They ran up to Jesus and greeted him. He asked them, “What are you arguing about...?” Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” He said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.” They brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. Then he questioned his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since childhood. It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Then the boys’ father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again.” Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, “Why could we not drive it out?” He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”  

The evil of control of others is presented especially during this session of “The Lord of the Rings—The Two Towers.” With the nation of Rohan coming into consideration in the movie, and the possibility of war involving it, attention turns to the king of Rohan, Theoden. As we first view him, it is obvious that there is something wrong with him, and it soon becomes clear that he is controlled by others, in particular Wormtongue who in turn is controlled by Saruman. Also as the movie follows Frodo and Sam and their troubled guide Gollum, the two personalities of Gollum are involved in a control struggle, with the evil desiring control of the good. Evil prospers by controlling others. 

When nations consider themselves free, the characteristic that stands out more than others is that they are controlled by no one except the people whom they choose. Free nations voluntarily give control to their leaders. If the control becomes such that it is forced on others, then it too easily can become an evil.

The demonic possessions that are presented in the Gospels signify the control that evil can have over a person. Although scholars suggest that the people of Jesus’ time did not totally understand evil possession, the idea of evil in the form of controlling others is presented often. In Mark’s Gospel, for example, evil controls the young boy whose disease could only be cured by prayer.

The issue of “control” makes interesting study in human psychology. Too often “control” turns into “sin.” In fact, almost every sin can be traced back to a desire to control others. Human beings tend to manipulate and control others so that their own desires can be fulfilled. Such a desire is evil because destroying someone else’s freedom in order to get what a person wants is selfishness.

Jesus gives an important lesson as he heals the young boy: prayer is necessary to break the evil of forced control of others. It is a lesson every human being should learn.                    

THOUGHT
 
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, one of the strongest evils that we have in our world is the evil of irresponsible control over others. Help us analyze the control we want to have over others, and help us not to give into it. Be with us, we pray. 

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America