First Lesson: Deuteronomy 18: 15-20 Responsive Reading: Psalm 111 Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 8: 1-13 Gospel Lesson: Mark 1: 21-28 Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
“Ephesians 6:12-13a — For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground…” Clerow Wilson, Jr. was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1933[1]. Wilson’s father was a frequently out of work handyman. When Wilson was seven years old, his mother abandoned the family. After his mother’s exit, Wilson bounced around to a series of foster homes. Wilson desperate for a new kind of life at the age of 16 lied to get into the Air Force. The Air Force was where Wilson’s career took off only not in the way, we would think. Wilson quickly became known as a great story-teller, he soon began to be sent to other bases as a way to cheer up depressed troops. Wilson was soon given the nickname of Flip due to his easily excitable nature. Wilson breaks into the entertainment industry, becomes a regular at the Apollo Theater, The Tonight Show, Laugh-In, and The Ed Sullivan Show. Wilson eventually gets his own show “The Flip Wilson Show”. Wilson’s show was so popular that it introduced multiple catchphrases into the American vocabulary such as “When you’re hot; you’re hot; when you’re not, you’re not.” and “What you see is what you get[2]!” Wilson’s most popular character though was when he played a preacher’s wife named Geraldine Jones[3]. Wilson created Geraldine because he wanted to show a woman on T.V. who was both strong and honest[4]. Geraldine’s main claim to fame was never changing her manners no matter the circumstances. In, Geraldine’s most famous skit, her preacher husband gets mad at how much Geraldine had spent on a new dress. Geraldine looks her husband in the eyes then claims “The Devil made me buy this dress!” The audience howled in approval. Wilson’s comedy album of “The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress” went gold and eventually won a Grammy Award for best comedy album[5]. Audiences howled at Geraldine’s excuses. Wilson’s act made ultimately a T.V. Pioneer with Time Magazine proclaiming him “TV's first black superstar[6].” Geraldine Jones raises an interesting question for us to consider this morning: does the Devil make us buy new dresses or how much blame can we place on the Devil for our actions? Second Story- Jimmy Swaggart was a struggling Assemblies of God preacher in rural Louisiana in the 1950’s[7]. He eventually transitions into full-time revival work. Swaggart soon develops quite a following throughout the south. By the Mid 1970’s Swaggart had developed quite a presence on both Radio and T.V becoming famous across the country. In 1988 Swaggart would see his world come crashing down[8]. When Swaggart gets on T.V. teary-eyed and admits “I have sinned.” It would soon be revealed Swaggart had acted inappropriately with a woman of the night. Swaggart immediately receives a one-year suspension from the Assemblies of God for his deeds. Swaggart then proceeds to call the equally well-known preacher Oral Roberts.[9] Oral Roberts and Swaggart agree that “Demon-possession” was the reason for Swaggart’s adultery. Roberts proceeds to call out a demon over the phone from Swaggart. Roberts described the Demon as having “long fingernails” digging into Swaggart’s flesh. Swaggart declared himself a new man after Roberts’ intervention. Swaggart then announced that he was ready to return to his pulpit[10]. Swaggart’s sincerity quickly became debated amongst his denomination the Assemblies of God[11]. The second question for this morning: do demons actually possess our body as in the case of Jimmy Swaggart leading us to do things we would never do on our own? Hearing these stories of Flip Wilson - Geraldine Jones/Jimmy Swaggart bring us to our Gospel lesson for Today from Mark 1[12]. In our lesson, Jesus is teaching in Capernaum on the Sabbath. The people are astonished at his teaching. Right during the middle of Jesus’ teaching, he is interrupted by a man possessed by a demon. Jesus stops and orders the demon to leave the man’s body. The crowd then witnesses the demon leaving the man’s body. The demon even cries out in a loud voice. The people were amazed. Jesus’ fame then began to spread fast. So how should we make sense of this story? Now, this is a pretty unique story within the Bible for a man to be possessed by a demon in a manner such as this. Very few people have ever experienced such demon-possession. There is something that we struggle with that is more common. We’ve probably all struggled with emotions at times with our lives that are difficult to control. It might be anger, might be jealousy, it might be a longing for revenge; it might be our arrogance and self-righteousness. Albert Einstein was once quoted as saying: “It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil spirit of man.” Let me ask you this[13]: Have you ever said or done something you immediately regretted because you knew it was hurtful? Even now when you look back at your action, you wonder “What exactly were you thinking?” Perhaps a good way to understand demon-possession is while you’re unlikely to be physically overwhelmed by a demon, what is perhaps much more likely is that unseen forces do possess the ability to help lead one to commit the gravest of sins[14]. Last Sunday night, my beloved Minnesota Vikings played for the fifth time in my life for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. The game was disappointing. Soon after the game ends, videos are shown on the internet of Viking fans being pelted with beer cans and be called every nasty slur in the books while walking in Philadelphia; along with reports of even greater physical violence than this. Being a loyal Vikings fan, seeing a persecuted minority in the face of the overwhelming majority, your mind quickly turns to thoughts of comeuppance or revenge. I know better than this on several levels, I know that you need to resist the temptation to paint Philadelphia Eagles fans with too broad a brush. I also know that in years of attending Vikings games, all fan behavior that I’ve witnessed hasn’t been exactly stellar. I also know that violence most often ends up producing even more violence. Suffering ends up producing more suffering. These thoughts serve as a reminder that the unseen forces wage battle against all of us. Evil shows its face when the hideously ugly appears to possess a degree of beauty. As pointed out by Pastor Leon Stier: “Life is a battle, a battle within yourself, and, a battle with others when they yield to the Evil One and wrong you[15].” So why Geraldine Jones’ line “The Devil made me do it” was quite funny, the line also in many cases contains a degree of truth especially if we’re unaware. Unseen forces tend to attack us where we’re at our weakest. For example, I don’t much enjoy the taste of beer. Drinking one beer might be enough for a year. Whereas there are certain types of chocolate, I better limit what I have in the house. If you’re Jimmy Swaggart, the weakness might be a younger woman. Evil forces are effective because they’re clever. If we’re anxious, these anxious forces make the future increasingly uncertain. If we’re depressed, these forces make the future increasingly hopeless. If we struggle with shame, these forces keep throwing our past actions in our face. In the face of these forces, we do have hope. Jesus in our lesson for today shows the power to cast out an evil spirit out of this hurting man. We are unlikely to see anything so dramatic within our lives, yet as we go through this Epiphany season, we are reminded that God seeks to touch and heal us through the presence of his son. The story of the man with the unclean spirit might seem not to have much to do with us, yet if you think regarding unwelcome temptations in life rather than physical demon-possession than the lesson points to our own lives[16]. We rest assured that no matter how dark the forces are that attack us, the Cross of Christ can eventually overcome them all. So did the Devil make Geraldine Jones buy a new dress[17]? Think back to the Garden of Eden, Adam blames Eve[18]; Eve blames the serpent[19]. Rather than admit that what took place was their fault, the Devil doesn’t forcibly remove credit cards from your wallet. Evil forces may tempt us and entice us all the day long, yet he only feeds on our brokenness. And as in the case of the Minnesota Vikings’ last Sunday, brokenness within life always has a way of coming to the forefront. What the story of the Man at the Synagogue in Capernaum illustrates to us this morning is that no matter how broken our situation may get, Jesus promises that he will eventually flip all our demons out of the room. Amen [1] “Flip Wilson.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 17.Oct.2017. Web. Jan.22.2018. [2] Flip Wilson.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. [3] “Geraldine Jones (Character).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 7.Dec.2017. Web. Jan.22.2018. [4] Geraldine Jones (Character).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.. [5] Flip Wilson.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. [6] Flip Wilson.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. [7] “Jimmy Swaggart.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 30. Dec.2017. Web. Jan.22.2018. [8] “Oral Roberts cast demons out of out of Swaggart, Swaggart friend says.” UPI News Service. 30.Mar.1988. Web. Jan.22.2018. [9] Oral Roberts cast demons out of out of Swaggart, Swaggart friend says.” UPI News Service. [10] “Jimmy Swaggart.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. [11] Jimmy Swaggart.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia [12] Mark 1:21-28. [13] Stier, Pastor Leon. “I Don’t Know What Got Into Me!” Email Mediatations. 1. Mar.2015. Web. Jan.22.2018. [14] Stier, Pastor Leon. “I Don’t Know What Got Into Me!” [15] Stier, Pastor Leon. “I Don’t Know What Got Into Me!” [16] Stier, Pastor Leon. “I Don’t Know What Got Into Me!” [17] Reverend Ed. “Flip Wilson Theology - The Devil Made Me Do It.” Attention Span Blog. Blogger. 11. Apr.2015. Web. Jan.22.2018. [18] Genesis 3:12. [19] Genesis 3:13. First Lesson: Isaiah 60: 1-6 Responsive Reading: Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14 Second Lesson: Ephesians 3: 1-12 Gospel Lesson: Matthew 2: 1-12 Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
A few weeks ago, I was watching the Vikings play the Cincinnati Bengals. What you need to know about the Bengals is this; they weren’t having a good season (5-8) heading into the game, having lost their most recent game 33-7 to the 3-9 Chicago Bears. Driving from Cincinnati to Minneapolis would take 10 ½ hours. So because of all these things, you hardly saw much of the Bengals colors of orange and black in a sea of purple on this day. As My Dad and I looked around, we saw the occasional Bengal fan often sitting alone. The Bengal followers didn’t have much to cheer about on this day; the Vikings won 34-7. I couldn’t help but admire the Bengal fans for coming into such a foreign environment because they wanted to do nothing more than support their favorite football team regardless of the odds. Now as we hear the tale of the Cincinnati Bengals fans, our Gospel lesson tells us the tale of another group of foreigners coming to a strange land in the Biblical Magi. We often misunderstand the Magi as Biblical characters. In spite of the song “We Three Kings.”, The Magi probably weren’t kings. The Greek word for King (Va-see-lias) is not used here, whereas (Va-see-lias) is used other places within the New Testament[1]. There is no evidence within the story that Magi are Kings of any kind. Describing the Magi as wise is probably not the best description for reasons, we’ll get into in a little bit. So if they weren’t Kings or Wise Men, who then were the Biblical Magi who came to visit Jesus bearing gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Magi comes from the Greek term for Magician[2]. Magi appear a few other places in the New Testament both with negative contexts. Simon the Magi appears in Acts 8, Simon is noted for opposing the apostle before converting. Elymas the Magi appear in Acts 13 opposes Paul and Barnabas. Magi in Jesus’ day were known for engaging in things like fortune-telling, and astrology[3]. Even in a story involving an unwed mother, and wandering shepherds, the Magi are the most unique characters within the story of Jesus’ birth. The reason why has everything to do with the Magi’s backgrounds. From where do the Magi come? The roots of the word Magi are Persian which would be in modern day Iran. Magi were traditionally the Priestly class of Zoroastrianism[4]. Magi as a key part of their religious practice would pay attention to the stars as a way of interpreting the astrological significance. So how do the Magi fit into our Gospel story? One night while looking at the sky, they see a star rising. Now in the Magi’s world a rising star that such a sign would speak to the birth of a world-changing leader, so they proceed to travel a thousand plus miles to see the newly born Christ child. So remember when I said earlier that the Magi weren’t all that wise? They lacked what some might call “political-savvy[5]?” As soon as they arrive in Judea, they visit King Herod. Here’s what you need to know about King Herod as pointed out by Jan Schnell Rippentrop[6]. Herod’s career had been building to this moment. He began his career as a Governor, was promoted to tetrarch then eventually becomes King. The Magi show up to Herod’s palace then ask Herod “Where can your replacement be found so that we may follow him?” Herod was a jealous type. Herod had been rising in the political world for years perhaps even decades by this point. Herod hoped the Magi would return with any information they found so that Herod may kill any potential threat to his throne. The Magi not being very wise agreed to return to Herod giving descriptions where this child was. So the Magi not being very wise could have quickly ended the story? Yet God had other plans. So the Magi kept following the rising star until it came to rest over the place where the child was. The Magi bow down and worship the child. They then proceed to present their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. Whether there were just three Magi or three gifts isn’t entirely clear. So as the Magi are ready to leave the Christ’s child presence to return to Herod, something happens. In these days, dreams were considered a way that God communicates with his people[7]. Similar to Mary and Joseph learn in a dream of the need to flee Herod to Egypt; the Magi learn in a dream to avoid the presence of Herod by returning home via a different road. So what do we learn from the story of the Biblical Magi Today?? The Main point of their presence is that God does not intend to work in the future as he has in the past. The Magi were probably not Jews. They were not working in a respectable Jewish profession[8]. What we do know though is they were willing to travel to the ends of the earth, into hostile territory like Cincinnati Bengal fans only their purpose was to worship and honor the birth of a king like the world had never known. The Magi had been looking at the stars for generations trying to find answers until God knew the time was right to bring them to the presence of the Christ child. Once upon a time, there was a little boy who ran away from home[9]. His father watched him run out of the house and wasn’t going to stand idle. So the Father decided that he would follow the boy at a distance so that he could see the boy, but the boy could not see him. Pretty soon the night falls, pretty soon the sky grows so dark that the boy could barely see. The Father sees his boy is now terrified with fear. The boy soon turns to get home, when he realizes that he’s lost, the boy then begins to cry. It was at this moment though when his father came and embraced him. The little boy shouts for joy “Daddy, I found you?” As we hear the story of the Magi, we ponder the question is “Who really found who?” The Magi didn’t so much find the Christ child, as the Christ child found the Magi. Perhaps the main point of our lesson is God can move even stars within our life when he needs to. The most important thing to move stars for is so that the lost get found by the presence of the savior. Today, we celebrate the first Sunday of Epiphany. Epiphany is a celebration of Christ revealing himself to all the nations in the presence of the Magi. “There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”-Galatians 3:28. Epiphany serves as a great reminder to us as Christian people that God is continually using extraordinary means (such as rising stars) to bring all kinds of different people like the Magi into his presence. Let me close with one final story as we complete Christmas’ twelve days and journey into Epiphany. September 1995, Caryl and Charlie Harvey hear the doorbell ring[10], it was two policeman to tell them that their 20-year-old son Chad had been murdered. Caryl and Charlie in a grief-stricken haze went through the funeral and life in the months after. Caryl though day by day kept getting angrier at God for how her prayers for Chad’s safety had failed. Caryl one day sits down to pray. “God, if you care about me, I need a miracle[11]. Otherwise, I think I’ll probably die[12].” Caryl thought not much would happen with this prayer, but pretty soon one night the doorbell rings once again. Caryl’s daughter finds an anonymous gift as she answers the door. The gift was odd it was a tree branch with apples and a plastic bluebird perched on top. Attached was a note that read the following. “On the first day of Christmas My true love gave to me A partridge in a pear tree. We couldn’t find a partridge, And our pear tree died, So you have to settle for a Bluebird in an apple tree[13].” Attached to Caryl’s gift was a card with a Bible verse describing the birth of John the Baptist. The very next night, the doorbell rings again, but no one is quick enough to answer in time. The gift the next day was too turtle brand lollipops, and two dove chocolate bars underneath read a note. “On the second day of Christmas My true love sent to me Two turtledoves[14]” Attached once again was a Bible verse of Gabriel appearing to Mary[15]. For the next ten days, the same routine followed[16]. On the third day, with French hens unavailable appeared Cornish hens. On the fourth day, a cassette tape filled with songs about birds “four calling birds.” On the fifth day, the five golden rings were “five” fresh donuts. On the sixth day, the six geese a laying decided to lay pastel chalk eggs. On the seventh day, seven swans decided to swim on top of a cake. On the eight day, the eight maids a milking were a new cow candle. On the ninth day, the nine dancing ladies had become nine gingerbread women who looked like they enjoy to boogey. On the tenth day, the ten leaping lords were ten wooden leaping puppets. On the eleventh day, came a tape of music from eleven pied pipers. On the twelfth day, were twelve drums made out of biscuits for the Harvey family to enjoy. Each of these gifts was presented with an accompanying Bible verse. Each day, each new gift brought a new smile to Caryl Harvey’s face[17]. For the first time since Chad’s death, Caryl Harvey began anticipating the day to come[18]. Caryl Harvey inspite of how unlikely it was for her to see God’s presence in her life, had just encountered God in the most unexpected and unusual of ways. The following story is no different than one night a group of Magi from a land far, far away from Bethlehem looked out over the sky, they seemed to not fit into the story in any way, no different than Cincinnati Bengal fans looked at a Vikings game. What the Magi’s story reminds us is that God’s plan includes all sorts of unexpected people coming into our lives. Just as one unknown gift-giver gave Caryl Harvey hope for the first time in months after the death of her son. While we might not encounter any rising stars like the Magi, it never hurts to stand and take a look out upon God’s night sky. Amen [1] Stier, Leon. “The Wise Men (part one of two)?” Email Mediations. 27.Dec.2014. Web. Jan.2.2018. [2] Stier, Leon. “The Wise Men (part one of two)?” [3] Stier, Leon. “The Wise Men (part one of two)?” [4] “Biblical Magi.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 4.Jan.2018. Web. Jan.2.2018. [5] Stier, Leon. “The Wise Men (part one of two)?” [6] Rippentrop, Jan Schnell. “Commentary on Matthew 2:1-12.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. 06.Jan.2018. Web. Jan.2.2018. [7] Rippentrop, Jan Schnell. “Commentary on Matthew 2:1-12.” [8] Stier, Leon. “The Wise Men (part one of two)?” [9] Stier, Leon. “The Wise Men (part two of two)?”Email Mediations. 28.Dec.2014. Web. Jan.2.2018. [10] Higgins, Scott. “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Stories for Preaching. Web. Jan.2.2018. The following is taken from Christianity Today, Vol 39, No.6, 2001. [11] Higgins, Scott. “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” [12] Higgins, Scott. “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” [13] Higgins, Scott. “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” [14] Higgins, Scott. “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” [15][15] Higgins, Scott. “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” [16] Higgins, Scott. “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” [17] Higgins, Scott. “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” [18] Higgins, Scott. “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” |
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