The Devil’s Orthodoxy

“’I know who you are! You are God’s Holy One. . . . You are the Son of God!’ . . . the demons . . . knew he was the Messiah” (v 41).

One thing you can’t fault the devil for is his orthodoxy. He is one sharp dogmatist. His favourite subject is theology.

Putting out the Welcome Mat

What the demons seem to know, the people in this story don’t. Or they choose to ignore. As Jesus and his disciples – recovered from their rough trip across the lake – continue their journey on the safety of dry land, they encounter what must have been a terrifying scene. Two men with demons who were so fierce no one could travel that way.

Alone and Praying

Jesus’ day started with confronting an evil spirit in the synagogue (Mark 1:21-28) and ended, long after sunset, with him healing “all kinds of terrible diseases” and silencing and forcing out a lot of demons who knew who he was (Mark1: 34).

The Devil’s Orthodoxy

“’I know who you are! You are God’s Holy One. . . . You are the Son of God!’ . . . the demons . . . knew he was the Messiah” (v 41).

One thing you can’t fault the devil for is his orthodoxy. He is one sharp dogmatist. His favourite subject is theology. We see this repeatedly in Scripture, from the opening pages of the Old Testament where the serpent engages Eve in theological debate, to the opening pages of the New Testament, where the devil spars with Jesus over points of doctrine.

Jesus’ Authority Over Demons

Some people playfully use the phrase, “The devil made me do it.” Usually they’re kidding. But they are flirting with a subject that is far more real than they know.

Mention the word “devil” and a Halloween street scene comes to mind with red-suited, barb-tailed, pitch fork wielding devils of all sizes mixed in with the princesses, witches and super heroes. But evil is a dark reality in the world today. And it has been since the seduction of Eve

How Do You React To The Unexpected?

Life is full of unexpected danger and evil. If it’s not your personal experience, a quick skim of the week’s headlines will bear evidence. Ever notice the tendency to blame God?

We don’t know how long the 72 disciples were away, but when they returned they could hardly contain their excitement. Apparently, it had been a quite a journey. It had been successful – surpassing their wildest expectations – but, also fraught with danger.

Defending Against the Demonic

In most of my readings about this passage the person commentating focuses upon the claim to divinity that Jesus makes in using the sacred name “I am” to describe himself before Abraham existed. But there is another intriguing insight that comes from this passage.

In response to the accusation by the crowd that Jesus is demonic, Jesus replies by saying he honours his Father.