Why Do the Demons Know?
January 30, 2000
Mark 1:21-28 

The reading today was from the first chapter of Mark. I actually love the first chapter of Mark. It is so bracing. Jesus is acting with authority and he seems to be setting the tone for his whole ministry. Every thing seems clear and understandable, and everything he does happens, immediately. This is a man on a mission. He has  complete clarity and it is hard to understand why those who are with him do not seem to grasp what is going on. All that those around him can muster is some bewilderment and a question. "What is this?" They say to each other, "A new   teaching! With authority he commands event he unclean spirits, and they obey him." (Mark 1:27)
Actually, to be fair, I must realize that these people are only seeing Jesus for the first time. Maybe bewilderment and a question is all that is possible at this point. I   know the story all ready so it makes it easy for me to see what these healings and actions mean. But for someone just seeing this wonder worker for the first time it would be natural for him or her to question what is going on. It is the obvious human thing to do.
That is what makes this passage so curious. Those around Jesus don’t get it but someone does get it. There is a character in the story that understands completely, immediately.
I read you verses 21-24. "And they went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried 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.’" (Mark 1:21-24)
In this story the unclean spirit knows without question who this person is. The spirit names Jesus and calls him the holy one of God. No disciple will venture anything like that until they have been around Jesus quite some time. And then it is  only Peter who is brave enough to utter the words. "Thou art the Christ." And even though he confesses that Jesus is the Christ he still gets it wrong in essence. He does not understand fully what it means to be the Christ. But this spirit seems unequivocal and Jesus does not argue with his description of who Jesus is. The demon knows more about Jesus than even Peter will when he makes his confession.  The demon knows but even the eyewitnesses who hear what the demons say do not have the clarity that the demon seems to have.
Isn’t it odd that the demon knows and everyone else is so clueless? And this is not an isolated incident. There are other events where this happens in the Gospel of Mark.
Here are two other of the instances:
Mark 3:11-12 11. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, "You are the Son of God!" 12. But he sternly ordered them not to make him known.
Mark 5:1-7 1. They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2. And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him.3. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; 4. for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. 5. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. 6. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; 7. and he shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me."
So what do you make of this? It is odd isn’t it? It is something that has confused me almost as long as I have had any interest in the Bible. Why do the demons know?
I have a theory. I know you are not surprised. I have to tell you that when this theory dawned on me I got a chill as if I had found something out I was not supposed to. Probably just my overactive imagination but it certainly caught my attention.
Those of you who have listened to me for a while know that I am very suspicious of knowledge.  I don’t think knowledge helps us at all grow in the spirit or unto God.  In fact I believe that it is a roadblock that prevents us from taking another step toward God.  I am more on the side of faith. Faith is different than knowledge.    It demands more of us.  It demands that we act upon what we believe without being certain of the outcome or even our righteousness.  And it is such faithful behavior that we grow unto our God.  If we think we know all about God instead of believe in God then we have a tendency to look to God to do our bidding. We know what God ought to be doing.
Instead of following the will of God we are sure that we know better. Knowing also leads to a kind of self-righteousness that is the bane of almost all religion. I know better than you do what is good for you so you better get yourself right or else you are going to hell, or something like that. When we think we know we think we have the answer and that can lead to a disaster in human relations. Because it gives  license to those who know they are right to treat those who do not know with contempt. In the history of the Christian church this has lead to an inability to appreciate and an inability to learn from other religions. That is at the very least. At the very most it has lead to violence and intolerance that has done violence to Christian and non-Christian alike. When you claim to know all about God contempt for others who seek God is a very real possibility.
And it creeps in almost subconsciously. Just last week I spent some time up here belittling a woman I did not know because of the image that she was projecting.  I was judging her and was holding up the contempt I felt for her as an example of not my own limitations for love and acceptance but her inability to understand the really good things that she could learn coming here. (And listening to me!) I think I know a better way. That is true. But when my knowing a better way comes out as judgment of my neighbor I have failed at the second commandment of Christ. "Love your neighbor as yourself."
She isn’t going to hell because she doesn’t come to church here, or believe like I do. What I tried to say is that God has God’s lessons for her so I don’t have to worry about her immortal soul. That is God’s business. But if she would come here perhaps she could help us and we could help her with the lessons she is facing because we try to love one another here and there are few things that help us through like the love of those around us.
But you see how easily this can slip into I know better than you and that is why you better get with it or else. And that is why, I think the demons know. And this is why I shuddered when I had this idea. It is demonic to know. Knowing is where the demons of intolerance and prejudice and self-righteous violence live. To know is to drive a wedge between you and those you need to love. To know is to drive a wedge between you and God.
This is why Jesus was quite satisfied to raise a sense of wonder in people, get them to ask a few questions get them intrigued and searching for him and then leave town. (See the end of the first chapter) Because he wanted to plant the seeds of faith. There were already enough demons that knew too much. He did not need to create any more.
So let the demons know. Ours is to grow in faith. Believing in the promises and living unto our God. That is the way to true life, at least that is what I believe. 
In Christ Jesus. Amen.