Mark 3: 20-35
RELEASED FROM FEAR
Jesus had just started his ministry on earth. He had gathered to him twelve disciples and was touring the countryside bringing healing into people’s lives. His reputation preceded him and wherever he went there was a crowd gathered around him and pondering, ‘Who is this man?’ It appeared that a new movement had started in the land. Many people where either: hopeful, or anxious and even fearful of what it might bring.
On one occasion early in his ministry, Jesus had entered a house with his disciples and a crowd had gathered. On hearing this Jesus’ family have had enough and left their house to bring him home thinking, ‘he is out of his mind’. Also on hearing this, the teachers of the law, the church leaders left their house in Jerusalem to come down and to deal with Jesus in their own way. They had enough and also thought that ‘he is out of his mind’. They accused him of being Satan because of the unfamiliar activities that he was doing.
In this picture, there are three groups. The first group is Jesus in the house surrounded by his followers; a picture of unity. The other two groups consisting of the family of Jesus and the church leaders had left their houses to deal with Jesus; a picture of division in their own house. The latter two groups had one thing in common; fear.
Perhaps Jesus’ family feared social ridicule or banishment from the Temple, or they feared for the safety and well being of Jesus. Whatever they thought, it was through their fear that they wanted to bring Jesus home and stop him doing whatever he was doing even if it meant giving life to other people.
Perhaps the church leaders feared that this new movement may appear as a threat to the Roman rulers of the land or even to their own establishment. Upsetting the current rulers could mean violent retribution to the Temple and to the people in the land as history had shown. No wonder they also thought, ‘He is out of his mind’ even when Jesus was giving life to other people.
Where does fear originate?
To answer that, we need to go back to the beginning, back to that old garden. In the Garden of Eden, Satan whispered in the ears of Adam and Eve that they could have what they wanted in life by taking a certain course of action. They did so, which only led them into trouble. Their action of picking the forbidden fruit and biting into it, we see as sin that led to the separation of mankind from God. The forbidden fruit was only a means for Satan to achieve his desired goal. His goal was to create fear into mankind. He knew that fear was the essential ingredient necessary to separate mankind from God who is the source of life. It was through fear that Adam and Eve hid from God in the garden. It was fear that hid them from forgiveness. It was fear that hid them from receiving life. God came looking for Adam and Eve for the purpose of forgiving them and to restore them to life albeit in a changed world that they had created. God through the Holy Spirit continues looking for mankind to deliver you and me from fear so that we may have life albeit in a changed world that we have created.
All of us try hard to keep within the law because we fear the fines and other possible retribution, and that’s good. However, we all have many more fears that rob us of life and keep us from God. Fear is the ‘strongman’ in our house, in our self. Satan rejoices that we have fear; it keeps us from life, from God, and from giving life to others. When we find our self in that condition then indeed Satan has control of our life.
What are your fears?
Do they keep you from having a full life?
Do they keep you from God?
Do they keep you from giving life to others?
In one example, on a larger scale, we have been conditioned to fear the boat people coming to our land. We are anxious that they will take over the land, change the laws, take away our jobs, and make life difficult for us in some way. Instead, we make it difficult for them to have life.
Furthermore, by denying the poor, the hungry, the sick, the orphan, the unemployed, the refugee, by denying these people some sort of welfare then they miss out on life and are further hidden from God. By such actions we show that we behave like Satan who also opposes life. When we fear change then the strongman is in charge of our house.
Who then can deliver us from our fears, from the strongman within us?
The church and civil leaders that came to Jesus accused him of being Satan, and furthermore accused him of casting out Satan from Satan himself. Wouldn’t that cause division and the end to the house of Satan? They must have been out of their minds to think of such a nonsensical idea. Through desperation and fear irrational thinking and action often follow. Jesus compared their ludicrous accusation with someone breaking into a house of a strongman, first tying him up and then taking away his plunder. Such a person would have to be out of their mind to attempt such a thing.
However, is there such a person stronger than the strongman of the house that can tie him up and release his stolen wealth? Perhaps, someone who is out of their mind?
In the Garden of Eden, God came looking for Adam and Eve to give them renewed life. God continues to seek mankind and to give them life. He came this time as the Son of God in the name of Jesus. In this way we can experience God in the flesh to see him, to hear him and to touch him in the flesh. In this way we get to understand the true nature of God and his love for all his creation.
Yes! As accused by his family, Jesus is out of his mind to come and deal with the strongman in our house. It reveals the degree of love that Jesus; that God has for us. Jesus did not use violence to tie up the strongman, to tie up Satan. Jesus knew that the only thing to release us from fear and from the clutches of the strongman is love. Love conquers all.
Throughout his ministry on earth Jesus daily delivered people from their various fears and therefore gave them life. He fed those who feared hunger, he healed those who feared their illness, he gave friendship to those who feared loneliness, and he raised Lazarus from the grave and brought him to life in order to deliver those who feared death and the grave. Through acts of love, Jesus delivered many people from their fears and as a result gave them life. His most gracious act of love towards all of us was to die on the cross in order that we may have a resurrected life with him in heaven. No longer need we fear that we will be forgotten in the grave and that our moment on earth has been a meaningless glitch in the universe, but through Jesus our life continues with him in heaven together with all creation in love and harmony; a life without fear. Through acts of love received we gain knowledge and faith in that person enough to trust and step out with them from fear and into new life.
In his desire to restore his own creation to life, God continues looking for us. Through the resurrection of Jesus, God comes again to us in his Holy Spirit. He has personally entered our house to deal with our own strongman. What we have seen Jesus do in his ministry on earth, we also can expect similar dedication from the Holy Spirit in our own life. The Holy Spirit comes in us to deliver us from fear, to set us free to have life, and to have it abundantly. Above all, God is in us to develop love in us as the main means in which fear, the strongman is defeated.
The Holy Spirit comes in us through very simple means. God comes in us through Holy Baptism, through Holy Communion, and through hearing his Word which comes presented to us in many forms. Throughout the Bible, God reminds his people and says, “Do not fear, for I am with you always”. Christians everywhere can encourage one another by saying, “Do not fear, for God is in you”.
Today’s Gospel text closes with an image of Jesus’ family standing outside calling for him. The Greek word that is translated to mean, ‘out of your mind’ can also mean ‘standing outside of…’ The whole text uses that double meaning to present a picture of people either outside of the house and outside of life, or inside the house where there is life with Jesus. Jesus is inside the house surrounded in a circle by his disciples and followers. It is a picture of unity and harmony and concludes that those who are outside of the house are truly, ‘out of their mind’. Jesus concludes the day by saying that whoever extends love to others in some way, even in small practical applications does God’s will and is part of God‘s family. They are free from the strongman.
Amen.
