This coming Sunday is the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time in Lectionary Cycle B. The first major section of Mark’s Gospel extends from 1:14 to 3:6, and describes the initial phase of the Galilean ministry. Within this section the evangelist records the calling of the first disciples , Jesus’ ministry in and around Capernaum, and a series of controversies which are climaxed by the decision to seek Jesus’ death.

What has already happened so far in Mark’s gospel: Jesus has proclaimed the Kingdom of God is at hand and called the first disciples to follow him. What follows in this first major section is an expose of a new authority present in the world. It will be affirming evidence to the disciples already following Jesus, witness to others who will have to choose, and a challenge to the traditional leaders of Judaism: the scribes, Sadducces, and Pharisee. This new authority will be demonstrated over arenas that are the province of God and God alone – which is exactly the point. These arenas include authority over the demonic, illness, leprosy, paralysis, sin, and even the Sabbath itself. Even as the scenes give tangible proof of Jesus’ claim that the Kingdom of God is upon them, there are those who will remain blind or obstinate to the evidence of their own experience. It all begins in Capernaum, a small fishing village on the north end of the Sea of Galilee.

What exactly is it that begins? The “gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1) which announces that “this is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand.” (v.15)  It is now time that what was promised by God through the patriarchs and prophets is being realized in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the one anointed by the Holy Spirit at his baptism, then revealed as Jesus Christ (the anointed one). That was revealed to the first disciples called and now the public ministry begins.

We might well assume that Jesus has begun to teach the disciples, but in these early narratives, Mark’s readers do not learn if there is a program of instruction.  We simply read: “Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.” (v.21) We are not told the content of the teaching. We might assume it was based on a reading from Scripture as described in Luke 4:16 and following. However, the disciples were witnesses of how he taught (“with authority,” vv. 22 and 27), and what effect his powerful teaching had (people are “astonished” and “amazed,” vv. 22 and 27; the unclean spirit is overwhelmed, v. 26). The repetition of the phrase “with authority” indicates that Mark wants the events of Jesus’ first teaching and first powerful action to be seen as intimately related. He not only speaks with authority — he also acts with power! The “amazed” bystanders acknowledge the teacher’s authority, yet they still have to ask: “What is this?” (v. 27).

Mark’s intention here is to make his readers confident in Jesus as teacher and healer. However, the allusion to the people’s amazement (v. 27), which caused Jesus’ reputation to spread throughout Galilee (v. 28), also has another purpose. It is precisely the people’s response of being amazed (1:27 and 5:20), or astounded (2:12 and 5:42) that will eventually bring other hostile forces to seek to destroy Jesus (see 6:14–29, where Herod is threatened by Jesus’ reputation and ends up beheading John the Baptist). Mark wants more from his readers than amazement; he wants them to be alert when Jesus reveals himself in less appealing ways. “Will you also be amazed when Jesus begins to teach that the Son of Man has to suffer much, be rejected by the chief priests, be put to death, and rise three days later (8:31)? Will you recognize him for who he is when he hangs on the cross, abandoned by most of his followers who were amazed by his first signs of power?”

The larger section – a few verses beyond our gospel reading – Mark 1:21–34 seems to represent the activity of a single day, or of two days if judged by the Jewish perspective that a new day begins with sunset. Jesus’ sabbath activity includes teaching, exorcism and healing. In comprehensive fashion the acts of God are initiated by Jesus, restoring men to wholeness, but in a manner which occasions both excitement and alarm.

Jesus is accompanied by disciples, likely the four fishermen Jesus had already called to follow: “they came to Capernaum.” This is confirmed by Mark 1:29 where Jesus and the four enter the house of Simon and Andrew; it is probable that Capernaum was the town in which all four fishermen lived. It was certainly the home village of Simon Peter whose mother-in-law resided there.

Image credit: Jesus in the Synagogue, unknown artist, Vatican News Service | Public Domain