Scripture: Mark 1:29-39
29 After leaving the synagogue, Jesus, James, and John went home with Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed, sick with a fever, and they told Jesus about her at once. 31 He went to her, took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them.
32 That evening, at sunset, people brought to Jesus those who were sick or demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered near the door. 34 He healed many who were sick with all kinds of diseases, and he threw out many demons. But he didn’t let the demons speak, because they recognized him.
35 Early in the morning, well before sunrise, Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer. 36 Simon and those with him tracked him down. 37 When they found him, they told him, “Everyone’s looking for you!”
38 He replied, “Let’s head in the other direction, to the nearby villages, so that I can preach there too. That’s why I’ve come.” 39 He traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and throwing out demons.
Questions
- Why does Jesus use physical touch as a remedy for illness when he could obviously simply speak and heal people as he did in casting out the demon in the preceding story?
- Jesus seems to have established a place and time of prayer which helped focus him on God, what rhythm have you set to your devotional life to help you grow closer to God?
- Jesus appears to walk away from the popular (and needed) ministry, healing, to stay true to what God wanted of him, what ministry do you think God is calling you to and how are you staying true to it?
Background
The healing of Simon’s mother-in-law took place before sundown on Saturday which means it happened on the Sabbath, the word must have spread quickly, indicating her condition was known and at least somewhat serious. The rest of the community waits until the Sabbath is over at sundown to bring their sick to be healed.
The story with Simon’s mother-in-law might sound patriarchal to us but it is meant to show that after Jesus healed her she was able to return to full life including taking care of a guest.
Mark makes a clear distinction between the sick and demon possessed indicating that he believes these are two separate ministries.
Jesus does not allow the demons to speak presumably because they know his identity and would reveal it to the crowds and Jesus (in Mark’s Gospel) does not want people to know his identity.
Rather than capitalize on his success, Jesus seeks solitude and prayer, this is Mark’s way of showing that Jesus understood his success came from close communion with God and that interpreting that communion could lead to disaster.
The ministry of healing would have been needed and lucrative, but Mark shows us that this ministry was merely to serve Jesus’ true purpose of announcing the Gospel and so Jesus walks away from it.
Reflection
Mark’s Gospel is built around the idea of slowly revealing who Jesus is, he starts by simply introducing you to a man and then allowing you to witness the events of this man’s life and forming conclusions about the man. So when we recognize that the third event narrated is Jesus healing Simon’s mother-in-law we should stop and ask what does this say about Jesus? What does it say that Jesus both has the power and takes the time to heal Simon’s mother-in-law and all of the people who are subsequently brought to him?
The first stories Mark records about Jesus’ public ministry show him standing against malevolent spiritual forces and natural suffering. These stories work together to help understand Jesus’ power and character. First, we ask who has power over both the demons and nature that he can speak to them and they are compelled to obey. This is not an ordinary human display, either of these events would make a community sit up and take notice, but Mark shows us that all of this from the casting out of the demon in the synagogue to the healing of many people happened within about a 12 hour period. Anyone can recognize that this kind of activity is not normal, and we are left to ponder where Jesus’ power comes from and what the extent of his power truly is.
But Mark does not simply want us to focus on the fact that Jesus could do these things, the more important element of the story is why did Jesus do these things. Simply wielding power is It is not enough to know that Jesus wields power, many wield power and do so for their own ends, furthering their interests, and taking revenge on enemies. A person with power who uses it wrongly is a threat, and a man who has power over nature and demons but lacks character is simply a bigger threat. Some elements of the story might not make sense to us but the fact Jesus both casts out the demon and heals Simon’s mother-in-law on the Sabbath displays compassion since he does not allow them to remain in their condition any longer than he must. And when people are brought to him in the evening he allows them to interrupt his evening to bring them healing. Jesus has compassion for those who are afflicted and wants to see people made whole. This idea is confirmed by Jesus’ actions the day after he has become a local celebrity by bring health and wholeness to so many. It would be easy for a person committed to power and glory to stay in Capernaum and continue to woo the crowds and grow his celebrity, Jesus though disappears. Jesus does not simply take the show on the road, he goes to an isolated place to commune with God, and is only found by his most loyal disciples.
Disappearing for a time of prayer shows that Jesus is committed to staying close to God and is not simply healing people for his own fame and influence. Jesus could easily have stayed in town to promote his own brand and to keep his name in conversations, but he chose to take that time to connect with the Father. This is a demonstration that his work was not simply a display of power but a display of the wholeness that comes from being in God’s presence. His power stems from God’s presence and it is this connection that matters most. Thus, everything else about Jesus’ ministry takes a backseat to spending time along with God. Once he has connected to God he recognizes he has brought healing to this community and now it is time to move on with his disciples. He has restored the people who needed it to health and now he is going to search for others who need to experience his presence. To be Jesus’ disciple is to both recognize this behavior in Jesus and to imitate it in our own lives. Jesus invites Simon and others to join him, follow him, and imitate him as he brings God’s presence and healing into the lives of the people he encounters. We are called to connect to God in deep ways, and to allow that connection to bring life and health to the people around us. We are called to connect to God’s restorative power and then to allow that to flow through us into the hurting and broken world, to bring wholeness, health, and life to others.
Squinting in the Light 
Leave a comment