This Week: Epiphany 5B
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
Maybe it’s about opportunity.
The disciples are invited to fish for people. And they go: alright. Dropping their nets and following this rabbi.
They go into town, visit a synagogue, and Jesus astounds the people with a teaching. And then astounds them with an exorcism!
It doesn’t say why the disciples followed Jesus. And that invitation wasn’t all that compelling. Not compared to the promise of something tangible, like a PS5.
I think they saw an opportunity. Much like the people in the synagogue. This guy isn’t like the others. He has a way about him that we can follow.
Amazing Jesus
As we focused last week on the way Jesus amazes the crowd in the synagogue, we are given another new opportunity to see Jesus. And to see how the people feel about Jesus.
There is something coupled here—that Jesus astounds and amazes people with new authority and that they see opportunity in this.
Jesus took them to Capernaum, but one of the disciples take Jesus to his mother-in-law who is sick. And he (rightly) assumes that Jesus can do something about this.
Jesus exorcized one demon and Simon thought maybe he could deal with his mother-in-law’s flu.
I don’t want to belabor this point too much, but I suspect we give it next to no attention. That Simon thought this was possible. And he took the opportunity.
And now Jesus adds “healer” to his resume.
Lots of opportunity follows.
Jesus heals and exorcizes demons and fame gathered. He refused the demons opportunity to speak. He took the opportunity to get away to pray by himself.
Of course, the disciples and crowds will look for him. Find him.
And when they do, Jesus says that they need to expand opportunity. It isn’t just for this town. But there are many, many more people that they need the opportunity to meet.