Mark 1:21-31; Luke 4:31-39[1]
Then
they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the
synagogue and taught. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an
unclean [demon Luke 4:33]
spirit. And he cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did
You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
But Jesus rebuked him,
saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the unclean spirit had
convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.
And they were astonished
at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the
scribes. Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves,
saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is
this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey
Him.” And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around
Galilee.
Now
as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon
and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a
fever, and they told Him about her at once. So He came and took her by the
hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served
them.
A
Little Background
Capernaum
is a small seaside town on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was
known for its thriving fishing trade. After Jesus’ rejection in Nazareth, He
went to Capernaum. This is where Jesus spent the first two years as His base of
ministry. There were times that He went back to Jerusalem and ministered in other
areas, but Capernaum was home.
Some
Explanation
And they were astonished at
His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the
scribes... The
Scribes were the copiers of the law. Pharisees were interpreters and teachers of
the Law. (For an explanation of the rise of the Scribes and Pharisees, clickhere.) They focused not only on the written law known as the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy),
but they also added the “oral law”. These oral laws were oppressive.
The
purpose of God’s law was to show His holiness and our complete and utter
inability to attain it. Galatians 3:23-25 calls it a school master or tutor.
When we see our utter depravity by the magnitude of the law, we have no other option
than to cry for mercy. God’s mercy is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who
stood in our place. He kept the law and offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice
for sin—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Salvation comes to
us when we believe in Jesus’ cross-work that for us.
The
Pharisees’ Judaism trusted only the law. If they could keep the written law,
(which they really couldn’t) then they could “one-up” and do even better. If it
was against the law to “work” on the Sabbath, then that meant carrying a load was
work, so it was against the law to carry a load on the Sabbath, they concluded
by their reasoning. If carrying a load was work, then carrying anything was
work...and so forth... In creating these “one-up” laws they depended on the writings
of esteemed teachers which they quoted generously. When Jews went to synagogue
to hear the Scriptures read, they also listened to the additional teachings of
these various interpretations and additions.
Jesus
had been teaching throughout Galilee so when He came to the synagogue He was invited
to read the Scriptures as an esteemed guest. But when He began to teach, it was
obvious that His teaching was different from that of the Scribes.
Observations
and Insights
These
Galilean Jews were astonished and amazed by Jesus’ teaching and authority. Why
was that? We have the benefit of the answer in John 1:1-14. Jesus is the very Word
of God made flesh. He was the embodiment of the very Word He is speaking.
In
this passage we see that Jesus showed authority in casting out a demon, in how
He taught, and in healing Peter’s mother-in-law. He had the right to speak. He
had boldness in how He taught, and He had power by His speech to cast out the demon
and heal. Jesus’ authority was unlike anything that these Jews had seen or
heard.
When
I read this passage, I connected with these Galileans who had heard all the
rules on how to “do it right”. I think of the many books, CD teachings,
seminars and conferences that I’ve been to over the years. Many of us have libraries
full of every new teaching under the sun. Most of them have taught me that I
need to use certain phrases when praying. I need to be trained in a particular
process for ministry. And of course I need to pay a fee for the privilege. In
some cases I’ve watched other sheep pour over their notes so that they “get it
right”. I’ve tried some of it over the years. I tried to lead ministry and
remember all the principles when faced with challenges. So when things don’t
work out like they’re supposed to, I beat myself up for “getting it wrong”. I
didn’t pray it right; I didn’t “hear” it right; I didn’t do it right. Feels
Pharisaical to me.
I’ve
been to dozens, perhaps hundreds of churches in my life of ministry. Libraries
are filled with books on how to have a deeper life, how to have a better
marriage, how to do deliverance ministry, how to do inner healing, how to
declare my victory, how to live in the Spirit.... Trends, leaders and experts will
all pass away, but God’s Word remains forever. Now that’s authority. I love it.
I desire to live it. I’m setting my face toward it. It’s all that I’ll ever
need.
Next: Matthew
8:14-15; Matthew 4:23-25; Mark 129-39; Luke 4:38-44
[1]
Note:
Much of the Harmony readings will be pieced together like a puzzle putting the
four Gospels together into one narrative. I am copying the order or format from
A Simplified Harmony of the Gospels,
George W. Wright, Holman Bible Publishers, 2001. However, I am using the New
King James rather than the HCSB. This order is from the research of Wright and
is open to discussion. Of course, you can also read the passages side by side
separately if you prefer.
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