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.)