When the captives can speak for themselves (Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 111; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21-28)

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For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.

The readings for this week cover a series of topics we cannot afford to ignore. In Deuteronomy, we see the announcement that a prophet will rise up who will speak God’s words. In the Gospel reading, we see such a prophet in action—and not just a prophet but the Messiah, speaking God’s words directly to evil forces in action and bringing deliverance to the victim of their torment. The psalm and the letter to the Corinthians offer a powerful lesson regarding wisdom and knowledge: both passages challenge prevailing notions of what a wise or knowledgeable person should look like.