Sermon Tone Analysis
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Jesus’ early Galilean ministry focuses on preaching about the kingdom of God ad performing healings and exorcisms that demonstrate his authority to inaugurate the kingdom (1:14-2:12).
This episode is within four miracle stories
It illustrates Jesus’ complete dependence on God through prayer and his priority on proclaiming the message of the kingdom of God over receiving adulation from the crowds.
This passage serves as a brief interlude, where Jesus affirms his kingdom priorities in the midst of Mark’s fast-paced and action packed narrative.
Mark 1:35 - Despite Jesus’ ministry late into the night (1:32), he rises before dawn to spend time in prayer alone with God, his source of strength and guidance.
Jesus made personal time with God a high priority, since it was his source of strength and guidance.
We can see this frequently throughout the gospels.
After a late no doubt exhausting, night of teaching, healing, and exorcism, Jesus rises before sunrise to spend time alone with God.
Jesus is at prayer three times in Mark’s gospel.
Here at the beginning of his Galilean ministry
after feeding the five thousand
in the Garden of Gethsemane
He also encouraged his disciples to pray
The word “deserted” is the same term used for the “desert” or “wilderness” in 1:3, 4, 12, 13.
While here the word simply means an unpopulated or isolated “place” (there is no desert in the surrounding area or district of Capernaum).
Mark’s readers would likely hear an echo of the wilderness motif introduced earlier.
Jesus escapes to a place where he can encounter God and prepare for the ministry ahead.
Mark is careful to distinguish this location form the “wilderness” This is neither the “wilderness of Judea”
nor the eschatological wilderness of Isaiah we see in Mark 1:3-4.
Jesus no doubt sought to be alone at times in order to pray.
On the level of personal ministry, we also need not see a conflict, because at times certain desires and wishes need to be subservient to the overall purpose.
Just as it was in Jesus ministry.
Mark 1:36-37 We see here Simon appears to be a spokesperson and representative of the disciples.
A role that he will perform throughout the gospel tradition.
Simon’s companions are probably referring to Andrew, James, and John (1:16-20, 29), since no other disciples have yet appeared in the narrative.
They are evidently awakened by the townspeople hoping to see Jesus perform more exorcisms and healings.
The verb rendered “went out searching” is a strong one that can mean to “pursue” or “persecute” Here the sense is urgent searching.
Mark 1:38 The people in Capernaum want Jesus to stay because they are had an admiration for his teaching and his miracles.
But Jesus has a greater purpose than fame or popularity.
To announce and inaugurate (begin or introduce) the kingdom of God.
The healings and exorcisms serve merely to confirm the presence and power of the kingdom of God.
Mark’s point here seems to be that Jesus is intentionally moving outward from Capernaum into the surrounding towns and villages throughout Galilee.
Mark 1:39 Mark concludes by summarizing Jesus’ activity in Galilee, described as “preaching” and “casting out demons.”
A note that it is curious that healing is not mentioned, but this probably results from Mark’s stylistic variety.
The summaries in 1:32-34; 3:7-12; and 6:13 mention both healing and exorcism, while 6:53-56 refers only to healing.
There may, however, be a slight hint of the priority of exorcism.
The appointment of the Twelve mentions preaching and exorcism, but not healing, as the reason for appointing them
Sending them out on their missions, he gives them “authority over defiling spirits” without mentioning the authority to heal.
The summary of what they did, however, includes all three:
Preaching, exorcism, and healing.
Key Priorities
The priority of personal time with God.
Jesus takes time to be alone with God.
He realizes that the success of his mission depends on his trust and reliance on God.
Significant to note that Jesus’ public ministry does not begin until he has been empowered by the Holy Spirit at his baptism (1:9-15)
John’s Gospel, Jesus repeatedly says that he does nothing on his own initiative but only what the Father tells him to do.
And in Hebrews we see that Jesus “offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death,” and that he “learned obedience from what he suffered.”
Jesus realized and understood that he can accomplish nothing apart from the empowerment and guidance that comes from the Father.
We can get so busy with family, work, church and play that we forget we have been created to be in a relationship with God and that we will never find true fulfillment or real success apart from him.
**If Jesus, the Son of God, needed time alone with his Father in order to accomplish his life’s purpose, how much more do we?
The priority of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus spent a great deal of his time during his Galilean ministry healing and casting out demons, these activities were ultimately subordinate to the priority of proclaiming the kingdom of God.
Not to say that these were unimportant or insignificant.
They demonstrated God’s love and compassion for people, and hence the reason Jesus came.
Also revealed the power and the presence of the kingdom and so confirmed the authority of Jesus’ words.
But his ultimate purpose was not to heal physical disease but to call people to
repentance and submission to God’s reign in their lives.
Physical healing is temporary, but a right relationship with God is eternal.
Bringing Physical and Spiritual Wholeness.
We see the value of the kingdom in Jesus’ parables of the hidden treasures and the pearl of great value
Why would someone sell everything they have to buy a field or to buy one pearl?
The answer is that the blessings of the kingdom of God are worth sacrificing all we have to obtain.
What is the eternal value of the kingdom of God worth for you?
For Christ the physical needs of the people in Capernaum were important, and he felt compassion for them.
But he had a greater task to perform, which was to bring people the urgent message that God was taking back his creation
That the kingdom of God was at hand.
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