Crossing Boundaries

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Mark 1:21-28

What kind of story would I tell first if I was introducing who I am to someone who has never met me…someone I desperately wanted to get me?

What is the most telling thing about me?

I would have to be thoughtful and deliberate…that would take some deep self-reflection.

Still in chapter 1, Jesus has been baptized and he has called a few disciples, but this action in the synagogue is Jesus’ first public action.

SO that means…pay attention.

The people are Astonished

Jesus is Authoritative

The people are Amazed

…there is surprise

The conflict in the wilderness with the demonic

continues here in the Synagogue

  and to get very particular

  it continues in a person’s body!

What do I do when confronted with a very particular unclean-ness?

For Jesus there is no such thing

Every human life, seen through His eyes is clean...touchable, healable, redeemable

Clean vs Unclean…those are our categories

Maybe exorcising the Demon

(not to take anything away from the miracle)

exorcises our categories?

Jesus’s first public action in the Gospel of Mark:

Clean versus Unclean...NOT MY CATEGORIES

...this is going to take a few more lessons