Musical Prelude and Service.

Mark 1:21-28 & Psalm 111
There is a great deal of Psalm 111 that I really like, but I will also confess that I struggle with some of the wording. Like many of you, I am sure, I get a little squeamish at the refences to fearing God.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
The Psalm spends a great deal of time talking about praising God, celebrating the many ways God has shown us love, mercy, generosity.
And then we are told to fear God.
I know I am not alone in this struggle. A great many writers; biblical scholars, theologians, have written a great deal on this particular apparent tension between loving god and praising a God of love; when we are also told to approach with fear. It is difficult with our modern sensibilities to discuss genuine love when it is motivated or prompted by fear.
Well, this is an area where language and translation come into play. One of the main issues is that the use of the term fear is not exactly a translation problem. The Hebrew word does translate as fear. But the way the word fear has been used over the millennia has changed somewhat. When we use the word fear; when we think of fear, it is basically a response to a threat. It is a visceral response a way of avoiding danger.
In the context of the time these scriptures were written, fear was a touch more nuanced. The associations already mentioned were still there, but it also included a sense of awe or reverence. Amongst my readings this past week there was the note by a scholar named James Mays that “Fear of the Lord” is a sense of awe inspired by the recognition God is far beyond our ability to grasp or even imagine.
God is beyond our ability to fully comprehend, never mind describe. And yet, we recognize the breadth of God’s generosity, God’s mercy, God’s love, God’s faithfulness; even when we can’t believe we are worthy of such treatment. That sense of awe it as suggested is what the ancient Hebrews were getting at by saying the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
Wisdom comes when we begin to see the world with a sense of humility, but it is also something that requires practise. We don’t gain that wisdom through a simple statement of fact. It is something that takes work.
Again, in my readings it was noted that professional athletes; stars of stage and screen, don’t achieve their success; a mastery of their craft just by deciding to be the best at what they do. It takes commitment, hard work, and a repetition of challenging and often excruciating exercises. Failure is certainly part of the process at achieving a sense of mastery.
The psalmist calls on us to worship God; to praise God and celebrate the multitude of ways that God has been and continues to be a part of our lives. That by trusting God and recognizing God’s presence and power in our lives we can come to find wisdom as well. It is a matter of gaining perspective.
As I reflected on this idea of fear in the ancient world, I was also struck by the notion that for people at that time, they likely lived with a sense of fear on a regular basis. They lived under the force of an empire. They lived under the threat of punishment from an occupying army or an official, or some sort representing the powers of the day. You were taught to live with that fear or that awe. And into
that world view come words that suggest redirecting that sense of “fear” to a God who is loving; a God who is generous and life giving.
If you are committed to revering the loving and generous and merciful presence of God in your life, does that perhaps mean you are able to gain a greater perspective on the world and your place in it? Is that perhaps a sign of wisdom?
It is with those thoughts that I found myself turning to today’s Gospel reading. Jesus is just beginning his ministry according to Mark, and he takes his newly acquired disciples to a synagogue in Capernaum. He is teaching and reading from scripture in such a way that the listeners sense he is doing so with an authority that they have not experienced from the normal scribes they hear. Well, what does that mean? It’s a matter for speculation as far as I can tell. So, if you will allow me to speculate for a moment; I wonder if perhaps scribes tend to teach by plainly reading scripture. Here what is being said in scripture.
But Jesus, in a fashion that a few other rabbis of the day practised considers the scriptures; the words from Jewish law and the prophets and how they interpret each other, to arrive at a greater idea of wisdom found in those writings. We are told in other Gospel writings that Jesus often approached the Hebrew scriptures in this fashion. When asked what the greatest commandment is, he points to Deuteronomy to love God with all your heart, mind and soul. And to love one another as God has loved you. He then adds that on these two commandments all the law and prophets hang. A rabbi from around the same time, Hillel said something similar. That which is hateful to you, do not do unto your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.”
So I wonder, if perhaps Jesus is encouraging his listeners to truly consider what their scriptures are saying to them. That they need more than a plain reading. And into that a man, possessed by an unclean spirit challenges him. What do you have to do with us? And so, Jesus’ first act of ministry quickly becomes a confrontation. But Jesus is also able to differentiate between the man and the spirit of confrontation, the spirit of doubt and anger; the hatred that possesses him, and in that moment, offer healing. Not just for the possessed man, but the community that is struggling with this sort of outburst in their synagogue. Jesus is able to differentiate between the individual and the spirit that is causing so much pain.
“The fear of God,” the awe and reverence of God, the acknowledgement that our understanding of God is so small compared to God’s capacity for love and mercy, that is the beginning of wisdom.
We are called to dedicate ourselves to taking a long hard look at our lives. To consider the many ways God has blessed us and to praise God, to celebrate Gods presence and in that practise, that never ending practise find perspective and wisdom and in doing so dedicate ourselves to that same love and generosity; that mercy and graciousness that God has offered us.
Thanks be to God.

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number
2701258 and One License # A-731789