Mark 1:16-34

In Mark's Gospel, Jesus simply says, "Follow me," and four fishermen drop everything and follow him, leaving family and occupation and security behind. This emphasizes Jesus' authority, and the fishermen's unquestioning and radical obedience. Based on this short account, we expect these fishermen to become the ideal disciples; in actuality, they will turn out to be almost complete failures. Throughout the Gospel, the reader is intended to identify with these disciples--so first they are portrayed quite positively, but as the story goes along their blindness and fear becomes more evident. In the same way, we, the readers, gradually realize we are not as good of disciples as we may think we are.

Verses 21-32 are meant to be a sort of representative day in the ministry of Jesus. It begins with Jesus, on the Sabbath, going into the synogogue in Capernaum (a major fishing village) and teaching the people. Any Jewish male was allowed to "teach" or respond to the scripture readings. But Jesus' teaching is radically different from anything these people have heard before. He teaches with unique, direct, personal authority; not like the scribes (Bible scholars) whose authority comes from their literacy and ability to quote other authorities.

Interestingly, Mark doesn't tell us what Jesus actually taught; instead, he demonstrates Jesus' teaching authority by describing an exorcism! Mark is blending together the teaching of Jesus and the power of exorcism, making them one and the same. In other words, Mark seems to be saying that Jesus' teaching conquers the kingdom of Satan.

This is Mark's theme throughout his Gospel: Jesus is the powerful one who is conquering the kingdom of Satan with the kingdom of God. Nothing symbolizes this better than an exorcism. Jesus is symbolically defeating all the power of evil in the world--even when that evil is hiding in a place of worship!

The demon-possessed man cries out, "I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" The spiritual forces in the world know Jesus' true identity, but the mundane (dare I say "muggle") world is still in the dark. Jesus does not let the spiritual forces reveal his identity; humanity is going to have to figure it out on its own.

Jesus not only teaches and casts out demons, he also heals "ordinary" illness (seen in Simon's mother-in-law). At sundown, at the end of the Sabbath when people are allowed to travel, the whole village begins bringing all of their sick and demon-possessed people to Jesus for healing. The Gospel of Mark (along with the other three Gospels) attribute more healings to Jesus than any ancient source attributes to anyone else in the ancient world. It seems beyond doubt that the historical Jesus conducted healings as a part of his ministry. In a world with almost no real medicine or scientific medical care, in which suffering must have been rampant, Jesus' spiritual "aura" of authority, of directly representing God's presence and power, must have had an immense impact. Significantly, Jesus' healing ministry in all four Gospels is presented without magic rituals or incantations--unlike other ancient healers of whom we have records. He is seen as a unique healer. He does not try to manipulate and coerce spiritual forces (the essence of magic); rather, Jesus himself directly and freely conveys God's healing power.