Mark 1:25 - "Shut up. Get out."

The Verse

Mark 1:25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”


My Paraphrase

Jesus spoke firmly and unwavering, "Shut up. Get out."


My Thoughts

Most translations say "Be quiet," but I chose to paraphrase with "Shut up!" because the Bible says Jesus said it sternly, and I don't think we need to censor Jesus here.  As believers and followers of God, we have all authority over the enemy and demons and can speak with ultimate authority over them.  It is inappropriate to say "Shut up" to other humans because we are created in the image of God, but demons are fair game, in my opinion.  Demons don't deserve respect. 

Also, interesting about this quotation is its brevity.  Jesus doesn't belabor the scene.  He doesn't bring in pyrotechnics.  He doesn't embellish.  He just gives two short commands: He silences, then exorcises.  We should learn from this.  We don't need to beat around the bush where the enemy is concerned.  Address him head-on--(1) Silence him and (2) rebuke him.  Done.  Demons also don't deserve a big spectacle. 

Something else interesting is that the first command ("Be quiet!") could have been addressed to both the man and the demon.  In other words, even though the demon was speaking through the man, the man was still responsible for allowing the demon to speak in the first place.  It was the man's lips, vocal chords, and lungs being used, after all.  This problem needed to be addressed.  In saying, "Be quiet!" Jesus not only silenced the demon, but also pointed out the man's accountability.  This is how we need to address problems in our churches.  We need to address them head-on as demonic and expose the deception so that people can see where they are being lead astray.  We don't need to candy-coat nor do we need to enable.  

Shut it down, and shut it down fast.  No room for footholds.

Okay, so we know that Jesus was directly addressing the demon and the man, but did you realize that there is a third party here in this verse that was also being taught?  The other members of the synagogue.  This man had been in their midst for who knows how long!  Then, here came this Guy who not only taught with authority, but also cast out demons with authority!  Honestly, this exorcism should have happened long ago in this congregation, but clearly if none of the teachers felt they had enough authority even to teach properly, then it's no wonder there were demons running so rampant!  I mean, if Jesus' teaching alone was blowing their minds, then I imagine His display of authority over demons was really throwing them for a loop!  

All right.  Now we come to Jesus' second command, "Come out of him!"  This is directly to the demon. Jesus is obviously Spirit-filled because only the Holy Spirit can cast out an impure spirit.  "Perfect love casts out fear." (I John 4:18).  Demons operate with nothing more than fear and intimidation.  Jesus--the picture of Perfect Love--casts out fear with nothing more than simple words.  

However, even though Jesus directly commands the demon, He is also indirectly speaking to the man.  Jesus doesn't just say, "Come out!" but He also says, "of him."  There is a human element to the command of which the man was still a part.  Whether the man was willing for the demon to come out or not, is irrelevant because we are dealing with the Son of God here, and if He commands something to come out, it's coming out no matter what.  Still, the wording "of him" connects the man to the responsibility of letting the demon get in there in the first place.

Well, now that the demon was out, maybe the man wouldn't have to leave and find work in Damascus after all. (Sorry. That was a stupid joke from my former post.) 

Another point about the command "Come out of him!" and that is this: Jesus makes it very plain that the demon is not welcome under any circumstances.  He shows us in very few words that there is a big problem with allowing demonic influence into our lives.  Simply this: They don't belong there.  We were created for something far greater, so. . .don't waste your time with beings that don't belong in you.  Don't waste your time thinking about another person's spouse.  Don't waste your time worrying about things that might (and probably won't) happen.  Don't entertain thoughts that make you angry against another person.  Just stop it.  Say this right now: Get out.  Right now.  Evil thoughts, you don't belong in my head.  I am created for life, not death.

Lastly, Jesus is perfect, so we can assume that this was and is the most perfect way to cast out a demon.  You don't need candles.  You don't need spell books.  You don't need crucifixes.  In fact, if you use anything EXCEPT God-empowered, Spirit-filled, authoritative words to cast out a demon--you're doing it wrongly.

Like. . .really wrongly.

Mark 1:23 - Demons in Our Midst

The Verse

Mark 1:23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out,

My Paraphrase

Suddenly, a demonized man in the synagogue started yelling,

My Thoughts

This a very short verse, but there is a lot of serious ramification within it.  The first thought that hits me is this: So. . .what was this man doing in the synagogue?  Did he just wander in from off the street?  I kind of think that isn't the case because I think the Scripture would have said, "Just then a man wandered in from off the street," right?  There is no reason necessarily to think this was some hobo coming in to cause a ruckus.  So, I'm pretty sure this guy was a regular attender.  He was a man "in their synagogue."  I read several versions to verify the wording, and all of them suggest that this guy had been in the synagogue the entire time--like the entire time that Jesus was up there amazing the crowd at His authoritative teaching!  Isn't that crazy?  I mean, the entire time Jesus--Son of God, Creator, and Promised Messiah--is up there preaching His heart out, there is a demon-possessed man sitting there like a ticking time bomb!  This begs the question: If a possessed man can sit through the teaching and be in the physical presence of Jesus Christ Himself, and no preacher today even comes close to Jesus: How many demonized people do we have currently sitting in our midst?  Also: How many of us are demon-possessed/oppressed and don't even know it?  Doesn't it seem really out of place for demon possession to occur WITHIN the walls of, what one would assume to be, spiritual protection?  If a man can be demonized within the church--breathing the same air as our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ--then, really, that means none of us is safe, right?   

Did the rest of the people know this guy was demon-possessed or was this a surprise to them?  If this man was a regular, did anyone ever question him?  Did they whisper to themselves at home behind his back?  Did anyone ever try to confront the evil spirit?  Or did the man simply hide it from everyone?  Was the man even aware of his possession until that moment?  There are a lot of unanswered questions, but two really important answers jump out at me:

(1) Demon-possession can happen within the church.  Not everyone who goes to church is a Christian, after all, and even Christians can be oppressed.  (2) If it can happen in the presence of Jesus Christ, it can DEFINITELY happen (and most probably--and obviously--is happening) in our churches today! 

This means we need to educate ourselves with how properly to deal with demons and evil spirits.  Ignoring them or downplaying them is the same as enabling them. 

I think the best teachings I have ever heard about demon-possession and demonic oppression are a sermon series called "Free Indeed" by Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church. (You can listen/watch the series by clicking the words "Free Indeed" above. They are in order from the bottom to the top.)  He explains really well how believers can come under oppression a lot more easily than we may think.  He also gives practical and helpful information about how to bind these spirits for good.  (You really need to watch it if you haven't already.)

 Anyways, my last thought here is how humbling it is that this first encounter with a demon in the Book of Mark wasn't out among the graves, nor in a house of tax collectors and sinners. Instead, it was within a place of worship.  That is very telling and should give us all pause.