Jesus is a man of action; he moves with a deliberate sense of purpose as he focuses on the work at hand (Mark 1:29-30). As the Sabbath ends, it might have been tempting for him to bask in the success of a good day’s “work:” healing and teaching. Not so, Jesus is on the move and as in Mark’s previous Gospels, there’s a distinct sense of immediacy in what he does. The Gospel depicts the power of forgiveness and healing and provides comfort for those who are in need. These extraordinary healings and exorcisms proclaim Jesus’ identity and his divine power, all of which he credits to God to whom he retreats to the desert to pray before dawn.
Jesus knows the needs of those who are sick and disturbed… but he also knows the absolute necessity of silence and communion with the Father. While this balance in Jesus’ life was intended to be an example to his first disciples, it is even more important to us today. So much emphasis is placed on who we are and what we do and what we have achieved. When we are consumed with the things of the world and don’t take the time to catch our breath to refresh, to let go, to get away…and go to our own desert, we lose sight of the importance of “being,” of spending time with ourselves and with God. Jesus provides an example of what it means to be a “whole person.” He is fully involved in his ministry and generously gives his time and energy to those around him …yet he takes time for himself and for God.
Mark’s Gospel invites us to a world of worship that goes beyond words. It’s one in which the words become flesh in us and in those who reach out for our help. While there is a strong bias for action and immediacy, we are inspired to be free of the “demons” that get in the way of our living fully human as God intended for us. In so doing, we are invited to go to our desert and abide in him and be renewed. The spirit of the Epiphany is ongoing.
Jesus concludes this passage by saying "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." What he proclaims is the good news that the Kingdom of God is among us. His healing work is a powerful depiction of what God's Kingdom looks like. Jesus" contemporaries linked illness with sin and evil. Demons were the instrument of the kingdom that opposes God's rule. Earlier in Mark's Gospel, a demon asks, "Are you here to destroy us?" The answer is: "You know it!"
ReplyDeleteWe don't think of demons in the same way as Jesus' countrymen did, but we carry within ourselves our own demons that rob us of the joy of the Kingdom of God. Jesus still offers healing for our brokenness and the Good News that we are invited to the freedom of the citizens of God's Kingdom.