Possessed

1 Samuel 16:14-23; 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1; Mark 3:20-35

Our Old Testament lesson for today talks about Saul, the first King of Israel. And we are told that after Saul had sinned against God by doing several rebellious things, including consulting a spiritualist, an evil spirit would come upon him from time to time and torment him. For me, one of the most troubling parts of this scripture is the description of where that spirit came from. For we are told that it was an evil spirit sent from God.

The problem for me comes when I consider whether God would actually do such a thing as send an evil spirit to torment someone. I've always believed that God only wants the best for us; that God is the author of good, not of evil. So, why and how would God send an evil spirit to torment poor, old, King Saul? But, as I have thought about this, I realize that there are several ways of explaining this satisfactorily

One way of explaining it is by acknowledging that God created all things. We believe this. And, in fact, the book of Genesis tells us that when God created what God created God called it "good." God didn't create anything and call it "evil." God created the heavens and the earth and called it "good." God created the seas and the fish and the land and the animals and the birds and called all of it "good." And, of course, if there are angels and heavenly spirits, God must have created them and called them "good," as well. But, because God has given the universe freedom, there have been those times when what was called "good" has chosen "evil," instead. Thus, if there are evil spirits, as our Old Testament lesson suggests, then they must have, at one time been good. Thus, it would proper to say that even an evil spirit was from God. And what better target would that evil spirit have than a man, such as King Saul, whose life was centered around rebellion against God?

On the other hand, we might understand this scripture lesson in another way. Indeed, when we read that an evil spirit from God was tormenting Saul, we might assume that the word "spirit" actually means "mood," or "temperament," or "disposition," or "humor." In fact, we use the word "spirit" in much the same way. When we go to a football game over at the High School, for example, and watch the cheer leaders, one of the things we might hear them cheer is something about school spirit, which has little to do with ghosts or etherial beings, at all.

So, quite simply, King Saul's tormenting evil spirit may have actually been a severe case of depression, perhaps resulting from his rebellion and sinful attitude toward God.

Which ever it may have been, I am certain that if King Saul's tormenting evil spirit came from God, it was only sent from God to put him into a position whereby he might feel so uncomfortable that he would want to repent and return to the Lord.

Now, I am not certain that all of our problems and painful experiences are like this. Not all painful experiences are authored by God. For there are many other sources, these days, that do a pretty good job, on their own, of dealing out misery. I can think of lots of examples: babies born of mothers on cocaine, or a 100,000 Kurdish children who will die this year unless more can be done to help them within the next few months. Or, the people of Bangladesh who just suffered a severe set-back because of the ravages of nature. Or, babies born with A.I.D.S. None of these evils were sent by God. For what reason would God have had?

Rather, many of the evils that we deplore are often the result of either human sin and greed, or accidents of nature. But, yet, even when evil things happen, victims can come closer to God through the power of God's Spirit and throught the work of the Church. And that's you and me. For God is the Eternal Opportunist. No matter where the evil may come from: From humanity, from nature, or from God himself, God has the power to turn it around. Out of crucifixion comes the resurrection. Out of brokenness can come atonement. Out of pain may come consolation. Out of loneliness and torment can come the presence of Almighty God.

Of course, whenever the human mind has not been able to explain something, it can always blame an evil spirit or Satan. Sometimes people have even blamed Satan for something good that has happened. One example is the miracles that Christ, himself, performed. In our gospel lesson for today Jesus had just chosen his 12 disciples and given them authority to cast out demons. And it says that Jesus' own family couldn't understand what he was doing. And, thinking that he was crazy, that perhaps he was possessed by Satan, they came to take him home. But, what did Jesus say? He asked them why, if he was possessed by Satan, he should have the power to cast Satan out? For a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.

It is interesting, here, that Jesus' own family were the ones suggesting that he was crazy or possessed. While I was at Annual Conference the other day I met someone whose parents had abused her when she was a child of twelve. So, the courts had taken her away from her mother and father and put her into the home of a United Methodist Minister. In essence, the United Methodist Church became her home. And, over a period of time, the members of the United Methodist Church became her aunts and uncles and brothers and sisters.

One day, her mother was visiting her and became very troubled and upset that her daughter had gotten so close to the Lord. She even suggested that her daughter should see a psychiatrist, wondering if perhaps her closeness to the Lord was simply the expression of some psychological need. But, her daughter rejected this, as well as her mother, and stayed in the home of the minister. And, after she graduated from college, she went on to seminary, and was ordained, and serves a church, today.

When I was talking to her I was reminded of this morning's gospel lesson where Jesus' mother and brothers came after him, suggesting that he must be crazy or possessed to be doing what he was doing. And Jesus asked, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And he looked around at those who were listening to him and following him and said, "You are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

Indeed, sometimes members of our own family may not understand our zeal and devotion for God. They may even suggest that we are fulfilling some psychological need by going to church. But what they may not understand is that we are actually possessed by God. And what they do not know is that when we worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are really spending time with those with whom we will be spending an eternity in heaven.

For many a Christian the fellowship of believers is a loving family of brothers and sisters, sometimes more caring than biological brothers and sisters. In a way, then, our gathering here together on Sunday morning should be like home. We should be comfortable with each other. We should allow ourselves to be real to each other. I don't think that Jesus, our elder brother, as the scripture puts it, would want it any other way.

I'm reminded of the third verse of the hymn we just sang: (122) God of the ages, God near at hand, God of the loving heart, How do your children say Joy? How do your children say Home? Amen.