Devotion - Tuesday, January 15

Today's gospel reading is Mark 1:14-28.  This is one of the places where a person with "an unclean spirit" correctly identifies Jesus.  He cries out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are, the Holy One of God."

In this instance, it is Jesus who silences the spirit.  He does so by instructing the spirit to "come out" of the afflicted person.  Let's not lose that aspect of the story.

In my prayers, I remembered other instances where the attempts to silence are made by the authorities.  Even the crowd tells one man to stop shouting!

Too often, we seek calm over the changes which Jesus would bring to the world.

Today is the birthday of Dr. ML King, Jr.  (For the sake of convenience, our authorities set the observance for the 3rd Monday of the month.)  Many tried to silence him.

Who is shouting now?  Where are the voices seeking the alterations pleasing to God?  If the calls for justice and fairness and acceptance are silenced by Jesus' acts of healing so be it!  But that is the only way in which silence ought to come.

Who is shouting now?  Do we even hear their voices?