Mark 1:21-34

Followed by His disciples (at the moment only 4 of them) Jesus goes to teach.  We need to notice that a major part of discipleship is learning.  We will never be effective at making disciples apart from high quality teaching.  For Jesus’ early disciples it was listening to the Master as He taught.  For us it must be through quality Bible study.  Jesus’ teaching is unlike that of the scribes because He teaches in His own authority not the authority of other learned men or tradition. 

It is incredibly important to note that Jesus’ first healing of a demon possessed man was in the house of worship.   The demoniac may have been a part of the congregation for a very long time.  It is unlikely that if the demon had manifested consistently that the man would have been allowed to continue to attend the synagogue services.  The demon influencing this man and through him the whole faith community was a “secret agent” if you will.  This may explain why so many churches are stagnating and dead.  This may explain why there is such a concentration of evil in some congregations.  It is possible that we Christians, with an area of our lives that is willfully sinful, unrepentant and un-submitted to God, carry with us the powers of darkness.  Not every manifestation of evil is dramatic.  In fact, the power of darkness may prefer to lie in secret, doing their harm subtly and will do so till confronted.   It is only when confronted with the truth, in this case the presence of Jesus that the demonic manifested.

We need to avoid two equally misguided approaches.  First, we need to avoid paranoia in which we see every struggle, conflict or problem as the work of the demonic.  Seeing a demon under every rock and behind every bush accomplishes more harm than good.  Secondly, we also need to avoid being in denial about the presence and power of the demonic.   Denial can be evil’s greatest tool.  There is also one positive action we must take.  Personal and heart felt repentance and the submission of every area of our lives to the Lord.  If we do not harbor an unrepentant heart the demonic will have no hold on us. 

Jesus’ teaching with authority that results in the power over the demonic is news and word spreads.  The motives of the gossips were no doubt missed, but the fact that God was at work could not be denied.  Jesus, for His part, acted as if this were the norm for His life.  Coming to the home of Peter, his mother-in-law is sick with a fever.  Jesus heals her and we need to note her response once healed “she waited on them”.  What is the proper response to God’s gracious care in our lives?  We serve.  By evening everyone wanted something from Jesus.  Who could blame them?  Jesus commands silence from the demons for they would certainly tell the truth about Him, but in such a way as to misguide the people.