Savoring Fine Wine: Mark Chapter 1:21-28
(If you missed it, check out my post on Mark 1:14-20))
And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.
Capernaum was a small but influential town of 1500 or so (at it’s height). It was situated on a crossroads in that made it a highly trafficked area. This is where Jesus “set up shop” and made his ministry headquarters.
Sabbath synagogue services consisted of prayer, praise, reading of scripture, and interpretation or commentating of scripture by a rabbi or other qualified man. We would probably recognize at least the structure as a fairly typical “church” type service. In some ways it was not unlike what we do on Sunday morning at church. Apparently people thought of Jesus as qualified to teach, because they let him, but they were in for a surprise or ten.
And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.
They were amazed, quite literally: knocked out of their senses, their minds were blown at his teaching! We so overuse the term “amazing” that we might miss the force of the word here. They were astounded, dumbfounded, shocked, blown away, jaw to the floor. In a word: Whoa.
The were amazed at both the substance of his teaching (”The Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent and believe the good news from God!”), and the manner in which he taught: with authority.
Typically, rabbis or other teachers would stand up and recite the laws, traditions, or thoughts of older rabbis. Dry, wrote, often misconstrued, repetitive, legalistic, exposition of the scripture. Jesus brought a completely new message and brought it with POWER…
And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
There was a demon-possessed man (that is what “with an unclean spirit” means) just hanging out with the folks at the worship service. Modern day equivalent of a demon possessed person hanging out with us on Sunday morning, or Friday night at The Rock, which I think is a highly probable thing.
The townsfolk probably recognized this man in much the same way we would recognize someone with a “mental illness” or behavioral disorder (note: not mental retardation or other genetic-type anomaly…). The term “with an unclean spirit” reads a lot like the term, “being drunk” or even “in love”. Basically: under the influence of a demon.
Note that the demon (speaking through the man, or more accurately, the man speaking for the demon) recognized Jesus instantly, and reacts strongly, and is quite concerned about being destroyed. The people are amazed, the demon is terrified.
25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.
Jesus tells the demon to “shut up!” Yes, that’s right… Jesus talked like that, but then, he had authority. Typically, when we say shut up, it is out of defiance. “Be silent” literally means “be muzzled (like an ox)”. It is a very vivid and active verb. Jesus also distinguishes the entity of the demon from the man (something we aren’t very good at recognizing/doing). He then commands, quite strongly, the demon to leave, and it does.
27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Quite an active Sunday (well okay, Saturday) at church (synagogue) for these people. I wonder how many of them thought they were witnessing a planned skit to be used as a sermon illustration? Probably none.
They were amazed (again, minds blown). A new teaching (something that wasn’t uncommon back then, or today) WITH AUTHORITY! This is the thing that amazed them about the new teaching, Jesus had power to back it up, as demonstrated by this little scene. He commanded the unclean spirits (not uncommon, there were other Jewish exorcists back then), AND THEY OBEY HIM (the thing that they were astonished at).
They recognized that this was something completely new and different than anything they had yet seen.
It was a revolution, and it was just getting started…
Just some random questions…
Didn’t Rabbis read something and then go sit down and tell everybody what it meant? How many Rabbis were there back then (I’ve heard that the Sanhedrin had only about 77 members)? Also is it possible that Jesus had come to be recognized as a Rabbi by then?