God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. … My sermon is
entitled Exorcisms, Excerpt and Examination, and my focus is our Gospel
(Mark 1:21-28). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I
rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now
that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we
listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply
as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
Would you be surprised to know that there are more than 70
movies about exorcisms? There was one released recently entitled The Pope’s
Exorcist with Russell Crowe. In addition to The Exorcist by
William Peter Blatty, the list includes comedies (Beetlejuice) and
cartoons (Daffy Duck’s Quackbusters). Mention the word exorcism and most
likely, once you get past the gore of movies, you will settle upon the practice
of the Roman Catholic Church. Since this is a sermon during the Divine Worship
of the Lutheran Church, I will stick to our teachings and pastoral practice.
The word itself is a Greek command meaning Get out! It
is the expelling or banning of evil spirits. In the broad sense, exorcism is a
ritual widely practiced in many religious cults. In the narrow sense it is a
Christian ceremony.
In the early church, special formulas of exorcism were
developed alongside baptism. Martin Luther included exorcisms in his Little
Baptismal Book published in 1523. During the Reformation, Catholic and Eastern
Orthodox Churches preserved the ritual, while the Lutheran Church, following
Martin Luther's lead, generally kept exorcism until the 18th century.
At that time, some Lutheran leaders rejected the rite of exorcism. C. F. W.
Walther advised congregations that practiced it not to abolish it in haste and
those that did not have it not to reintroduce it.
So, there is no official position in the LCMS. The
Synod believes in the existence of Satan and of demonic beings, but has no
official position on demonic possession. It does not subscribe officially to
any formal rite of exorcism or have special clergy assigned to this task, but
individual pastors have participated in exorcisms.
In 2018, Fort Wayne Seminary Professor, Dr. Gene Vieth
wrote about the topic. In The Lutheran Approach to Exorcism,
Vieth pointed out that psychology and pastoral counseling led to a downplay in
demonic possession. He then cited Pastor Robert Bennett, who worked in
Madagascar, one of the largest and fastest-growing Lutheran populations in the
world, where Lutheran pastors cast out demons regularly.
Bennett concedes that while mental illness is real, the
devil attacks us at our weakest point. Hence, Satan may attack us because our
mental condition is weakened from financial worries, professional ambitions or
personal fears. His lies include: “You are not worth saving.” “Your
life is worthless.” “God cannot love someone like you.”
Bennett observed that while pastors practice the ritual,
Jesus is the true exorcist, and where He is, demons are
defeated. Thus, demons are cast out not so much by elaborate rituals
but by the Word of God and prayer. In fact, every Christian has at his or her
disposal the powerful resources to combat devils. Confession and Absolution,
found within the Divine Service and the individual version, is a powerful
weapon. That said, when is the last time you asked a pastor to hear your
private confession? In addition to these, The Lord’s Prayer and many Lutheran
hymns are also effective.
Now that we have some understanding of exorcism, let us
move to my second point, excerpt. Our Gospel excerpt today (Mk 1:21-28) takes
place in a synagogue in Capernaum. This was a sizeable congregation, and like
all synagogues, the right to teach was controlled by leaders. We read in Acts
13, how Paul and Barnabas entered the synagogue in Antioch. “On the
Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from
the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them,
saying, ‘Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say
it.’”
Jesus was already active in the area as a known and
respected teacher when he was invited to speak. And even though this excerpt is
known as Jesus Driving Out an Unclean Spirit, the exorcism is
secondary to His teaching. His mission is fundamentally oriented not toward
miracles, but rather toward proclamation of the Word.”
Jesus’ teaching did two things: first, it astonished; and
second, it exposed evil. Teaching God’s Word frees people, and exposes evil
which seeks to destroy people and hinder God’s plan. We do not know the details
of Jesus’ teaching in this synagogue, but we do know that his views on Sabbath
and purity laws, divorce and other matters challenged the regime. Those
who heard his teaching were astonished because unlike the scribes, he taught
like a prophet. Prophets received a word of God without study. And the reaction
of the audience was frequently described as astonishment at his unprecedented
power.
With regards to the man, it is important to distinguish
between the sick and the possessed. This man was not like Peter’s
mother-in-law, the man with leprosy or the paralyzed man. This man was
possessed by the unclean spirit. Furthermore, we do not know if the man was a
regular attendee at the synagogue. Mark is silent on this detail. We do know
that the spirit felt threatened and became hostile, and that it spoke for the
whole threatened fraternity of demons. Hence, we see that Jesus’ battle was not
with an individual spirit, but against the realm of evil. Evil is not an
impersonal force but is concentrated in invisible, malevolent beings who are
bent on destroying human beings and hindering God’s plan of salvation.
The demon who took possession of the man affected his
thinking, words and physical behavior. The exorcism passages all speak of the
demon as an active personality, distinct from the human host, and is able to control
his behavior. Its crying out and convulsing was a mark of desperate but
ineffectual resistance. It was not concerned about Jesus’ earthly origin but
His Divine Nature for it was aware that it was facing a superior supernatural
power.
When the evil spirit does call Jesus the Holy One of God, a
term usually reserved for God, priests or prophets, he responded by rebuking
and silencing the man with a command that must be observed. The phrase the Lord
used literally means “be muzzled!”
The reaction of the crowd suggests exorcisms were not
common, and that Jesus’ style was strikingly different. I mean, to teach people
is remarkable enough but to exercise power over demons creates amazement like
nothing else. Yet, the amazement of the crowd must not be mistaken for faith.
And while teaching is primary in Jesus’ ministry, Mark
includes three other accounts of Jesus exorcizing demons (5:1-20; 7:24-30;
9:14-29), two accounts where Jesus empowered his disciples to do so (3:15; 6:7)
and one where someone else is doing so in his name (9:38-40).
Notice lastly that the New Testament shows little interest
in demons except when the discussion is about exorcisms, namely, when the
powers of darkness impose themselves on human life. Mark’s Gospel does not seek
to explain mysterious knowledge to satisfy curiosity about the great unknowns
or the existence of evil in this world. His exorcism accounts are not lessons
in mysticism or early Gnosticism. Rather, Mark offers saving knowledge to those
who need help and healing.
Folks, you may not need help and healing against demonic
spirits in your life as did this man, but each of us needs divine help against
sin. Whether that sin comes to us from Satan or our sin-scarred society;
whether that sin brings sickness or suffering; or whether we are plagued by
selfish, sinful tendencies within ourselves, our workplaces, social settings or
even in families. We will never escape sin. Yet, we need not give up and give
in. Our God is not a cold and vicious Creator. He is a Trinitarian God loving
us into creation, salvation and sanctification. And, as I mentioned in my first
point, God has given us the means of grace to combat and defeat Satan, sin and
self. And finally, for those who were in our Small Catechism class a few weeks
ago, as Francis said, don’t try to dialogue with the devil, he’s smarter than
all of us combined. Just do what Jesus did, and say, “Get out!” Now, onto my
third point, examination.
Lest you think I am going to quiz you on your attentiveness
or understanding, fear not. My examination – my point – is our daily
examination of conscience. In 2018, the Synod issued a report on Confession and
Absolution. In it, the report cited Luther’s use of the confession of sins
in three settings: 1) private confession to a pastor; 2) confession to God
alone as we find it in the Lord’s Prayer; and 3) confession made to a fellow
Christian (James 5:16).
Regarding private confession, Luther once said, “Private
confession should be retained in the church, for in it consciences afflicted
and crushed by the terrors of sin lay themselves bare and receive consolation
which they could not acquire in public preaching.” On a side not, Cindy and
I have started reading “Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet.” It reports that
while he was an Augustinian monk, some of Luther’s parishioners complained that
he would not absolve them, because they showed no true penitence nor reform.
They appealed with letters of indulgence from Tetzel.
In the 20th century periodic attempts were
made in the Synod to restore individual confession, but the most common form
remains the general public confession and absolution in the course of the
Eucharistic service or immediately before it.
That said, some examination of conscience has been
advocated by various districts. The ancient Christian practice called “The
Examen” can strengthen our connection to God and others. It is a daily process
of examining my behavior and God’s actions in the light of His words of truth.
It is a daily practice where I ask God to help me see His presence and plan in
the confusion of daily life. As I review the day by the hour, I offer thanks to
God for allowing me to accomplish tasks and encounter people. I may also be led
to repent of certain actions, thoughts or attitudes that emerged over the past
24 hours, before looking forward to tomorrow.
I have used the examination of conscience throughout my
life. For those of you who recall, several weeks ago, I wrote in my sermon
about journaling and writing a spiritual biography. Part of this came from my
practice of a daily examination and journaling. Yet, the focus is not on how I
am doing or what I am doing. The focus is on God’s grace – how the Almighty Trinity
is active and alive in my insignificant, sinful life. It’s not about my effort
or the method of the examination, but the loving-kindness of God directing my
life.[1]
My friends, you’re going encounter evil in your life and
our world. Evil may be overt but it is also subtle. Satan did not tempt Eve and
Adam with a sales pitch of an Oklahoma car dealer. Satan was personal and
social. In reality, facing evil is scarier than Hollywood horror flicks, and
how you face it is crucial. But remember this, every sin and every evil is
surmountable through the Grace of God and the Cross of Christ. As we love to
sing, “one little word can fell him.”
My life may not require an exorcism, but may benefit from
an examination. Adopting a daily examination of conscience will hopefully help
you to be more aware of how and where God is active and alive in your
sin-filled life. Reflecting upon the movements of grace and gratitude, sin and
shame, the need for confession and absolution in your life, incorporating a
daily examination of conscience in your life may be what’s missing. Consider
it, and when you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep
your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Amen.
[1]
My attempts at locating current mention of a
daily examen on LCMS District websites were met with negative results. Having
exhausted all attempts, I refer to two other Lutheran pastors who suggest the
practice. My own experience with thoughtful LCMS pastors is that the examen is
a personal practice that is often not published in their writings. Here you go:
https://www.stplc.org/our-life-together/examen; and https://newjoy.org/resources/dailyprayer/daily-examen/
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