David Bahn – Reflections

Mark 1:21-28

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. ²² And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. ²³ And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ²⁴ “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.” ²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” ²⁶ And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” ²⁸ And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

The church is not a haven for saints, but a hospital for sinners. That is true partly because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). So by definition the church must be a place where sinners gather; anyone who walks the face of the earth is a sinner. I am a church leaderand I am a sinner! We start every worship service with an acknowledgment of that fact and a plea to God for mercy and forgiveness.

Yet some of the best people in the world are church members. Those with the highest morals, the most decent values, and noble lifestyles are church members and church-goers. We’ve all got our faults and short-comings. Mary might be vain. Tom may be boastful. John will tend toward judgmentalism. Sarah can be critical. (The names are fictional to protect the guilty!) But Joe is the most generous person in his company. Rachael is deeply understanding and compassionate. Robert is absolutely honest – sometimes to his own harm. Judy is deeply committed to helping the elderly.

So what do you do with the real sinners in the church? How do you deal with those who disrupt? How is it that a demon-possessed man shows up in the synagogue in Capernaum? More to the point: When people in your church act out of their sinful nature what action are we to take? Shall we shrug our shoulders or ignore such behavior and hope it goes away?

A friend of mine was in conversation with a fellow pastor when the other man let loose with a diatribe against a third person. They were talking church politics (a particularly dangerous subject for pastors). The stakes were high in the minds of both persons. They were divided as to which way the issues should be resolved. When the colleague had expressed bitter hatred and totally unkind conclusions and desires toward his supposed enemy, my friend said, “You don’t mean that. That’s not a godly thought. You don’t mean that.” It was the equivalent of casting out a demon. This pastor repented on the spot. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

I wonder whether such conversations ought to occur more frequently in the church today. I recall a similar event in a church I was serving many years ago. One of the elders realized that a long-time member’s opinionated griping and criticism was hurtful to the church. I actually saw the conversation from a distance and knew what was going on. Confrontation of sinful behavior inside the church recognizes the reality of sin. But it also calls for the good – the saintliness – in others. We condemn the sin, not the sinner.

There may be some sinners in your church whose saintliness slips and who desperately need to be brought back to a more godly path. This may be the more difficult work of Christian love and leadership. But it is essential – both for the sake of the person and the church.

Mark 1:14-28

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

¹⁶ Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” ¹⁸ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹ And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. ²⁰ And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

²¹ And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. ²² Andthey were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. ²³ And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ²⁴ “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.” ²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” ²⁶ And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” ²⁸ And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.