Red Letters: ‘Have you come to destroy us?’

In the ‘Red Letters’ series, we spend time listening to the words of Jesus.

On the next day of worship, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teachings. Unlike their scribes, he taught them with authority. At that time there was a man in the synagogue who was controlled by an evil spirit. He shouted, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus from Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!’ Jesus ordered the spirit, ‘Keep quiet, and come out of him!’

As we have seen in Mark’s telling, Jesus began his role as a teacher by spreading a message of change.  Not a change of fashion, or philosophy, or religion, but a change of kingdom.  Not just a change from one oppressive human government to another, but the end of the rule of Caesar, and the beginning of the rule of God.

Does that surprise you?  Today it is much more common to think of him as either the founder of a religion, or perhaps as a good moral teacher, and that is not wrong.  But as we are learning, neither of those labels make sense without starting where he started: with a revolution.

As always, change brings uncertainty.  A revolution where God is in control means a new order, a new way of life, a new society.  Who will benefit?  Who will lose out?  Who will rise, and who will fall?  These are the questions that Jesus’ followers as well as his enemies will have to wrestle with.  Which brings us to one (particularly noisy) demon.

The ‘evil spirit’ who shouts at Jesus doesn’t need to ask who he is, but it is anxious to understand what he will do. It fearfully demands to know what the coming Kingdom will mean for its own way of life.  As we read this, we can ask the same question for ourselves:  ’Jesus, what have you come to destroy?  What have you come to establish?  How will your kingdom be different than what we already know?’

The truth is that when we decide to follow Jesus, to join his revolution, nothing is safe.  Our way of life, our jobs, our families, our commitments and our relationships:  everything is at risk of radical change.  It would be easier if Jesus only asked us to be friendly, honest, loyal, etc.  Kind of like our heavenly scoutmaster.  But what if he asks us to buy a smaller house and send the extra money to Africa?  Or to send our kinds to public school?  Or to let a homeless guy sleep on our couch?  Or to change who we vote for in the next election?  Or to give up a cozy executive job to head up a non-profit?  Or…?

‘What do you want with us?’ Christians have spent many centuries finding lots of creative ways to avoid asking this question.   But whether we ask or not, Jesus and his message are there just the same.  We can choose whether or not to follow him, but we cannot wish away his kingdom.

When Jesus speaks, it is with authority.  When he confronts a demon, he gets the last word.  Not because he is especially charismatic or powerful, but because he is standing with both feet firmly planted in the reality of what he is preaching.  His enemies can ignore him or resist him with force (and they do both), but they can’t change the truth of his message.  The authority of Jesus’ words and actions helps us to see that the kingdom of demons—and all the oppression, violence and fear it represents—is already overthrown.

A new order, a new way of life, a new society.  Who will benefit?  Who will lose out?  Who will rise, and who will fall? As we follow Jesus we can explore these questions together.  But one truth is undeniable, indisputable, unshakeable:  The revolution is here.

‘Sabbath Reflections’ is a weekly meditation from a Christian perspective. You can find out more by clicking here.