Breaking the Word

 On leaving the synagogue he entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him,  and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you." He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come." So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.  (Mk 1:29-39)

Jesus had the power to heal the sick. He healed the mother-in-law of Peter from fever and then all the sick people who had gathered around. The power to heal is not to show his divine quality but rather his desire to be with the people who were sick. He also drove out the demons. He had compassion (in Latin it means to suffer with) on the people. More than his power to heal his desire be with the people and make then whole is what is in important.

He went off to a deserted place to pray. He was in the deserted place for forty days before he began his public ministry. Those days were there to prepare him for his mission. He spent those days to clear his ideas about the mission and the values that he had to follow to fulfil the mission. His regular visit to deserted place to pray was to re-examine his mission and the values to arrive at the mission.

He did not get stuck to the successful places of mission. He moved on from place to place to continue the mission. He did not have a particular place for the mission, in stead for him the whole world is the place of mission. He had to move form place to place. That is why he sent his disciples into the whole world to proclaim the kingdom.

Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!"  The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him." His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee. (Mk 1:21-28)

Jesus entered the synagogue on a sabbath to teach. Jesus was a Jew and he followed the traditions of the Jews. He was faithful to the traditions but with a difference. He was not a passive participant of the traditions that is just being pietistic. Rather he was an active participant of the laws and traditions.

He was a man of authority.  His authority was seen in his teachings and he had authority over unclean spirits and people recognized his authority. ("What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him." His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.)

His authority is related to his teachings and healing ministry. His authority is related to the kingdom. His teachings and his mission were ushering in the kingdom. It is the kingdom of God. God was entering into the world in his teachings and ministry. And this is the reason of his new teaching with authority. Authority from God.