Brief synopsis of the readings: In the book of Deuteronomy Moses spoke to the people and told them that God would raise a prophet “from among your own kin” and they should listen to that person. Moses also promised that if someone claimed to speak for God who God hadn’t chosen, that person will die. In Mark’s Gospel Jesus spoke to those gathered for the Sabbath in Capernaum. The crowd was amazed at his authority in teaching, not like the scribes. A man was present who had an unclean spirit. The spirit cried out: “Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked the spirit and ordered it out of the man. The crowd was even more amazed that Jesus had authority over an unclean spirit. From there Jesus’ fame spread all over Galilee.

I think we can all agree that Moses looms large over the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. He freed them from slavery in Egypt, parted the sea to ensure their escape, accepted the 10 Commandments from God, and led them to the Promised Land. But everyone also knew that someday Moses was going to die. What would happen to them then? Who would succeed Moses?

Our first reading is hardly unique but here God assures the people that God will choose a successor who will lead them in Moses’ stead (and we know that’s what happened). But the question of succession affects everyone. As 21st Century disciples of Jesus we know that God will ensure we won’t be left leaderless, but how do we know who God wants? Does God choose one person or does God endow some people with the necessary skills and leaves us to find that person? We think a great deal about that when the pope dies and the College of Cardinals meet in the Vatican to choose his successor. Over the centuries there have been changes in the finer points of who is eligible to vote and who can be selected. But how do these flawed humans make the best choice? I don’t wish to comment on the last several selections but I do have enough faith to believe the Cardinals, regardless of their political views, honestly try to make the best selection.

And I’m heartened by what I read in today’s Gospel. It describes a scene where Jesus teaches and “he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.” This may be a stretch but I see this as Jesus teaching what they need to hear over what they might want to hear. There is a saying in the American south where you tell someone what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear; it’s called a “Come to Jesus Meeting.” Alas, sometimes these meetings are hard to hear but that doesn’t negate their truths. On the other hand there has never been a shortage of those who tell us what we want to hear when all they really want is our loyalty, money, or respect. And sometimes these people look appealing.

The evil spirit in today’s Gospel has some power over the person he occupies. We read several examples of someone being possessed by an evil spirit in Scripture and we’ve looked at possibilities of this being various illnesses but we don’t really know. But this evil spirit had the power not only to take over the person it also had the power to recognize Jesus as the Holy One of God.

We choose a leader not only because we wish to follow that person; we also wish to emulate that person. It’s no surprise that we don’t just follow Jesus, we wish to become like him. Perhaps the evil spirit is promising what people want to hear while Jesus is promising what people need to hear and the people gathered are smart enough to know the difference. Too often I think we get ourselves stuck as a person, a couple, a family, and indeed a nation by following what we want to hear and what we are promised.

Several years ago I watched a wonderful movie called As Good As It Gets. The movie stars a man (Jack Nicholson) who is attracted to a woman (Helen Hunt) but also struggles with mental illness and refuses to take his medication. When she demands he give her a compliment he tells her that he’s started taking his medication because “you make me want to be a better man.” He doesn’t say he wants something from her or anything like that, just that because of her he wants to be a better man.

There is something amazing in that. Regardless of the power of the evil spirit and regardless of what he knew, Jesus’ disciples knew the evil spirit was not the way to go. Following Jesus sometimes means we don’t go for the shiniest offer but the best one. OK, another anecdote: my father in law served many years ago on a church committee that was choosing the architect for the new church. There were two serious bids and one was much lower than the other and, as you can imagine, that bid attracted the pastor’s attention. But my father in law took both bids to another architect he knew (who didn’t bid on the contract) and asked for his opinion. This architect told him that the cheapest bid simply didn’t pencil out. He said the bidder clearly gave a lower number in the hopes that he could either cut corners that nobody would notice or would pad the bill once construction began. He said the more expensive bidder was honest and realistic. It took some convincing with the pastor but they went with the higher bid. He came in on time and on budget and 50 years later the church building is aging well.

In the final word we are best led when (with God’s help) we choose someone we wish to follow but also someone who cares for us and no just what we want.

We are bombarded by those who promise us either things they can’t deliver or things that won’t serve us well. Late night TV viewers will recognize a televangelist who will send you a sealed plastic bag of “miracle spring water” will cure all ailments. And he will send them to you free with no obligation. That sounds great, except that it’s ordinary water with no magic power and once you get on his mailing list he has you forever. Much like we imagine the evil spirit, he prays on the desperation and illnesses of others to make his fortune.

As hard as it is, we must keep coming back to the central message of Jesus: are we hearing what will make us better, or what will satisfy our needs? Much like the church architects, are we looking at the immediate benefit or are we looking at the long run?