Listen

Suddenly, there in the synagogue, a person with an evil spirit screamed, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the holy one from God.”

“Silence!” Jesus said, speaking harshly to the demon. “Come out of him!” The unclean spirit shook him and screamed, then it came out.

Mark 1:23-26

Think

“Evil spirits” appear often in the gospel writings. Today, science has proven that many things labeled “evil spirits” by our ancestors are actually diagnosable illnesses or conditions. However, some of the events in scripture may still be beyond our understanding. In today’s text, when Jesus finishes teaching, a man begins to scream at him. Jesus tells the “demon” to be silent. According to Mark, the “unclean spirit” comes out of the man. Do the people see something come out, or do they think the man has been freed simply by him suddenly being calm? There are questions that we can’t answer about today’s story, but Mark teaches us that Jesus has authority over whatever “evil” may come our way. Now does that mean we will always be spared from suffering? No. But what we do know is that, if the suffering is not removed, Jesus is still able to strengthen us. His compassionate presence never ends. We can be thankful for his compassionate presence in our lives, and we can extend that compassionate presence to others.

LaMon Brown

Question to Ponder:

How can we be used by Jesus to help people who are suffering?

Pray

Help me, Lord Jesus, to believe in the power of your love

and the truth of your words.

Amen.

Go

I live today in the love and truth of my Lord, Jesus Christ.