Bible Text: Deuteronomy 18: 15-22 and Mark 1:21-28 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes
An internal memo from Western Union in 1876 read, “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM computers stated in 1943, “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” In 1962 Decca Recording Co. rejected the Beatles stating, “We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” And finally, Ken Olson, president of Digital Equipment Corp said, “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home” in 1977. It is almost tragic now to think of these poor people having no ability to imagine what our future could look like. In the case of Thomas Watson or Ken Olson, these were even people in the industry! Certainly, upon reflection we could say that they were not very prophetic in their comments. Based on our Deuteronomy passage they would be categorized under “not a prophet”. What amazes me is that there are still people who do have the imagination to see things through. Again, based on our Deuteronomy passage inventors, entrepreneurs, scientists and artists are essentially modern prophets; facing down these challenges, following up with a hunch, expressing a passion even before it’s time. Yet, being a prophet does not mean seeing into the future per se.
Within our Scriptures prophets do not simply tell the future; in fact most prophets did not fortune tell at all. Some made educated guesses based on the political environment, some were called to certain tasks, and all had a connection to the divine. Just before our Deuteronomy passage there is a clear explanation of what prophecy is not. Deuteronomy 18:9-14 is very clear on what is not prophecy and therefore not proper behaviour for the Israelites. It does not involve sacrifices of children, it does not involve divination or soothsaying or an augur (which often involved observing the behaviour of birds to seek approval for the future). Prophecy does not cast spells or consult with the dead for advice. The point that is being made in this version of Moses’ closing speech is that they are about to enter a territory in which the local people, the Canaanites, do participate in these kinds of things, and if they, the Israelites, want to stand out, or have their own identity as God’s people, then they must separate themselves from this kind of behaviour. What is rather intriguing is that not only are all these things religious practices of the Canaanites, but also this form of prophecy seeks to control the future either by the ability to predict it or by attempting to manipulate it. That is not the kind of prophecy that God wants. The writer of Deuteronomy is saying that any attempt to gain security by predicting the future goes against the very nature of God, because it is a form of manipulation.
Our reading from Deuteronomy then explains that a new prophet, like Moses, will rise up among them. I find it fascinating that finally, at this stage in his life, in fact, at the end of his life, Moses is able to say that he is a prophet. Note that he does not have the characteristics that we often associated with prophecy. He was a reluctant leader, who had been living in exile following an accidental murder, and even still a prophet was raised up. And Moses never once predicted the future; rather he focussed on bringing God’s word to the people in their present circumstance. He then modeled that word through example. Many future prophets will also be reluctant to take on their prophetic duties, and all will speak about God’s concern for the people in their present situation, and will live by example.
Prophets studied the tradition of the law, and therefore any revelation did not come from speculation about the future, but rather focused on the law and what it meant in providing a meaningful system for living. Essentially Israel’s prophets were motivational writers and/or speakers. They could receive communications from the divine, sometimes in words, sometimes in visions, sometimes through wisdom. They functioned as intermediaries between the human and divine worlds. Some represented humans to God and others represented God to humans. As author David L. Petersen says, “Prophets were truly boundary figures, standing between the world of the sacred and secular.” In this way one could argue, like many religious traditions do, that Jesus was a prophet, an intermediary between us and God. However, our Gospel passage demonstrates that he was much more than that.
As twenty-first century readers we struggle with some of the imagery. And it should be noted that past generations of scholars have struggled with unpacking the story of exorcisms as well. We should also be aware that first century people would blame a headache on a demon- which is sometimes what I feel when a migraine hits, but my logical self tells me it is usually brought on by stress or lack of sleep or food or certain smells. Instead of focussing on whether demons take possession of people or not, because I am sure there are many in our modern world who feel that evil does compel people to do and say awful things, I would rather look at what this passage teaches us. The story declares Jesus’ true identity- that he is more than just a prophet. It demonstrates Jesus’ God-given authority and power. Jesus’ teachings are clearly a little unorthodox because it states that “he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.” People expected someone who followed the same pattern as Moses- they expected a prophet who spoke with reluctance and instead they find a man who speaks with authority. Then Jesus liberates a man who is enduring pain. This Gospel story’s message is that knowing about Jesus’ teachings are transformational.
You know, today is our anniversary Sunday and it occurs to me that our church, certainly when it was beginning was filled with some amazing prophets. It must have seemed crazy to start a church in an era when decline was already a reality for the denomination. I have read in reports that when the church was built on this site that members of the community thought it was an awful place to build because it was in the “middle of nowhere”, due to the fact that at the time most of the houses that surround us now were not built. It took courage, wisdom, trust and of course, faith, to begin this church and build this building. None of us have the ability to see into the future, but because we have been transformed by Jesus’ teachings we do have prophetic duties. We attempt, sometimes reluctantly, to create a place, a boundary space, in which the secular and the sacred meet.
I like the phrase, hindsight is 20/20, meaning we can have perfect vision when we look back on events- that it is easy to be knowledgeable about an event after it happens. It is easy for us to look at the comments of those in the past and laugh at how wrong they were, yet I am sure that we are limited by our imaginations about what the future will look like in years to come. I wonder, how many of us, myself included, would have the courage, wisdom, trust and faith to start a church today. I know many of you are thinking, we certainly don’t have the energy! But then, in truth, building a church doesn’t end once the congregation is established or the building is up. Of course we are being asked to start a congregation, by renewing this one. And maybe that will happen in a way that looks completely different than what we think- we can’t see into the future- but that’s not our job. Instead, like Moses, we are to focus on bringing God’s Word to the people in their present circumstance. We have to overcome the evil in this world through the power of Christ’s authority and preach about God’s love. Amen