Finding Faith ... in possessing 'The Authority'

EDITOR'S NOTE: In October 2017 I began a new venture as a synodically authorized minister at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. The ride over the past 3 years has been an amazing journey of learning, growing and a deepening of my theological mind. This sermon took place on Jan. 26, 2021. This was the 37th digital service we performed after our church was shuttered because of the COVID pandemic.

This week's preaching text: Mark 1:21-28

21 [Jesus and his disciples] went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Just 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.

Message:

As we approach Lenten season here in 2021, tonight's gospel reminded me of a story from my very first Lent here three years ago. Some of you may remember that that year instead of our traditional Lenten services on Wednesdays we hosted a series of what I called "talking circles."

The "talking circles" were an opportunity for the congregation to talk and get to know itself a little better, and also for me as a new pastor walking in to learn more about the congregation. For those who weren't in attendance back then, what we would do is gather downstairs before the service for a delicious meal that was hosted by our LYO students, and then afterward, we would come up here into the sanctuary for some scripture, some prayer and some really good conversation.

Each week we focused on different topics. One week it was what do we love about Faith Lutheran? What makes us smile here at church? Another week was what traditions do we have that are unique to Faith Lutheran? What makes us unique as a community of faith? ... Questions like what do we want for our future? And the list of questions went on and on.

We did this each Wednesday during Lent that year, but in my mind there was one moment during one of those sessions that still resonates with me today, a moment that still gives me goosebumps even as I stand here tonight. That was when the then-young Mr. Kaden Schroeder emptied out his heart to all of us one particular Wednesday night. I say the then-young Kaden because now unbelievably Kaden is a senior and about to graduate, if you can believe that. ... But not then. ... Then Kaden was just a freshman, and like most all of us during our high school years, he was trying to navigate the new and difficult world that we call "high school."

That night, he shared intimately about the difficulty of trying to lead an openly faith-based life in an environment in high school so opposed to the values of the Kingdom. ... God's Kingdom, of course. ... And in that very intimate moment when this young prophet had captured all of our hearts and imagination, here in the sanctuary, you could see that Kaden was brimming with confidence, in an inner fire that could only have been inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Faith Family ... if you weren't here that magical night, I am sorry because it was an experience that I will never forget. It is to date one of my most cherished memories here at Faith Lutheran. That night that young man was on fire. He possessed a confidence that only one filled with the Holy Spirit could have possessed. ... Or, in other words, he had "authority." ... No, not the authority bestowed on him by what adulthood brings, or even the authority that comes with such a title as a "scribe" as we learn in tonight's gospel. ... No, on that night, Kaden was filled with the capital "T" -- "The Authority." ... The Authority of the Holy Spirit. ... An authority greater than any other on this earth.

That night, he possessed a Spirit-based authority that commanded all of our intentions, and we did indeed listen. ... In fact, just like in our gospel tonight, we listened that night like the unclean spirit listened to Jesus in tonight's gospel text. ... Possessed of the authority of the Holy Spirit itself, in our gospel Jesus rebukes the man with the unclean spirit and says be silent and come out of him. And that's exactly what that unclean spirit does.

Even more, Jesus's authority in this text, his authority through the Holy Spirit, was so powerful that that unclean spirit was forced out of that man. We're told that the unclean spirit was forced out so forcefully that the man convulsed and cried out in pain. ... Because that, Faith Family, is the power of the Holy Spirit. ... Powerful enough to keep the unclean spirits, whatever they may be, and symbolically Faith Family, we know that there are many unclean spirits in this earthly kingdom in which we live. ... Pandemics and racism and sexism and poverty and privilege and tribalism and gluttony and greed. ... And each of us could name a list longer than this page that I'm reading off of tonight. ... There are infinite unclean spirits which attack us on a daily basis.

Lucky for us, Faith Family, the Holy Spirit is powerful enough to keep every and all unclean spirits at bay. ... Just as Jesus did in our gospel tonight.

But maybe even more importantly than remembering the power of the Holy Spirit, is remembering that this scene of Jesus's exorcism of this demon took place in the synagogue, of all places. ... He didn't meet this gentleman on the street. He walked into the synagogue, the place of worship, and the unclean spirit was in this man ... on a sabbath day of all days. And those facts should demonstrate to us that the Holy Spirit could care less about earthly authority. ... Because, after all, we also have to remember that in this scene, an early scene in the gospel of Mark, this exorcism marks Jesus's very first public act of ministry. ... This very young rabbi, who just recently came into his public ministry, walks into a synagogue and for his very first act exercises the demon.

But remember, here already in this house of worship, in this synagogue that was filled with people, there already was the appointed scribes who were tasked with teaching the people about the scriptures, the task of teaching people about what is holy, earthly appointed spiritual leaders. ... And yet these earthly appointed spiritual leaders didn't even detect the presence of the unclean spirit in this poor man. And they certainly didn't have the spiritual authority to even make the unclean spirit quiver. ... But Jesus did!

The text tells us that Jesus taught in that synagogue on that sabbath day with a new kind of authority, a new kind of authority that the people of that day had never witnessed. This young, upstart rabbi, whom no one knew, demonstrated for the people that day that he taught with an authority greater than any authority they had ever known. ... And greater than any authority that a spiritual leader that sat in that synagogue with him that day.

The gospel tells us that Jesus taught with the authority of the Holy Spirit ... kind of like on a Wednesday night, here in the sanctuary when a young man named Kaden did the same during one of our talking series.

Faith Family ... I hope that this message tonight gives you chills in a good way too, because the message in tonight's gospel means that each and every one of us who is possessed by the authority of the Holy Spirit can move mountains. ... We, through the Holy Spirit, just like Jesus in tonight's gospel, can lift up the sick; we can lift up the widowed; we can lift up the orphans, and the poor. ... We, through this Holy Spirit, can fight back against all of the humanly created systems that keep so many people in bondage. ... Through the power of the Holy Spirit, each and every one of us can cast out each and every unclean spirit we come across ... all by ourselves. ... All of us, regardless of what earthly authority we have ... because we can possess the authority of the Holy Spirit, just like Jesus did.

And that is the Good News for this Tuesday, Jan. 26, and Sunday morning, Jan. 31, Faith Family, the fourth Sunday after epiphany. ... Amen.