Gospel in Art: Jesus told the unclean spirit: 'Be silent, and come out of him!'

Jesus Christ dispossesses (section with scenes on Lenten Veil of the Cathedral of Gurk, by Meister Konrad von Friesach © Wikimedia Commons / Cathedral of Gurk, Carinthia, Austria

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 13 January 2026
Mark 1:21-28

Jesus and his disciples went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching.

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.'

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, 'Be silent, and come out of him!' And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, 'What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.' And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Reflection on the Medieval Textile painting

We are only the second day of the First Week of Ordinary time, and today we are already offered a different side to Jesus: how he deals with opposition and aggression. In today's Gospel, Jesus is confronted by a man who lashes out with hostility: "What do you want with us? Have you come to destroy us?" It is a voice full of fear and aggression. Yet Jesus does not step back or respond with the same harsh negative energy. He stands firm and speaks with authority: not to condemn, but to set free.

Over and over in the Gospels, when Jesus meets resistance, anger, or violence, he does not mirror it. Even on the cross, when hatred has done its worst, he prays for his persecutors: "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing." Jesus always sees deeper, he always moves beyond aggression, beyond the anger, beneath the sin... he wants to get to the pain and frustration hidden inside the human heart. From there, he then heals. That is why those watching in the synagogue were astonished. They had never seen authority like this. Jesus' power is not domination, force, or intimidation. His authority appears in mercy, in healing, in restoring a person who seemed beyond reach.

Our scene painted by Meister Konrad von Friesach, in 1458, is taken from the Abstinence Cloth in the Cathedral of Gurk in Carinthia, Austria. It is a remarkable mid-15th-century Lenten veil (Fastentuch or in Latin: velum quadrigesimale) designed to hang in the cathedral during Lent, covering the choir or altar and providing a visual focus for the season of fasting and spiritual preparation. Rather than a single scene, this large painted cloth contains 99 individual small narrative images, arranged in horizontal bands, showing a succession of biblical episodes, including scenes such as Christ casting out demons in our illustration, reflecting the need for repentance and confession. You can see an overall illustration of our Fastentuch here, halfway down the webpage: click here.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/mark-1-21-28-2026/