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Gospel: Mark 1: 21-28
Then they came to Capernaum,
and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
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!”
Jesus rebuked him and said,
“Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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When I think of a sacred space, I think of this church. This altar. This pulpit. Our newly installed crucifix. The Saints and the Stations of the Cross that line the outer wall.
Sacred spaces are filled with holy things that point us to God.
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In today’s Gospel, there’s a man with an unclean spirit present in the synagogue. But the synagogue is a holy place, so why is he there?
Surely, he doesn’t belong.
Or does he?
Maybe he went to the synagogue that day praying for a cure.
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Have you ever wondered who or what possessed him?
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The Gospel only tells us it was an, “unclean spirit.”
In the ancient world, many diseases and conditions which people could neither understand nor control were lumped together into the category of “unclean spirits.”
While this man could’ve been haunted by a demon, he also could’ve suffered from epilepsy; migraines; dementia; or simply an uncontrollable temper.
Perhaps he was a conflicted man, both a believer and a sinner; a man who knew he was under the influence of something stronger than himself and he wanted to be set free.
Whatever it was, this “unclean spirit” tortured him, isolating him from others.
That’s the real evil here.
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This becomes the first that miracle Jesus performs in Mark’s Gospel.
Perhaps Mark uses this man as an image for all Christians. Though believers, aren’t we all in need of the healing power of Christ?
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Like this man, we, too, can carry “unclean spirits” into sacred spaces – into church, into our marriage, into our families, into our friendships, and into our workplaces.
In his Letter to the Galatians, Paul cautions us against falling prey to particular vices, including: laziness, immorality, impurity, hatred, jealousy, selfishness, excessive drinking, and envy.
Even Paul says, “What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but what I hate…So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”
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What might be an “unclean spirit” lodged in my own heart? And in what ways might the Lord heal us?
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Consider four common ways.
The Lord heals us in the Eucharist, which is the Promised Presence of Christ. As Pope Francis says, “the Eucharist is not a prize for the perfect.”
It’s a healing balm for the soul.
The Lord heals us with his Word. As it’s written in the Letter to the Hebrews, “The Word of God is living and effective.” When used to mold our decisions, it becomes powerful, changing lives for the better.
The Lord heals us in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, removing guilt and burdens we no longer need to carry.
And the Lord heals us through the powerful silence of prayer.
Which of these four avenues – Eucharist, scripture, reconciliation, and prayer – am I most drawn to as a source of healing?
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“If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart,” the Psalmist says.
Our hearts – and by extension, our lives – are sacred spaces. But like the man in today’s Gospel, sometimes “unclean spirits” take up residence within us, which often we do not seek. Rather, it’s part of our fallen nature.
The Lord stands ready to drive those things out of us. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock,” he says. “If anyone opens the door, I will come in.” Open that door and welcome Him in.
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Image credits: (1) Roberta Winter Institute, Why Did Jesus Heal (2) Reddit (3) Jesus Heals, YouTube