Message: Sabbath of Liberation / Mt 1:21-28
Today is the fourth Sunday after Epiphany. We're going to reflect on the story of Jesus Christ revealing himself to people and a demonic spirit in the synagogue on the sabbath through today’s Gospel reading.
After calling the first four disciples from the sea of Galilee, Jesus went with them to a town called Capernaum. On the sabbath day, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught the people. Those who listened to him were amazed because his teachings had authority. Unlike scribes who were biblical scholars at that time, Jesus reminded them about the true meaning of the Law, which is all about freedom, peace, and compassion. The Greek word translated as "authority" (ἐξουσία) also means freedom, right, and capability. This reflects the time of ancient society when only those with authority and power had the freedom of choice and action.
According to the Bible, the sabbath is a day of liberation when everyone is supposed to take a break from work and meditate on God's grace and hope. The Ten Commandments highlight the importance of observing the sabbath, saying, "The seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns” (Exodus 20:10). In ancient Israel, the sabbath meant the right to rest not only for lower-class people but also for animals that were vulnerable to forced labour. The God who saved the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt wanted to ensure fairness and rest in the new land they were building so that the same kind of oppression wouldn't happen again.
But as time passed, the sabbath turned into the day of oppression. More and more rules were created about what people should and shouldn't do on the sabbath, and eventually, there were 39 rules to follow. The religious leaders misused these rules to gain power and control, passing judgment on what was right and wrong.
In several parts of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus talks about the original meaning of the sabbath as a day of liberation. When the Pharisees criticize his disciples for plucking heads of grain on the sabbath because they were hungry, Jesus says, "The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27). And when some accuse him of healing a man with a hand disease on the sabbath, Jesus says, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?" (Mark 3:4).
The climax of today's gospel text is when Jesus frees a man possessed by an unclean spirit on the sabbath. The Greek word "ἀκάθαρτος (akathartos)," which means unclean, appears 11 times in Mark, more than in Matthew (2 times), Luke (6 times), or John (0 times). Considering that Mark is the shortest of the Gospels, this word is used quite frequently. That's because Mark uses the term "ἀκάθαρτος" to mean something like demonic, rather than clean/unclean as a legal concept in the Law. In other words, in Mark, an unclean spirit refers to a demonic being like Satan.
The original meaning of “satan” (שָׂטָן) is adversary or accuser. The word appears most in the book of Job in the Hebrew Bible (16 out of 27 times). In Job, Satan (with the article: hassatan) is shown as a supernatural being, acting like a prosecutor in God's court. Satan thinks that Job's faith depends on his wealth and health, so he asks God to let him test Job. Only after receiving God's permission does Satan test Job. This means that, according to the Bible, Satan can't be against God. In other words, Satan is understood as a servant of God who can only act when commanded by God.
It is only humans who consider Satan to be evil. This is because Satan tests and tempts people, to create conflicts between God and humans, between humans and humans, and between humans and creation. Satan promotes fear, persuades people to prioritize things other than God, and makes them question God's unconditional love. Jesus also faced temptations from Satan in the wilderness before starting his ministry.
Beings like demonic spirits do not need to be feared. As we can see in today’s reading, an unclean spirit immediately obeyed Jesus Christ's words. What is important to remember is that the real threat to Jesus Christ's mission was those who were full of self-righteousness and refused to hear Jesus’ good news. The religious leaders and political authorities who believed they were always right opposed the gospel of God’s Kingdom and crucified Jesus after all. They were even worse than Satan or demonic spirits.
Mencius (372-289 BCE), highly respected in Confucianism, said, "人之患在好爲人 (in-ji-hwan-jae-ho-wi-in-sa)," which means, "The disaster of people is that they like to patronize others." People who see the world in black and white are not willing to listen to others. They are quick to judge. They are the people of "must.” They often say, "I must be right. You must do it." Anyone not on their side is seen as an enemy. They believe differences are wrong, and diversity is dangerous. They can't tolerate those who disagree; they perceive it as a personal attack. They are intolerant of differing political views. For them, justice is not an act of compassion but a means to their own power.
We, Christians, are the people of "may." We understand that "I may be wrong" because the only true right belongs to God. For this reason, we are listeners. The Apostle Paul says, "Faith comes from what is heard" (Romans 10:17). If we don't listen, the words of Christ can't transform us. The key word in Deuteronomy, the book of Moses' sermon to the Hebrews who were about to enter the Promised Land, is the imperative verb, "שְׁמַ֖ע" (shema), meaning "hear" or “heed.” It is repeated three times in today's first reading (Deuteronomy 18:15-20). When we listen with an open heart, we are freed from the oppressive chains of "self-righteousness." By paying attention to the thoughts and experiences of others, we grow in our love for God and our neighbours.
Many people tend not to listen to those closest to them, especially family members like spouses, children, parents, and siblings. Sena, my wife, sometimes said to me, "Why aren't you listening to me?" and I responded, “Am I?” But I knew she was right. The reason we do this is because we believe we already know everything about them. When we think we already know, we stop listening. And when we don't listen, the wall around us gets higher and higher. There are various spiritual practices for becoming a better listener, but the most fundamental one is to listen carefully to those closest to us. Yes, it's a discipline. We need to consciously try to do it because it's really hard.
We don't need to be afraid of invisible beings like Satan or demonic spirits because they cannot refuse the commands of Jesus Christ. What we really need to watch out for is our false ego which makes us quick to judge others. In the Garden of Eden, the serpent tempted the first humans to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. The serpent whispered that the ability to judge right and wrong would make them like God. However, even though they ate the fruit, they didn't become like God. Why? Because trying to judge or patronize others for self-righteousness is not a way to be like God. Christ's “ἐξουσία,” authority and freedom lay in hearing, understanding, and loving. This is the path we need to follow as disciples of Christ today.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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