We come to the first instance of what we might call Jesus encountering
the general public. In view of the fact that this story includes the healing of
the unnamed man who takes a prominent role in this incident, it is worth noting
that it was the Sabbath. However, there is no suggestion here that Jesus should
have refrained from this action because of its being the day of rest. Indeed,
the only recorded response is of wonder at what has happened – they were all
amazed.
It is also important to note that Jesus was in the synagogue. Jesus radically re-interprets the Jewish faith and teaching, but he never rejects it. His concern is always around what is really meant. He often taught and preached in fields and other open places, but he also consistently goes to the synagogue and, when in Jerusalem, the temple. Jesus is looking for the deeper meaning. That is what will bring in the kingdom of God. However, he frequently struggles to communicate the full importance of the message, even to his immediate disciples. As Donald English (The Message of Mark) puts it – “Both his words and his works evoked attitudes and responses which befitted the immediate presence of God in what was happening. Such attitudes and responses did not, however, automatically produce repentance and faith.”
The man whom Jesus here encounters is an extreme case. He is described as being with an unclean spirit. That is not how we would put it. This was probably some form of mental illness which caused the man to shout out in an inappropriate and embarrassing way. The people of Jesus’ time would think in terms of some kind of demon possession. The details are actually not that important. The point is that this man needed healing, and that is what Jesus provides.
Like the fishermen in the preceding section, though in an entirely different way, his life is transformed by Jesus. We are back to reflecting on what an encounter with Jesus can do for us.
Jesus is now building a reputation. We are told that his fame began to spread.
No comments:
Post a Comment