Sermon on the 4th Sunday of the year. January 28, 2024 Tiel
It is certainly one of the most difficult things to bear that people like ourselves, fellow human beings, are mentally confused, cannot lead a normal life and that we, fellow human beings, cannot do anything about it – not even they themselves – and are powerless . It is quite something that in our time and in our part of the world we no longer see “confused persons” as possessed by the devil as in the time of Jesus. Nowadays, when dealing with people who are not themselves, all the emphasis is on continuing to see them as human beings. Fellow man. And that we also act accordingly by not excluding them, but treating them respectfully and fairly. We may sometimes have a hard time with them. But they have it much harder. And even though we cannot always follow them, we can surround them with compassion, and love them like ourselves.
The people of Jesus’ day believed that anyone who behaved abnormally was the victim of an evil spirit, or of the devil himself 1). One could try to exorcise such a person with all kinds of bizarre rituals, but that often makes the mentally ill even more anxious and confused. Humanly speaking, there was no way to prevent it. The event in the synagogue of Capernaum is therefore very exciting for everyone. There appears to be a mentally ill person among those present in the large synagogue of that place. When Jesus proclaimed his doctrine of the kingdom of God in that house of prayer, everyone was deeply impressed. What Jesus said and the way he said it was so new and so special and so refreshing, everyone was touched in a way that only a God could do. Wasn’t the new Moses here speaking to them?2) The confused man cannot hide his feelings like the other attendees who, even deeply impressed, keep a low profile and behave normally. He shouts: “Jesus of Nazareth, what have you got to do with us? You have come to destroy us. I know who You are, the Holy One of God.” This is very exciting. The man speaks in the plural: “You have come to ruin us.” Who are these us? All the people present? Yes, if Jesus really comes from God, who can stand up to him? Have not all men every reason to fear? If God reveals Himself, who can exist, imperfect, shallow,, unclean people that we are? Who is actually ‘normal’ from God’s point of view? Isn’t each of us at a loss when it comes down to it? And what do the other people think. The ordinary people. The normal people?
See, that’s where a little devil gets his chance, because indeed a normal person will be happy when he sees that a confused person can live healthy and freely again and can dispose of himself. “Be silent, and come away from him.” Jesus spoke very calmly. But to us, so-called normal people, a little devil whispers to us: “This Jesus has power over unclean spirits, so he is their boss. They obey him because he is their superior.” People were not only impressed by Jesus’ proclamation, but there was also an opinion among them that there was something wrong wit Jezus himself. From the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, a separation of spirits takes place: on the one hand all those who believe in him as the Savior, that prophet who came into the world from God, and on the other hand those who are suspicious and rejecting, who see him as an instrument of the devil. “For who can do anything other than what no human being can do: free a human being from the prison of confusion and miscommunication and give him back to himself?”
The name of Jesus is able to change people from tormented people to free people. His presence in our world and in our lives as the living Lord is beneficial and comforting. But he works among us through his Spirit, without fuss and boasting, without incantations and rituals. He invites us through his word to imitate him in paying attention to our confused fellow human beings. They are extra vulnerable. They are easily misunderstood and overlooked. There is much more talk about them than with them, which alone is enough to get completely confused. A society that has no place for confused and confusing people is itself confused and confusing. Not normal but abnormal. Let us as churches and religious communities be places where people who cannot express themselves well can also come into their own. Time and patience and modesty will make us true fellow human beings in their eyes. In this way we may also encounter Jesus in the eyes of the other person damaged by mental illness. And shock of recognition. A cry of liberation. A sigh of relief. A lasting wonder. Amen
Martin Los
lessons of the eucharist of this fourth regular Sunday:
Gospel:
1) Gospel: Markus 1:12-28
2) First reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Foto: Ruine van de synagoge in Kapernaum
Beneficial encounter in the community
Beantwoorden