It seems we are living in a “watered-down” age. People complain that our schools are watering down the curriculum to make it easier for children. Some food products are being watered down to reduce production costs. And even in the Church there seem to be leaders who are pushing for a watered-down version of Catholic teaching. When education, products, or religion is watered down, people lose interest in them.
Things were not much different in Jesus’ time. Synagogue meetings were probably boring as teachers gave watered-down, lifeless talks to sleepy “parishioners.” Then the authentic One stepped up one day and things began to change (Mark 1:21-28).
“Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught then as one having authority and not as the scribes.”
We wonder what the teaching of the scribes was like. Were they just rehashing old ideas and opinions? Were they talking about boring theological debates? Whatever the case, Jesus came in with a clear and authoritative presentation of the truth. It woke the congregation to the point that they were astonished. The scribes may have talked about God; Jesus WAS God. He was giving a live presentation from God himself, not second and third hand news reports.
“In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?’…Jesus rebuked him and said, ‘Quiet! Come out of him!’ The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud voice came out of him.”
The people had become used to the man with the unclean spirit. There was nothing they could do about it. With Jesus, however, it was different. His teaching was so filled with God’s light, that the darkness could not bear it. The unclean spirits were forced to come out and protest the powerful presence of God. At last, the poor man who was inhabited by these spirits was set free. Jesus not only talked about being free; he also had the authority to set people free even from demon possession.
“All were amazed and asked one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’”
We like those in the synagogue that day have learned “to get used” to a mix of light and darkness. We have leaned to “put up with” people who have unclean spirits.
St. Paul admonished the Corinthians: “…what fellowship is there between light and darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Beliar?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). Mixing light and darkness only weakens a community. Jesus is pure light, and darkness is not comfortable in his presence.
And St. Paul warned Timothy about “watered down” versions of the faith. “Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people into more and more impiety…They (false teachers) are upsetting the faith of some…Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.” (2 Timothy 2:16,18,23).
With the help of the secular media, our Church is getting dragged into the kind of quarrels that Paul spoke of. It is time to bring Jesus into the center again. And, we start by having him come into the “synagogues” of our hearts and filling us with his light.
