Just before Luke’s Gospel launches into Jesus’ adult, public ministry, the author gives us a summary statement of Jesus’ first 30’ish years of life that preceded: Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people (Luke 2:52 NLT). We know very little about Jesus’ life before his final 1-3 years. Yet Luke’s declaration speaks volumes.
Before we go any further, let me offer you my sincerest congratulations! Way to go! You made it to today! Somehow you (with the help of others along the way) made it out of your mother’s womb, figured out how to express your needs the only way you knew how (crying at the top of your lungs), learned to walk, talk, eat, bathe, dress, and generally take care of yourself. Considering this achievement, you are incredible! Not only did you grow physically, but you also matured! Only one or two of you still cry at the top of your lungs when you want something (you know who you are). Most of you have learned to exercise control in many sectors of life to protect yourself and to increase the odds of beating the actuary tables. Well done!
Not to ruin such a celebratory tone, but I feel that I need to let you know that as special as you are and as good as you can feel about such an incredible feat, pretty much every human being on the planet has done the same to varying degrees. Everyone is special. What Luke wanted to convey to us is that something a bit more unique happened in Jesus’ life. He grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. To achieve that includes all the normal wisdom-gaining experienced by everyone yet requires more. It requires intentionality. One generally does not grow in stature or in favor with God and all people without concerted effort. We can trust that Jesus learned and practiced what Paul later instructed the conflicted church in ancient Rome: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2 NLT ). The Way of Jesus (which is bigger than Jesus) is different than the ways of the world. It requires openness and learning that lasts our lifetimes.
Most churches around the world this week are reading Mark’s Gospel account of Jesus’ earliest days of ministry just after he invited followers to join him on his campaign to usher in the Kingdom of God:
Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.
Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee. – Mark 1:21-28 (NLT)
In our modern Western world, we may get tripped up with references to demon possession, evil spirits, and other concerns that are deeply tied to the original cultural context. Set your need for literalness aside to hear what Mark is trying to say: Jesus was on the ground helping save people from that which was robbing them of life. His authority was recognized even by the very forces behind the robberies. While we may not hold such archaic views, we are all certainly aware of things that possess us. We all struggle with something or another. For some it’s a substance like alcohol, drugs, sex, food, porn, etc. For others it’s trauma from childhood or adulthood. Or being enculturated in a society-wide system that is destructive toward some more than others. Jesus’ Way was liberating then, and still is today. The words and Way of Jesus still stand on their own, and when followed lead us to deeper and deeper maturity, greater stature, and wider favor with God and all people.
The question before us as we consider Jesus in his context, and Francis, Clare, and Bonaventure in theirs, is how do we frame this inherently inviting Way for ourselves? Bernard Loomer, who was a mentor for Bruce Epperly (who wrote the book central to this series) noted the following:
If a religious institution or belief system is small—that is, cramped intellectually and relationally—it should be discarded as irrelevant and injurious to individuals and communities... By size I mean the stature of a person’s soul, the range and depth of his love, his capacity for relationships. I mean the volume of life you can take into your being and still maintain your integrity and individuality, the intensity and variety of outlook you can entertain in the unity of your being without feeling defensive or insecure. I mean the strength of your spirit to encourage others to become freer in the development of their diversity and uniqueness (59).
Epperly weighs in on the definition of maturity-born stature as well:
Stature is not relativism, but empathetic relatedness. When we make judgments related to others’ behaviors and beliefs, or institutional and political choices, we are guided by love as well as critique. We recognize our moral and spiritual limitations as well as the moral and spiritual limitations of those whom we challenge. We realize that challenging injustice is necessary to liberate both oppressor and oppressed (73).
To foster such growth, Epperly gains insight from the central characters of his writing:
For Francis and Clare, spiritual poverty involved the interplay of simplicity and fruitfulness to let in God’s light and reflect that light to others. We need to prune everything that prevents us from experiencing God’s presence in our lives. We need to quiet the voice of conflict, lure of consumerism, attraction of recognition and fame, and lust for power and possession to hear the voice of God. We need to be sure that our lives touch the earth lightly, that we care for the planet and work to ensure that everyone has sufficient food and housing. We need to eliminate the detritus that sullies the doors of perception, trapping us in shadows rather than freeing us for God’s sunlight (64-65).
To conclude his fourth chapter on Growing in Wisdom and Stature, Epperly invites us to embrace the following prayer: God, whose energy brought forth the Universe in all its wonder and glory, whose wisdom guided the evolutionary process, whose love embraced humankind and all creation in its beauty and waywardness, bless my journey. Help me to walk the path of Jesus, growing in wisdom and stature each day, expanding my circle of compassion, and trusting you in all the seasons of life. Amen (76).
From my experience and study of adult transformation (which was half of my doctoral thesis), I can tell you that transforming moments happen to everyday people. Not minor events that cause us to make minor changes like toothpaste brands or the like, but significant events that stop us in our tracks and cause us to desire or make drastic changes in our lives. Sometimes the transforming moment is more or less positive – “thin place” experiences of divine insight akin to the Japanese satori moments – but are more likely negatively experienced times when it feels like our life is threatened literally or metaphorically. Tragedies of death, terminal illness, divorce, the devastation caused by addiction, traumatic accidents, severe consequences of attitudes or behaviors, etc. These are generally not welcomed in the moment of their arrival yet can become milestones marking genuine transformation in our lives, so much so that we eventually become grateful for the storm. In truth, we don’t have to be grateful for the storm as much as our decision to capitalize on it, because storms in and of themselves do not always result in transformation. People must be very intentional for that to happen.
Transformation requires seeing ourselves clearly. Sometimes tools offered from the Enneagram help, especially when clarifying varying levels of maturity looks like – we can use those descriptions to see how we are behaving in various sectors of our lives (if we are honest). I have found such mirrors very helpful in discovering where I need to do some work. While I believe that simply changing my behavior alone can help create a better “mask” to grow into, I resonate more with the idea that fostering the development of my True Self – who I am when most fully living in The Way of Jesus, aligned and attuned with God – addresses the core issues that possess me. The Way Jesus lived, taught, and modeled still saves.
As has been noted in Epperly’s earlier chapters, time spent in meditation and contemplation was critical for Jesus, Francis, Clare, Bonaventure, and every person who wants to be more fully aligned and attuned with God, for those who wish to grow in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and all people. One incredible resource from the Franciscan tradition is a prayer attributed to Francis himself. I invite you to read this prayer daily for a while, maybe using John Rutter’s choral expression to feel it more fully. See what happens in your life when this prayer becomes your own:
The Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
All quotes, unless otherwise noted, are from: Bruce Epperly, Simplicity, Spirituality, Service: The Timeless Wisdom of Francis, Clare, and Bonaventure. Franciscan Media. Kindle Edition.
Bonus Material!
Practical Steps. I know that I lean very heavily on a “change the inside and the outside will change automatically” approach to behavioral change. Some prefer a more practical approach. For those that do, here is a prescription for you:
Gather a variety of mirrors to help you see yourself more clearly. METAPHOR ALERT! I refer to tools like the Enneagram that help you see what maturity looks like for varying personality types.
Ask courageous others for their input.
Track your behavior and feelings.
Journal about your experience, consulting with deep friends and therapists as needed.
Repeat for the rest of your life.
Brian McLaren describes the radical trust and resilience that spiritual practices can offer in difficult times:
We must prepare ourselves to live good lives of defiant joy even amid chaos and suffering. This can be done. It has been done by billions of our ancestors and neighbors. Their legacy teaches us to see each intensifying episode of turbulence as a labor pain from which a new creative opportunity can be born. Life will be tough; the only question is whether we will become tougher, wiser, and more resilient.… The communities that learn and teach … spiritual resilience will become vital resources for everyone. (We can hope that some Christian communities will take part in this work.) These individual and communal practices will help us dump bitterness, fear, disappointment, and toxicity and refuel with mercy, vision, anticipation, and equanimity. They will help us ignore what deserves to be ignored and monitor what needs to be monitored. They will help us reframe our narratives, so we can mourn, grieve, and lament … even as we imagine, celebrate, and labor for the birth of a better future.…
To trust in the process is another way of saying to trust in an intelligence wiser than current human intelligence, to trust in a love deeper than current expressions of human love, to trust in a desire stronger and wiser than current expressions of human desire. Christians refer to this wisdom, love, and desire as God or the Divine or the Creative Spirit, and others can find their own ways of naming it…. To use familiar biblical language, we will need to walk by faith through the valley of the shadow of death [Psalm 23:4], always holding anticipative space for something beautiful to be born, especially during the most painful contractions (Brian D. McLaren, Do I Stay Christian? A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned (New York: St. Martin’s Essentials, 2022), 190, 191.).
10 Signs of Emotional Maturity
· Being flexible.
· Taking ownership and responsibility.
· Knowing that they don’t know everything.
· They look for learning and growth from every opportunity.
· They actively seek out multiple points of view to help inform their own.
· They stay resilient.
· They have a clam disposition.
· They believe in themselves.
· Approachability.
· A good sense of humor.
Commentary from the SALT Project
Epiphany 4 (Year B): Mark 1:21-28 and Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Big Picture:
1) In quick succession, Mark tells the stories of Jesus’ baptism, the calling of the first disciples, and now a third epiphany story in which Jesus’ identity shows forth (as you know, “epiphany” means “showing forth”): a direct and dramatic confrontation with an “unclean spirit.”
2) Mark’s world is full of shadows and menace, riddled with demonic forces who distort creation and overwhelm hearts and minds. Human beings are cast as porous creatures open to spiritual influences: Jesus himself is driven deep into the desert by the Holy Spirit, and in this story, a man is possessed by an unholy one. On first glance, this way of understanding the world can seem archaic and foreign — but it’s precisely this historical and cultural distance that can allow such stories to shed new light on our lives today (see below).
3) The Book of Deuteronomy presents itself as Moses’ parting words to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. His overall message is that (a) God will continue to expect fidelity and righteousness, and (b) God will provide them with support along the way, including “a prophet” who will be their guide and liaison with God. This shepherd will be “like me” — that is, like Moses, the archetype of all subsequent prophets. And the new prophet will be a gift responding to the Israelites' request for a go-between (at Sinai they became afraid of direct interaction with God, “this great fire” (see Deut 5:25)). In later Jewish tradition, some interpreters began to hear Deuteronomy 18:18 as an eschatological proclamation, pointing ahead to a great prophet whose arrival will signal a new age. This idea was in circulation in first-century Palestine, and was likely in the background as the Gospel writers wrote their accounts: see, for example, John’s story of Jesus feeding the five thousand (echoing Moses and the manna), after which the people say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world” (John 6:14).
Scripture:
1) In Mark's crackling account, not only do the first disciples recognize Jesus’ authority “immediately” — an “unclean spirit” does, too, confronting Jesus as a threat and naming him as “the Holy One of God.” This confrontation serves as the iconic launch of Jesus’ public ministry, and so Mark’s message is clear: Jesus comes into the world as a healing liberator in direct, authoritative opposition to the death-dealing forces of evil and ruin in the world.
2) What strikes the crowd about Jesus’ teaching is that he does it “with authority,” speaking in his own voice rather than citing other authorities in the familiar style of the scribes. In Mark and elsewhere, Jesus often references both scripture and tradition — but not here at the very outset, a vivid signal of his distinctive prophetic standing and power. For Mark, when Jesus speaks, we hear God’s voice; and when Jesus acts, we see God's action in the world.
3) And sure enough, Jesus doesn’t simply talk about healing and liberation. He heals and liberates. In this sense, his teaching is indistinguishable from his mission, and from who he is. In fact, the word Mark uses here for “authority” is exousia, a close cousin of the word that eventually ends up in the Nicene Creed to indicate “substance” or “being” or “essence.” Jesus speaks and acts from his essence. What he says, what he does, and who he is are all one and the same: he is “the Holy One of God,” the one who has come to heal and liberate the world.
Takeaways:
1) Since many people today don’t typically interpret the world in terms of demons and exorcisms, it can be tempting to apologize for this passage as obsolete and unconvincing. But this is a false start. After all, when we read the Bible, we engage ancient texts from halfway around the world — it's only to be expected that they’ll feel cross-cultural and unfamiliar at first. Think of this as a kind of travel through time and space. The opportunity here is to stay open to how another way of thinking and living can shed new light on our own.
2) Any number of death-dealing forces today are often experienced as "possession" or being "caught up" in dynamics that far exceed our intentions or control. Think of how addiction overwhelms individuals and families; how racism and white supremacy shape-shift over time; how anger consumes; how envy devours; or how all of us, even against our will, are complicit in creating the blanket of pollution overheating the planet (2023 set the record for the hottest global year on record). We may or may not call addiction or racism or the sexual objectification of women “demons,” but they are most certainly demonic. They move through the world as though by a kind of cunning. They resist, sidestep, or co-opt our best attempts to overcome them. And as we make those attempts, the experience can be less like figuring out a puzzle and more like wrestling with a beast.
3) And so, for Mark, Jesus comes into the world to wrestle with these shape-shifting beasts. The word “salvation” comes from the Latin salvus, which means “health” — and in Mark, Jesus’ idea of salvation isn’t to give us a ticket to a heavenly land in the sweet by-and-by, but rather to bring new health into our lives and communities today. For the sake of all people and the whole of creation, the death-dealing forces around us must be confronted and, ultimately, overcome. To follow Jesus is to join him in just this kind of confrontation, to speak and act with boldness and clarity, to heal and liberate with our words and at the same time with our deeds. As Mark tells it, when Jesus says to the disciples, “Follow me,” he means follow him into the fray, into the shadows, into the menace itself. He means follow him into the work of building up from the ruins, of freeing the captives, of salvation (health!) in that sweet by-and-by, sure, but also and especially “immediately,” right here and right now.
4) That’s the challenge. And the good news of the Gospel this week? That however formidable such death-dealing forces may seem, with God’s help, they can be overcome. However deep our wounds may be, with God’s help, they can be healed. In short, that the renewed health of God’s salvation and sanctification isn’t just possible — it’s on the way!