The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand

 

 Now after John 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.

 

- Mark 1:14-28 

 

 Yesterday we began reading the Gospel of St. Mark:  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' "  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was  baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days,  tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

  Now after John 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."  My study Bible comments that Mark's written emphasis on John being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant, preparing people for Christ, had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).  Once Christ had come into the world, the time of preparation was fulfilled.  To repent, my study Bible explains, is to do a total "about-face."  This word in Greek (μετανοια/metanoia) literally means to "change one's mind."  To repent means a radical change of spirit, mind, through, and heart.  That is, a complete reorientation to a life centered in Christ.  This is an ongoing, continuing lifetime effort, not a one-time decision.  

 

  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.   The first disciples of Jesus had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and so they were prepared to accept Christ immediately (see John 1:29-51).  My study Bible comments that although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, these "people of the land" called by Jesus will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.

 

 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.   My study Bible asks us to note that the word immediately occurs almost forty times in St. Mark's Gospel, and nearly all of these occur before the Lord's entrance into Jerusalem.  This sense of urgency and purpose as Christ journeys toward Jerusalem in order to fulfill His mission of redeeming the world, it says, helps to make St. Mark's account not only the shortest, but also the most direct of the four Gospels.  Let us note that Christ's preaching (and healing as per the verses that follow) begins on the Sabbath, which will be His practice through His ministry.  My study Bible cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who comments that thus "the new creation began where the old creation ceased."  Jesus speaks with authority, and thereby astonishes the people, as He contrasts with the scribes.  That is, unlike the prophets of old and the teachers of His day who taught in the third person ("The Lord says"), my study Bible explains, Christ taught in the first person ("I say to you").  See also Matthew 5.

 

 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.  As Jesus performs this exorcism, He commands the unclean spirit to "Be quiet . . . !"  This begins to teach us about what is called the "Messianic Secret."  My study Bible comments that Our Lord's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  It notes the following reasons for secrecy:  First, the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders.  Second, the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader.  Finally, the Lord's desire is to evoke genuine faith which is not based only on marvelous signs.  

 

 In St. Mark's Gospel, as my study Bible comments, the word immediately occurs nearly forty times, almost each one before Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  It notes that this seemingly conveys the great urgency and purpose of Jesus' mission.  Given that we understand that Christ's public ministry began when He was thirty years old, we might question why He seemingly waited so long.  If this mission was that urgent, if the power of God at work was going to be so explosively fast in some sense, why did He not start earlier as a younger Man?  Why did no one else know this -- except possibly His mother?  See John 2:1-12; also Luke 1, 2; Matthew 2).  It's important also, in this context, to note how St. Mark is careful (as my study Bible points out) to say that St. John the Baptist was arrested first, prior to Jesus' public ministry of preaching and teaching in the synagogues on the Sabbath.  So these things both point toward a similar conclusion, that with God, we could say, timing is everything.  Jesus begins today's reading by declaring, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand."  Christ's mission and urgency is deliberate, just as His choosing to publicly preach and teach begins carefully after St. John the Baptist's ministry, after Christ's Baptism by John, and the revelation of the Holy Trinity which took place at that event (see yesterday's reading, above).  While we could make the mistake of saying that these things happen this way "because it was prophesied" (which it was), we'd be better off understanding that the prophecy is a gift from God revealing what things would be:  that there first would be one who was the messenger of the Messiah, His herald, who would be a "voice crying in the wilderness" (see Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3).  But the timing and planning of such things does not occur because they were prophesied, but because those who fulfill the prophecies are acting in accordance with the Holy Spirit, obeying the will of God as they are given that -- and, in particular, we note for this topic, in the time it is given to them to do so.  Jesus, we observe, spends much time in prayer, and in particular just prior to new directions that occur in His ministry.  He does not immediately go to Jerusalem and announce Himself to the world as the Messiah, even though this is the truth about Him.  Neither does He spend time making this declaration in public during His ministry.  Everything must unfold in a particular way -- and in this context, we come to the Messianic Secret.  My study Bible has given reasons (see above) for this secret, and why Christ's ministry must evolve in the way that it does.  This understanding of the Messianic Secret is an important component in the story we read in St. Mark's Gospel, and we must also keep it in mind.  Rather than declaring Himself to be the Messiah, the unclean demon in today's story declares who Christ is:  "I know who you are -- the Holy One of God!"  It's almost as if the unclean spirit didn't quite perceive this until Jesus was right there in the synagogue with the person out of whom would come that spirit.  This strange limitation of the unclean spirits is something to consider in the story of Jesus, and especially in the power of the Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection to defeat Satan.  But this, also, is part of the importance of God's time, and how things evolve in the Gospel stories, and in the stories of the Church that would follow, such as in the Book of Acts of the Apostles.  In Ecclesiastes 3, we read a consideration of the mystery of God's unfolding work, and of the importance of time, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven."  In 2nd Corinthians, St. Paul quotes from the prophecy of Isaiah:  "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you" (2 Corinthians 6:2; Isaiah 49:8).  In urging the Corinthian believers to be true to Christ and to make important choices now necessary, St. Paul tells them, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."  In St. Luke's Gospel, Jesus begins preaching in His hometown of Nazareth by reading from the prophecy of Isaiah:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:16-21; Isaiah 61:1-2).  Let us note that in all of these circumstances we can discuss, of Christ's ministry and its various turning points, in beginning His public ministry, and even the beginning and end of the ministry of St. John the Baptist, the timing for each is essential to God's purpose and the proper carrying out and evolution of such missions.  For the purpose of the time of our lives is, in effect, to dedicate our use of time -- in addition to all else -- to God, to seek God's purposes and God's "acceptable" time.  The mission and ministry of Jesus bears that out, the Church bears that out.  The seeking of God's will and guidance cannot be separate from our understanding of the proper use of our time.  For that, we always turn to prayer, for our lives can't properly be lived, in this sense, without it.  What is appropriate at one time and for one person may not be God's calling for another.  Let us be immediate in seeking to fulfill God's purpose, in God's acceptable time, as best we can discern.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed"

 

 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 and 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 t 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 

 

Yesterday we read that after John 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.   After they come out of the synagogue, Christ and His disciples go the family home of the brothers Simon and Andrew.  The presence of Simon Peter's mother-in-law tells us of his extended family, in this home that would become the headquarters of Christ's Galilean ministry.  The very personal and compassionate manner of Christ's healing is given to us here in that He took her by the hand and lifted her up.  By this healing, Christ restores Simon Peter's mother-in-law to her rightful position in the household, and she served them, a kind of minister to the ministry.  The root for this verb "to serve" is the same as that from which we derive the word "deacon" (διάκονος/diakonos), and is an indication of the honor to do so.  It is the same word translated as "ministered" in Mark 1:13, where we read that "the angels ministered to Him" in the wilderness.

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 and throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study Bible notes that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom of God, "because for this purpose I have come forth."   It notes that miracles and healings testify both to the truth of the message and the identity of the Teacher (see Luke 5:24).  To this we may add that they also testify to the presence of the Kingdom.  This same pattern, my study Bible adds, holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30).  Note also that the pattern of variously healing and casting out demons; both are acts of healing for human beings, depending upon the cause of the ailment.  Jesus did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. My study Bible notes that Christ's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4). It says that the reasons for secrecy include His anticipation of the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders; the people's misunderstanding and expectation of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader; and our Lord's desire to evoke genuine faith which is not based solely on marvelous signs.  In the midst of this glimpse we're given of Christ's busy and varied ministry, we are told that in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. This gives us an example of the spiritual life.  My study Bible notes that although He is God incarnate, Christ prayed continually, often finding a solitary place in order to be free from distraction, despite the multitude's need of Him.   It notes, most importantly for us, that our Lord's ministry comes forth from His communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and flows to people in their needs.  That He prays in the morning teaches us that we must put as first priority our commitment to God, and only then are we equipped with what is needful to serve others.

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.  My study Bible explains that the biblical law concerning leprosy is found in Leviticus 13 and 14.  Deuteronomy 24:8 is a description of the purification of lepers and leprous houses, a duty which was entrusted to the priests; hence, Christ's instructions to "show yourself to the priest."   It adds that leprosy was considered a direct punishment for sins, and as lepers were unclean, they were not permitted to live in the community or to worship in synagogues or the temple.  To touch the unclean was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), but Jesus here is characteristically moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him.  In addition to expressing Christ's compassion, this shows also that Christ is not subject to the Law but over it.  My study Bible adds that "to the clean, nothing is unclean" (see Romans 14:14; Acts 10:15).

We see how quickly Christ's ministry grows in today's passage (and how swiftly Mark's Gospel moves forward).  By the end of the events of today's reading, we're told, Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction. We know from John's Gospel, and its inclusion of three Passover Festivals, that Christ's ministry was approximately three years long.  The action in Mark's Gospel, the shortest Gospel, takes place seemingly quickly.  But this is enforced by the language used in a deliberate way.  As we read in yesterday's reading and commentary, the word "immediately" occurs nearly forty times in this Gospel, nearly all of them before Christ enters Jerusalem for the final week of His human life.  So the emphasis on "immediacy" in this Gospel is not an accident, nor is our impression of the urgency with which Christ's carries out His mission and its depth of involvement in purpose.  This immediacy gives us a sense of the work of God in the world, the presence of the Spirit, and the ways that the mystery of holiness can manifest and express presence, working seemingly through unseen networks of connections that are made without our own intellectual understanding or explanation.  Indeed, we can look at the spread of Christianity in its early centuries and marvel that, without empire or military, it was carried throughout the known world in a relatively short time.   In Christ's prophecy of end times, and specifically in Matthew 24:14, Jesus teaches that all manner of calamities and opposition cannot stop the spread of the gospel message, and my study Bible comments that persecutions against the Church often increase the  number of souls being converted.  It adds that St. John Chrysostom marveled that while the Romans subdued countless Jews in a political uprising in the Siege of Jerusalem in AD 70,  they could not prevail over twelve Jews unarmed with anything except the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In hindsight so many centuries later, we may consider how many ways we can observe attacks upon this gospel message from all kinds of directions, precepts, philosophies, and vantage points, and yet it continues, endures, and spreads with the same sense of immediacy.  For the words of truth have a depth of response in us that hits its mark where the soul needs and receives it, a healing balm specific to what ails us in times of loss and difficulty.  Certainly there are those for whom it is not missed nor understood or sought for, but this does not seem to be the concern of the gospel nor of Christ's ministry.  The gospel is for those who will respond to it.  As St. Peter will eventually exclaim to Christ as others desert Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).  It is the fire of these words in which we find the greatest immediacy.  As Jesus taught in the same passage, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63).  So we may, at this time, turn again and again to the spirit and the life of the gospel, and find the immediate need met for today, for the ways in which this mysterious fire responds to what it is we're seeking.  It continues to illuminate and inspire where other things fail, like a light shed on yet another facet of a gem we haven't fully seen.  Even so, Jesus remains to us compassionate and personal, in ways that may touch us all, like the wind that blows where it wishes.

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel

 

 Now after John 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.

 

- Mark 1:14–28 

 

 In yesterday's reading, we started Mark's Gospel:  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You." "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.'"  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. 

 

  Now after John 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."  My study Bible tells us that Mark's written emphasis on John being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant -- preparing the people for Christ -- had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).   As Christ has come, the time of preparation was fulfilled.  My study Bible explains that to repent is to do a total "about-face."  We noted in yesterday's reading that in Greek this word literally means to "change one's mind."   This is a radical change of one's spirit, mind, thought, and heart.  My study Bible calls it a complete reorientation to a life centered in Christ.  Let us also add that this is a lifelong process.   Just as the stories of the Bible indicate, our faith is a journey; Christ is "the way" (from a word that means "road" in Greek).  Our faith is always called to grow and deepen; we are always called to bear fruits worthy of repentance, the spiritual fruit of faith (Galatians 5:22-23).

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.   If we look at the Gospel of John, we know that these first disciples had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist (John 1:35-50).  They were thus prepared to accept Christ immediately.  Although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, my study Bible explains, these "people of the land" whom Jesus calls will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.

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.  My study Bible points out that the word immediately occurs nearly forty times in Mark's Gospel, and nearly all of these occur before the Lord's entrance into Jerusalem.  This sense of urgency and purpose as Christ journeys toward Jerusalem to fulfill His mission of redeeming the world helps make Mark's Gospel not only the shortest, but also the most direct of the four Gospels.  

If we look closely at the text of today's reading, we see an element which is not necessarily obvious but it teaches us something important.  Jesus begins His ministry, taking up from where the last and greatest in the line of the Old Testament type prophets, John the Baptist, has come preparing people for this Kingdom (see yesterday's reading, above).  At that time, Jesus declares to all, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  Again, as explained in our commentary from yesterday, "gospel" (εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion), literally meaning "good news," was a quite commonly known term in the empire of Christ's time, in the Greek that formed the lingua franca, or international language of His time.  It was the title for the various missives sent across the empire by the Emperor, setting out plans and policies or declaring news of victorious battles.  So when Christ teaches to believe in the gospel, it is emphasizing this sense of a kingdom which is at hand, present to the people.  This is not the kingdom of Herod and his descendants, nor the empire of Caesar, but the kingdom of God -- which remains to us present and at hand (Matthew 18:20; Luke 17:20-21).  This kingdom is present with Christ, for as St. Paul taught the Athenians about the "unknown god," Jesus Christ, "He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being" (see Acts 17:26-28).   But, if we read a little further, we see that, similarly to the kingdoms of the world, this Kingdom also has its battles with an enemy (see the parable of the Wheat and the Tares).  But this is a spiritual battleground.  Jesus' first act after calling disciples and entering the synagogue to preach, is to encounter an unclean spirit.  The spirit challenges Christ, informing us about this battle and Christ's spiritual authority, "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!"   The people respond, astonished at this evidence of what is unseen, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  Our faith does depend upon understanding that we are always in a kind of a struggle, just as Christ's testing in the wilderness for forty days did as the first act of the Spirit after His Baptism (again, see yesterday's reading, above).  So we must not be dismayed or disheartened in the times when we go through our own struggles with faith, when our common assumptions and ways of thinking, or the hurtful things of this world, come to challenge us.  Just as the Crucifixion remains the greatest paradox of transfiguration by Christ's ministry and presence, with the figure of the Cross being the sign of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:30), so we should remember that we are taught we each have our own unique cross to bear into the world, and this is always an element of our lives.  The work of faith is to transfigure this world, with the presence of the kingdom of God, which is always "at hand."   Through our own lives of faith as His disciples, suffering becomes transfigured with meaning when challenges are met with the help that is always spiritually present to us even if we feel alone.  For the Cross means that the power of Resurrection is present and with us, despite the darkness (John 1:5).  This is the mystery of the kingdom of God and God's grace.  Let us call on the resources we have and look to His light.  Modern life seems to challenge us with expectations of easy happiness, guaranteed through some sort of acquisition of material goods, or new inventions -- perhaps a new identity, a new change in our appearance.  But the wisdom of our faith teaches us something much greater than such a limited, and misleading perspective.  It gives us what is eternal and abiding, and therefore true.  But it calls us into a dynamic that will involve every aspect of life, "in which we live and move and have our being."  That is the kingdom of God, always at hand.

I am willing; be cleansed

 

 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 

 

On Saturday, we read that after John 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.  So far in this first chapter of Mark's Gospel, we've been given one healing act by Christ, and that was an exorcism.  In Saturday's reading, above, He commanded an unclean spirit who recognized Him as the Holy One of God, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  But here we have the first healing of an illness:  Simon's mother-in-law has a fever.  This is in the family home of Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew.  In Matthew's Gospel, we're told that Jesus "rebuked the fever" which implies, in the words of St. Cyril of Alexandria, that there "exist certain powers that inflict harm on the human body."  But here, Jesus acts through touch, in that He took her by the hand and lifted her up.  If we think about it, this seems to be quite a symbolic act of restoration to her place in the household, an image of the fullness of Christ's Incarnation, in which He will be lifted up in order to lift up others (John 3:13-15, 12:31-33).

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.  Once again, the text emphasizes Jesus as one who heals, or sets aright.  As Logos, or the Word (John 1:1-4), Jesus is the One through whom all things are called into order.  And here we observe that action, and the people's response to it, as the whole city was gathered together at the door of Simon and Andrew's home.  He healed many who were sick with various diseases, He cast out many demons.  Christ did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  As in yesterday's reading, when in the synagogue He told the unclean spirit to "Be quiet!" so here He commands silence for the same reasons.  His identity must as yet remain secret, as the hostility of the religious leadership will grow, the people's expectations are for an entirely different type of Messiah who will be a worldly political leader, and His desire to evoke genuine faith which is not based only on the signs He performs.

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 comments here that Jesus sets forth for us an example of spiritual life.  Though He is God incarnate, He prayed continually, frequently finding a solitary place in order to be free from distraction, despite the multitude's need of Him ("Everyone is looking for You").  Christ's ministry, my study Bible tells us, comes forth from His communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit and flows to people in their needs.  His praying in the morning teaches us that we must put as first priority our commitment to God, and only then will are we equipped to serve others.  

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.  Jesus tells the leper to "say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest" and offer the proper things "commanded by Moses, as a testimony to them."  Leprosy was a terrible scourge of the time, which brought people severe hardships.  My study Bible reminds us that the biblical law concerning leprosy is found in Leviticus 13, 14.  Deuteronomy 24:8 describes the purification of lepers and leprous houses, which was a duty entrusted to the priests.   My study Bible says that leprosy was considered to be a direct punishment for sins -- as lepers were unclean, they were not permitted to live in the community or to worship in synagogues or the temple.  To touch the unclean was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), but Jesus touched the leper, showing His compassion, and also that He is not subject to the Law, but over it.  My study Bible comments that to the clean, nothing is unclean.

The issue of touch is significant in today's reading, as it appears twice during healing.  First there is Peter's mother-in-law, who is sick with a fever.  The fever itself does not render a touch by Christ strange, but then there is the issue of a Man like Christ with a respected woman of Peter's household.  Certainly there were public restrictions regarding male and female conduct and familiarity which were part of the contemporary society. (and that included regulations regarding touch).  But the emphasis here on Jesus' taking hold of her hand is on healing.  In some sense, this is a scene between Peter's mother-in-law and Jesus which is reminiscent of a doctor attending a patient at the bedside.  His touch is respectful; neither does He sit on her bed where she is laying with fever.  But most of all, His touch is healing and accompanies the healing.  She is at once restored to her place in the household, a very important place indeed.  Not only is she likely the eldest female, but it is her privilege (not a drudgery) to serve Christ and the disciples which have begun to gather in their home.  But then the Gospel magnifies indeed this understanding of a touch from Jesus Christ.  For in the healing of the leper we find Jesus acting contrary to the prohibition against touching what was unclean, but this is also in the service of compassion and healing.  Let us note immediately that Christ's respect as a devout Jew is also for the Law given by God, and He tells the leper to go and follow the Law as given to Moses in making the proper offering and presenting Himself to the priest.  And so, in the image of the healing of the leper is contained another summing up of Christ's ministry:  He is the Physician who heals from compassion, and His expression is for compassion as a way of true fulfillment of God's law.  He will show this over and over again when He heals on Sabbaths, and is finally persecuted for doing so by those overzealous for their own traditions over and against the Law and the true intent of the Law.  What we can take from Jesus is an understanding that compassion and healing are ways of upholding the prime commandments of God.  Jesus will sum up all the Law and the Prophets in two commandments:  the first and greatest is to love God with all one's heart, and soul, and mind, and strength; and the second is to love neighbor as oneself (see Mark 12:30-32).  We become more "like" what we love; therefore this set of commandments is a way to learn love from God, and to share that with neighbor, whom God has also made in God's image and likeness (Genesis 1:26).  But, importantly, and to distinguish how this love works, it is not a love which is expressed in sentimentality or romanticism.  It is not a love that infantilizes others, nor does it smother them or disrupt their growth if they need to stand on their own.  It does not diminish others by discounting their own capacity or responsibility.  This is a love that works above all to heal.  And the compassion Jesus expresses is always to heal, to set aright, to cleanse, to restore (especially to proper order).  Let us remember that even a rebuke from the Lord is an act of love; Revelation 3:19 reads, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent."  Those whom Jesus loves are called "disciples" -- they are those who will learn from Him.  All of this is compassion with intent to heal, to set aright, to put in order.  Mark's Gospel is the one which will report to us that Jesus taught, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27).  Let us continue on the journey of the good news of Jesus Christ, the One who saves and heals, and who teaches us about the compassion to do likewise.

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel

 

 Now after John 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.

 

- Mark 1:14–28 

 

Yesterday, we started reading Mark's Gospel:  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'"  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.   Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

Now after John 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."  In yesterday's reading and commentary, we read of the great preparation for Christ, and John the Baptist's role in the salvation plan of God.  My study Bible comments here that Mark's written emphasis on John being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant -- to prepare the people for Christ -- had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).  After Christ came, the time of preparation was fulfilled.  To repent, my study Bible explains, is to do a total "about face."  As we discussed in yesterday's commentary, in Greek the word for repent (μετανοέω) means literally to "change one's mind."  My study Bible says describes repentance as a radical change of one's spirit, mind, thought, and heart -- a complete reorientation to a life centered in Christ.

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.  My study Bible reminds us that these first disciples had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist and were prepared to accept Christ immediately (see John 1:35-51).  Although illiterate and unlearned in religion, my study Bible says, these "people of the land" whom Jesus calls will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.  Let us note that when Jesus says, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men," it is implied that for each of us, whatever place we begin with our faith, Christ will teach us a way to fulfill it with His purposes for us.  His words to the fishermen are divine poetry that teach us meaning and relevance for our own lives.

 

 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  My study Bible remarks that the word immediately occurs almost forty times in Mark's Gospel -- and nearly all of them before the Lord's entrance into Jerusalem.  It notes that the urgency and purpose as Christ journeys toward Jerusalem to fulfill His mission of redeeming the world helps make Mark's account not only the shortest but also the most direct of the four Gospels.  Also noteworthy is Christ's beginning to preach and heal on the Sabbath.  In a commentary on the parallel passage in St. Luke's Gospel (Luke 4:31), St. Ambrose of Milan comments that this is to show that "the new creation began where the old creation ceased." 

And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.   Here is another significant detail about Christ's teaching:  He does so as one having authority.   My study Bible comments that unlike the prophets of old and the teachers of His day who taught in the third person ("The Lord says"), Christ teaches in the first person ("I say to you").  See also Matthew 5.

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.  Mark's Gospel begins right from the start to give us elements of a spiritual battle that goes on unseen around us.  First we were told that the Holy Spirit "threw" Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, and to be with the wild beasts, and ministered to by angels (see yesterday's reading, above).   This introduced us immediately to these elements of an "unseen realm" within which Jesus plays a significant role, and which crucially affects us and our world.  Here the unclean spirit cries out, "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!"  Jesus is recognized, even if the people are not yet widely aware of Him at this beginning of His public ministry (and certainly they do not know His identity as the Christ).   Jesus' response to this recognition and identification by the unclean spirit is to give a rebuke:  "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  In yet another understanding of the fulfillment of prophecy (and the Prophet's role in preparation for the coming of Christ), my study Bible comments that our Lord's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  It also lists various reasons for secrecy, which include:  first, the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders; second, the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader; and finally, our Lord's desire to evoke genuine faith which is not based solely on marvelous signs.  

 

The question of Christ's authority will become central to the story of Jesus as we proceed forward and through His Passion and Resurrection.  We are told that He astonishes the people by teaching with authority, and not as the scribes.  If we really want to break this down, in purely worldly terms, Jesus does not even have the status of a scribe.  Indeed, He holds no position in the ranks of the religious authorities.  He is neither priest, nor scribe.  He does not belong to any of the ruling parties of the temple; He is neither Pharisee nor Sadducee, nor a member of the Levitical priesthood.  Although we are given genealogies establishing Christ's connections within Jewish spiritual history, none of this is apparently recognized during His lifetime.  Hence the great astonishment at His teaching with authority.  This will eventually gain Him more and more trouble with those who have authority within the religious establishment.  But for now, let us contemplate Christ, who seemingly bursts into public life with a kind of immediacy for the things which He will have to establish within a three-year span of His public ministry.  For centuries the prophets had prepared the world for the Christ, and His life has become for us the "center" of history.  Even Jesus will speak to the disciples of the things which must be accomplished in His ministry, when He says, "For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.' For the things concerning Me have an end" (Luke 22:37).  Before that "end" there is the gospel to preach, there are disciples who will live with Him and train to be "like Him," there are things He must teach and preach and give to the world, and there are the encounters with the unseen world which will also tell us about Him and even about ourselves and our place in God's vision of salvation for which the Father has sent the Son.  This beginning of public ministry takes place in the appropriate time, the "time appointed by the father" (see Galatians 4:1-5).  That is, the appointed time in the purpose of God.  Jesus makes the announcement in today's reading:  "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  This particular Greek word for time (for there is another that is also translated as "time") is καιρὸς/kairos.   In Christian theological understanding, it has come to signify the opportune time for God to act, in the sense of a particular moment, or season, or period.  In our own lives, let us learn to recognize our own particular times when we must pay attention to God, to our faith, to our souls, so that we know what we are about, and to what we are immediately called. Jesus will tell His disciples, "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is" (Mark 13:33).  Let us always do likewise, for we know that the kingdom of God is always at hand.

 

 

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed

 

 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  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, "Le 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 

 

Yesterday we read that after John 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  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.  My study bible quotes Cyril of Alexandria:  "That which was rebuked was some living thing unable to withstand the influence of Him who rebuked it, for it is not reasonable to rebuke a thing without life and unconscious of the rebuke.  Nor is it astonishing for there to exist certain powers that inflict harm on the human body."  We understand from this passage also, that the family home of brothers Simon and Andrew became a sort of headquarters for Jesus' Galilean ministry.  Here, Simon Peter's mother-in-law is a part of that ministry, taking her place as she was lifted up, and served them.

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, "Le 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 comments that here Jesus sets forth for us an example of spiritual life.  Although He is God incarnate, He prayed continually, and often we're told that He found a solitary place to be free from distraction.  Let us note in these times of emphasis on activism or good works, this is despite the multitude's need of Him.  Clearly, everything is rooted in Christ communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and from there flows to the people and their needs.   It serves to emphasize this that Christ prayed in the morning; it shows that we make our commitment to God a first priority, and only then can we be equipped to serve others.  Moreover, our discernment in sensing their need comes from this communion.  Let us note also Christ's activity in this new ministry in Galilee:  He is preaching in their synagogues 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.  The biblical law which concerns leprosy is in Leviticus 13; 14.  Deuteronomy 24:8 describes the process of purification of lepers and leprous houses, which was entrusted to the priests.  Leprosy, my study bible tells us, was considered a direct punishment for sins, and as lepers were unclean, they weren't permitted to live in community or to worship in synagogues or the temple.  To touch the unclean was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21).  But here, Jesus touched him.  Christ shows His compassion, and also that He is not subject to the Law, but over it.  My study bible comments that to the clean, nothing is unclean (see Romans 14:14). 

In today's reading, Jesus illustrates His own pronouncement on the two greatest commandments in the Jewish Law.  When asked what was the greatest commandment, He replied as follows:  "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40).  As my study bible emphasizes, Jesus begins by praying in the early morning -- having risen a long while before daylight -- and so establishes the need to place this first and greatest commandment in its rightful place in our lives.  It is through prayer and communion with God that we seek not only to understand discernment and guidance in how to conduct our lives, but especially to grow in the practice of love and understanding what love means.  To place God in this place of all our heart, soul, and mind is to seek God's expansion of our own understanding so that we might act accordingly.  This is basically the entire process of ongoing repentance, growing in likeness to God.  Moreover, we are not born knowing how to love our neighbor fully and appropriately.  This is a process that must grow and be better apprehended throughout our lifetimes.  We cannot do it well with a false understanding, a limited comprehension of what love means and is, and a brokenness that keeps us from grasping it more fully.  It is something we can continue to grow into throughout our lifetimes, and we are meant and created to do so.  Jesus has also told us, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).  To start by praying early in the morning, or "first thing" before all that we do, is to find a way to enforce what Jesus calls the greatest commandment, indeed "the first and great commandment."  Let us cultivate a prayer life and commitment to that life and that practice as a way to fulfill both commandments of loving God and loving neighbor, and remember that God asks us to grow in this practice.  In a complex and confusing world, this is necessary more than ever for all of us.  Let us remember to do as He did, to try to clear away all the distractions, and make time to pray in a solitary place to our Father who is in a secret place and sees in secret (Matthew 6:6).

 

I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!

 Now after John 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.

- Mark 1:14-28

Yesterday we read the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.'"  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

Now after John 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."   My study bible remarks that Mark's emphasis on John the Baptist being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching the gospel reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant -- that of preparing the people for Christ -- had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).  After Christ came, the time of preparation was fulfilled.  What does it mean to repent precisely?  The word in Greek literally means "change of mind."  It is to do an "about-face" in the words of my study bible.  It notes that repentance is a radical change of one's spirit, mind, thought, and heart.  That is, a complete reorientation to a life centered in Christ.  And this choice for repentance -- reorientation to Christ, and reconsideration of our ways of thinking -- is simply an ongoing process throughout our lives.  It is a lifelong journey on Christ's "Way," one of patience, humility, and especially of grace.

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.   As we noted in yesterday's reading, these first disciples had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and so were prepared to accept Christ immediately.  (See also John 1:35-51.)  My study bible says that although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, these "people of the land" whom Jesus calls will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.

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."   Here we are given one immediate effect of the gospel and the coming of Christ.  We are exposed to a battle taking place behind the scenes.  Jesus has clearly come to disrupt a particular order of things, and there are those in this "hidden" world who do recognize Him but want nothing to do with Him and fear Him.

And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.  My study bible comments that the word immediately occurs almost forty times in Mark's Gospel.  Nearly all of these references occur before the Lord's entrance into Jerusalem.  It says that the sense of urgency and purpose as Christ journeys toward Jerusalem to fulfill His mission of redeeming the world helps make Mark's account not simply the shortest, but also the most direct of all four Gospels.

What is spiritual battle?  In yesterday's reading, we read that immediately after Christ's baptism by John the Baptist, at which He was revealed as beloved Son of God, the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan (see above).  This time of temptation is reported in more detail by Matthew and Luke.  But this very struggle against spiritual temptation is itself spiritual battle.  It is a battle not like anything we know on worldly terms, but rather a battle for hearts and minds.  It's a battle that runs at the center of ourselves, with battle lines drawn in the heart.  Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn writes (in The Gulag Archipelago), "If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"   Spiritual struggle, or battle, is all about faith.  It is all about this call of Christ to repentance, to an ongoing understanding of what it means to turn to Christ in love and to accept a correction, to find a better way, His way.  What we learn from the Gospels is humility and grace, and turning to Christ is what spiritual struggle is all about.  Like Solzhenitsyn writes, it is all about a kind of dividing line of the heart.  Solzhenitsyn asks, "Who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"  But this question is answered firmly by Christ Himself, when He teaches that we must cast out an "eye or hand or foot" that causes offense.  (See Matthew 19:8-9, in which this statement is made in teaching the apostles how to care for the littlest ones they are responsible for with humility.)  In this image of casting off seemingly essential pieces of ourselves, Christ teaches that ways of thinking and being that we need to cast off can seem like pieces of our own heart we must give up.   Christ's struggle with temptation in the wilderness gives us the keys to our own battles:  a constant returning to our relationship of love with God, the humility before God this asks of us, and the willingness to reconsider the things the world offers us in that light, even things we may hold as good and precious that are not really so.  Therefore, the ongoing process of repentance or "change of mind" is in itself the very spiritual battle we need be concerned with.  The casting out of the demon in today's reading is perhaps an extreme example of what may be possible in such a battle; but it is Christ who is the "stronger man," and our faith in Him is the true strength upon which we rely.  His "way" is our guide.  The great weapon is humility.  St. Paul writes about this spiritual battle when he teaches us to "put on the whole armor of God" (see Ephesians 6:10-20).  Among other elements of that armor, St. Paul writes that we should "pray always."  These are the battle lines that go through our hearts and minds, our protection and strength is in the faith that teaches us reliance upon Christ and the grace of the Spirit.  Let us consider, in all the wide world that calls us in clamor and conflict, where our true heart is and what we need in that center of ourselves and our lives.

Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men

 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

And Jesus went about all Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

- Matthew 4:18-25

Yesterday we read that when Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.  And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:  The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned."  From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  These first disciples, the brothers Simon and Andrew, and James and John Zebedee, had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and they were prepared to accept Christ immediately.  Although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, my study bible tells us, these "people of the land" whom Jesus calls will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.

And Jesus went about all Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.  When Jesus had begun to preach repentance ("Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," a repetition of the words of the Baptist -- see the final verse in yesterday's reading, above), the crowds did not swarm Him.  It was only when He began to heal and work miracles (today's reading) that this phenomenon of immediate public interest and fame occurred.  My study bible says that this fact shows that the people misunderstand the true nature of the Kingdom.  It is also showing that Christ made concessions "to give credibility to what He teaches" (in the words of Theophan) among the fickle multitudes.

Jesus' fame quickly grows and spreads.  These first disciples respond to His call immediately.  As Jesus begins His public ministry, things happen quickly.  People do not respond so wildly to the call for repentance, but the manifestation of holy power is compelling.  And, of course, it is the fulfillment of traditional expectations of the Messiah, one who will heal and work miracles.  My study bible says that it shows that people misunderstand the true nature of the Kingdom.  What is that true nature?  In yesterday's reading, we considered this question, pondering on the notion that the Kingdom is present wherever Christ is.  Maybe there is a hint in the immediate response of these first disciples when they are called.  They are prepared for Him; it's understood that they have heard and known the preaching of John the Baptist and were most likely his disciples first (see John 1:35-42, in which the unnamed disciple is most likely John Zebedee himself).  But what is the call?  They are called to become fishers of men.  It's noteworthy that these men are not pre-qualified for this job, although they are prepared to respond to His call.  In the language of the Gospel, Jesus says, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."   The word used for "make" both here and in the same command found in Mark's Gospel is the Greek word ποιήσω/poieso, a verb akin to "create."  It gives us the root for the word "poem," a manifestation of what it is to create.  It is, in effect, an extension of His power as Creator.  It is His holy power that will "make" these men fishers of men.  It's not a simple call to take on a role or to fill a job.  It's rather a call to mission for which only Christ's holy power is capable of rendering them what they will become.  Hence, "follow Me" is more than a command.  It's a kind of qualifier.  By following Him, in faith and in keeping His word, we become something more than what we started out and can be on our own.  In John 14, in His final sermon to the disciples at the Last Supper, He makes this promise twice.  He first tells them, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:15-18).  And then promises again, in response to a question as to how this can happen, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me" (John 14:23-24).  Living in His word, keeping His commandments, loving Christ, means that both the Helper, the Holy Spirit, and the Father, will dwell forever with that person, creating ongoing discipleship, making of us what is necessary for that living Kingdom, which is clearly a synergy of holy power and human beings.  To live in His word -- true repentance -- is an ongoing process of being made into something, of this holy power to create at work in our lives.  As my study bible noted when these illiterate and unlearned men were called, they "will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all" because of this ongoing creative work of God within them.  Where one member of the Trinity is, as we noted in yesterday's reading, so are all three, as promised by Christ in John 14.  What we look to, then, is this transformational and creative reality, making us into something that we can't make of ourselves, fashioning us for  a purpose and for participation in something beyond ourselves and greater than we can know.  It is a creative power in which we are invited to participate, growing closer in this indwelling "home" where Father, Son, and Spirit may live forever with us.  It's an awesome thing to ponder, but one for which we simply need to accept what is, and allow ourselves to accept where He leads when we follow.   More powerfully than we can know, the work of God is, after all, to believe in Him whom He sent (John 6:29).