On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door.He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
Marcos 1:29-39
29Agad silang umalis sa sinagoga at pumunta sa bahay nina Simon at Andres. Kasama nila sina Santiago at Juan. 30Ang ina ng asawa ni Simon ay nakaratay na nilalagnat. Agad nilang sinabi kay Jesus ang patungkol sa kaniya. 31Nilapitan siya at ibinangon ni Jesus na hawak ang kaniyang kamay. Kaagad na inibsan ng lagnat ang babae at naglingkod sa kanila.
32Sa pagdapit-hapon, pagkalubog ng araw, dinala nila kay Jesus ang lahat ng mga maysakit at ang mga inaalihan ng demonyo. 33Ang buong lungsod ay nagkatipon sa may pintuan. 34Marami siyang pinagaling na may iba't ibang sakit. Nagpalayas din siya ng maraming demonyo. Hindi niya pinayagang magsalita ang mga demonyo sapagkat kilala nila kung sino siya.
35Nang madaling-araw na, habang madilim pa, si Jesus ay bumangon at lumabas. Pumunta siya sa ilang na dako at doon ay nanalangin. 36Hinanap siya ni Simon at ng kaniyang mga kasama. 37Nang makita nila siya ay sinabi nila: Hinahanap ka ng lahat!
38Sinabi niya sa kanila: Tayo na sa mga kabayanan upang makapangaral din ako roon sapagkat iyan ang layon ng pagparito ko. 39Kaya sa buong Galilea, si Jesus ay nangaral sa kanilang mga sinagoga at nagpalayas ng mga demonyo.
1 comment:
Note carefully where they stayed while they were in Capernaum: the house of Simon’s mother-in-law. Who was Simon? He is better known as Simon Peter, the man who in Catholic tradition became the first pope. At least some of Jesus’ disciples were married, including the one who is believed to have been instructed by Jesus to found his church.
Simon Peter’s mother-in-law is the first person to be healed of something other than possession by an unclean spirit. She has a fever which Jesus takes away; later he would also heal the lame, blind, and deaf, demonstrating increasing power over physical ailments. This woman is described here as “ministering” to Jesus and his apostles after being healed, but this can be better translated as “serving.”
At this time Jesus’ fame appears to be spreading — the more he heals people, the more he is talked about and the more people come to him to be healed as well. How many? There is no way to tell, but the numbers don’t matter to Mark. This isn’t a historical record, remember, it’s a theological tract.
We see that Jesus won’t let the spirits speak anymore because, once again, they know who he is — but is he deliberately trying to hide his identity? Why would he want to keep that secret from people if knowledge of him is so important for salvation? Then again, maybe he isn’t the important one — maybe at the time it was simply the act of repentance and belief in God that was sufficient.
Eventually, it seems Jesus tires of all the attention and goes off to pray in a solitary place. He doesn’t go out in public to pray where everyone can see him and he doesn’t attempt to lead everyone in a mass prayer; instead, he does it quietly where he can be alone with his thoughts. But why does he instruct his companions that it’s time to move to the next town when there are still people in Capernaum to be healed? Don’t the locals count just as much as others?
True, he does say that he wants to move on so that he can preach in other places, and it does make sense that he would want to spread his message as far and as wide as possible.
It is also the same way Jesus wants His disciples to follow.
We all have a responsibility to follow Jesus footsteps in any way we can. Be it with family, friends or with a stranger. Healing is another form of helping and there are no exemption as to the extent of your relationship to that person, when you provide help.
Heavenly Father, teach us to extend our healing to our brothers and sisters not only for our own sake but for the sake of other people as well. In Jesus name. Amen!
God bless you forever!
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