Sunday Worship on the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Welcome to our Worship on the fourth Sunday after Epiphany. At present both churches in Leesfield Parish are closed for Public Worship, but you're most welcome to join us for worship at home. You'll find everything you need to do that here on this page.
We'll also be sharing recorded services from the Church of England, and St Barnabas & Holy Trinity on our facebook page - Leesfield Parish
Our first hymn this morning is "Light of the World (Here I am to Worship)"
Mark 1: 21-28
Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and 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.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They 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.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
Reflection -
Today’s gospel is quite short but there is much in here to consider. I would like to focus on a couple of aspects for today’s reflection.
“They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes”.
As Jesus starts his ministry it is perhaps natural that, as a Jew, he went to the synagogue. We are told in this line that ‘they were astounded’. Not interested or amazed, but astounded. We are not told exactly how he astounded them but it was clear that it had a profound effect on everyone. It is that sense of profoundness that is key to understanding what is happening here and why Jesus’ fame began to spread so immediately.
I can be interested in a book or a speech and I can be amazed by an act on TV or in a theatre, a magician for example. But these are reactions we would associate with being entertained. Yet in today’’ Gospel passage here we learn of this young man who is teaching ‘with authority’ and is truly astonishing them – ‘blowing their minds’, to use the modern vernacular.
So what is so different about what Jesus is doing here in the synagogue that made everyone sit up and listen with astonishment. To start with, in these times, it would be quite normal for the leaders in the synagogue to be more of an administrative position with a limited number of teachers, if any. By way of teaching, they would often select one of the very few people who were literate to read from the scriptures and maybe add a few comments. On some occasions they may be fortunate to have visiting scribes or teachers but again it was clear that they were often just quoting second hand lessons or doctrine they had heard from other rabbis.
Jesus on the other hand isn’t just passing on someone else narrative, he owns the narrative. We hear time and again throughout the Gospels that he is speaking in the first person. For example, he uses phrases such as, “Truly I tell you” or “I say to you…”. He is speaking with the authority of the Lord, it is clear that he is the Lord, Jesus himself is the author of the narrative not the story teller.
How awesome and astonishing this must have been for those present as they began to understand the truth that Jesus spoke and recognised his ‘authority and who he was’. One can only image what it must have been like to have beeen present when Jesus taught and his words sank deep into their minds and hearts.
It is not just the congregation that recognises the authority of Jesus as he begins his ministry. We see the only one to challenge Jesus is Satan himself as he sends a demon to openly question Jesus’ power. “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” As the words of the Lord start to take root in the hearts of the people and spiritually enrich them, Satan himself is under threat and he needs to undermine Jesus and dispel his authority.
But of course, he couldn’t. Whilst Satan may have the power to lead us mortals astray and tempt us into sin, Jesus is pure and free from sin. He was sent to release us from our sins.
He therefore had no power over Jesus and moreover no authority. It is Jesus who has the authority and he defies Satan in no uncertain terms by rebuking him and banishing the evil spirit.
The possessed man is made clean and healed. Through this sign Jesus shows us all that no matter what we have done, how low we have fallen and how much of a mess we think we have made of our lives, if we trust and turn to him, he has the authority to put things right and save each and every one of us.
Our Prayers -
Amen.
Our final hymn this morning is "Lord For The Years" -
