RCL, Year B, Epiphany 4
Deuteronomy 18:15–20
Psalm 111
1 Corinthians 8:1–13
Mark 1:21–28
HOLY IS ALL AROUND US
Today, I want to offer a brief meditation on the word, holy, which is one of the church’s most
important four-letter words. Why? Because “holy” is everywhere today. For
example, following the sermon, Armani and Aaliyah are going to undergo the
sacrament of Holy Baptism. During
that liturgy, we who have been baptized will renew own baptismal covenant, by
confessing our belief in the Holy
Spirit and in the holy catholic
Church. Afterwards, we will all gather at the Lord’s table and celebrate Holy Eucharist, or Holy Communion. And just a few minutes ago, we heard the Holy Gospel, in which an unclean spirit
cries out, Jesus of Nazareth, “I know who you are, the Holy One of God” (Mark
1:24). So holy is all around
us today.
HOLY AS BEING SET APART FOR A SPECIAL PURPOSE
But what exactly does it mean? When we describe something
as holy, what is it that we are
trying to say about it? Holy has a
variety of meanings. For example, holy
may be used to characterize an object or a person’s state of being. In this
usage, to be holy is to be pure, unblemished, without fault or defect, and to
be unholy is be defective, impure, or
unclean.
But the word holy
can also be used to describe something that has been set apart, something or
someone that has set apart for a special use, purpose, or calling. In this
usage, the opposite of holy would be common
or ordinary. So, if you wanted to,
you could describe your fine china as holy because it is only brought out on
special occasions and used for special purposes. Such holy china stands in
contrast to the ordinary plates,
cups, and silverware that you use for every day purpose.
So when we describe the Eucharist as Holy, we are
saying that this meal has been set aside for a special purpose. The Holy
Eucharist is a meal, but it is a meal like no other. Likewise, Holy Baptism is
a bath, but it is not like any other bath or shower you will ever take. It has
been set apart for a special purpose. And the Holy Catholic Church—of which we
are all a part—is a community like no other. It too has been called and set
apart for a special purpose.
HOLY IS AS HOLY DOES
But holy goes even further than this. If something is
holy, then it has an effect. Do you remember the movie Forrest Gump? Forrest
Gump was the main character, and he had some mental deficiencies, and so he was
often made fun of. But do you remember what his mother taught him to say when
kids called him stupid? “Stupid is as stupid does.” Well, I think the same
thing can be said of the word holy.
“Holy is as holy does.”
You see, if something is holy, it doesn’t just sit
around being holy, it accomplishes something; it has an effect on its
environment. In other words, holy doesn’t simply describe what a thing is in
itself, it describes what something does. Holy
is as holy does.
Let me offer an example of this. Three weeks ago,
we heard read the story of John the Baptist baptizing people in the Jordan
River. He told them, “[There is a one more powerful than I am who is coming.]…
I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (1:8). Now, there are two
observations that need to be made [or, that I would like to make.]
Why the Spirit is Called Holy in Mark's Gospel
First of all, in Mark’s Gospel, God’s Spirit is called the
Holy Spirit, in large part, because
there is more than one type of spirit operating in the world. For example, you
may have noticed in today’s reading that the troubled man in the Capernaum
synagogue was not described as having a demon. Rather he was described as
having an unclean spirit. Now, it should be said that demon and unclean spirit
refer to the exact same thing, but in his gospel, Mark exhibits a decided
preference for the term, unclean spirit. Why? Because he wants to emphasize
what these spirits do; he wants to highlight the effect that these spirits
have. These spirits communicate uncleanness to their victims. These spirits can
take over a person and defile them and their surroundings.
In sharp contrast to these unclean spirits stands
the Holy Spirit. Holy is not the Spirit’s first name. The Spirit of God is
called holy because the Spirit cleanses an unclean world. Unclean spirits
defile the world by communicating impurity, sin, and sickness, whereas the holy
Spirit cleanses the world and its people by communicating purity, holiness, and
wholeness. The opening chapters of Mark can be read as a tale of two
spirits—the holy Spirit of God verses the unclean spirits of Satan.
What it means that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit
This leads to my second observation. When John says that
Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit, he is not referring to the Day of
Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit will come upon all of Jesus’ disciples.
Instead, John is describing Jesus’ entire ministry. In other words, every
single thing that Jesus does in Mark’s gospel can be characterized as baptizing
with the Holy Spirit. Because everything that Jesus does has a cleansing,
restorative effect. His exorcisms and healings, his pronouncements of
forgiveness, his table-fellowship with tax-collectors and sinners, all of these
things create holiness and wholeness, where once there had only been sin and
brokenness. Holy is as holy does.
We saw the cleansing power of the Spirit at work
in today’s gospel. As was his custom, Jesus is in the synagogue on the Sabbath.
It’s a holy place on a holy day, and in walks an unholy man, unholy because he
is under the influence of an unclean, dehumanizing power over which he has no
control. This poor man can no longer help himself. He has no power to act on
his own, he has no power to speak. He has lost all self-determination and
self-control, he has lost his own voice. I wonder if you have ever experienced
this?
And so Jesus baptizes him, Jesus bathes this
unclean man with the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus commands the
unclean spirit, and the man is set free. He has been made clean, his life has
been restored, and he has been restored to the community of faith. He was dead,
and now he is alive. That is holy,
and that is what we do today.
CONCLUSION (just notes)
Holy Baptism, Holy Eucharist, Holy Church, and we have become
Holy.
The Holy Spirit animates all of these, so that they have an
effect (including us).
The conclusion of the sermon can be found on the video.
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