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Sound & Season is a daily audio devotional designed to connect the routine moments of life to the rhythms of the Church seasons.
This is Sound and Season. It's Friday, the 3rd day of Lent. Our passage today comes from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 1, verses 21 through 45. And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority and not as the scribes. And immediately, there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, what have you to do with us Jesus of Nazareth?
Lauren Starnes:Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God. But Jesus rebuked him saying, be silent and come out of him. And the unclean spirit convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice came out of him, and they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves saying, what is this? A new teaching with authority.
Lauren Starnes:He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him. And at once, his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came, and took her by the hand, and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
Lauren Starnes:That evening at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door, and he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons, and he would not permit the demons to speak because they knew him. And rising very early in the morning while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, everyone is looking for you. And he said to them, let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.
Lauren Starnes:And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, If you will, you can make me clean. Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, I will be clean. And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him, and sent him away at once, and said to him, see that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.
Lauren Starnes:But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Jeffrey Heine:Jesus' Teaching in the Temple. What is most surprising and startling to the hearers is not simply what Jesus is saying, but how he is saying it. Jesus teaches as someone with authority. Likewise, Mark offers another glimpse of the authority of Jesus. A man was burdened with an unclean spirit.
Jeffrey Heine:Jesus brings healing and the people again marvel at his authority. What Jesus says and what Jesus does, they bear an unexpected and unusual authority. The authority of Jesus still today, even in our own lives can be unexpected and shocking, because when we consider that we are not our own, but that we were bought with a price, we can be alarmed by the authority of Jesus to speak into our desires, our expectations, our whole lives. The authority of Jesus can be striking because the only proper response to it must be complete and total obedience. The question isn't whether or not we wish to obey Jesus, but does Jesus have the authority to command our obedience?
Jeffrey Heine:Because if he does, what option do we have but to surrender to his love filled, grace saturated authority?
Lauren Starnes:Lord, hear our prayer, and let our cry come to you. Let us pray. Our great and mighty healer, grant us the wisdom needed to see you alone as the ultimate restoration for all that is broken around us. Increase our urgency to love and serve the destitute, the lonely, and the afraid. May we be a people who seek to bind the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to those in captivity, and bring the good news of Jesus to the souls around us.
Lauren Starnes:Oh, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Glory to the father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.