January 31, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for January 31st: Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Psalm 111, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28; Theme: Even the Demons Obey him Song: Help Us Accept Each Other - UMH 560 Mark: We all recognize that there is negativity in the world. There is even negativity in the church. Mark is one of the few spiritual authors who is willing to address negativity head on. He clearly demonstrates that Jesus has authority even over the negativity in our lives. In this verse, Jesus starts to teach in the synagogues, and Jesus recognizes the demons and asks them to leave. Jesus does not destroy them, he just takes away their power. When others see this they spread the news that the messiah has the power to heal. The good news for us is that Jesus’ presence, words, and actions have that same authority over our problems in life and in church. We don’t have to find demons in other people and call them bad. We do have the power to look at our own lives and see what inside of our own spirit needs to be changed. 1 Corinthians: Paul picks up where Jesus leaves off in encouraging us not to judge the behavior of others. We are all different people, with different values. There are Christians that we do not agree with. We don’t have to criticize them, we can be an example for them. In Christ we have freedom to do anything and to be forgiven. But not everything that we do is on our best interest. As Christian, people tend to scrutinize our behavior more than others. We have to be aware of that tendency, but not be controlled by it. Our relationships with others should not be controlled by judgement, but by love. How do our actions affect other? Questions: Have you ever experienced Jesus healing? How does the spirit of Christ help you to overcome negativity? How do other people judge your behavior? How can you respond in love?