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Scripture Reading: Mark 1:14-45
The first two sections of the Gospel of Mark are concerned with the beginning of the gospel and the initiation of the Slave-Savior (1:1-13) and the ministry of the Slave-Savior for the spreading of the gospel (1:14—10:52). In the foregoing message we began to consider the contents of the gospel service as revealed in 1:14-45. We saw that this service includes five matters: preaching the gospel (vv. 14-20), teaching the truth (vv. 21-22), casting out demons (vv. 23-28), healing the sick (vv. 29-39), and cleansing the leper (vv. 40-45). Having considered in some detail the preaching of the gospel, we shall go on in this message to cover the teaching of the truth, the casting out of demons, the healing of the sick, and the cleansing of the leper.
Mark 1:21-22 says, “And they go into Capernaum. And immediately on the Sabbath, entering into the synagogue, He taught. And they were astounded at His teaching, for He taught them as One having authority and not as the scribes.” Verse 21 speaks of the synagogue. A synagogue is a meeting place where the Jews read and learn the Holy Scriptures (Luke 4:16-17; Acts 13:14-15).
In the synagogue, the Lord Jesus taught the people with authority. Man’s fall into sin broke his fellowship with God. As a result, man became ignorant of the knowledge of God. Such ignorance issued first in darkness and then in death. The Slave-Savior, as the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5), came to Galilee, the land of darkness, where people were sitting in the shadow of death, and He came as a great light to shine upon them (Matt. 4:12-16). His teaching released the word of light to enlighten those in the darkness of death so that they might receive the light of life (John 1:4). We have already seen that the first thing the Slave-Savior did in His service was to preach the gospel. Now the second thing the Slave of God as the Slave-Savior to fallen men did in His service was to carry out such teaching (Mark 2:13; 4:1; 6:2, 6, 30, 34; 10:1; 11:17; 12:35; 14:49) to bring people out of satanic darkness into the divine light (Acts 26:18).
It was of God’s sovereignty that the Lord Jesus was raised in the region of Galilee and also that He began His preaching and teaching not from Judea, but from Galilee. According to the biblical record, Galilee was not only a despised region, but was also a place of darkness. Concerning this, Matthew 4:15-16 says, “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations: The people sitting in darkness saw a great light, and to those sitting in a region and shadow of death, to them light sprang up.” This indicates that when the Lord Jesus walked through Galilee, He was a great light shining in the darkness and shining upon the people sitting in the region and shadow of death. In particular, the teaching of the Slave-Savior was the shining of a great light. Every word that issued out of His mouth was an enlightening word. Therefore, while He was teaching the people, the light was shining upon them. In this way the people in darkness were enlightened by the Lord’s teaching.
According to Mark 1:22, those in the synagogue were astounded at the Lord’s teaching and said that He taught as One having authority and not as the scribes. The self-appointed scribes, teaching vain knowledge by themselves, had no authority and no power. But this God-authorized Slave, teaching realities by God Himself, had not only spiritual power to subdue people but also divine authority to subject them to the divine ruling.
In 1:23-28 we have a case of the casting out of demons. A man with an unclean spirit cried out, and the Lord Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” (vv. 23-25). This unclean spirit was not a fallen angel; this spirit was a demon (vv. 32, 34, 39; Luke 4:33), one of the spirits of the living creatures who lived in the preadamic age and were judged by God when they joined Satan’s rebellion (see Life-study of Genesis, Message 2). The fallen angels worked with Satan in the air (Eph. 2:2; 6:11-12), and these demons, the unclean spirits, move with him on the earth. Both act evilly upon man for the kingdom of Satan. The possession of people by demons signifies Satan’s usurpation of man, whom God created for His purpose. The Slave-Savior came to destroy the works of Satan (1 John 3:8), and the third thing He did as a part of His service to God was to cast out these demons from the possessed people (Mark 1:34, 39; 3:15; 6:7, 13; 16:17) so that they might be delivered from Satan’s bondage (Luke 13:16), out of Satan’s authority of darkness (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13), into God’s kingdom (Mark 1:15). Five cases are recorded in this Gospel to illustrate this (1:23-27; 5:2-20; 7:25-30; 9:17-27; 16:9).
Mark 1:27 says, “And they were all amazed, so that they discussed among themselves, saying, What is this? A new teaching! With authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” This verse speaks not of the Lord’s power, but of His authority to cast out demons. For His gospel service, the Slave-Savior had divine authority not only to teach people (v. 22), but also to cast out demons.
Many years ago, a missionary named Dr. Nevius wrote a book describing many cases of demon possession in China. Throughout China there were instances of demon possession, and in his book Dr. Nevius gives the details of these cases. Today, in a highly cultured and civilized country like the United States, apparently there no longer are cases of demon possession. However, Satan is subtle, and he seeks to possess people in different ways. In his subtlety, he has a way to possess people in highly civilized countries just as he has a way to possess the people in undeveloped countries. Therefore, even today, in the most highly cultured nation, Satan is able to use different means to possess people. For this reason, in our preaching of the gospel we should have not only the proper teaching, but also the casting out of demons, the casting out of those things used by Satan to possess people. In order to do this, we must learn how to pray to receive the power, even the authority, to cast out the possessing element. Once we receive this power and authority, then our preaching and teaching will come forth with the power to cast out the possessing element of the enemy.
We need the power to cast out the satanic element used by the enemy to possess people in today’s modern countries. Satan, the subtle serpent, is very clever, and he knows how to possess people in modern ways. In an uncultured country, he may use an uncultured means to possess people. But in a modern, cultured country, he will use modern, cultured means to usurp people. For example, in the leading colleges and universities, Satan will possess people in an intellectual way. We cannot defeat the enemy’s possession of mankind simply by ordinary preaching and teaching. In order to cast out today’s demons, in our teaching and preaching we must have divine authority and power. This power and authority can be exercised only in the name of Jesus. Therefore, we need to call on the Lord’s name and exercise divine authority in and through His name. If we do this, then in our preaching and teaching there will be power and authority to cast out the evil possessing element of the enemy. The casting out of demons, therefore, is the third item of the content of the gospel.
In 1:29-39 we have the Lord’s healing of the sick. Verse 30 says, “And Simon’s mother-in-law was lying down with a fever, and immediately they tell Him about her.” This fever may signify a person’s unbridled temper, a temper that is abnormal.
According to verse 31, the Lord came to Simon’s mother-in-law and raised her up, and the fever left her. According to verse 34, “He healed many who were ill with various diseases.” Sickness is an issue of sin and a sign of man’s abnormal condition before God because of sin. The fourth thing the Slave-Savior did to rescue sinners, as another part of His gospel service, was to heal their sick condition both physically and spiritually and restore them to normal so that they might serve Him (1:34; 3:10; 6:5, 13, 56). Nine cases are recorded in this Gospel to illustrate such healing (1:30-31, 40-45; 2:3-12; 3:1-5; 5:22-43; 7:32-37; 8:22-26; 10:46-52).
Today every fallen human being is sick. Many are sick physically, and all are sick spiritually. Because every fallen person is spiritually sick, we in the local churches must learn to preach the gospel and teach the truth like physicians. This means that in our teaching and preaching we should give people a heavenly prescription, a divine medicine for their healing. All the saints among us should learn how to preach the gospel and teach the truth in such a way that people are healed. As we are teaching and preaching, we should give others an injection of spiritual medicine that will heal them.
Among those in the Pentecostal movement today, a great deal of emphasis is placed on miraculous healing. This emphasis is on physical healing. However, we need to care more for spiritual healing than for physical healing. The church people should be so equipped that in their preaching and teaching spiritual medicine is supplied to people in order that they may be spiritually healed.
According to Mark 1:32, in the evening the Lord healed many who were ill. Then very early the next morning, “He went out and went away to a desolate place, and there He prayed.” The Lord prayed in order to fellowship with God and to seek His will and pleasure for His gospel service (v. 38). The Slave-Savior did not do the evangelical service by Himself independent of God or according to His own will. Rather, He carried out this service according to God’s will and pleasure by being one with God to fulfill His purpose.
According to 1:37, Simon and those with him said to the Lord, “All are seeking You.” The Lord said to them, “Let us go elsewhere into the nearby towns, that I might preach there also, for for this purpose I came out.” As the Slave of God to serve God in His gospel, the Slave-Savior did not do His own gospel service to fulfill either His own will or the proposal of others. Instead, He fulfilled the will of God who had sent Him (John 6:38; 4:34).
In 1:40-45 we have the case of the cleansing of a leper. Verse 40 says, “And a leper comes to Him, entreating Him, and falling on his knees says to Him, If You are willing, You can cleanse me!” A leper portrays a typical sinner. Leprosy is the most contaminating and damaging disease, much more serious than fever (v. 30), isolating its victim both from God and from men. According to the law, a leper should be excluded from the people because of his uncleanness. No one could touch him (Lev. 13:45-46). According to the scriptural examples, leprosy comes from rebellion and disobedience. Miriam became leprous because of her rebellion against God’s deputy authority (Num. 12:1-10). Naaman’s leprosy was cleansed because of his obedience (2 Kings 5:1, 9-14). All fallen human beings have become leprous in the sight of God because of their rebellion. Because leprosy isolated its victim from both God and man, to cleanse the leper signifies to recover the sinner to fellowship with God and with men. This was the consummating part of the Slave-Savior’s gospel service according to the record of this chapter.
Mark 1:41 and 42 say, “And moved with compassion, stretching out His hand, He touched him and said to him, I am willing; be cleansed! And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.” The Lord Jesus was moved with compassion. The Slave-Savior’s compassion and willingness issuing from His love were dear and precious to the hopeless leper. The Lord stretched out His hand and touched the leper. This showed His sympathy and intimacy with the miserable leper, whom no one dared to touch. According to verse 42, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. This verse says that the leper was not only healed, but also cleansed. Leprosy not only requires healing as do other diseases; it also requires cleansing, like sin (1 John 1:7), because of its filthy and contaminating nature.
We all need to be deeply impressed with the five matters comprised in the Slave-Savior’s gospel service: preaching (vv. 14-15, 38-39) to announce the glad tidings to the miserable people in bondage; teaching (vv. 21-22) to enlighten the ignorant ones in darkness with the divine light of the truth; casting out demons (vv. 25-26) to nullify Satan’s usurpation of man; healing man’s sick condition (vv. 30-31) that man may serve the Slave-Savior; and cleansing the leper (vv. 41-42) to recover sinners to the fellowship with God and with men. What a wonderful and excellent work!
In our gospel preaching we must also be exercised to preach, teach, cast out demons, heal, and cleanse. If our preaching is weak, some may be saved, but they may not be cleansed. They may be saved in the sense of receiving the forgiveness of sin, but they may not be cleansed from the contaminating nature of sin. Therefore, we need to seriously consider the fact that this picture of the Lord’s gospel service concludes with the cleansing of the leper. The Lord preached, taught, cast out demons, healed the sick, and eventually cleansed the leper. This cleansing is the ultimate consummation of the contents of the Lord’s gospel service.
After cleansing the leper, the Lord Jesus sternly charged him and said, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded for a testimony to them.” Such a charge throughout the record of the Slave-Savior’s evangelical service is quite striking (5:43; 7:36; 9:9). It is similar to what was prophesied concerning His quiet character in Isaiah 42:2. He wanted His work to be done within the limit of a move that was absolutely according to God’s purpose, not promoted by man’s excitement and propaganda. Throughout His ministry the Slave-Savior, as the Slave of God, did not like publicity.
According to 1:45, the cleansed one did not carry out the Lord’s word. Instead, “Going out, he began to proclaim it much and spread abroad the matter, so that He could no longer enter openly into a city, but He was outside in desolate places; and they came to Him from everywhere.” Here we see that man’s activity according to the natural concept frustrates the Slave-Savior’s service according to God’s purpose.
