Some Questions

 This is the message on this coming Sunday's gospel that will go out to the people of St Timothy Lutheran Church.

Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

29As soon as [Jesus and the disciples] left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

 32That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

 35In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” 39And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

What are your questions after reading this gospel text? What stands out to you? What makes you scratch your head?

Here are mine. If I were Simon's mother-in-law and had a fever, I wouldn't want some noisy friends of Simon's in the house. And then Jesus heals her, which is great, but then she serves them. Considering the role of women in those days, could Jesus have healed her to allow her to fulfill her usual duties of serving guests? I told you it was bad. It seems to me that her serving showed how well she felt.

My next wondering is in v. 34: “He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.” Wouldn’t it seem that if the demons knew about or knew him, that would be good publicity? Again, it goes to something we talked about last Sunday, the issue of the source of information. If it isn’t from God, we don’t want anything to do with it. 

In v. 35, we’re told that Jesus has gone off by himself to pray. This is something we see throughout the gospels. He needed time alone to refresh. I love the way it’s worded about the disciples looking for Jesus; they “hunted for him." What was their message for Jesus once they had found him? “Everyone is searching for you." Oh my, nothing like adding pressure and maybe even heaping a bit of shame onto Jesus! Hurry up. They’re waiting! Everyone! 

Does Jesus go to the place where “everyone” was from? No. They have all come to him and he heals “most” of them. Jesus is on a different schedule for when and where he should be. He tells his disciples that they are going on to the “neighboring towns." 

It’s ok and even good to come to Scripture with our questions. It makes us think and ask and learn. After all, we’re not on our own as we read scripture. The Holy Spirit is with us, giving us insight into God’s word and ways. 

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