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The holy gospel of Jesus Christ,
according to Mark. 

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And they went into Kapenaum, and
immediately on the Sabbath he 

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entered the synagogue and was 
teaching. 

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And they were astonished at his 
teaching, for he taught them as 

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one who had authority and not as
the scribes. 

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And immediately there was in 
their synagogue a man with an 

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unclean spirit, and he cried 
out, What have you to do with 

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us, Jesus of Nazareth? 
Have you come to destroy us? 

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I know who you are, the Holy One
of God. 

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But Jesus rebuked him, saying, 
Be silent, and come out of you. 

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And the unkeen spirit, 
convulsing him and crying out 

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with a loud voice, came out of 
him. 

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And they were all amazed, so 
that they questioned among 

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themselves, saying, What is 
this? 

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And you teaching with authority,
He commands even unclean 

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spirits, and they obey you. 
And at once his fame spread 

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everywhere throughout all the 
surrounding region of Galilee. 

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And immediately he left the 
synagogue and entered the House 

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of Simon and Andrew with James 
and John. 

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Now Simon's mother-in-law let 
I'll with a fever. 

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And immediately they told him 
about her, and he came and took 

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her by the hand and lifted her 
up, and the fever left her, and 

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she began to serve them. 
That evening at sundown they 

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brought to him all who were sick
or oppressed by demons, and the 

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whole city was gathered together
at the door. 

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And he healed many who were sick
with various diseases and cast 

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out many demons. 
And he would not permit the 

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demons to speak, because they 
knew him. 

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The Gospel of the Lord. 
Well, good morning 2025, my wife

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and I. 
My wife and I were were watching

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an old sitcom this week where a 
character gets an iPad for the 

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very first time and they use it 
and they exclaim loudly. 

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I feel like I'm living in 2025. 
We exchanged knowing looks and a

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little bitter chuckle and a 
responsive actually, actually, 

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sorry to disappoint Phil 
Dunfrey. 

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Actually living in this moment, 
in this city, we aren't 

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experiencing the euphoria of 
some technology utopia. 

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We're living in a city that's 
marked by so much anxiety, by a 

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lot of fear, and at least for 
me, by this really just ever 

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present sense of grief. 
And today we are adding to this 

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a lament for the state of our 
denomination and the state of 

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our church. 
We cry out together. 

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Lord, have mercy. 
And I invite you not to leave 

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behind these emotions, but to 
bring them to our reflection on 

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the gospel text today as we 
continue in a series called 

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Simply Jesus. 
If there's ever anything we 

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needed at this moment, it's 
simply Jesus. 

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In Mark 121 to 34, which was 
read just a moment ago, which 

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you can find in your program, 
which we're going to be 

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reflecting on, we see Jesus, the
Son of God, make his first 

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public appearance in the Gospel 
of Mark. 

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We're still in the introduction.
We're still in chapter 1. 

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He comes to Capernaum, a lake 
town on the North Shore of the 

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Sea of Galilee, a town of a few 
1000 people, a town with a Roman

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Garrison, a town with a Roman 
tax office. 

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And Jesus comes to this town 
that is suffering from political

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and spiritual oppression. 
And this text doesn't tell us 

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what he says. 
It doesn't doesn't give us his 

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message, but what it says twice 
in verses 22 and 27, is that he 

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taught with authority. 
Authority. 

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When I read this word, and as I 
was preparing for this sermon, I

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could feel myself getting tense,
feeling uneasy. 

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Is this really what we're going 
to talk about? 

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Feeling defensive? 
And yet I believe our gospel 

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today is asking us to think 
afresh about the authority of 

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Christ, to bring it wants to 
bring healing and hope even as 

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we lament the misuses of worldly
authority we see so present 

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around us. 
But before I begin, I'm going to

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tell you what I'm not going to 
say today. 

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I'm not going to say that we 
need to submit to every person 

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in every institution that claims
to be an authority. 

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And I am not going to say that 
people who have misused their 

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positions of authority to hurt 
you or to hurt other people 

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should somehow be excused. 
And I am not going to say that 

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we should not ask critical 
questions, know quite the 

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contrary. 
And finally, I am not going to 

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say that it is right and just to
use fear and violence to impose 

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your rules and your laws on our 
neighbors and on their children.

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It's not right. 
Instead, instead, I believe that

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the authority of Jesus, the Son 
of God in Mark One, stands apart

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from the distorted and damaging 
uses of authority common in our 

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age. 
That Jesus provides a new and 

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fresh image of what authority 
can be. 

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It's an authority that dignifies
all of us, all of us as objects 

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of grace and worthy students to 
hear the great promises of God. 

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It's an authority that silences 
evil and liberates us from the 

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demonic narratives of 
destruction. 

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It's an authority that extends 
an invitation to us, even us, to

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join in the good and meaningful 
work of God. 

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In a world where so many 
experienced authority is maybe 

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at best mind numbing, as it 
were, soul crushing. 

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Jesus comes and he engages our 
mind with beauty and truth, and 

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he liberates our souls to be 
free from the weight of sin, to 

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soar with him. 
In this brief passage, I want to

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divide it into three acts and 
we'll talk about them in turn. 

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The first act is the teaching is
teaching. 

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The second act I'm calling the 
confrontation, and then finally 

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the invitation. 
So let's read now verses 21 and 

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22 of Mark chapter 1. 
And they went into Capernaum. 

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And immediately on the Sabbath, 
he entered the synagogue and was

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teaching. 
And they were astonished at his 

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teaching, for he taught as one 
of had authority, not as the 

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scribes. 
Having been baptized, having 

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gone through the wilderness of 
temptation, having called the 

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first disciples, Jesus is now 
beginning his public ministry. 

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He's now addressing the 
Israelite people. 

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And he begins, He makes his 
debut in the synagogue of 

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Capernaum, way up in Galilee, 
far away from Jerusalem, the 

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town on the lake. 
And I found it interesting that 

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Jesus chooses to enter the scene
not as a king, not as a lawgiver

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proclaiming thou shalt do this 
and thou shalt do that, not even

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as a prophet speaking words of 
challenge, maybe words of of 

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judgment, but instead he enters 
as a teacher. 

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And what 9th grade me did not 
really understand is it teaching

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is really a humbling position. 
And when you step in front of 

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the class, your success, you're 
putting your success in the 

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hands of those students. 
So there's no glory as an 

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educator and failing all your 
students. 

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Success as a teacher is bound up
with your students, getting the 

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point with them, coming to 
understand it with them, making 

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connections and putting it into 
practice and acquiring new 

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knowledge and new skills. 
And Jesus comes. 

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I want to explain, I want you to
understand, I'm here to teach. 

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And the students Jesus chose, 
they're not especially 

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prestigious. 
They don't have any renowned. 

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This is a very ordinary 
synagogue in a very ordinary 

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town. 
It's full of mothers and 

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fathers, men and women, 
merchants, tradespeople, 

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fishermen, laborers. 
Throughout the Gospels, this is 

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a pattern we were going to see. 
Jesus speaks great spiritual 

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truths to very common people. 
He entrusts these pearls of 

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wisdom. 
He doesn't go immediately to 

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Jerusalem, to the temple 
precincts. 

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He comes to the ordinary people,
but he gives them extraordinary 

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teaching. 
There's no prerequisites for 

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this course, but the course what
Jesus teaches can. 

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It has changed the world. 
And they were astonished. 

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The the Latin, this comes from 
the Latin word for 

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thunderstruck. 
They were thunderstruck by his 

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teaching for he taught them is 
one who had authority. 

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And now I think you might be 
asking, and I'm asking as I'm 

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reading this text, well, what 
did he teach? 

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What an amazing thing did Jesus 
tell these people. 

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And this is where we have to 
remember we're in Mark chapter 

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1. 
Like this is precisely the tease

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that Mark is, I think, leaving 
for us because he wants us to 

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keep reading. 
You're going to find out. 

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This is just the beginning of 
the podcast where after the 

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commercial, he's going to come 
back and and pay all this off. 

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But but we can Fast forward a 
little bit. 

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And I know we're going to be 
looking at this in weeks ahead. 

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So I don't want to get too deep 
into this, but let's just look 

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forward to chapters 2 and 3 
where we're going to see the 

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message of Jesus contrasted with
the scribes over and over again.

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So what he's setting up here 
that he's not teaching like the 

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scribes, he's going to pay that 
off. 

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And what we're going to see is 
that Jesus is going to proclaim 

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the forgiveness of sins. 
He's going to welcome tax 

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collectors and sinners. 
He's going to feast when 

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everybody else is fasting. 
He's going to publicly heal 

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people on the Sabbath. 
See, I believe Mark is preparing

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us to be astonished at the grace
of God, at the promise of the 

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Kingdom. 
This is not the same. 

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Stay calm and carry on message 
of the scribes. 

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Change is coming not and it's 
not also it's not the empty try 

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harder, you know, message of so 
many influencers. 

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No, this is Jesus speaks with 
both clarity and he speaks as 

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one who not only can see the 
problems of the world, who calls

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out the problems of the world, 
but who also says that he and he

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alone can fix the problems of 
the world. 

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There's an urgency to this 
message. 

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This is leave your Nets, leave 
your taxes, tear a hole through 

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the roof. 
For heaven's sakes, you got to 

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get this. 
This is real forgiveness being 

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on offer. 
This is real change and real 

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transformation. 
The bridegroom is here. 

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Now is the time. 
See, Jesus is bringing very 

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radical, very strong words of 
hope, the very words of life, to

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a very ordinary city with Roman 
soldiers walking outside, 

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astonishing the confrontation. 
And immediately there was in 

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their synagogue a man with an 
unclean spirit, and he cried out

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the spirit, what have you to do 
with us? 

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Jesus of Nazareth? 
Have you come to destroy us? 

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I know who you are, the Holy One
of God. 

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But Jesus rebuked him, saying, 
be silent and come out of him. 

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And the unclean spirit 
convulsing him and crying out 

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with a loud voice came out of 
him. 

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And they were all amazed. 
So they questioned among 

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themselves, saying, what? 
What is this? 

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A new teaching with authority. 
He commands even the unclean 

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spirits and they obey him and at
once his fame spread everywhere 

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throughout the surrounding 
region of Galilee. 

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If you ever had that prove it 
moment, you know that time where

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you've just been talking the 
talk and suddenly people look 

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and say, can you walk the walk. 
So some of you, many of you 

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maybe know that I work at a 
university. 

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In one spring, I had the 
opportunity to address parents 

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who were on campus with their 
high school sons and daughters 

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to to get a chance to preview 
the college. 

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And so I gave this talk and I 
talked about how myself and our 

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colleagues, how caring for 
students is our number one 

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priority and how we have all of 
these services that we can help 

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students with their academics, 
with their mental health, with 

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their physical health. 
And we finished this talk and I 

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was leading this group out of 
the classroom to their next stop

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on their itinerary. 
And very dramatically, right in 

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front of me, a student walked by
and then just collapsed on the 

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ground. 
And I could feel all of those 

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parents seeing their son or 
daughter in that student. 

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And I could feel them all 
looking at me out and they were 

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all behind me. 
But I should feel them looking 

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at me and thinking, what are you
going to do? 

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00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,200
You just talked about how much 
you care for students. 

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What are you going to do for 
that student? 

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And even though I'm a librarian,
so I'm much more accustomed to 

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helping people with research or 
bibliographies, finding, you 

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know, texts that are hard to 
find, I knew I had to act right.

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And, and I was able to do that. 
I've had some training. 

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We were able to get medical 
attention. 

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The student was fine, but here 
we find Jesus in that moment 

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where he's been teaching on the 
grace of God. 

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He's been teaching on this 
radical hope that things are 

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changing. 
This New Hope is coming. 

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Lice is here and now can he back
up this astonishing teaching 

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right here? 
There's a man in need of 

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liberation. 
What can he do? 

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But before we get there, before 
we we conclude that moment, I 

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want to just pause on verse 23. 
I think there's a sobering truth

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here. 
This man I've been wrestling 

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with and I want to share with 
you in verse 23, we read and 

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immediately there was in their 
synagogue a man with an unclean 

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spirit. 
He said we've just concluded in 

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a manual over the summer, a 
whole series on the sacred 

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spaces where we meet God. 
And I believe many of us, I know

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myself, we long for these places
to be refuges where we can stick

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a step back from the spiritual 
battles of the world. 

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We can catch our breath. 
We can kind of have a moment to 

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collect ourselves. 
But I think what we're learning 

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in this verse is that the 
churches and synagogues of our 

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communities, they're not, 
they're not places of retreat 

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away from the spiritual war. 
They so often are on the very 

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front lines of the spiritual 
war. 

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Jesus does not seem to be 
surprised that we have a demonic

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appearance right in the 
synagogue. 

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The very places where we call 
upon the Spirit of God to come 

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in power to change the world is 
also the same places where the 

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spirits of darkness are doing 
everything they can to stifle 

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that power. 
And so, so often as we come to 

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worship, we're coming into a 
spiritual battle. 

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And this might look like it 
works, looks here of an an 

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actual confrontation with the 
forces of evil. 

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It might look like it did in 
Corinth. 

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And we considered this last 
Saturday where there's 

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infighting and some parts of the
body trying to exert power and 

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take control over other parts of
the body. 

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It might look like, I don't 
know, construction noises when 

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you're trying to preach. 
Or it might look more seriously 

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like a wolf dressed in sheep's 
clothing or maybe shepherd's 

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clothing. 
So as we gather, I think we are 

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wise to heeds Jesus's words that
we need to pray and watch, pray 

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00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:42,760
and keep watch. 
We need to listen to Saint 

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Paul's admonishment that we put 
on the full armor of God even 

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00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:51,560
when we come here, especially 
when we come here. 

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00:15:54,400 --> 00:16:00,320
Now back to the story reading on
the demon here is speaking what 

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00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,520
have you to do with us? 
Jesus of Nazareth, have you come

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to destroy us? 
I know who you are the Holy one 

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00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,200
of God. 
Now commentator suggests that 

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00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:13,400
the demon here is trying to 
exert control by naming Christ 

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that there was a the the the 
tradition was if you know, if 

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00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:19,760
you could name your spiritual 
opponent, you could gain power 

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00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,480
over them. 
And then it's also interesting 

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00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:26,040
that he reframes the message of 
Jesus in the one of destruction.

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00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:28,760
You're not here to bring life. 
You're here to destroy us. 

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00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,800
You're the fear in that so many 
people afraid we're going to be 

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00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,640
destroyed. 
But Jesus, he doesn't take the 

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00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,000
bait. 
Jesus rebuked him saying be 

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00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,400
silent and come out of him and 
the unclean spirit convulsing 

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00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:43,640
him and crying with a loud voice
came out of him. 

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00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,680
It is this is very it's noted. 
This is in contrast to 

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00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:51,680
traditional exorcism accounts of
this time where usually there 

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00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:57,040
would be some kind of liturgical
formula or prayer or or a rite 

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00:16:57,040 --> 00:17:00,720
that would be said to counter 
the forces of evil or that there

283
00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,680
would be some kind or and also 
some kind of holy object was 

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00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:06,280
easily involved. 
Something that would be sacred 

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00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:10,040
that could could bring 
restoration to one who was 

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00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:11,800
possessed. 
That Jesus, he doesn't use the 

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00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:14,880
props, he doesn't use fancy 
words in this account. 

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00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,720
He just simply says come out. 
He also doesn't try to name his 

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00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,480
opponent. 
He doesn't meet him on a equal 

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00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:23,800
playing field. 
I'm not here to play that game. 

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00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:26,960
I'm in charge. 
He also doesn't even counter the

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00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:29,760
libelous accusation of being 
there for destruction. 

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00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:32,440
He lets the liberation speak for
itself. 

294
00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,080
I'm just going to show you what 
change I'm going to bring. 

295
00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:37,400
You know, you decide if this is 
destruction, I'm going to free 

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00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:41,960
this man. 
In the crowd. 

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00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:43,560
As they watched, they were all 
amazed. 

298
00:17:44,120 --> 00:17:47,320
So they questioned him on 
themselves, saying what is this?

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00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:50,840
A new teaching with authority. 
He commands even the unclean 

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00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:55,720
spirits and they obey him. 
Crowd is amazed at the authority

301
00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:59,360
of Jesus. 
I talked at the top, how 

302
00:17:59,360 --> 00:18:02,320
authority, the concept of 
authority, how it can be 

303
00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,040
triggering. 
But let's just take a moment to 

304
00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:08,520
reflect with the crowd on this 
authority, the authority of 

305
00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:11,320
Jesus. 
In this passage here we see 

306
00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:16,280
Jesus come to them, even them, 
and all of their ordinariness, 

307
00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:18,560
just common people in a common 
village. 

308
00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:22,400
And he comes as a teacher. 
He's investing time opening up 

309
00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:25,440
the Torah, opening up the 
writings of the Old Testament in

310
00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,200
the Hebrew prophets and 
explaining the great truths to 

311
00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,800
them. 
And we can look ahead and we can

312
00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:34,160
anticipate that what he's 
teaching is he's teaching 

313
00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:36,040
forgiveness. 
He's teaching grace. 

314
00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,200
He's seeking teaching that there
is hope for everybody, even for 

315
00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,440
those who you think are outside 
the pale, for the the tax 

316
00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:46,560
collectors and the sinners. 
He's giving the words of life. 

317
00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:50,920
And when the forces of darkness 
appear, immediately, suddenly 

318
00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:55,240
Jesus isn't caught wrong footed.
He stares him straight in the 

319
00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:57,240
face. 
He just speaks a word of 

320
00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,720
command. 
He silences those dark voices. 

321
00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:06,760
There's grace in the teaching. 
There's grace in the exorcism. 

322
00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:13,000
Jesus uses authority to connect 
with people and build them up to

323
00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,160
bestow dignity. 
You're important. 

324
00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:20,440
You count to bring hope. 
He's backed by the power to 

325
00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:23,920
change and free people. 
This is real authority. 

326
00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:28,000
He can issue commands even to 
the spiritual forces, but it's 

327
00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:32,200
wrapped in real love. 
He cares for these people, a 

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00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:35,360
love that would ultimately lead 
Jesus to lay down his life. 

329
00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:40,600
Real authority combined with 
real sacrificial love. 

330
00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,320
We need more of that. 
What does this mean for us? 

331
00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:50,840
Let's consider the third, the 
third movement here, which I'm 

332
00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:55,160
calling the invitation. 
And immediately he left the 

333
00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,520
synagogue and entered the House 
of Simon and Andrew with James 

334
00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:00,880
and John. 
Now Simon's mother-in-law lay 

335
00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,680
I'll with a fever. 
And immediately this is Mark's 

336
00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:06,320
favorite word. 
They told him about her, and he 

337
00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,800
came and took her by the hand 
and lifted her up, and the fever

338
00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:12,560
left her, and she began to serve
them. 

339
00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:16,600
That evening at sundown they 
brought to him all who were sick

340
00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:20,080
or oppressed by demons, and the 
whole city was gathered together

341
00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:22,480
at the door. 
And he healed many who were sick

342
00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:25,520
with various diseases, and he 
cast out many demons. 

343
00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,080
And he would not permit the 
demons to speak because they 

344
00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:32,960
knew him. 
So one time I tried to nominate 

345
00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:37,360
a fellow leader in our field for
an an industry award. 

346
00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:40,160
This was somebody I've been on 
committees with, I attended 

347
00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:42,520
meetings to and I always looked 
up to. 

348
00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:44,440
So I'm like, I should nominate 
him for this award. 

349
00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,960
So I reached out to the people 
of his staff in his library and 

350
00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,360
said, hey, would you like to 
join me in writing a letter of 

351
00:20:50,360 --> 00:20:54,000
nomination? 
And they very politely declined.

352
00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:58,760
You see, who a leader is when 
they're on stage, when they're 

353
00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:02,800
in public, can be very different
from what a leader is when the 

354
00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:05,960
crowd's not watching. 
And I think Mark, having 

355
00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:09,880
established Jesus as a person of
authority, now wants to take us 

356
00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:13,600
behind this, behind the curtain.
Is it, if you will, What was he 

357
00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:15,680
like when he wasn't in the 
synagogue? 

358
00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:17,960
When there weren't crowds of 
people sitting at his feet 

359
00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:27,400
listening to his teaching? 
And the first thing I notice is 

360
00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:31,280
how Jesus can transition with so
much grace from this cosmic 

361
00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:35,280
encounter, from this in breaking
of the Kingdom of God into human

362
00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,080
history. 
This thing that's literally 

363
00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:40,120
going to change all of time that
we mark our, you know, we still 

364
00:21:40,120 --> 00:21:44,080
mark our history by this event 
to the concerns of a single 

365
00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:48,040
household that he stops and he 
sees his team, his team members 

366
00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,800
and he sees them as human beings
with human concerns. 

367
00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,120
I think I would have been 
tempted after this synagogue 

368
00:21:54,120 --> 00:21:56,960
teaching to gather the team and 
like, let's debrief. 

369
00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:59,360
I, I know you have some issues, 
but let's just talk about what 

370
00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:01,520
just happened. 
That was kind of amazing. 

371
00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:05,240
Or maybe we want to celebrate 
like guys, like there's going to

372
00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:08,400
be some tough days ahead, but 
let's just think about this. 

373
00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:10,440
Like, did you see how that crowd
responded? 

374
00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:13,840
Or even possibly to start 
thinking about next steps? 

375
00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:15,360
Like we need to follow up 
tomorrow. 

376
00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:17,600
John, I need you to go and visit
that household. 

377
00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:19,960
Peter, can you check in on that 
man and just make sure he's 

378
00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,480
still OK? 
But Jesus, he doesn't get to any

379
00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:25,760
of that. 
He comes and he sees Peter. 

380
00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:29,800
He sees that Peter is concerned 
and what's going on? 

381
00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:31,240
How can I, what do I, what do 
you need? 

382
00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:32,680
Peter? 
Let's go talk to your 

383
00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:34,200
mother-in-law. 
She seems sick. 

384
00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:38,520
And it's unclear here whether 
this fever was serious or not. 

385
00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:39,840
It could have been, it could not
be. 

386
00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:42,840
Even today, fever can be a range
of experiences. 

387
00:22:44,120 --> 00:22:47,360
My sense is that maybe it wasn't
a life threatening fever, but it

388
00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:50,600
was important to Peter. 
And I want to think just for a 

389
00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:53,120
minute about the gift he gave to
that woman. 

390
00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:55,920
That mother-in-law, when he 
takes her by the hand and he 

391
00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:59,520
welcomes her up from the sick 
bed and he's not just restoring 

392
00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:01,960
her to health, he's inviting 
her. 

393
00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:05,640
Come be a part of this. 
Come be a part of this moment. 

394
00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:08,760
You see, this was going to be 
the greatest single moment in 

395
00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:11,960
the history of that house. 
The entire town was going to 

396
00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:15,480
come to their door and find 
healing and find restoration. 

397
00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,400
This would be a story that would
be talked about for generations 

398
00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:20,880
and generations. 
We actually think we know where 

399
00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:23,600
that house is today, by the way.
It's still still something 

400
00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:29,040
that's known. 
And and her part of that story 

401
00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:31,280
could have been you slept 
through it. 

402
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:33,920
You remember you were in the 
backroom. 

403
00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:37,000
Remember how you didn't even 
wake up when the crowds were all

404
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,200
celebrating? 
And have you ever been part of 

405
00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:41,760
that? 
I know one of the biggest 

406
00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:44,320
stories in my family happened my
freshman year in college. 

407
00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:46,960
So I was away. 
And it's the story we tell when 

408
00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:50,520
we get together over holidays 
and, and we pass on to the the 

409
00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:54,560
newer members of our family. 
And I always, you know, I almost

410
00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:56,920
feel like I was there because 
I've heard it so much, but I 

411
00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:59,120
wasn't there. 
And I always remember I missed 

412
00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:00,480
that. 
I wasn't there. 

413
00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,200
So I think Jesus, by allowing 
this woman to get up and 

414
00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,080
allowing them to serve her, he's
inviting her to. 

415
00:24:07,120 --> 00:24:08,960
This is a great day of 
redemption. 

416
00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:12,600
I want you on the team. 
I want you to be a part of this 

417
00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:14,600
so her part in the story could 
be. 

418
00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:16,280
Remember how hungry they all 
were? 

419
00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:19,320
And I break those rolls. 
He ate so many rolls. 

420
00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:21,800
I never knew he was that, you 
know, he could eat that much. 

421
00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:24,920
I remember when we brought the 
cheese and wine out after, you 

422
00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:27,120
know, you've been healing and it
was like 2 in the morning. 

423
00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:29,320
Remember how there was so much 
laughter? 

424
00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:32,120
Remember how good it all felt to
just be with Jesus? 

425
00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:34,200
Remember how we were all part of
the team? 

426
00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:36,400
Remember how I was part of that 
team? 

427
00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:39,200
He gave her the gift of being 
part of that moment, part of 

428
00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:46,200
that story. 
So I think it's remind, it's a 

429
00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:50,640
reminder to us that Jesus has 
time for us, that even though he

430
00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:54,280
is engaged in this ultimate 
contest between good and evil, 

431
00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:58,200
and he is the victor, the lamb 
who is conquered, he still sees 

432
00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:00,920
the needs of our household. 
He sees the needs that we're 

433
00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:04,640
bringing here today. 
And I think he wants each of us 

434
00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:08,240
to be a part of his team, that 
he is doing great redemptive 

435
00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:11,040
things. 
And I believe that he's going to

436
00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,520
do and is doing great redemptive
things in the city of Chicago 

437
00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:18,160
right now. 
And he's inviting us to be part 

438
00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:20,040
of that and be part of that 
story. 

439
00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:24,480
And I hold on to hope and belief
that he's going to be doing 

440
00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:27,320
great and redemptive things in 
the Anglican Church of North 

441
00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:29,720
America. 
And I wonder, what is his 

442
00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:32,760
invitation to our congregation? 
What is the part we're going to 

443
00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:36,440
play in that story? 
I think there's an invitation 

444
00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:41,040
for us. 
So as I conclude, authority is a

445
00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:43,600
word that can make us uneasy, 
can make me uneasy. 

446
00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:47,800
We carry the scars of unholy 
authority that has that have 

447
00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:50,960
been used to maim us. 
We fear the possibility that 

448
00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:54,760
powerful people even now seek to
harm our city, to harm us, to 

449
00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:56,800
harm our neighbors, to take away
our freedom. 

450
00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:01,120
And maybe even we bring some 
regrets of times we've been in 

451
00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:03,440
authority and we haven't been 
the victims, but maybe the 

452
00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:05,720
perpetrators. 
We have not used authority well.

453
00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:10,200
I think this text invites us to 
find in Jesus a man of true 

454
00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:15,520
authority who comes to teach us 
about forgiveness, to teach us 

455
00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,600
about the liberating power of 
the Holy Spirit of the gospel. 

456
00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:22,120
Will you come and sit at his 
feet? 

457
00:26:23,120 --> 00:26:25,360
Come back next week. 
As we get into more and more of 

458
00:26:25,360 --> 00:26:28,640
the deeds of Jesus, maybe take 
time to read through Mark or 

459
00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:30,200
read through the first few 
chapters. 

460
00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,920
Just listen again to the message
that Jesus is bringing. 

461
00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,320
This text reveals to us Jesus 
who is more powerful than all 

462
00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:42,440
the dark pretenders who attempt 
to exercise authority over us. 

463
00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:44,720
He can silence and banish 
demons. 

464
00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:48,600
He can bring liberation. 
Are we willing to call out to 

465
00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:51,800
him? 
We willing to take time and say,

466
00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:55,320
Jesus, here I am, I need help, 
we need help. 

467
00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:57,960
Just make time to call out to 
Jesus. 

468
00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:03,400
This text reveals Jesus as a 
kind and gentle leader who 

469
00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:07,120
offers us a place on his team, a
part in his story of redemption.

470
00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:10,520
Will we take him up on that 
invitation? 

471
00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:14,600
Do we want to be part of the 
gospel story, the gospel story 

472
00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,960
of 2025? 
In a moment? 

473
00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:19,960
We're going to take communion. 
And after communion, we'll have 

474
00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:24,160
prayer ministers on either side.
And if you are here and you want

475
00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:26,680
to take up any of these offers, 
if you want to come and just 

476
00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:30,200
hear from Jesus, if you want to 
experience the liberating power 

477
00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:34,000
of Jesus, if you're looking for 
and saying Jesus, here I am. 

478
00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:35,800
What part do you want me to 
play? 

479
00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,800
I would encourage you to meet up
with one of the the prayer 

480
00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:41,240
ministers. 
Let them pray for you. 

481
00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:44,840
Let's start a conversation. 
Today can be the first day of a 

482
00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:51,920
new a new chapter. 
Come, King Jesus, we pray in the

483
00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:55,240
name of the Father and the Son 
and the Holy Spirit, Amen.