Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 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.’” vss. 23-24
Mark 1:23-26
According to Mark the demons knew exactly who Jesus was–they spotted his holiness a mile away and called him out. They not only knew his name but they knew his divine origins, and considered him to be a threat to their well-being.
It may be that we have different notions about demonic possession in our time, but it remains true that evil cannot stand in the presence of goodness. The two are incompatible. And ultimately as people proudly wearing the banner of Christ continue to work for justice and practice kindness in all their encounters, evil will be vanquished. Of course there is resistance. The unclean spirits of our world put up a mighty fight, and continue to tempt people to look to their own needs and practice accumulation in daily living. The evil one is always at hand, and works to undermine our good intentions. Some even say that “no good deed goes unpunished,” and point to perfect examples of that truth in their own lives. Sometimes it appears as though virtue has no chance in our broken world. But the Christ has power in every age, and one day all demons will be destroyed, even the ones who plague us daily.
Thought for the Day: Where do I see signs that goodness is winning?
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