The Healer has Come. Mark 1:29-39

Jesus' ministry begins fast in Mark --
-- Baptism, temptation in the wilderness. In just a few days time he was inviting others to follow, having a confrontation with the daemonic and an exorcism right in the middle of the synagogue. All that in the first few days of Jesus' ministry. Today's reading is the next thing that happened after the exorcism. Right after leaving worship, Jesus went to Simon's house and healed his mother in law. And as fast as she was healed she got up serving Jesus and his friends as guests in her home.

The action happens fast, right in the first few paragraphs of the story. In the earliest days in ministry Jesus became known not for what he taught but for who he healed. God's creative and re-creative power were personally visible in Jesus.

Healing for Jesus was never just been a matter of good health care. Jesus met the Devil head to head and healed. The evil one works corrupting through sin, death, and disease. Jesus came restoring the broken and mending the fallen. First were the daemon possessed. Next was Peter's mother in law. Then came the leper and many others. The Kingdom of God quickly came near. Don Juel and Patrick Keifert observed that next in the story,

When the sun has set (and the Sabbath is past), people who are sick flock to Jesus—
confident that he can help (1:32-34). Their faith is rewarded. The story of the leper (1:40-45) provides a concrete and dramatic example of the same message: those who ask will receive. Jesus’ conversation with Peter (1:35-38) indicates that he is not simply a healer—or perhaps more accurately, that his healing is tied to a larger campaign that involves announcing that the kingdom of God is at hand; his mission cannot be reduced to healing. Jesus’ need to press on does not imply indifference to suffering, however. The stories of his encounters with the sick invite confidence—faith—and offer promises to those who ask. Word and World 1998

Jesus was searched out. People came with hope and faith. They came looking for him even when he sought out a quiet place to pray. The disciples told him that "Everyone is searching for you." Jesus responded to the needs of the people. He didn't send his friends to keep the crowd away. He chose to go find the people preach. ^

^38 He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” ^39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. Mark 1:38-39 NRSV

Jesus was living with purpose. The kingdom of God was coming near and he was up on his feet ready to spread the story.

+++

a few personal notes: I may not have time to keep up the lectionary commentary in the next few weeks for two good reasons.

First my beloved and I are awaiting our 3rd child's birth in the next couple of weeks. Things look very good.

Second is that I have decided to accept a new call as a pastor a little further west in Southern Minnesota's Prairie country. It all came together quickly. My wife and I both received solid offers me from a church and her from a clinic in the past few weeks. We are both very excited about the possibilities open for the two of us to serve in a new place.