On Line Bible Study - For the week November 24-30, 2008

For the week November 24-30, 2008

Lesson 363

The end of the “First Day” . . .

Mark 1: ²⁹As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. ³⁰Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. ³¹So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

³²That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. ³³The whole town gathered at the door, ³⁴and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

The sense of immediacy continues as Jesus makes his way through this first day of his ministry. It began in the synagogue where Jesus taught. He then quieted and cast out an evil spirit. After “church”, he went to Peter’s home (one commentator translates the text in Verse 29: Immediately they left the synagogue rather than “As soon as” in the NIV translation). Upon arriving at the house, Jesus was “immediately” told of Peter’s mother-in-law’s illness. The day comes to a close with Jesus’ reputation spreading and many bringing people to him for healing and deliverance. Once sunset arrives the Sabbath is officially over, and it was acceptable for people to move about and work, carry burdens (including the sick).

Is it inconsequential that Mark has Jesus begin his public ministry on the Sabbath? He will be Lord of all, and over all - demons, humans, and the heavens. Sometimes it is most difficult for religious people to submit to their God because of the symbols and traditions that grow up around their worship. Jesus is "the Spirit-endowed stronger one" demonstrating "his power as a teacher through confrontation with an unclean spirit, through the healing of Peter's mother-in-law", and by the way in which this first day is summarized by healings and deliverances.*

And this Jesus is "on the move", as the next verses demonstrates:

Mark 1: ³⁵Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ³⁶Simon and his companions went to look for him, ³⁷and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"

³⁸Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." ³⁹So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Remember how the gospel begins - with Jesus proclaiming the good news of God. His ministry of preaching, teaching, "proclaiming" must continue. If a psychologist were analyzing Jesus here, he or she might assume some measure of attention deficit in him - Mark presents Jesus in this first chapter as almost incapable of sitting still. Jesus got up, and he is anxious to go somewhere else - to nearby villages . . . He is not ADD; he is compelled. He has a message, and it must be shared - not with just a few, but with us all. (και εύθυς – the English transliteration is kai euthys – is used eight times in the first chapter of Mark. Usually translated: immediately – its frequency in this chapter creates a strong sense of urgency and rapid progress with regard to the work of Jesus.*)

Are we as compelled in our yearning to hear it as Jesus is to proclaim it?

We will continue to examine (and probably complete) the first chapter of Mark in our next lesson.

(*This information is from the Sacred Pagina Bible Commentary – John Donahue and Daniel Harrington’s volume on The Gospel of Mark.)

On Line Bible Study - For the week November 17-23, 2008

Lesson 362

Mark 1: 21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"

25 "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" 26 The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

Recalling the sense of urgency that we spoke of in Lesson 361, as Chapter 1 continues we add amazement to the urgency.

Recently my wife and I had the occasion to spend time with our 8 month old grandson. Jonah is seeing so many things for the first time. Isn't that one of the reasons why it is interesting to watch little children? They are constantly in the process of discovering. They are amazed.

The message of Jesus is presented by Mark as being both urgent ("Just then . . .") and amazing. "They went . . . Jesus went . . . Come out! News spread quickly . . ." Both the speed at which word got around (" ...news spread quickly over the whole region . . .") and the authority of Jesus create amazement for the people.

Have you been recently amazed at some inexplicable event in your life? How long has it been since you have been amazed? Mark is letting us know that Jesus moves quickly, with authority, and in ways that are completely contrary to the ways of the world - or, put another way, he is amazing!

Also, an important point in the above passage that must not be lost - notice that the evil (might be better translated "unclean") spirit testifies to who Jesus is - The Holy One of God. This awareness will cause a shaking of our world! We read again in verse 34 that Jesus quieted the spirits because " . . .they knew who he was . . ."

While we will have to deal with the "messianic secret" later in this chapter, right at the outset Mark wants us to know that the evil spirits know who Jesus is. The unspoken question is this: Do we?

More of Mark 1 next time.