Naming Death - Redeemer Episcopal Church

Mark 1:21-28 The Man with an Unclean Spirit

21 They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24 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.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 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.” 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

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This sermon was originally preached to a certain people in a certain time and place. But we believe in a God who transcends time and space, so perhaps it might speak you to here and now. You can read the sermon here or watch the whole service at this link (the sermon starts around 23 min). 

Let us pray. God who speaks life into existence, be with us this morning as we reckon with the demons of this world. Grant us the authority of our Lord Jesus to cast out demons and preach the gospel. Amen. 

Throughout history and throughout the Bible, there seems to be a power in names and naming things. Last summer, we spent some time in Bible study focusing on the named and unnamed women in Genesis, always noticing what their names mean and how their names claimed authority. And when the women went unnamed, what that meant for the woman’s story. 

I recently watched the new adaptation of Anne of Green Gables called Anne with an E and I was struck by the first time the main character was asked to spell her name. She is an orphan and claims the little power that she has in that small act— “Anne with an E” she says, feeling proud and powerful by claiming her own name. Naming a child is sometimes the most difficult and precious piece of becoming a parent. There seems to be a gravity to a name— not only because it is somewhat permanent, but because it means something. 

In the story this morning, we hear that Jesus came to the synagogue to teach and people were amazed at his authority. But then he is confronted by some unclean spirits or demons who name Jesus and they sound like they are about to reveal more about who Jesus is and perhaps even demonstrate power over him. But then Jesus rebukes them and sends them out. “Be silent” Jesus says— stopping them from saying anything else about who Jesus is or what he might be doing. The people are amazed that Jesus commands the spirits with such authority. In Mark’s gospel, this is Jesus’ very first public act of ministry. 

In story of Harry Potter, much of the story revolves around the villain Voldemort knowing all about Harry, but Harry knowing very little about Voldemort because no one will talk about him! Finally, wise old Professor Dumbledore fusses at Harry when he refuses to use the villain’s name. He says, “Call him Voldemort. Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.” 

When we refuse to name the demons in our midsts, we run the risk of fearing those demons or allowing those demons to continue speaking into our lives and to have authority over us. 

Here in Mark, Jesus demonstrates casting out demons— something that he will command his followers to do, two chapters from now in Mark’s gospel. Not only is this authority— to name and cast out the demons of this world— something Jesus possesses, but it is an authority and ability that he will bestow to his disciples. In fact, it will be expected of them, as Jesus appointed twelve to go and preach and have authority to cast out demons (Mark 3:14-15).  

So when we are able to name the demons of the world, to face them head-on without shame and with authority, we are able to have power over them and cast them out before they have power over us. 

Of course there are countless demons that we are afraid to name in our own lives like depression, anxiety, addiction and others that society has told us are even too shameful to name aloud. We will sometimes give them different names or euphemisms to avoid the truth of them in our lives. Or we will pretend they are demons that possess someone else, but don’t affect us. 

But one of the most pervasive and persistent demons in this world is the one that we have the most euphemisms for, it is the one we are most determined not to think about or name. And it is the demon we are faced with most frequently— death. 

We use euphemisms for death like “passing on” or “going to be with Jesus” or “earning their angel wings,” in order to avoid even the word “dead.”  

But in this time we can’t avoid death anymore, with over 425,000 deaths from the pandemic in the United States we are faced with death every single day. It’s in our headlines, our neighborhoods, and our families more often than we have ever experienced in our lifetimes. 

I believe that it is a demon that must be face head-on, a demon that we as Christians must name and declare authority over before it consumes us, before the grief is too much to bear and we are unable to move on from the incredible tragedy of this year. 

In a few weeks, we will be moving into the season of Lent. It is a season of deep reflection, beginning with Ash Wednesday, where we are marked with the sign of the cross in ash on our foreheads and we are reminded “remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” A euphemism again— it is a reminder that we are going to die. 

And all through the season of Lent in our liturgy and in our lives, we will have to have to reckon with the demon of death. We will be faced again and again with the reality that hundreds of thousands of people have died in our country from this pandemic and in the final moments of the Lenten season we will be faced with the reality that even Jesus could not and did not avoid death. 

We are only able to truly follow Jesus into discipleship when we understand where Jesus’ life leads— and it leads to death. It leads to the casting out of our own demons that we call sin and the death of some of our relationships. We must come face to face with this death as Jesus did and claim the authority that Jesus has given us over demons in our baptism. We must face death, knowing that death is not the end of the story. This is how we are able to tell the story, to proclaim the gospel. 

That is, after all, the good news of the Gospel— that death, the ultimate enemy, the most fearsome demon, has been defeated and resurrection is not only possible but promised. 

And what a word of hope that can be in this time. In this world that is ravaged with death, we have something true and hopeful to proclaim— that through Christ Jesus, in his life— a life full of naming and casting out demons, a life full of protecting people, caring for others, putting the needs of his neighbors above his own, a life full of miracles and deep deep love—, and through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we do have hope for tomorrow. It is in Jesus not only naming death, but confronting it head-on, that God brought salvation to the world. It is in Christ’s authority, Jesus’ power over death that we can hope for the resurrection in all the world and creation will be restored. Amen.