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Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.
At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You." But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth." And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.
Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.
- Mark 1:29-45
We are in the beginning of the Gospel of Mark. In Saturday's reading, we were told that after John the Baptist was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!" But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them. Here's something that tells us about Jesus' disciples; at least Peter is a family man. Throughout the Gospels, we find people are related in many ways who are involved in Jesus' ministry (as notes quoted in Saturday's reading and commentary tell us regarding the two sets of brothers first called to discipleship). So ministry draws people out of their daily lives, and also intersects and interweaves those lives. In this case, Peter's mother-in-law is ill. Jesus heals in many ways throughout the Gospels, but perhaps what we can note here is something about this "restoration" of Peter's mother-in-law. The fever "leaves" her (via Jesus' hand) in the same sense in the Greek that our sins "leave" us in the same root word we translate as "forgive." She then returns to her place to "serve" in the same sense of the word from which "deacon" derives (as in the disciples who served the broken bread at the Last Supper). She then is free to "minister" to them (yet another translation). Looking yet again at the language in the Greek, "rising up" is akin to awakening from sleep, also of spiritual significance in terms of her taking her place in this ministry. Jesus' ministry transfigures all relationships.
At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. Jesus' healing ministry is established early on here in Galilee. Healing and the casting off of demons are intertwined; the spiritual battle behind this ministry is clear in the hints given us. But it's still a kind of hidden battle; the demons are forbidden from expressing Jesus' identity openly.
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You." But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth." And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. My study bible points out that "Mark is the only Gospel which gives us a full 24-hour day in Jesus' life, a day built around prayer and ministry. Jesus is the model for both, and He does not separate them. Jesus' priority is prayer to His Father: prayer before service. He goes to a solitary place to be free from distraction, despite the multitudes' need of Him. His ministry comes out of His relationship with His Father, not foremost out of people's need. Here He moves along to the next towns. He knows His task, and performs it although the crowds clamor around Him."
Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction. A note here reads: "As the dialogue between the leper and Jesus demonstrates, Jesus heals from compassion -- not from duty or a need to prove Himself, or in order to gather a following. Jesus' authority is comprehensive: (1) in teaching, (2) over demons, and (3) over sickness -- powerful testimony to His divinity. But He wishes this and His messiahship to be kept a secret."
By the end of today's reading, it's very clear that Jesus' ministry is spreading like wildfire; He can't be contained in anything He does, even when He forbids the healed leper from speaking. His fame has spread everywhere, so that it is no longer possible for Him to openly enter the city but must remain outside in deserted places, while people come to Him from every direction. There's always something in the Gospels about the actions of "the people" that we have to look at. The crowds are the crowds. In another note in my study bible, it's said that "the crowds follow the crowds." Again we get this sense of a sort of chorus in an ancient Greek play, where the crowds are simply there as backdrop and show the response of the world. Jesus doesn't respond to the crowds as my study bible notes in the above verses; His sense of authority, duty and ministry comes from the Father, and everything begins with prayer, including the day portrayed here in today's reading. I think that Jesus' response to the crowds must also give us pause. What determines what we do, what we think, how we feel and judge about things? We are also taught that Jesus acts from compassion. This word for compassion in the Greek is the word from which we derive "spleen" but it indicates an inner sense of being moved, of a depth of feelings in our inner core -- almost the way one might say one feels "in the gut" or in the heart. But let's make this clear, from the beginning -- and in this case, in the early morning -- Jesus is responding to the things given by the Father, and not merely to the crowds and the demands of others. There's a connection here to the leper who wishes to be cleansed, but it's an extension of Jesus' relation as Son to the Father, an extension of this love. And I believe that's what we are to see in this ministry. Jesus' is a transforming and transfiguring ministry. If we but look again at Peter's mother-in-law and her capacity also to minister being restored to her, if we look at the relationship of these two sets of brothers (Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John Zebedee) who are also called by Jesus to ministry and discipleship, and even this healed leper who is cleansed and told by Jesus to go to the priest and be restored to the temple community, we see Jesus' transfiguring grace at work. In this extension of love and mercy through relationship to the Father we see the root of justice at work. Through "liberation" (from a fever, from leprosy, from a demon) Jesus restores right-relatedness, the true righteousness of this Kingdom in relation to the Father and the full nature of what this Kingdom is all about. That's the root that we must see, in contrast to "the crowd." This Kingdom is not about what people demand, emotions that are easily swayed. Rather it is about right-relationship, restoration, and transfiguration so that we all may attain to whatever place in that ministry that may be filled by us. This is His healing work and we are all called to be a part of it. So start your time today with prayer. Find your place in the extension of God's mercy that asks you to give your life for this purpose: not to the crowds, but to this root of all-transfiguring grace. You may be led not to speak of some things. You may be led to serve. You may find yourself restored to community in particular ways and through particular means. It comes down to where we start in prayer, what (or who) we seek to serve -- and what our liberation is for.
