CHAPTER 8 :: Interlude for Prayer (Mark 1:21-45)
After performing these two miracles—casting out a demon and healing a fever—Jesus prays. His prayer serves as a prelude to “The Lesson of the Loaves” (Mark 6:52), which we will revisit in future teachings.
Storybook
Peter’s engine raced, thinking, “The crowds are searching for us. We must maintain this momentum. Let’s find Jesus and celebrate.” However, Peter searched and couldn’t locate Jesus. His eyes darted around, and he woke his fellow disciples, asking, “Is it possible? Has He wandered off and become lost?” unaware that Jesus had intentionally sought solitude to pray.
When they finally found Him, they raised their arms and exclaimed, “Everyone is looking for you!” However, Jesus redirected their focus, saying they must go to another town and preach there. Peter was taken aback. Jesus’ answer confused him because “No one attracts crowds and then leaves them to start over in another city.”
Jesus’ Humanity
Mark emphasizes Jesus’ humanity more than the other Gospel writers do. Because Jesus was fully human, He faced the challenges of temptation with reluctance, followed the guidance of the Spirit, and received ministry from angels (Mark 1:12-13). In this instance, Jesus also relied on God through prayer.
Summary
Jesus came not for fame, but to fulfill His Father’s will. As God incarnate, He relied on the Father and taught His disciples to do the same.
Authority Over Leprosy (Mark 1:40-45)
Storybook
When a leper approached Jesus and asked Him to make him clean, Peter was suspicious. Everyone knew that leprosy couldn’t be cured. Jewish leaders taught that lepers had sinned in some way and brought the condition upon themselves. And, strangely, the leper asks Jesus if He’s willing to heal him.
Then, to Peter’s amazement, Jesus simply said He was willing, and the leper was cured! Peter moved closer to the leper and overheard Jesus instruct him to show himself to the priests (as referenced in Numbers 12 and 2 Kings 5). Jesus also warned him not to tell anyone about his healing. Peter’s head jerked in confusion as he wondered, “But why keep this a secret? Doesn’t Jesus want followers?”
As he pondered this miracle further, Peter stroked his chin, a smile forming on his face. “I’d love to see the priests’ reaction when they see this leper validated by the law (Leviticus 13-14).” A couple of hours later, he noticed the leper returning, accompanied by a crowd. “It looks like the leper didn’t keep quiet,” Peter thought. However, once again, Jesus slipped away as the crowd began to gather.
Summary
Jesus healed diseases that only God could cure. The priests would have acknowledged the healing of the former leper as proof that Jesus was indeed who He claimed to be: the promised Messiah. Jesus did not seek popularity. When crowds gathered, primarily looking for physical healing or food, He would move on to the next town. He didn’t want crowds distracting Him from His mission: to spread the Gospel to new mission fields.
The first five chapters of Mark deal with the question: Who is Jesus?
In the first chapter, Mark presents Jesus as the Son of God through various testimonies, including his own, the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Mark then details how Jesus proclaimed His Gospel message by offering to establish the Kingdom of God for the Jewish nation. He concludes this first chapter by recounting three miracles that demonstrate the power of God.
As we continue, the following two chapters highlight Jesus’ rejection by the Jewish leaders, followed by two chapters that reflect on Jesus’ response to that rejection.
