GOSPEL MEDITATION # 174
Mark 1:21-34
Jesus heals a man with an unclean spirit &
Jesus heals many
- Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
- Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
- Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
- Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
- Slowly and carefully read the passages of Scripture.
- Reread them. From memory, determine the central points.
- Jesus teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum, may indicated that Jesus was somewhat known. It has been suggested that Jesus had relocated to that city.
- Jesus’ presence stirred up a demon in a man who was ‘demonized’. The demon(s) knew Jesus was the “Holy One of God” in startling contrast to anyone else present.
- Jesus told “them” to be silent and come out of the demonized man.
- It was not neat and clean; there was a commotion and loud screaming from the man as the demons fought their exit.
- This ‘exorcism’ was far different than anything the observers had experienced before. Here was someone with authority. And Jesus’s fame spread.
- Leaving the synagogue He entered the home of the brothers Peter and Andrew, which must have been less than a Sabbath’s walk away from the synagogue. James and John were also present, and the four constituted all of Jesus’ disciples at that point.
- Peter’s mother was ill, she had a fever, and the family told Jesus about it. He took her by the hand, lifted her up, and the fever left her – she was healed. She was strong enough, immediately, that she commenced to serve them.
- The word spread, about both the expelling of demons and the healing, so that people needing help descended upon Jesus at Peter’s family home.