“This is where we see the beginning of the tragedy: the crowd came, but it came because I wanted something from Jesus. They didn’t come because they loved him, they didn’t come because they saw a new vision. In fact, they did, they just want to use it? William Barclay
The scene is very well presented, Mark organizes a series of events in the history of Christ as if all had taken place in one day (see verses 32, 35). And on this day, Mark frames these stories between two interesting facts, which serve as the beginning and end of his pericopy: first an exorcism (1:21-28), then the healing of a leper (vv. 40-45). The two events have in common the manifestation of Jesus’ divine authority over physical and spiritual evils. Both demonstrate Christ’s modus operandi in his ministry and serve as a model of learning for disciples. Both stories indicate the true identity of Jesus, being that for the demonic Jesus is the Holy One of God (v. 24), and for the leper someone worthy of worship (v. 40). Finally, the two stories end with an account of the expansion of Jesus’ fame into neighboring regions. (vv. 28, 45). Mark seems to have thought very highly of presenting the story of Jesus in this way, but what do you want to teach us with this?
- I believe that the answer to this question is in the three stories between exorcism and the healing of leper.
- They are three facts told in few details.
- But that bring important information to your story.
- Mark first presents us with the remedy of Peter’s mother.
- Brother-in-law.
- Prostrate in bed because of fever (vv.
- 29-31); he then tells us of the many miracles he would have performed at the door of the house of Simo (vv.
- 32-34); and finally.
- He tells us about Jesus’ position in his mission (vv.
- 35-39).
- And by putting these three events in sequence.
- Mark presents us with three different perspectives on who Jesus is.
Apparently, the crowd knew Jesus just because of his fame. This teaching, which had originally astonished the people (vv. 21-22), seems to have been neglected by the powerful acts he has performed (vv. 27-28). When Jesus showed his authority over the spirit world by expelling a demon with his words, without the usual use of mystical accessories, people saw him as someone with some kind of authority they did not know (v. 27). The multitude does not know, but they know what He is capable of doing, and on this basis, Jesus’ fame began to spread (v. 29).
Therefore, it is not surprising that a little later in the narrative we find people from all over the city of Capernaum bringing sick and demonized Jesus (vv. 32-33). Something really new was happening in this village of Galilee (v. 27), and people began to find in Jesus a way to get what they were looking for, for them Jesus was the answer to their suffering.
Surprisingly, the disciples themselves let themselves be carried away by the applause of the multitude, in these three stories the disciples appear only twice and, in both cases, seem more interested in themselves than in the Lord himself. Peter’s mother-in-law is the disciples who seek him to tell him about his problem (v. 30). Almost unnoticed in the narrative, the disciples rushed to warn the Lord of peter’s mother-in-law’s illness. And here we see a very interesting parallel with the scene of the multitude: the disciples, like the multitude who did not know him, saw in Jesus a way to receive what they needed.
Worse, it happens again in the next scene. When Jesus left Capernaum in search of a place to pray in solitude (v. 35), the disciples sought Him everywhere (v. 36). But why did they look for him? Apparently, the people of Capernaum needed Jesus to continue to manifest his authority, healing the sick and casting out demons (v. 37; cf. vv. 33-34), and the disciples were the agents the multitude used to reorganize the Master. agenda and adjust it to your needs (see verse 38 for Jesus’ response). And in a very sad way, Mark shows that the disciples, like the multitude, followed Jesus for the wrong reasons. For them, Jesus was a way to receive what they understood they needed.
And with these two stories of failure, Marcos tells us the most surprising of all the stories in this pericope. The story of an anonymous and unknown woman. And what is worse, not only anonymous and unknown, but the story of a stepmother (!). Among so many characters, Marcos chose to tell the story of this woman right here. And on it, Mark only writes a short phrase that describes his vision of Jesus: “Did the fever leave her and she began to serve them?” (v. 31). Of all the people who appear in these three stories, this stranger, described as the mother of someone else’s wife, is the one the author uses as a role model for our journey with Jesus. According to Mark, unlike the crowd (who will soon turn against him), and the disciples (who will eventually abandon him), this woman understood that following Jesus is not a matter of receiving something from Jesus, but of serving you. In fact, I’d like you to look at the plural pronoun 😕 Did you start serving them? She served not only Jesus, but also his disciples. With this, Mark teaches us that walking with Christ is serving him and his disciples.
But there is one thing here that is too great to overlook: the term Mark used to describe the service is the Greek verb diacone, the same verb that Mark uses to describe the help the angels gave Jesus at the time of his temptation (1:13). It is the same verse that describes the ministry of women in the service of Jesus during their ministry in Galilee (15:41). But even more interestingly, Jesus uses the same verb to describe his mission: “Why does the Son of Man not come to be served, but to serve and give his life in ransom for many?”(10:45). That is, Peter’s mother-in-law is already doing for Jesus what Jesus himself intends to model for his disciples, that is, of all the people who are presented in these stories, it is this anonymous and unknown woman who teaches us what the Lord expects of us. On our way with Christ, we are called to serve, not to receive.
But wasn’t he the one who recognized the authority of Jesus (v. 40)?Wasn’t he the one who preached about Jesus wherever he went (v. 45)?Exactly! But this is where we find an interesting irony in Mark’s account. Having put the expulsion of an unclean spirit (v. 25-26) and the healing of a leper (v. 42) as a frame of these stories, Mark left a final contrast between the devil and the leper: the two are commanded by Jesus to shut up. Demons become strong? (v. 25), while the leper receives a strong warning to remain silent (v. 43-44). However, as the demon obeyed him (vv. 25-26; cf. v. 34), the leper continued to spread more news of Jesus, thus increasing his fame (v. 45). This subtle disobedience helped further increase Jesus’ fame for the wrong reasons. Once again, the news of Jesus spread (cf. v. 28), but he made Jesus present himself as a healer and not as the Messiah he really was.
In addition, in the following pericopy, we see that Jesus’ teachings generate opposition and not fame (see 2:1-3:6). This subtle difference between Christ’s preaching and that of leper suggests that although he received a miracle, the same leper did not understand who he really was and, disobediently, the leper begins to serve the interests of the multitude, who waited for someone from Christ. to alleviate their suffering. And here we see the great tragedy of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry: people were looking for Christ to receive something from him.
And I say more: this is where we find much of the tragedy of Christianity today, in the name of the manifestation of Christ’s power, many have made it a means of receiving something, for many Jesus is the means by which they will receive. success in this life, money, healthcare and many other things. Instead of presenting it as it is, many serve the desires of the multitude and make Christ a miracle-maker, a healer, someone who is able to give people what they would like. , without any mention of?Follow me !? resonates so vehemently at the beginning of the gospel.
Thank God for this anonymous and unknown woman who taught us that walking with Christ is a matter of serving Him and His people. And you, how do you serve Christ and his disciples?