the people are astonished over the authority they hear and see in Jesus. This is an authority they never experienced in the scribes. The account of the man with the unclean spirit reveals the fear based faith as the customary way, and the new way of Jesus.    

    The usual stance of scribal teaching was based on the fear of impurity and becoming unclean. Theirs was a religion based on purity codes of obedience to the laws based on the religious and social rejection cast on the unclean. To be holy meant to be clean; to keep your distance from all that was unclean. This meant staying away from certain people (sinners) food (pork), and actions (working on the Sabbath). To transgress such codes meant rejection by God, and the religious community.

    Our story revolves around a man with an unclean spirit. The spirit knows the religious codes and expectations and uses them to deceive and trap victims. This is the deception of evil and how well-meaning persons can be tempted and confused by the wiles of evil. The spirit depends on fear to keep his victim trapped and the hearts of believers closed to the truth of God. In the present religious system it is highly effective, causing most faith to be fear based.

    Jesus confronts not only the unclean spirit, but also the religious boundaries that bind people from true faith and trust in the goodness of God. This is the new teaching with authority which astonishes the people. Jesus not only speaks with authority, he acts with power and the spirit obeys. 

    Initially, the spirit confronts Jesus expecting the normal behavior of fear and

distance, leaving the spirit to ploy his deception. ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” In other words, you’re going to leave us alone, right? “Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God!” In other words, as the holy one of God, you of all people, will not risk becoming unclean, will you? Jesus sees the ploy and claims authority. ‘Shut up, and come out of him!’

Realizing the authority of truth and the power of the Most High in Jesus, the spirit comes out of the man.

    The people are astonished. Never have they seen such authority. No one has ever crossed such a boundary and not become unclean or been rejected by teachers of religion. Jesus breaks all false boundaries of fear and mistrust as he reveals with his life the truth of divine love and compassion. Inner purity of a heart centered in God will reveal and have power over the deception of evil, and fear based faith.

    Faith based in fear is not centered in God, and is not aware or trusting in the goodness of God’s love. God is awesome and powerful and deserving of all reverence and honor. True relationships are not based in fear, but in trust. The wiles and temptations of evil, nor the frustrations of our human limitations cannot defeat the authority of divine love and truth revealed in Jesus. Fear is useless. What is needed is trust.

Father John Esper

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