He healed the sick and cast our devils

 

“LORD, THAT I MAY SEE.’

A SHORT COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF THE DAY.

Gospel

Mark 1:29-39

He cast out devils and cured many who were suffering from disease

1.      On leaving the synagogue, Jesus went with James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew.

2.      Now Simon’s mother-in-law had gone to bed with fever, and they told him about her straightaway.

3.      He went to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to wait on them.

 

4.      That evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by devils. The whole town came crowding round the door, and

5.      he cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another; he also cast out many devils, but he would not allow them to speak, because they knew who he was.

 

6.      In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed there.

7.      Simon and his companions set out in search of him, and when they found him they said, ‘Everybody is looking for you.’

 

8.      He answered, ‘Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can preach there too, because that is why I came.’

9.      And he went all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out devils.

 

Ultimately Satan and his followers are the cause of all the problems in this world. Jesus called him ‘the prince of this world.’ Jesus came to vanquish Satan and liberate humanity. The war is not over, though through his life and death Jesus has won the decisive victory. Satan cannot be victorious but he can still do harm. Eventually he will be vanquished and the Kingdom of God established.

Here we see Jesus rolling back the kingdom of Satan. He has no power before Jesus. Ultimately sickness is due to Satanic influence. Jesus heals from sickness. There will be no sickness in the Kingdom of God. In body and soul we will be fully alive in the glory of God. His healing is a sign that he is on the way to cleansing and recreating the world free from Satan’s influence.

Notice how he answers prayer for others. The new disciples tell him about Peter’s mother-in-law. He responds immediately.  She too responds immediately by ministering to Jesus and his followers. If we pray for others, Jesus will respond. Likewise, he responds with love and action to all who come to him in their needs.

To prevent ‘burn out’ Jesus needed to recover his strength. He would spend lots of time with God, whom he called his Father. From these meetings he renewed his energy for ministry. It is the same for us too.