"The people were amazed." (vs.21)

Mark's torch now shines on the path Jesus takes as he moves away from the shores of Galilee to enter Capernaum. In Capernaum Jesus enters a Synagogue and the home of Simon and Andrew. In both places his presence causes a stir. In one, a demon possessed man is restored, in the other a faithful servant, Peter's mother-in-law, is healed and in both cases those who witness the scene are awestruck.. In the synagogue a man who had apparently been a church attendee for years by this time, could not enter with the baggage of sin in his life remaining hidden. On that day his life would change radically. The moment he enters into that holy presence of the living God the demons within him are stirred and forced to acknowledge the true identity of Jesus. "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God." (vs.24)

What amazes me about this story is how a man could enter the sanctuary week after week and the presence and control of the evil in him is never challenged. He attended Church regularly and was never changed. It seems too unreal until we realize that our churches are filled week by week with people who go through all the rituals of worship without any of it penetrating past the surface of their lives. The presence of sin lingers and festers within causing a slow death. Entering a sanctuary where God is sung and spoken about is not a guarantee to a holy life. What changes a man? It happens only when the presence and the authoritative word of Christ confront us. It takes exposure to the "new teaching – and with authority" that was so new and fresh in the synagogue on that day. I had the joy of witnessing this sort of radical change wrought by God's presence one Sunday morning.

Ann had been attending our church for some months and many of us, knowing she was not a believer, wondered when the Holy Spirit would finally penetrate the surface to convict her of her sin. Our prayers for Ann were fervent. On this particular Sunday the sermon Ann heard was from the story of Joseph who unconditionally forgave his brothers in Gen.45. After the service Ann approached me to say she wanted to talk to me sometime in that week. A few days later I sat across from her in her living room, where she confessed to me that during the service the previous Sunday God had convicted her heart. She confessed that she could no longer attend Church week after week suppressing the reality that her life was separated from God. She realized now that God would unconditionally receive her in the same way Joseph received his brothers. There in that small living room this 75 year old woman, after having attended Church for years, was radically changed because she had finally met her Saviour.

It is a penetrating question to ask of ourselves, but are we ever guilty of going through the rituals of worship without ever allowing the Spirit of God to convict and change us? May God keep us from remaining the same in his presence.

If you can leave your church on Sunday morning with no feeling of discomfort, of conviction, of brokenness, of challenge, then for you the hour of worship has not been as dangerous as it should have been. The ease with which we go on being Christian sentimentalists is one of our worst faults.

-Paul Stromberg Rees

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