Jesus Said “Be Quiet! Come Out of Him!”
The first person to taste the Good News about God, was a man possessed (Mark 1). We understand internal captivity.
The most powerful identity we have is forged through the words and actions of others. Words spoken to you and about you become fragments in your identity at least in your response to them. We collect them like tiles and carefully curate them in the mosaic of our souls.
The ones who berated you and declared: “You’re worthless” etched that same phrase into your concept of self: unlovable, usable, unwanted, undeserving. We’re not the only ones making our identity, many others have spoken and made.
Things done to us define us, too. The ones who abused you didn’t just take something from your body, they put something into your make-up. The one’s who abandoned you didn’t leave you alone, but left you with wounds you carry as the innermost answer to “who are you?”: rejected.
It’s enough to shackle our lives.
Jesus was proclaiming the good news about God to a crowded place of worship. The people listening were amazed at Jesus’ teaching and the authority it carried. Built into their concept of authority was not merely as an expert on the subject matter but as someone who had the command of the words of God because their words were from God. They recognized Jesus’ voice because it was the voice of Scripture.
Within the crowd a tormented man cried out: “What do you want with us, Jesus? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are!”
The shackles become our our safety blanket. Stockholm syndrome arises within us we become fond of our captures and worshippers of the lies that shape us. The dominate path of freedom set before us in our culture is one of acceptance and tolerance. We must tolerate ourselves and demand others do the same.
We’re inclined to accept the demons and make them ornaments. Much of our revulsion is terror: “Who will I be, if I’m free from this!?” Is Jesus here to destroy us?
The dark side of our souls is also the engine room. It fuels our attempts at accomplishment and it moves our personalities. Is Jesus going to destroy us? Who will I be without the drive to be noticed? Who will I be without the drive to be acceptable? Who will I be without the compulsion to make myself lovable? Will there be anything left? Meanwhile, the oppressor is eating you from the inside out. Ready to leave you with nothing left.
We’ve given lies permanent residency in our psyche. Some of the fiercest prisons are within us. No wonder those lies cry out: What do you want with us, Jesus?
No one gets free on their own and no one tastes freedom by joining their oppressors. Imagine your hands are cuffed, your mouth is tapped, and you’re locked in a dark room. Will you escape through your own might? Will you be set free through your will and determination? Can you be set free by imagining the cuffs and bracelets? Is it freedom to re-image your cell as a cocoon for your own transformation? No. You will only know true freedom if someone comes to you, defeats those who kidnapped you, removes them entirely, unlocks the room, and unties you. Then you’re free.
One of my favorite childhood movies was The Great Escape, where an collection of prisoners of war creatively, methodically, and bravely conspire to break free from the Nazis. Their elaborate plot leads ends with Steve McQueen’s body trapped in barbed wire in a field in German. The illusion of self-made freedom comes crashing to a stoic halt.
Jesus’ first encounter with making you become will always be liberating captives from oppression. Jesus is on a mission to get hell out of earth. To get hell out of you. Hear his authority of darkness—even that within us: “Be Quiet. Come Out!”
Jesus breaks into the house and frees this man by kicking out the abuser. He does it with his voice: proclaiming good news. He does it with his authority: the kingdom of God is at hands. He does it with his presence: The kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus shows us his hope for humanity: freedom.
Someone must break the chains. Jesus does. Someone must defeat evil. Jesus does. Throughout his life he cast the demonic out of many lives. He pursued evil and he liberated the captives. The earliest Christians were in awe of his capacity to do this not just during his lifetime, but through his death and resurrection. His liberation of us all from darkness is a core them of the message the church embodied. The Apostle Paul, grasping to find the words for this freedom, said it this way:
"He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” Colossians 1
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery”. Galatians 5
"Creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” Romans 8
There’s also an Old Spiritual that can become your song:
"My chains fell off my heart was free
I rose went forth and followed Thee”
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