PSA 05 February 2012

Ken Howcroft. “Praying, Proclaiming and Evicting Evil”. A sermon for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (after Epiphany). When Rome has its worst snow for 25 years and grinds to a halt, and you are trying to get a guest to the airport, you have to become like the Romans, react like them and go with their flow to get anywhere. If you are not to be duplicitous, that takes integrity. Last week we heard in Mark’s Gospel how Jesus burst into Galilee with an integrity in which what he said, what he did and what he was were all of a piece. This week we hear how he sees and responds to everyone’s deep need. He comes from the synagogue into Simon’s house ready to talk and eat with his male disciples and notices that all is not well with Simon’s mother-in-law. He notices her and touches her. It is true that he does not ask her to sit and talk, but rather than healing her in order for her to resume a subservient role in the house it is more likely that he frees her from what is stopping her from doing what she wants to do to help him. Mark then gives a typical day in the ministry of Jesus in which he preaches and frees people from the problems and forces and evil that prevents them flourishing. He refuses, though, to be trapped just in one activity or one place. E takes time to pray, reflecting on what is happening, seeking guidance, looking to do God’s will. And he is driven on by the restless energy of God. It is the praying that produces the integrity. St Paul knew that. He discovers that to avoid getting trapped in old arguments that would prevent people encountering Jesus, he has to approach them within their own culture and ways of behaving as much as possible. But that takes integrity. And that takes prayer. The readings were 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 and Mark 1:29-39