Sermon from the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany + January 28, 2024 + Pr. Sharai Jacob
I remember in middle school, seeing students wearing wristbands with the letters WWJD. At the time many of them joked about it. But every once in a while, I’d catch a friend in a hard situation, actually ponder the question, “what would Jesus do?” As adults, it’s not always easy for us to know what the right way to go is. Maybe some of you find yourselves asking this question still. What would Jesus do? How would Jesus respond to this? What would Jesus say? In most situations, we default to Jesus being gracious, comforting, and bringing peace. These are all things that create a certain image of Jesus. One that makes us feel safe.
But our scripture today shows us a different image of Jesus. This one might make us feel a bit uncomfortable. We see Jesus perform an exorcism in the synagogue!
I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen an exorcism - but they aren’t the most comfortable thing to witness. When I read about them in scripture, I always think of horror movie depictions of writhing, screaming people. And a priest or pastor speaking with a loud commanding voice telling the demon “be gone.” I don’t know about you but if I saw that in the middle of service today, I wouldn’t be feeling very comfortable.
Beyond the discomfort of the exorcism at the center of this passage, there are statements before and after the exorcism where Jesus is pitted against the scribes. We don’t hear much about the scribes in this reading besides the fact that they don’t speak with authority in the synagogue. But we do know that the scribes generally are experts on scripture. They are teachers of the law and are often critiqued for their focus on tradition and good works. They are generally opposed to Jesus and his teachings. And it's quite clear why they would be.
The scribes are often in agreement with the occupying Roman government. And this alliance offers them power. So their teachings usually promote submission to Roman rule.
Religion has been used this way many times throughout history. In my own history, Christianity was used to colonize, dehumanize, and oppress my ancestors. Once the oppressors took the land, they twisted scripture to convince the people that they were sinning when they called out injustice. They used the Bible to justify their heinous treatment of their fellow human beings and to keep us from speaking against our own oppression.
And this is not an ancient historical fact, it's quite recent. My parents and older cousins lived under apartheid. Which was yet another oppressive system that began with Christian support. And it's not just my history that shows evidence of this. Yesterday was the day of remembrance for the Holocaust, a horrific genocide perpetrated by a man who used scripture to justify his evil actions.
But Jesus' teachings called out oppression and those complicit in it. Jesus uplifted the oppressed in his Sermon on the Mount. He called out the scribes, chief priests, Pharisees and Sadducees for their participation in the oppression of their own people. Jesus’ authority was directly opposed to the authority of the scribes because the scribe's power was based in oppressive Roman rule. When Jesus spoke, they felt that their power was being undermined. It seems as if the demonic in our reading is really speaking on behalf of the scribes when they ask, "Are you here to destroy us?”
The image of a Jesus who brings comfort and peace is truthful, but not in all spaces and for all times. Jesus’ message of truth was not always received happily, or peacefully. It didn't always bring people comfort or unity. Jesus was seen as a threat to Roman rule and was killed because of it! Jesus life, teachings, and death have caused division time and again.
Jesus knew that peace without truth-telling would always have conflict bubbling just beneath the surface. That avoiding difficult topics so that everyone stays happy and comfortable - would really only keep some people happy and comfortable.
In our world today we still hear scripture quoted to promote silence for the sake of peace and unity. We may even hear scripture quoted in direct support of genocide. If we fail to speak against this twisting of scripture, we become complicit yet again. Complicit in a new atrocity.
As Christians when we ask, “What Would Jesus Do?” Let's not forget the image of Jesus we see in this scripture. A Jesus who addressed uncomfortable topics and difficult situations with confidence. A Jesus who called out injustice boldly, both inside and outside of the synagogue.