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“These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
When I hear these words at the end of Mark’s gospel, it makes me feel like a spiritual slacker! I can’t think of the last time I started spontaneously speaking a new language, picking up deadly serpents, or drinking deadly poison without any ill effects! Does that mean that I or anyone else who has not experienced these remarkable signs do not believe in Jesus? What in the world are we supposed to take from this passage from Mark’s gospel?
In some primitive Christian communities, ministers and their congregations do take this passage literally. As a test of faith they plunge their hands into a box of rattlesnakes, pull one out and hold it in front of the congregation. Others drink poison. Some are bitten by the rattlers. Some survive these tests while others do not. These communities view the survivors as a sign of the congregation’s faith. They see those who are bit by the snakes or die from the poison as a sign that the community’s faith is lacking.
I can say, without a doubt, that we are not meant to interpret Jesus’ words literally in this way; working spectacular signs is not the point of the passage, even though that is often what grabs our attention. Jesus doesn’t want us to put ourselves in terrible situations that only a miracle can solve. But these literal interpretations are correct in one aspect: faith in Jesus gives us the ability to conquer the evils of the world.
The message Jesus gives to his disciples, as he returns to his Father and sends the gift of the Holy Spirit, is also meant for you and me. “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” If we are faithful to that one command, Jesus will give us the strength and power to fight and conquer evil in its worst forms.
Jesus used snakes to represent the devil. Those who believe in him, can defeat the devil and his many minions in the name of Jesus. Our Lord used poison to represent evil in the world. These poisons are around us in the forms of hatred, materialism, racism, the objectification of the human person, the misuse of the gift of sexuality, the redefining of the family, selfishness, and so many more. Jesus promises that his followers will be able to take on the poison of the world and defeat it but only insofar as they preach his gospel.
Once Jesus ascended to heaven and sent the gift of the Holy Spirit at pentecost, the disciples and the early church community got to work proclaiming the wonders of Jesus’ life. The devil went after them with everything he had. Satan convinced others to torture them and expel them from their communities and friends. He talked some into persecuting and killing them, but the devil didn’t win. He couldn’t stop the work of the Kingdom of God. The more evil tried to silence Christians, the more Christianity spread and grew strong. Despite the hardships, the followers of Christ didn’t go into hiding or back down. By proclaiming the gospel without compromise, they took on the poison of the world and found a life free of evil, a life of meaning, a life of freedom and immortality.
Jesus’ message and promise are the same to us! The gospel needs to be proclaimed now more than ever. It is our job to share the Good News without watering it down or removing its challenges. If we do this simple task faithfully, Jesus promises us victory over the snakes and poisons of our time. So what do those look like?
We all have poisons that endanger our spiritual lives. We all have our own demons that afflict us. Some are of our own making. Some are imposed upon us by others or by situations beyond our control. One person wages a continual battle against addiction. Another against self-hatred. One is fighting to be in Christian relationships with others. One must deal with the fact that their family is not what it should be. Another is suffering the terror of abuse. One has physical challenges while another battles psychological setbacks. All of us are fighting selfishness. These and so many other poisons of the world attack us, but they can’t defeat us. We will win against the evil of the world because we have the greatest weapon there ever was. We possess Jesus Christ.
Scripture tells us that Jesus ascended into heaven and assumed his place as Lord of heaven and earth. What does that mean? It means that he has the power to win, to defeat any and every evil. It means he is in control. He is our Lord. He is the one who fights for us and with us. He is Lord even of those who do not accept him and revile him. Jesus is lord of heaven and earth.
When Jesus ascended into heaven, his followers went on offense. They didn’t cower in a room, afraid of what the enemies of God’s kingdom would do to them. Instead, they took the battle to the devil. The gospel puts this simply, “They went forth and preached everywhere.” Before Jesus transformed their lives, the disciples were people who would seldom leave their villages. Now they travelled the world to wage the battle of the Kingdom. They preached everywhere without fear.
That’s what we are called to do. We are called to go on the offensive and take the battle to the enemy. We are called to combat moral evil wherever it exists, within us and around us. We are called to give people the Gospel. People need to hear there is a much better life than the one the world offers. There is far more God wants to give than what the world could ever provide. There is a life where every action, every suffering has meaning. There is a life of fulfillment where every good and kind deed is rewarded eternally. This life is found in our Catholic faith. That’s the Good News we are called to share. Life is infinitely better in this world and after this world when it is lived united to Jesus Christ.
We are not promised an easy or comfortable existence on this earth. Snakes will attack. Poison will be forced down our throats. But we, the people of the Ascended Lord will defeat it. We don’t wage this war alone. We fight with the might of Jesus Christ. And with him on our side, how can we possibly lose? It is not up to us to work marvels, heal the sick, and raise the dead. That is God’s job. We simply proclaim his gospel and praise his name. He will do the rest. He will not let us down. So do not be afraid; He will be with us until the end of the world!
