MARKAN MEDITATIONS

Meditations in the Gospel of St. Mark

St. Mark 1:21-28

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IN THESE verses in Mark we see Jesus continuing his ministry as our Saviour in the ministry of Teaching. We noted in the previous verses the importance of the teaching of Jesus in his saving work. Here we have a demonstration of it.

Our first thought, however comes in the 1st verse of this section where we are told that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. In another place we are told that this was his custom. Jesus in his work of fulfilling all righteousness observed the 4th commandment perfectly and honoured the one day in seven which God had set aside for people to honour him.

In fact the 4th commandment has a uniqueness about it. It was a rule of life written into creation and given even before the fall of Adam into sin. It was given for paradise. This rule was for the blessing of creation, and specially God's people. The Sabbath, or rather Sunday for us, is a privilege and a blessing bestowed upon us by God. It is a day when God has the special intention of having fellowship with his people and blessing them. How often have we looked upon Sunday as a dreary day because we have to go to church. Jesus coming into the synagogue demonstrates the privilege of this day. He is telling us by this action that God has promised to meet and bless his people on this special day.

Jesus was God incarnate. On that day we are considering, the people in the synagogue were experiencing the very blessing and purpose of Sunday when going to worship in their local church. These people were so greatly blessed because as Jesus came into the synagogue, God had come to be with all who attended. The teaching of Jesus illustrates the blessing God gives and wants to bestow. God was speaking to these people because Jesus is God. When we see the man delivered from the possession of the evil spirit we have a very concrete blessing which came because this poor man was in the synagogue on the Sabbath day.

If only we realised the blessing of Sunday, that God has set it apart as a time when he specially promises to come to his people, have fellowship with them and bestow his blessings upon them. How much joy and expectancy would enter into the approach of Sunday, and the attendance at church if we really were convinced of this. Coming in such a way, how much greater would be the blessed experience we would experience Sunday by Sunday. It is true that in so many churches the gospel is hardly known, and so the preaching is not as nourishing as God would have it be, but by coming even to these churches knowing that God has promised to have fellowship with us and bless us, will mean that the prayers and the Scripture readings, and the singing of the hymns, etc. will be found to be times when God speaks to us and nourishes our souls.

The other thought we must note is that this passage is a record of the teaching of Jesus. Let us notice that Jesus came into to synagogue to teach, to impart spiritual knowledge and blessing. If these people had really received this teaching, and not just been amazed at it, how much blessing they would have received.

The people, however, noticed the uniqueness of the teaching of Jesus. His teaching had authority. It was so different from what they had been used to from the Rabbis. The words and thoughts plainly came from God and were not to be treated like other things in life where we take it if we think we will or leave it if we don't think we want to. Jesus' teaching was the word of God, not to be questioned but to be received and believed.

In the teaching of Jesus, the authority was in the fact that Jesus proclaimed the truth of God, and the unique words of God that we lost sinners need. His teaching corrected all the lies of the devil in the philosophies and religious understanding of human beings. His teaching was life and strength.

We tend to see the casting out of the devil as a separate thing. We focus on the miracle without seeing it in the context of the history. Jesus taught with authority. The evil spirit in this man felt in the teaching the power of Jesus to condemn him. This man crying out and the devil exposing itself, was a product of the authority of Jesus. The evil spirit responded to the teaching with fear and anger, and sought to attack Jesus and demean him in front of all the people there. His words were not uttered in praise of Jesus but in hate and fear and with a sneer.

But let us notice two things from all this. Firstly, the authority of Jesus demonstrated. His teaching confounded evil and the devil. It is the means of deliverance from the authority of the devil which is over all of us fallen creatures, and which holds humanity in bondage and is the cause of all our ills in life and society. Secondly, notice Jesus carrying out, and showing his power to carry out, his saving work. This man was powerfully delivered from his possession by the evil spirit. Satan's kingdom was being overthrown. The kingdom of heaven was near and was open to believing hearts because of Jesus. In this we have further assurance that our full trust in Jesus as Saviour in not in vain and the greatest blessing.

Lastly there is in this incident of Jesus teaching with authority encouragement for all ministers and all who seek to speak in the name of Jesus, and who desire to come from the presence of Jesus with the word of Jesus to pass on. Teaching in the name of Jesus has the authority of Jesus, and is also powerful for the pulling down the strongholds of Satan, delivering people from condemnation, and keeping us in God's love. However preaching in the name of Jesus and with the authority of Jesus comes only to those who seek Jesus in his word, and look to the Lord to speak to them with understanding, and to give them his message to pass on to others. If we come from the presence of Jesus in this way, we can go forth with assurance that the authority of Jesus will be manifest through us.