The One With Authority

Mark

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With his baptism and temptation in the wilderness complete and four new found disciples in tow, Jesus begins his ministry proper in this week's passage.  And on the Sabbath, as any observant Jew would do, Jesus goes to the synagogue.

I wonder how he was received?  In terms of a seminary degree or rigorous training, as far as we know, Jesus was lacking.  So he shows up at the synagogue and starts teaching never having earned tenure or any other sort of accreditation.

And I can just imagine that all the people who had put in their time being trained (people like me by the way) watched this man show up and start speaking and wished he would just stop.  And then people start paying attention--the same people who had used to pay attention to them--and you can almost sense their boiling blood.  They had given themselves in long hours to these people and now this interloper shows up and like the pied piper starts leading the faithful away.

But the people saw something different.  They saw someone who spoke not by quoting a long list of ancient authorities, but someone who spoke from an authority that was within him.

Things seem to take a better turn for the leaders of the synagogue when the crazy guy on the street corner wandered in.  He was the one that they tried to keep out because he was always such a disruption.  And he did what he always did--shouting, interrupting.  Maybe this would break the strange spell that Jesus seems to have had over the crowd.

The man seems to know quite a lot about this new teacher--his name (Jesus), his home (Nazareth), his task (destroying evil), and most importantly who he was (the Holy One of God).  In case you didn't miss it in verse one or Jesus baptism, Mark wants his readers to know who Jesus is.  What is it about Jesus that makes demons speak the truth and religious leaders want to violate their own laws (thou shalt not kill comes to mind)?

But rather than the distraction that the religious leaders hoped for, this encounter turns into further proof of who Jesus is.  "Come out."  The man shakes and shrieks, and the demon leaves him.  And the people (the anonymous little people of the gospel) come to the conclusion that Jesus should be listened to because:  1.  A new teaching (repent and believe is all that Mark has identified so far of the content)  2.  Authority and 3.  Ability to command evil spirits.

Leaving the synagogue, Jesus goes to Simon and Andrew's house to heal Simon's mother-in-law.  What?!  Simon is (was?) married.  Where is his wife? What does she have to say about Simon following Jesus immediately (without even a text message if Mark is to be believed)? And when she is healed she gets up to serve them, which may in a modern world's sensibilities seem hopelessly outdated, but may also be the first calling of a female disciple.  What is the role of a disciple?  To serve Jesus.  So Jesus heals her and she serves him, how can this be anything other than another "follow me" moment.

It doesn't take long for word to get around and the crowds come to Jesus looking to be healed.  And while Jesus heals some and keeps any more demonic outbursts of his identity unspoken, shortly he is nowhere to be found.

When the disciples finally find him, he has gone off to be by himself.  And we have our first hint that the thing that the people want from Jesus (to be healed) is not what Jesus sees as his primary mission (preaching).  Healing may draw a crowd, but preaching brings repentance and salvation.  The crowd is interested in short-term relief while Jesus is interested in the life that stretches into eternity.  This tension will continue throughout the gospel.