Immanuel, Boise – Jan. 28, 2024
Mark 1:21-28
21They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.27They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
Happy Installation Sunday Immanuel Lutheran! Thank you for your faithfulness to the gospel these past nearly three years, for patience, for love, for good Spirit led discernment. I know it was hard because as cluster dean I walked alongside several council presidents and one deliberate and steadfast call committee chairperson. Today we finally get to celebrate a new pastor called to the corner of Fort and 7th and a new chapter of Lutheran ministry near downtown Boise, Idaho. Alleluia!
Preparing an installation sermon was an easier assignment a few weeks ago when the appointed gospel text was the calling of the disciples, that was before a snowstorm delayed today’s festivities. In a way, today’s gospel calls us all back to why we are here. Rather than focusing on the relationship between pastor and congregation, we have to point to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, who you all and Pastor Lewis will bear witness to together, in what we call mutual ministry. In this next chapter of Immanuel Lutheran’s, you will point to and share the good news of a God who came to dwell with us and bring new life.
At the heart of today’s gospel passage is Jesus’ first public act. We should take note because this is his first. It might seem strange to our 21st century ears and eyes when we first hear or read about Jesus’ exorcism of the demon. I have done lots of blessings, but no exorcism. But let’s not let that fact distract us.
What is Jesus really doing to this man? He is liberating him. First Jesus rebukes the demon, “Be silent.” Then he casts the demon out, “come out of him!” And the unclean spirit comes out. The man if free and his life is changed forever.
We can barely count the ways that Jesus has changed this man’s life. His physical body is changed, no longer possessed by the demon. Yes. Jesus cares about actual physical bodies. The man’s social standing is forever altered, for the better. This means his mind and spirit are going to be changed as well. He can be part of community now. Through the exorcism, Jesus has liberated the man in so many ways.
In Jesus, God is doing something new, but it is not entirely out of character. Remember that the central story of the Hebrew Peoples’ past is the liberation from Egypt, through the Red Sea. The Passover is still celebrated by Jews every year. Each year, on Maundy Thursday, Christians remember Jesus and his disciples celebrating the Passover.
Then, on Mount Sinai, God gave the 10 Commandments to the liberated Israelites. We think about rules confining us, limiting us, but these rules were given so every single person in the community could live an abundant life. Over and over, God has been a God of life and liberation for all people.
The story of the exorcism continues this theme and makes it new. As one pastor said, “Jesus has come to oppose all the forces that keep the children of God from the abundant life God desires for all of us.” Let me say that again, “Jesus has come to oppose all the forces that keep the children of God from the abundant life God desires for all of us.”
Is that not a message we still need to hear? Is it not a message people need to hear in Boise, the Treasure Valley, in Idaho? Of course, it is, because there are still forces that bind us, forces that keep the world from experiencing the abundant life God desires for all creation. Such binding forces include systemic racism, polarized worldviews that demonize one another, loneliness, and environmental disregard, just to name a few big ones.
What does this look like for our personal embodied lives? Each one of you can probably name forces that bind you. I know that some of the strongest forces in my life that go against God’s desire for abundant life, are simple and every day. Chiefly, these forces include the deep need to continually produce and the desire to be perceived as enough.
I do not mean to imply that productivity and quality are inherently bad, but when they are not checked, they can bind me and others in destructive ways. I believe we are pushing our individual selves, our systems, and our natural resources too hard and too fast. It is destructive for our communities, the earth itself, and our embodied selves.
“And yet,” those are our words of promise and hope. And yet, the kingdom of God breaks in through Jesus Christ and offers a new way—a way of abundant life and liberation. And Jesus comes as one with authority. As we hear in our scripture passage from Mark this morning, this authority seems to permeate everything he does and speaks. Jesus’ authority, I would contend, comes from those two things aligning. Jesus’ actions align with his words.
The scribes, who Jesus is contrasted with, depend only on words and teaching. We read that Jesus entered the synagogue in Capernaum and taught. The text says, “They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Jesus is not teaching something new. He comes from and follows the same tradition as the scribes.
But he is giving a different interpretation. The scribes’ teaching has not liberated the people. It has, instead, oppressed and enslaved them. Jesus brings a new interpretation. And Jesus not only teaches this liberation with his words. He also pairs it with his actions by exorcising the demon.
Where does this leave us, those of us who are trying to faithfully follow Jesus today? Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney says, “We can no longer pretend that we can follow [Jesus] without following him into the broken places of the world. We can no longer pretend that we can follow Christ without paying an exorbitant price at some point. We can no longer claim we follow Christ if we never leave our places of safety and never raise the ire of those who construct and benefit from the systems that impoverish and imprison.” We all are both liberated from and liberated for.
Today is not only Installation Sunday for Immanuel, but also annual meeting Sunday. I assume that your annual meeting packet includes many words attempting to tell the story of how individual members and the entire congregation tried to follow Jesus and bring life and liberation to the broken places of our community.
Certainly, you have brought life to the hurting and bound places in the community through the ministry of Food Fellowship, Quilts, and Feed My Sheep. Celebrate also the worship, bible studies, and Messy Church that nourishes you to be sent forth. Consider too the many ways each of you shows neighbor loves in hundreds of individual actions and decisions.
When we are wavering about what to do, where our own authority comes from, we need only look to the life and ministry of Jesus, who came “to oppose all the forces that keep the children of God from the abundant life God desires for all of us.” Whenever we need a reminder of this life, we come again to the meal. It is this banquet, thousands of years after the exorcism in Mark 1 that reminds me that God sees and loves me, embodied as I am. Here we feast together on bread and wine, which become gifts of Jesus Christ’s life and healing. We are liberated once again and given new life. As we will pray after Communion this morning, Giver of every gift, Christ’s body is our food, and we are Christ’s body. Raise us to life by your power for the benefit of all and to your glory, now and forever. Amen.
Augustana Chapel (8:15am worship) an updated and bigger sanctuary (10am worship) and . The full installation service took place during the 10am service but we did include a prayer of blessing at 8:15.
A Place at the Table 