]. | Birmingham, AL : New Hope Publishers, 2017. Identifiers: LCCN 2016052116 (print) | LCCN 2016054307 (ebook) | ISBN 9781625915184 (permabind) | ISBN 9781596699717 (E-book) Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Mark—Criticism, interpretation, etc. | Women in the Bible. | Christian women—Religious life. Classification: LCC BS2585.52 .P64 2017 (print) | LCC BS2585.52 (ebook) | DDC 232.9/5--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016052116 Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations in this publication are from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version—Second Edition Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.tm Scripture quotations from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NCV) are taken from the New Century Version ®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ISBN-13: 978-1-62591-518-4 N174116 • 0317 • 2.5M1

Dedicated to

Joyce Dinkins

Table of Contents

11 Chapter 1 How’s Your Vision?

PA RT I MIRACL E WO RKE R 19

21 Chapter 2 What is this? . . . Some kind of new teaching? —Mark 1:27

31 Chapter 3 We have never seen anything like this! —Mark 2:12

39 Chapter 4 Even the wind and the waves obey him! —Mark 4:41

49 Chapter 5 And all who heard it were amazed. —Mark 5:20

57 Chapter 6 Astonished with a great astonishment. —Mark 5:42 KJV

67 Chapter 7 How well he does everything! —Mark 7:37 KJV

77 Chapter 8 Amazed . . . beyond measure. —Mark 6:51 KJV

PART II R UL E BREAKER 87

89 Chapter 9 How does he dare talk like this? —Mark 2:7

99 Chapter 10 Why does he eat with such people? —Mark 2:16

109 Chapter 11 Why don’t your disciples fast? —Mark 2:18 NLT

119 Chapter 12 Look, it is against our Law . . . to do that! —Mark 2:24

127 Chapter 13 Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders? —Mark 7:5 NIV

137 Chapter 14 My house will be . . . for all nations. —Mark 11:17 NIV

PART III BL ESSE D RE DEE M ER 147

149 Chapter 15 The stone . . . rejected. —Mark 12:10

159 Chapter 16 Crucify him! —Mark 15:13

169 Chapter 17 With a loud cry Jesus died. —Mark 15:37

179 Chapter 18 He is not here—he has been raised! —Mark 16:6

SEL ECTED BIB LIOGRAPHY 189 ACKN OW L ED G MENT S 191

CHAPT ER 1

HOW’S YOUR VISION?

MY 14-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON, CHRISTOPHE, REFUSES TO WEAR THE GLASSES that have been prescribed for him. He doesn’t want to wear glasses. Period. He claims he can see just fine. I keep telling him that the world will be a better and brighter place if he wore his prescription glasses. I say, “You’ll improve your free-throw average, and you will do better in math (something Grandma is particularly interested in seeing improved!).” But still he refuses. He’s not alone in his reluctance. A friend of mine in her early forties seemed to have difficulty seeing at times. I asked, “Why don’t you get your eyes checked?” She said, “I’m good.” I kept urging her until she finally admitted she didn’t want glasses. They would make her look old! I told her the same thing I told Christophe, “Oh, the world is going to look so much better once you start wearing glasses.” I know this because I wear prescription glasses (including contact lenses for awhile) and have since college. Each time I’ve had a prescription change, I’ve marveled at how much better I can see. Shucks, some days, even cleaning my glasses helps! Afterwards, I’m amazed at how everything looks sharper, clearer, and brighter; and my outlook on life improves too. Just as what we look through affects our physical eyesight, the kind of lenses we look through can also affect our spiritual vision. Without even realizing it we may need to try a new prescription or give our spiritual glasses a good cleaning in order to see Jesus more clearly and have a brighter view of life.

CHAPTER 1

W HEN CHAN G E IS N EEDE D It isn’t as if we have never seen Jesus. We have. We are Christ followers, and some of us have been following longer than others. But for many of us, there may be times when we need to refresh or strengthen our view of Jesus. Here’s a sampling of when some of those times might occur. Your view of Jesus has lost its sharpness. He’s become a hazy figure in the background of your life rather than at the forefront. You’ve lost your enthusiasm for following Him. The good news no longer feels like good news. Without realizing it, you’ve come to take Him for granted as two people who’ve been married for a long time sometimes do. You assume you already know everything you need to know about Jesus. You’re certain how He would act in any situation. No surprise or mystery is left in the relationship. Your view of Jesus has diminished because your attention is diverted. The responsibilities of life are just too much to handle, and you are overwhelmed. Some days you feel like you can’t see Him at all. You’re worn out by meeting the emotional or physical needs of others. Some days you are so tired that you wish you could throw in the towel. You hear other people talk about Jesus’ power, but you don’t see much of it where you live. You wonder to yourself, Jesus? Where is Jesus? You view Jesus one-dimensionally, thinking of Him only in terms of what He can do for you without ever considering His viewpoint. In your mind’s eye, He’s a stress reliever. You want Him to unruffle the ruffled feathers in your life and make everything go right. Your image of Jesus may be cultural rather than biblical. You’ve formed this image through oft-quoted clichés, cute sayings on the Internet, and inspirational books. What you are seeing is Jesus through other people’s lenses. You’ve never really tried to check out what the Bible says about Jesus. 12

HOW’S YOUR VISION?

Some of the lenses we often use are those belonging to biblical women such as Martha, Mary, the woman with the issue of blood, Mary Magdalene, and the Samaritan woman at the well. Numerous books have been written about what these women see and feel. I should know—I’ve written some of them! What would happen, though, if we looked at Jesus through someone else’s eyes? Say, through Mark’s eyes? What would we see? Would we see Jesus more vividly and clearly? Would He come into sharper focus? Would it expand our view of Him? Would it make a difference in our relationship? In our followship? Mark’s Gospel shows us picture after picture of Jesus. Talk about eyes that see! His gospel focuses more on actions than on words. This is not to say words aren’t important. They are, but so are Jesus’ actions. We can learn a lot about other people by observing their behavior. We draw conclusions about them when we see what they do. What might we conclude about Jesus when we see Him as a Man of action? As I gazed upon and studied Mark’s snapshots of Jesus, three things about Jesus stood out: He was a miracle worker, a rule breaker, and a suffering servant. 1. In the first part of his Gospel, Mark displays Jesus’ power by recording a number of His miracles. Jesus had power over demons, disease, death, nature, and other obstacles. Wow! The people responded with amazement and astonishment. He did that?! He exorcized demons?! He made the lame walk?! He caused the wind and the waves to calm down?! Who is this man?! 2. Opposition developed against Jesus as a backlash to the attention He gained from performing miracles. Jewish leaders saw Jesus as a threat to their way of life. What was jaw-dropping for me, though, was that Jesus sometimes initiated the conflict. Instead of unruffling feathers, He ruffled them! As a peace-loving woman 13

CHAPTER 1

who is uncomfortable when anyone rocks the boat, my reaction was, He did that?! He deliberately courted controversy?! What was He thinking?! 3. The opposition grew so strong it eventually brought about Jesus’ arrest, unfair trials, death sentence, ridicule, scourging, Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection. Mark donated six chapters of his 16-chapter Gospel to showcasing Jesus as the suffering servant. When I looked at Jesus’ suffering and really delved into it, I felt as if I were there. As I stood at the foot of the Cross, and then outside of an empty tomb, I marveled at His endurance, sacrifice, and love. I was so moved that I couldn’t help but raise my arms high and spread them open wide. He did that?! He loved me that much?! What a blessed Redeemer! You may be wondering, Why the exclamation marks and the question marks? Didn’t you already know these things about Jesus? Well, yes I did, in the sense that if you asked me, “Does Jesus perform miracles?” or “Did Jesus suffer?” or “Did Jesus have confrontations?” I would have said He did. That response would have been what I call an academic answer. In other words, put the question on a test, and I would give the correct answer without any energizing, pulsating faith behind the answer. I could give the right answer without the truth resonating in my heart or making a difference in my life. For truth to resonate in my heart and change my life, I had to delve into the incidents, put myself there, and understand the dynamics involved. In other words, clean the smudges off my glasses!

W HY MARK ? The Gospels were the preaching material of the early church, not biographies in the sense we think of biographies. Each Gospel writer wrote about Jesus from a different perspective and with 14

HOW’S YOUR VISION?

a different audience in mind. In that regard, we could have chosen any of the Gospels to look at Jesus and improve our vision. It’s the looking, the immersion, the chewing of the material that helps us see Him in a vibrant way. Mark’s Gospel doesn’t tell us everything there is to know about Jesus, but studying it certainly improved my spiritual sight. Mark didn’t include everything the other Gospel writers mentioned about Jesus. For example, Mark’s Gospel does not mention Jesus’ birth as Matthew’s and Luke’s do. And none of the Gospel writers recorded everything they witnessed Jesus saying or doing. I chose Mark for two reasons. First, I became intrigued when writing the book He Said What?! Jesus’ Amazing Words to Women, and also because I was at a point in my life when I needed to be reminded that Jesus is indeed a Man of action. In He Said What?! I paid close attention to the use of words such as amazing and astonishing in the Gospels. In the early chapters of Mark, he used these words to describe the people’s reactions to Jesus’ actions. Because I was writing about what Jesus said, I didn’t stop to investigate those incidents at the time, but I was intrigued. Why did the people react the way they did? And what did His actions mean for believers today? What application can we make to our own lives? Mark presented Jesus as a Man of action because Mark’s predominant audience was the powerful Romans. The Romans were in charge. Mark wanted to present Jesus as a person of power so they would readily relate to Him and be attracted to Him. I was initially attracted to Jesus because I believed He could and would forgive me of my sins, and He did. Over the years I came to know Him in other ways, including believing in His ability and willingness to perform miracles. I had some personal miracle stories to tell, but at the time I put on Mark’s glasses, I wasn’t experiencing any miracles. What was worse, I wasn’t expecting any. The gauge on my sense-of-wonder meter was sliding downward. Now there wasn’t

CHAPTER 1

any change in my commitment. I was a faithful follower. I served. But I wasn’t expecting any supernatural movement of God. Looking through Mark’s lenses, taking a close look at the miracles that caused onlookers to react with amazement and astonishment, stirred up a lot of questions—an indication that I needed to wrestle with finding the answers. Sometimes that is a way to clean the smudges off our spiritual glasses so we can see more clearly. My mind was challenged. In finding answers to my questions, I could see Jesus as the powerful Man of action that He is. Seeing Jesus as a rule breaker, as a rebel with a cause, strengthens my own sense of integrity and helps me be more courageous. Jesus’ actions are not an encouragement to flaunt rules, brazenly interrupt people, or deliberately cause conflict. But His example does help me come to grips with being a thinking, questioning person. I believe what we do and what we practice should have a biblical basis and should align with Jesus’ character and nature. There was such purity in what Jesus was trying to establish, in what He was trying to get the people to see. Sometimes the groups we are involved with or the congregations we worship with don’t always see or practice biblical teachings. So Jesus’ example reassures me I don’t have to fall in line simply because other Christians are doing something. Christians can be wrong in their actions and practices. I’m not saying I’m always rebellious, nor do I always speak or act against Christians with whom I disagree. Doing so would take too much time away from what He has called me to do! But I treasure this inner peace, knowing it is not unbiblical to disagree. Jesus disagreed, sometimes vehemently. Jesus’ actions encourage me to think, to form convictions, and to be courageous.

A S P ECIAL K IN S HIP Besides the Romans, Mark may have had a second audience in mind. He may have been writing to suffering believers—to Christians who 16

HOW’S YOUR VISION?

were being persecuted. Roman persecution of Christians was beginning about the time Mark penned his scroll. They hadn’t expected believers to continue following Christ after His death. What a shock! He wanted them to be encouraged and take comfort from Jesus’ suffering. They could learn from Jesus how to respond to suffering. His example gives Christians of all ages and stages help for whatever kind of suffering we are experiencing. As Peter, whom Mark knew well, said, “It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). The suffering Mark and Peter were addressing was persecution— the mistreatment and torture that occurs simply because you are a Christ follower. But Jesus’ example speaks to all kinds of suffering. Let’s face it. We all have our own definitions of suffering. Some of what we call suffering, we don’t talk about because we know others wouldn’t call it suffering, yet it feels that way to us. Whatever suffering we’re dealing with, it helps us to know Jesus suffered. Because He suffered—and Mark makes it clear He did—we can deal with our suffering by imitating His example. And as we do, as we identify with Him, we feel a kindred spirit with Jesus. We have a “we’re in this together” kind of camaraderie. He’s our companion. He’s right there with us. Our admiration for Him grows as we moan under the duress of persecution, the others making fun of our beliefs, the unrelenting grief that pursues us, or the physical pain we experience. There will come a point then when we begin to marvel, He did that?! He went through that for me?! Looking through Mark’s lens, seeing Jesus suffer helps us endure suffering. Identifying with Him and following His lead, we become consciously aware of and appreciative of our blessed Redeemer. There was nothing He wasn’t willing to do to show God’s great love for us. While Jesus was a Man of action, He wasn’t simply a man. Jesus was God among men, ever moving people’s minds to a wondering amazement with His words and actions.

CHAPTER 1

Jesus had much to say. In my previous book He Said What?! I encouraged women to listen to Jesus. Now I’m proposing that we look at Jesus. By zeroing in on specific incidents and episodes Mark recorded, our view of Jesus will become clearer, sharper, and brighter. Consequently, our knowledge will be refreshed and increased. We will readily recognize and appropriate His power, be strengthened by His example, and possibly be moved to tears by His great love. If any of these possibilities appeals to you, I invite you to look at Jesus through Mark’s eyes. Healthy relationships involve growing a better understanding of each other. I want a healthy relationship with Jesus; don’t you? “I want to know Christ— yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10 NIV). That possibility becomes ours when we look at Jesus through Mark’s eyes.

PART I

MIRACLE WORKER Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus. —“Open Our Eyes,” Bob Cull

CHAPT ER 2

What is this? . . . Some kind of new teaching? — Mark 1:27

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN A PART OF AN IMPORTANT MEETING ONLY TO HAVE it interrupted? Possibly during a church service with a visiting speaker—someone you had been longing to hear. You wanted to catch every word, and it appeared that many other people did too. And then someone stands up and challenges the speaker on a point. You can’t believe what’s happening. Or perhaps it was a political rally. Time was of the essence because several party candidates were going to speak and then move quickly on to the next county. This was your time to get an idea of what each candidate stood for and what changes each was going to make if elected. Suddenly, people in the back of the room start heckling the second speaker. You wonder, Who are these people? Why don’t they just go away? Or maybe it was a work meeting. An appointed team comes together to go over their project plan, give updates on their individual pieces, figure out the next steps, and make adjustments if needed. Things are going well until one person starts talking and talking. As he does, he gets off the subject, going off on a tangent that doesn’t contribute to the project as a whole. You’re frustrated he hijacked the meeting. You wish the project manager would shut him up. If you’ve had such an experience or one similar, you can imagine how the people in the synagogue at Capernaum felt when a demonpossessed man interrupted Jesus’ teaching. This man not only interrupted—he yelled at Jesus. 21

CHAPTER 2

THE O CCAS IO N After Jesus launched His ministry, He spent a few months ministering in Judea where He called His first followers (John 1:35–51) and performed His first miracle (John 2:1–12). He and some of His disciples then went to Galilee where Jesus went to the synagogue to teach (Mark 1:21). As they entered the synagogue, they were instantly the center of attention. Other attendees stared at them and talked about them. Discerning from the conversations that Jesus was a man with a message, the synagogue ruler asked Him to speak. This was the ruler’s prerogative since a synagogue did not have a permanent preacher or teacher. While the ruler had heard enough to learn Jesus was a teacher, he didn’t know what a good teacher He was. When Jesus started teaching, he and the others present were amazed. Jesus wasn’t like the teachers of the law who usually taught. Instead, Jesus taught with personal authority. The teachers of the law, the scribes, were thoroughly familiar with both the written and oral law. The written laws were in the first five books of the Bible, which included the Ten Commandments. The oral law, also known as “the tradition of the elders,” contained specific applications of the broad moral principles found in the written law. These applications turned into rules and regulations that were memorized and passed orally from person to person and from generation to generation. When a scribe taught, he quoted the law and usually some of the oral rules. He interpreted the law and often quoted great legal masters of the past. He did not give his own opinion or express his convictions. He began his comments with phrases like, “There is a teaching that . . .” or “Rabbi so-and-so said . . .” Jesus, on the other hand, cited no authorities and quoted no experts. Jesus’ words were authentic, coming from someone who knew who He was, who He was serving, and what His mission was. There was no need for Him 22

WHAT IS THIS? . . . SOME KIND OF NEW TEACHING?

to reach back in history and quote what others said. The people were simply “amazed at the way he taught” (Mark 1:22). His teaching was like a fresh breeze from heaven. This doesn’t mean, though, that the people understood who Jesus was. Thoughts of His being their longed-for Messiah didn’t enter their minds. They didn’t realize that He was someone sent from God. But there was someone present who did, and he couldn’t keep quiet. As Jesus was speaking, “a man with an evil spirit came into the synagogue” (v. 23). Upon hearing Jesus speak, this evil spirit had a reaction that went far beyond amazement. It was a reaction of fear and terror. He was distressed by Jesus’ presence, the sound of His voice, and the power with which He spoke. He grew increasingly alarmed and agitated because he was certain that Jesus’ presence meant the end of him and possibly his cohorts. The evil spirit screamed, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Are you here to destroy us? I know who you are—you are God’s holy messenger!” (v. 24). You can imagine the shock that must have rippled through the congregation at his outburst. Oh no, is this a demon-possessed person in our midst? The people in the synagogue were embarrassed by his behavior, uncomfortable with the interruption, and also afraid. The people lived in fear of demons, and in this case there could have been more than one because the evil spirit spoke of “us.” “Us” could mean that he was speaking on behalf of all demoniacs, or he could have meant there was more than one demon residing in this man’s body. “Us” could also mean the evil spirit and the person in whose inner being he resided. Whatever the spirit meant by “us,” he recognized in Jesus the power to destroy, and he knew Jesus was the Messiah, God’s holy messenger. The idea of Jesus being sent from God terrorized the evil spirit, so he yelled out in fear. He didn’t want to be destroyed.

CHAPTER 2

His screaming probably terrified the others present, considering the general fear people had of demons. Everyone was uncomfortable and nervous, including the poor person whose frame housed the demon. How embarrassed he must have been because the voice was coming from him, and yet he had no control over the demon’s actions or what he said. The people were angry and upset; their service was interrupted. I imagine they wanted to say to the synagogue ruler, “Get that demonpossessed man out of here!” But how did Jesus react? After all, it was His teaching that was interrupted. We might have expected Jesus to be annoyed at the man’s screaming, especially since He had the audience’s rapt attention. Many speakers would be. They would want the person in charge to take control and remove the screaming interrupter. Not Jesus. He didn’t get angry. He didn’t say to the synagogue ruler, “Get this man out of here.” He didn’t criticize the man. He wasn’t judgmental. He didn’t chastise the man. Instead, He “ordered the spirit, ‘Be quiet, and come out of the man!’ ” (v. 25). The King James Version says “hold thy peace” instead of “be quiet.” Both expressions are almost too soft to convey the power inherent in the Greek expression, which literally means, “to muzzle.” Martin Luther probably got closer to the force of this expression when he translated it to the German equivalent of our, “Shut up!” I doubt that any of us would ever imagine Jesus saying that, but a strong word was needed. No “please be silent” was going to curtail this demon or do the man any good. He needed a firm, direct, authoritative command, and Jesus did that with, “Be quiet, and come out!” Jesus’ command not only rescued the synagogue service, it rescued the man. The evil spirit came out of the man! It “shook the 24

WHAT IS THIS? . . . SOME KIND OF NEW TEACHING?

man hard, gave a loud scream, and came out of him” (v. 26). Jesus did that! He freed a man of an unclean spirit! Jaws dropped as the crowd saw a terror-filled, screaming demon become silent and a man freed of demon possession. The people were amazed at what happened, and it wasn’t just because an exorcism had occurred. That was a big part of it, but there’s more. It was how Jesus did it that blew them away.

N O T THE F IRS T While having an out-of-control, screaming demon exorcized in front of their eyes was impressive, this may not have been the first time the synagogue attendees witnessed an exorcism. Exorcisms were a part of their culture because demons were pervasive. The way they saw it, the air was full of evil spirits just waiting and watching to do harm. Demon possession took on many forms. There was the screaming as illustrated by this incident in the synagogue. Demons or evil spirits were also blamed for seducing people to fall into temptation, for mental illnesses, for causing physical diseases, or for any other kind of odd or peculiar behavior. Some things were probably attributed to demon possession that weren’t demon possession. The people just didn’t know what else to call some of the things they saw and did not understand. We’ve since come a long way in understanding people’s behavior. Causes have been identified and appropriate labels found that explain some of the things that used to be attributed to demonic activity. This is not to say that demons no longer exist. They do, but not to the extent they did in Jesus’ day. Because of the prevalence of demonic activity, exorcists were needed. Through a variety of methods, they set some people free or rid houses or businesses of demon occupation. Exorcists used “magic” formulas, elaborate rites, and incantations, and the process 25

CHAPTER 2

took time. Their work wasn’t easy and wasn’t always successful, but some successes occurred. Jesus, though, used no mumbo jumbo to exorcize this demon. He did it with a few words! With an authoritative order, Jesus set a man free from an evil spirit. This was radically different from what the exorcists did, and the people were astounded. Exorcisms they had seen were not performed with this kind of power and swiftness. Jesus definitely possessed something—even if they couldn’t quite identify what it was—that was different. They were perplexed and dumbfounded. They said to each other, “What is this? Is it some kind of new teaching? This man has authority to give orders to the evil spirits, and they obey him!” (v. 27). They were stunned! Naturally, they couldn’t keep their observations to themselves. This was too unusual, so they told those who weren’t there about what Jesus did. Those people told others “so the news about Jesus spread quickly everywhere in the province of Galilee” (v. 28). How about you? What did you see? As you read about Jesus in the Capernaum synagogue, was there anything that made you marvel? Something you might want to tell others about? If you don’t, I understand. You might not have been particularly impressed with this incident in Jesus’ life because you don’t see yourself in the picture. You don’t identify with someone who has an evil spirit. When we read the story of the widow of Nain whose only son died, we might more readily identify with this woman (see Luke 7:11–17). Who among us doesn’t understand loss and heartbreak? So when Jesus tells her not to cry and brings her son back to life again, we realize He’s our hope when we lose vital relationships. It also might be easier to identify with the woman with the issue of blood (see Mark 5:25–34). Maybe we understand her timidity and embarrassment, or maybe we relate to her issues with her menstrual flow. Whatever the case, you might feel as if we are

WHAT IS THIS? . . . SOME KIND OF NEW TEACHING?

in the scene with her when Jesus says, “My daughter, your faith has made you well” (v. 34). And we associate ourselves so much with Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38–42) we put ourselves in camps: “I’m a Martha,” or, “I’m a Mary.” Either way we are encouraged by how Jesus responded to them. These are automatic identifications because we’re women. We feel a kinship with them; consequently, Jesus’ ministry to them is a ministry to us too. But identifying with an evil spirit or even a person housing one? Now that’s a stretch—or it is for me. Some faith traditions acknowledge—even emphasize—demon possession, so if you are a part of a group like this, finding personal application from that incident may be easy for you. The subject, though, doesn’t come up often where I worship and serve. Oh, we believe that demon possession happened in Jesus’ day, but for inspiration and hope, we’d rather focus on topics that seem more applicable to our lives. That’s the way I felt until I cleaned my spiritual glasses.

H O W D O YOU CL EAN S P IRITUAL GLASSE S? For me, cleaning my spiritual glasses means aggressively and persistently studying a biblical passage, just as I sometimes have to use dish detergent on my glasses when plain water or eyeglass cleaner just doesn’t cut the grime. I read, I research, I ponder, I compare Bible versions, I pray, and I ask questions. In the process, I begin to see more clearly. In this case, when my vision improved, I started looking at the demon-possessed man as someone with an unexplainable condition. It was then I made a connection; it was then I had something to marvel about. The truth is we don’t know exactly what the man’s condition was or what specific evil spirit he had residing within and controlling him. The Bible simply doesn’t tell us enough for us to know the problem. 27

CHAPTER 2

There were many forms of demon possession, some of which we will discuss later. The reassurance here is that Jesus cares for those who are disturbed, no matter what label we give it, and He has the power to do something about it. Some of us come up against people in our lives whose behavior we don’t understand or for which there seems to be no logical cause. Or we know people who have odd, out-of-control, unusual, or berserk behavior, and we shake our heads in wonderment. When you are standing by someone having a psychotic break, when there appears to be nothing you can do, it’s reassuring to know that Jesus has power over the unexplainable. He can look inside a person, pinpoint what the problem is, and apply the appropriate remedy. This is what His “with a word” exorcism shows us. Jesus responds to peculiar behavior with consideration and power. Even with all our logical explanations and diagnostic manuals, there’s still much we don’t know about human behavior. Just because we might not think much about demons, this doesn’t mean they aren’t at work in certain individuals. Sometimes there’s unexplainable behavior when we just can’t figure out what is wrong with a person. At that time, when the situation looks bleak, it’s comforting to remember Jesus’ power over those who are mentally or emotionally disturbed. This incident in the Capernaum synagogue is a portrait—a picture drawn by Mark—to reveal that Jesus is a Man of power over the unexplainable, over the mysterious maladies that some of us experience or encounter. I wouldn’t have seen this, though, if I hadn’t cleaned my spiritual glasses. If you would like to clean your spiritual glasses the same way I clean mine, I’m providing a special section at the end of each chapter that lists a passage in Mark where people are amazed or bewildered at Jesus’ actions. Along with it, I’ll include corresponding passages from the other Gospels, and I’ll give you a list of questions to stir your thinking and hopefully also stir up your sense of wonder so you 28

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will say, “You know I never saw this before! I’m amazed that Jesus did that!”

VIS ION IMP RO VEM E NT M ARK 1: 21–28; LUKE 4 : 3 1 – 3 7 Does seeing how Jesus acted in the synagogue change your view of Him in any way? Do we limit Jesus’ power in our lives when we relegate demon possession and Jesus’ ability to exert power over it to something that happened a long time ago but probably would never happen now? What kind of setting-free experience would it take for you to want to tell others about it? What did this man/demon/evil spirit recognize about Jesus? Do you believe demons exist today? What insight does this incident give you about Jesus being a Man of power and action? How would you describe the power Jesus exhibited in the synagogue? What does knowing that Jesus has this power to exorcize demons mean to your life?