What Jesus Heard

Mark 1:21-28

Try to imagine being on the inside of the man in this story. You're in synagogue on Sabbath, so presumably you don't look that different from anyone else. Maybe you look like a perfectly good, godly Jew. Maybe you're wearing your tallit and yarmulke and phylacteries, same as the other men.

Or maybe everyone knows you're a little "different." If so, they probably consider you particularly sinful and stricken by God.

Anyway, this particular Sabbath in Capernaum, you have a guest speaker, Yeshua of Nazareth. Everybody is really impressed with him. The rabbinical tradition is to say, "This sage says. . ." or "According to Rabbi xyz. . ." This Yeshua just gets up and says things, as if he knows what he's talking about. He talks about spiritual things in terms of flowers, and birds, and crops, things everyone, even the women and children back behind the screen, understands.

Even you.

He calls God "Daddy." That's really weird. And it makes you feel weird. Upset. Afraid. Angry. But you don't know why. What you know is, you want to be closer to this man. You want to spend time with him. There's just something about him. . .

You open your mouth to ask him a question, an acceptable and expected practice in synagogue (since you're male, that is.) But what comes out of your mouth horrifies you.

"What have you to do with us, Yeshua of Nazareth?" It's that horrible screech again. The one you can't control. Your heart starts pounding, your hands are slick with sweat. "Have you come to destroy us?" you demand. Your stomach roils. No. No! This isn't what you want to say! He'll leave! He'll hate you, like the others do! Then comes the worst thing of all. "I know who you are, the Holy One of God!"

What??

You shut your eyes in sick dread.

"Be silent and come out of him!" It's a voice no one would dare disobey.

Something takes over your body. You fall to the floor, twisting and writhing. A howl of pain comes out of your mouth. Then, stillness.

You open your eyes.

He's still there. He's looking at you with that look, the one you imagine his "Daddy" God has. He holds out his hand to help you up, and smiles at you. You barely hear the buzz of astonishment in the room.

How do I know all this? you may ask. How do I know what's inside the mind of the man with the unclean spirit? Easy. It's because of Jesus' response. I don't believe he acts forcibly, against a person's will. I believe he heard what the man really was saying.

I believe he always does.