Several years ago, Daniel and I were looking for treasures at an antique store when I noticed the distinctive red border of an old Time Magazine across the room.
The issue was dated to sometime in the 1940s. I can’t remember who was on the cover, but I do remember the cover story. It was about the remarkable success of a relatively new procedure called the lobotomy.
When I turned to the story, the accompanying image was of two very normal looking white women, dressed in house dresses, perfectly coifed and standing in the living room of a mid-century house. You would never suspect that these women had been deemed “insane” in the language of the time.
What had driven such a diagnosis? One was a chronic shoplifter and the other had been too depressed to finish her housework.
In response to these apparently shocking behaviors, the authorities had deemed it appropriate to drill holes in their skulls, insert a sharp, pointed instrument, and sever the connection between the frontal lobe and the thalamus, which connects to the rest of the brain.
To bystanders, lobotomized individuals became calmer and more compliant. They were easier to “deal with.”
But eventually, critics of the procedure pointed out that these individuals had become shells of their former selves. They were apathetic, disengaged, and unable to socialize, leaving them permanently ostracized from society. And they had lost access to the skills and passions that had made their life worth living.
How could lobotomies ever have been deemed ok?
Easy. The general public was so obsessed with conformity that they attributed noncompliance to a moral or psychological disease.
If you refused to color inside the lines, that was obviously your “personal demons” controlling you. That radical impulse needed to be literally cut out before you could reenter polite society.
Throughout the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, thousands of patients received lobotomies. Overwhelmingly these patients were women. Others included gay men, African Americans, the elderly, and others deemed mentally ill.
Their issues may have been attributed to personal demons. But in hindsight, it seems clear that these demons were created, not conjured.
Whatever issues these people may have had, they represented, not a moral failing on the part of the patient, but a moral failing on the part of a society who rejected them and failed to honor their dignity.
All this leads us to our Gospel reading…
Today we continue in Mark’s story of Jesus’ early ministry. Just as in last week’s reading, Jesus is meandering around the country, encountering increasing numbers of people in need of a cure from physical illness and demonic possession.
In the section just before this one, which our lectionary skipped, we learn that Jesus is getting a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of that need.
After a brief excursion up a mountain, where he names his 12 disciples, they return home for a little rest and relaxation.
But Jesus can’t catch a break. This is where our reading begins today:
“…the crowd came together again, so that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat.”
Hungry, tired, sore from the journey, and desperate for a moment to hear himself think, he jumps up from the table and walks outside to confront the crowd.
The author of Mark doesn’t tell us what Jesus does once he gets outside, but we get the sense that he’s acting a bit erratic. Because people have begun muttering among themselves, “He has gone out of his mind.”
And even his family thinks so. They rush out the door and try to restrain him.
It’s the perfect opportunity for an intervention. Lucky for him, a group of self-identified experts are waiting in the wings. These religious professionals, known as scribes, offer a diagnosis:
That guy is the possessed by “Beelzebul,” Satan’s head honcho! He’s using forbidden magic to cast out demons!
Like Time Magazine’s shoplifter and sad housewife, in this moment, Jesus is deemed insane. But in the language of his time, they call it “demon possessed.”
You see, in the Biblical world, just as today, demonic possession wasn’t so simple to diagnose. It tended to be a catch-all for a set of behaviors.
Symptoms of mental illness, repeated moral transgressions, physical disabilities, and even nutritional deficiencies might lead one to be called “demon possessed.” Historically, people called “demon possessed” were more likely to be women, and more likely to be poor.
The impacts of such a diagnosis could be significant. You were often forced to leave your family and community, to live in isolation without community care.
So, when Jesus invites those called “demon possessed” to come to him for healing, he is not only demonstrating his divine power, he is boldly and publicly correcting a social evil. He is calling out anyone who thinks some people don’t deserve to live with dignity.
No wonder the scribes are mad.
In their eyes, Jesus has been crossing the line for weeks now, inviting the so-called “demon possessed” to the very center of the crowd, claiming that they deserve to be known, loved, and cared for. Now, they question Jesus’ legitimacy by suggesting he is just as crazy as the people he’s healing.
Eventually, Jesus will pay the ultimate price for welcoming the outcasts. But not yet.
Right now, Jesus has something to say. He argues that he can’t possibly be possessed by Satanic forces, because Satan would never cast out Satan’s own minions.
Evil forces would never use their power for good. And the work of Jesus is undeniably good.
In inviting the oppressed, marginalized, and tormented to rejoin the community, Jesus reveals the generous and expansive Kingdom of God he is building. This is the very same Kingdom of God we are called to build.
And now is a good time to continue the work…
We are in the midst of Pride Month, and in some circles, accusations of Pride as “demonic” are reaching a fever pitch. Meanwhile, accusations of LGBTQ+ people as “mentally ill” or “insane” continue at a steady beat.
While members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies declare that everyone is worthy of belonging, self-named religious “experts” point their fingers and cry “Satan!” into the rainbow-colored crowd.
But we know better, because we know Jesus.
Using his own life as an example, at the risk of being ostracized himself, Jesus teaches us how to judge what is truly right, by showing us the difference between good and evil, between God and the Devil.
He reminds us that he is present in movements and actions that bring about belonging, not marginalization.
He compels us not to demonize the nonconformists, because the Holy Spirit is often most present at the margins and in the liminal spaces.
He implores us to act on the will of God, which is that all people are fed, housed, and nourished – never, ever denied their humanity.
From first century exorcisms to twentieth century lobotomies, in so many cases, it seems that society’s demons are created, not conjured.
They represent, not a moral failing on the part of the individual, but a moral failing on the part of a society who rejects them, denies their dignity, and refuses their humanity.
Jesus invites all of us to himself. And here, everyone belongs. Amen.
Leah Wise 