Press 1 . . . Press 2 . . . Press 3 . . . – Sorry, I am not at my desk.
In today’s Gospel reading Jesus begins his public career by expelling a demon, in other words performing an exorcism. Now, without denying that something strangely devilish can come over people sometimes, back in the days of Jesus any illness like paralysis, blindness, deafness, muteness, leprosy, paranoia, epilepsy, etc. was looked upon as possession by an evil spirit.
And we know from records back then that exorcists could be viewed as primitive medicine men using primitive methods to drive out evil spirits (ailments included). One favorite method of relieving a person thus possessed of an evil spirit was to ferret out the name of the demon. The assumption was that if you could expose its identity by calling out its correct name the demon would take off.
Later in Mark’s Gospel we actually see Jesus practicing this same method when confronting a severe case of possession in the Gentile region of Gerasa. The possessed is what Monte Python might call the village idiot. The town may have even been proud of him – a local curiosity. He lives in the local graveyard and frequently flagellates himself. Jesus is led to him and right away demands, “What is your name?” But this is a particularly wily fellow. His demon says, “My name is Legion” – in other words he has about 5000 names Jesus would have to call out to release the fellow. But that doesn’t prevent Jesus from expelling all those demons at once into a herd of pigs which run off a cliff into the Sea of Galilee. An economic blow to the hog famers of Gerasa – but since Jews didn’t eat pork, to them it’s a lovely ending to the episode!
Yet what’s so strange about trying to identify the name of the demon that possesses someone? Isn’t that what the medical profession today does all the time? It’s called diagnosis, testing, electro-magnetic imaging. We diagnose the patient until we zero in on the correct name of the ailment – cancer, pneumonia, influenza, bronchitis, ebola, hiv, hepatitis . . . Knowing the correct name, physicians are able to apply an effective remedy – on target, not a shot in the dark. So have times changed that much?
And notice how in today’s Gospel episode the evil spirit tries the same method on Jesus – a counter-exorcism. Before Jesus can reach for his holster it calls out, “I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” – knowing that if people realize Jesus is their long awaited Messiah he will be trampled by paparazzi and autograph seekers, reduced to a mere, transient celebrity.
And here parishioner Ben Boyce reminded me of something – about the big corporations of today. In France and other Latin countries they are abbreviated as S.A. (Anonymous Societies). And indeed they are. Try reaching a person at big-name service and commercial enterprises. You dial and a recorded voice says, “If you want to speak to – – -, press 1 . . . , press 2 . . . , press 3 . . .” You press 2 and a recorded voice says, “I am not at my desk, leave a message etc.” And this in your effort to reach only the lowly levels of contact! As with the fellow whose demon’s name was Legion, you could be at it all day trying to reach a person . . . a real voice.
Oh for the earlier days of industry and commerce when the names of the movers and shakers stood out like billboards! John D. Rockefeller, J. Pierpont Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Leland Stanford! People proud enough to glory in their accomplishments. But who’s in charge today? What is your name?