Mark 1:29-39 (Jesus heals and casts out demons.)

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. Jesus came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.  

That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." He answered, "Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

What do you make of the word ‘ordinary’? Is it a compliment, an insult or neither? Does ‘They lived an ordinary life’ indicate a boring life, or an exciting life, or neither. Maybe ordinary is just ordinary. There are some Sundays in the Church’s Year that are called Ordinary. (This Sunday is apparently an ‘Ordinary’ Sunday.) This means that they are not a Feast Day or part of a Festival Season. But this does not mean that they are without purpose. The liturgical colour associated with Ordinary time is green – a sign of life and growth – and this reminds us that Ordinary time is when we get on with our lives, applying our faith to our daily tasks.

On most days Jesus’ daily tasks involved healings and exorcisms. I am amused by the way Jesus heals Simon Peter’s mother in law. There she was, lying down feeling unwell, when Jesus lifts her up and she carries on with her domestic duties. I am amused because this has often happened to me: I have been lying down, feeling unwell, when I have been told to get up and get on with it. It’s strange how it so often works! Exorcisms, however, are another matter.

It is difficult to avoid frightening images from recent films when we mention the word Exorcism. The popular image is of necks twisting, mouths frothing and voices screaming. If exorcisms were really like this, then you can imagine the mayhem surrounding Jesus whenever he exercised this ministry. Maybe there were such heightened moments for Jesus, but exorcisms needn’t have been so dramatic.

Let’s begin to understand everyday exorcisms by thinking about demons. I don’t mean the Dan Brown type of demons with horns and pointy tails. Instead I want us to think about someone who might say that they are struggling with inner demons. They most probably mean that there are destructive powers within them over which they seem to have very little control. Or think about the person who feels that they are being singled out for trouble which they can’t escape from. In both examples the heart of the matter is about being powerless in being able to find a safe place of refuge. Exorcism addresses this key problem. An effective exorcism is about providing a safe place where a victim can regain some control over their life. Jesus was a master of doing this, and therefore it is no wonder that exorcisms were part of his ordinary daily routine. 

During these ‘Ordinary’ times in the Church’s year, what might we get up to? How about being channels of peace? Providers of safety and refuge? Helping people ‘get back in the saddle’? Exorcise the demons?