Jesus has been demonstrating a power to heal people, after which “the Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.” Though threatened with being killed, Jesus persists in healing and shares the power with others. “Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.” “The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.”
Jesus gives to disciples the power of the Spirit to drive out demons and heal people. Jesus’ witness to the Spirit as a healing power is different than that of the Old Testament. In the Old days, God’s Spirit was associated with command and order. For example, prophets were ordered to convert disobedient sinners. More so, rulers were ordered to do violence to the disobedient sinners. Sinners were enemies of God and rulers commanded their death claiming they were ordered by God’s Spirit. So it is that all Old Testament commanders believe they are ordered by the Spirit of their God to kill – Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, and more. The world, certainly the U.S. world filled with an Old Testament believing population, is thus ruled by Presidents, Despots, Soldiers, Police, CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, ATF, Border Patrol, Marshalls, Sheriffs, Prison Guards, Militia, Patriots, Terrorists, Supremacists, and so many more who are obedient to their God who orders them to kill. Hence, they are unlikely to ever stop their killing. It explains why African American Republican, Mark Robinson, who is the North Carolina Lt. Gov. made his latest statement of violent belief. He is a member of MAGA, a violence instigating organization. He denies the Holocaust, makes anti Jewish, Muslim, gay, and trans statements, and rejects gun safety recently calling the student survivors of the Parkland High School shooting, “spoiled, angry, know it all children.” In his latest statement of belief, Robinson proclaimed, “Some people need killing.” The self-titled Christian made his violent statement of belief during a recent campaign speech for Governor, “We now find ourselves struggling with people who have evil intent… Get mad at me if you want to. Some folks need killing! It’s time for somebody to say it… It’s a matter of necessity! The further we start sliding into making 1776 a distant memory… the tenets of socialism and communism start coming into clearer focus… They cancel you… They kick you off social media… close down your business. Folks, it’s happening … because we have forgotten who we are.” It is Mark Robinson who, like all MAGA Militarists, has forgotten who he is, or at least, who he says he is. He says he is a “Christian.” But Mark Robinson is a demon, an adversary. It is clear Mark Robinson has forgotten who Christ Jesus is. Christ Jesus is a healer. Mark Robinson is someone whom disciples are struggling with for his evil intent – to kill folks. If Mr. Robinson were a disciple he would have said, “Get mad at disciples if you want to. Some folks need healing! It’s time for somebody to say it… It’s a matter of necessity! The further we start sliding into making Jesus’ healing power a distant memory… the tenets of a killer-based Militarism start coming into clearer focus… The Militarists cancel you… They kick you off social media… close down your business.” Folks, it’s happening because self-titled Christians have forgotten who they say they are.
“Let not the man who is beast or who thinks he is God come near me. I am not yet born; O fill me With strength against those who would freeze my humanity, would dragoon me into a lethal automaton, would make me a cog in a machine, a thing… who would dissipate my entirety, would blow me like thistledown… like water would spill me… let them not spill me… let them not kill me.” (Louis Macneice)
Prayer: Beautiful Spirit, I am empowered with the authority to drive out demons of killing.
Question: How has the Spirit been active in my life, encouraging me toward healing?
July 14, 2024 Gospel Mark 6:7-13 Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time