EPIPHANY 4, B, 2010

 SCRIPTURES – Jer. 1:4-10, 17-19; 1 Cor. 12:31 – 13:13; Luke 4:31-44

“His word possessed authority.” This is very clear in today’s Gospel from Luke. Jesus casts out a demon and a then fever, and in the same way: by speaking, by rebuking them both. He shows us that there is a connection between Satan and things like sickness. This may be striking to us, but it was something that people believed for centuries. 

For instance, in a book I read about 14^th century Europe, it stated this about the Black Plague that struck Europe in 1348-1349:

à        “In Paris…the reported death rate was 800 a day, in Pisa 500, in Vienna 500 to 600. The total dead in Paris numbered 50,000 or half the population. Florence…   lost three to four fifths of its citizens, Venice two thirds… In Kilkenny, Ireland, Brother John Clyn of the Friars Minor, a monk left alone among dead men…   sensed ‘the whole world within the grasp of the Evil One.’” (A Distant Mirror, Tuchman, p. 95)

‘The whole world within the grasp of the Evil One.’ Today we know that there are natural causes for things like sickness. It’s not demons that make you sick, but viruses and bacteria! This is why we treat sickness with medicine. It’s also why we strive to keep our environment clean, watch our diets, exercise, get vaccinations, etc. We know that God works through means, that He uses things like doctors and medicines to bring us healing and keep us healthy.  

Let us keep this firmly in mind. While doing those things that are important for our health, let us not ignore the treatment and healing we need most of all: the healing of body and soul that comes through the voice of Jesus. For, even though we have made great progress in our understanding of and fight against disease, I fear we have gone backward and lost ground in our far more serious battle: the battle against the demonic. 

We are in a battle against the demonic? The fact that a demon was present in God’s house even when the Son of God was present and preaching should remove any doubt that such a battle rages. Do you think that demons have changed and are afraid to be among us today, including in our houses of worship? You are easy prey if you think this. Those who are the most defenseless before Satan and his hosts are those who ignore their existence and presence. 

We need to know this so that we might pay attention to God’s Word all the more. For, we poor sinners have no power of our own with which to resist the assaults of unclean spirits. We are unclean ourselves, soiled in our hearts and minds by our own sinful thoughts and desires. Unclean spirits would have an easy time with us if we had to fight them alone! They have an ally in us! 

But we have an ally in Jesus. And, what an ally! He simply speaks, rebukes the demons, and they flee! His exercise of authority over a demon astonished the people of Capernaum, and I know that we would love to see the exercise of such authority ourselves. Imagine seeing the rebuking and casting out a demon, or a fever! But, the authority over the demonic He exercised that day in Capernaum was not the greatest exercise of His authority. That would take place several years later when Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is finished; Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit,” and then died. Christ’s death was the greatest exercise of His authority because of why He died. He died because He took our sins upon Himself. He died because He endured God’s anger at our sins and His punishment of them. Because Jesus bore our sins and died, God’s threat of punishing us in hell for our sins is finished. The devil can now no longer accuse us of being unclean sinners, for Jesus has borne our sins! He has washed us clean and filled us with His Holy Spirit in Baptism. We are holy in Him! Satan cannot threaten us with death and hell because, just as Jesus broke the devil’s hold on a man by His voice, He also broke the hold of death and hell on Him by bodily rising from the dead and then descending into hell to announce His triumph. He then appeared to His apostles with that triumphant message, which they wrote down and passed on to us. Jesus is at the Father’s right hand, and so are those who listen to Him and cling to Him in faith. Satan has been rebuked! Our victory has been won! 

We need to hear this again and again, for the demons do not tire in their temptations and taunts and accusations.

à        How many times, when great sickness comes, are we tempted to wonder: what did I do? We feel and fear a connection between sin and sickness.

The demons also do not tire in their efforts to keep us from hearing or taking seriously God’s Word. The evil spirits know that the biggest and most important of battles is the hidden one—the battle for your eternal spirit, the battle against them. It is a battle waged with the Word of God and the Sacraments of Christ. The main thing the devils try to do, therefore, is to turn you from them. How successful they have been! How busy we are! How much we run around! We watch a hundred times more TV than we read the Bible. Our minds are filled with everything but the Word of God! 

God’s Word is the greatest medicine against the devil. Why? Because it is Christ’s voice which, when proclaimed in its truth and purity, rebukes Satan and his works, overcomes every assault and temptation of the devil, and casts him out. It gives us knowledge of our great and good God, and above all of His love for us and His work for us. It tells us of the coming Day when Christ’s voice will ring out with a loud command and all sin and evil, along with every sickness and disease, will be cast out. He will come with power and make all things new: our bodies and souls, and creation itself. His Word of power and forgiveness which we hear and receive gives us this now, but it is hidden in our lives under our sins and sickness and the weakness of age.

à        Just as Christ’s glory and power was hidden under the weakness of the body in which He appeared and lived.

Nevertheless, believe in the power of God’s Word, rejoice in it, and use it! 

But, be aware of reading and studying it less because you know it. Knowledge of God is important and is a great blessing; but you are not saved by your knowledge of God. “I know who you are,” the unclean spirit in the synagogue said to Jesus, “the Holy One of God." He knew. He knew what no one else in the synagogue knew! And yet, he did not love Jesus and want to be with Him. “Have you come to destroy us?” Jesus therefore rejected him. "Be silent, and come out of him!" The unclean spirit was sent away from Christ’s presence. Jesus is not pleased with mere knowledge, no matter how correct it is, nor even with acknowledging Him by speaking the right words. He is pleased with those who know Him and love Him, who delight in His words because they are words of life and love. 

Brother John Clyn of the Friars Minor sensed “the whole world within the grasp of the Evil One.” We know that it is in the grasp of God, who called it forth by His Word and will announce its end by His Word. His voice of mercy in Jesus rings forth now that we might live in His love and look forward to His coming with anticipation. Remove all uncleanness from us, Lord, and open our hearts and minds to Your Word of life in Christ, that we might have life in Him forever!