Fifth Sunday In Ordinary Time
MARK 1:29-39 (Isaiah 58:7-10; Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
This Sunday’s gospel reading continues that of last Sunday - Jesus’ activity at Capernaum on the NW shore of the Sea of Galilee. Last week we left Jesus in the local synagogue. The quick and efficient exorcism of a man possessed brought instant fame to Jesus. He quickly moves on, as Mark writes, “Immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew.”
Archaeological investigation has established that this house was next door to the synagogue. This gives us some idea of the status of these two sons of John (Jona). James and John Zebedee accompanied Jesus into the house. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed because of a fever. The family informed Jesus immediately. His response was action. “He approached her, took her by the hand, and lifted her up.” The cure was instantaneous. “The fever left her and she waited on them.” The Greek verb Mark uses here implies that she served them a meal.
Something might be said about a feature of Mark’s style. It is his use of the adverb “immediate-ly.” To the end of this Sunday’s gospel he will have used this word nine times. He will use it forty-two times in his gospel. This compares to Matthew’s use of the same adverb seven times in his much longer gospel, Luke once, and John three times. This usage gives Mark’s gospel a picture of Jesus in a great hurry to do what he came to earth to do. Mark sets the pattern of only a one-year public ministry of Jesus, a pattern followed by Luke and Matthew. The Gospel of John depicts at least a two and one half to three-year public ministry. Although all four gospels are written as catechesis rather than as a biography of Jesus, the Gospel of John seems closer to history in the length of Jesus’ public ministry.
The house of Simon and Andrew became headquarters for Jesus in Galilee. When the Gospel of Mark speaks of Jesus being “at home” or “went home,” 2:1; 3:19, “home” is the house of Simon and Andrew. Archaeology has shown that they had a large home able to house an extended family. It had a tile roof. This was not the style of homes of the poor, but of owners of a prosper-ous fishing business. An extended family made it possible for Simon and Andrew to follow Jesus in his preaching, teaching, and healing tours. We get the impression that Simon’s mother-in-law was the presiding matriarch in the home, since Mark notes that it was she who served dinner for Jesus and his companions. St. Paul tells us that, at least after Jesus’ departure and after the beginning of mission activity by the apostles, Simon (by then known as Peter or Cephas), took his wife with him on his mission tours. See 1 Corinthians 9:5. It is quite possible that she already accompanied her husband during Jesus’ time. There are indications in the gospels that “leaving all to follow Jesus” was not as complete as our gospels imply for catechetical reasons.
On the evening of that same Sabbath there was great activity around the house of Simon and Andrew. Mark writes, “after sundown,” meaning that the Sabbath observance of complete rest had ended. Mark notes that “the whole city was gathered together around the door” of this house.
They brought their sick to be healed and those under the influence of demons to be exorcised. A very busy evening for Jesus healing and casting out demons. The multiple exorcisms done by Jesus at the door of the house recall the earlier and first successful encounter of Jesus with a demon in the local synagogue – last Sunday’s gospel. This brings up an interesting observation. Mark’s arrangement of material places the cure of Simon’s mother-in-law between two encounters with demons. Was this a strategy directed at Mark’s own mother-in-law?
Very early on the next morning, Sunday morning, Jesus rose up from sleep and withdrew to an isolated area to pray. He seems to be exhausted by all the activity of the previous evening and had to recharge his batteries through prayer – as we all do. We recall that Jesus’ first disciples were all businessmen. A good businessman is quick to see opportunities. Simon (Peter) seems to see an opportunity in Jesus’ fame and popularity, but where was Jesus? Simon and his compan-ions, (James, John, Andrew), went in hot pursuit. That is a good translation of Mark’s intensive Greek verb used on this occasion. They found Jesus. Simon is not about to reveal what was probably his real reason he led a pursuit of Jesus, an undeveloped business plan based on Jesus’ fame. Perhaps as Jesus’ manager? This was something he tried to do later in Mark 8:32, at which point Jesus sharply rebuked him and told him to get back in line. On this earlier occasion he blames his disturbance of Jesus’ privacy on the enthusiasm of the people, “Everyone is searching for you.”
Jesus will not settle down in one place. Therefore he says, “Let’s go on to the next towns, so that I can also preach there.” Eventually his work will reach most of Galilee, his home province, and even beyond into the Decapolis (a cluster of Greek cities around the southern end of the Sea of Galilee). Jesus will also lead his disciples out of the Holy Land into the areas of Tyre and Sidon on the Mediterranean seacoast, northward to Caesarea Philippi, the territory of Herod Philip, and back into the Holy Land all the way south to Judea and Jerusalem. The Marcan Jesus adds a simple reason why he must move on to other locations to preach, “because this is why I have come out (from the Father).” Matthew phrases Jesus’ answer more clearly, “…for I was sent (from the Father) for this purpose.”
