COMMENTARY ON MARK
LESSON NUMBER 15
THE DISEASED AND OPPRESSED
“ Mark 1:32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. 33 And all the city was gathered together at the door. 34 And He healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew Him.” (Mark 1:32-34
INTRODUCTION
It is apparently still the Sabbath day – a day that has already been filled with new and refreshing things. He has astonished the people with His doctrine, speaking as one having authority, and not as the scribes. In the synagogue Jesus has confronted a man with an unclean spirit, cast out the spirit, not permitting the spirit to speak of Him, and set the people to marveling again with a display of obvious power and authority. Now Jesus is at the house of Simon and Andrew, together with James and John. He has just healed Peter’s mother-in-law, and she has been ministering to them. What a prodigious Worker He is! We will now be further exposed to the Savior, who knew nothing of personal convenience. He is wholly devoted to the will of His Father, and, as when He was only twelve, “must be about” His “Father’s business.” He has come into a region that has been pervaded by great spiritual darkness. Matthew says His entrance into Capernaum fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah, “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up” (Matt 4:16). It is as though Satan had captured this “region.” Later in His ministry, Jesus will upbraid Capernaum because their response was not appropriate for the amount of light that had been shown to them. They had been “exalted unto heaven,” being favored by His “mighty works” (Matt 11:23-24). We are now considering some of majority of those in Capernaum.
WHEN THE SUN DID SET
“ 32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.”
AT EVEN. At this time, it was dark, for it was “after the sun had set.” NASB The sun was not in the process of setting, but had already sunk beneath the horizon. The outward circumstance now matched the spiritual condition of that region – the “gross darkness” of which Isaiah had spoken (Isa 60:2). Because this was apparently a citadel of Satan, the people are said to have been sitting in darkness (Matt 4:16).
From a practical point of view, you catch a glimpse of the Divine nature here. Even though the Lord was robed in the flesh, which greatly “straitened” Him (Lk 12:50), yet He is zealously doing the work of His Father. Truly, He had been “eaten up” with the zeal of the Lord (Psa 69:9; John 2:17). As Isaiah foretold, He was “clad with zeal as a cloak” (Isa 59:17). David also spoke of this marvelous trait, speaking of being “consumed” with zeal (Psa 119:139). Also, when Isaiah spoke of the reign of the Messiah, and of the increase of His “government and peace,” he declared “The zeal of the Lord hosts will perform this” (Isa 9:7). There were opposing spiritual forces in this region that could not be successfully confronted with a spirit of mediocrity or ordinary religious activity.
THEY BROUGHT UNTO HIM. The activities of Jesus have been the subject of much casual talk. I have heard people say if Jesus came to town, He would go where all of the people were, and would be found at all times among the sinners and low-lifers. It all has a sound of authenticity to it, but is it really true? There are numerous instances of people being “brought” to Jesus (Matt 4:24; 8:16; 9:2,32; 12:22; 14:35; 19:13; Lk 19:35; John 1:42). I will say more on this matter when commenting on the next verse. At this point it is enough to say that in my judgment, there has been a fundamental misrepresentation of Jesus and of the focus of His earthly ministry – which was an index to His heavenly one.
ALL THAT WERE DISEASED. Luke says of this occasion, “they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him” (Luke 4:40). The idea of the text is not that they searched through the region, finding every diseased person, then bringing them to Jesus. Rather, everyone who had diseased people among them brought those infirm people to Jesus. Jesus was in Simon’s and Andrew’s house, and had healed an infirm person there. That word had apparently got out, and now the people began seeking mercy for “diseased” people in their own houses.
In a marvelous display of insight, the people had made an association of the Lord Jesus with their own circumstance. They had not seen the Savior as a mere phenomenon, with themselves sitting in the stands as spectators. They had heard of the exercise of His power in the rebuke of the fever of the mother of Simon’s wife, and it had opened the door of hope to them. Light had “sprung up” among them (Matt 4:16), and it had illuminated the situations in which they had been living.
Luke points out that these were “divers,” or “various diseases” (Lk 4:40). Verse thirty-four of this text will also use that expression. Jesus was not a heavenly specialist in healing certain diseases. He had authority over them all. With Him “all things are possible” (Matt 19:26).
THEM THAT WERE POSSESSED. These were “demon possessed” NKJV people – those who were in the grip of “the power of darkness” (Lk 22:53). There are eleven references to such people in the Gospels (Matt 4:24; 8:16,28,33; 9:32; 12:22; Mk 1:32; 5:15,16,18; Lk 8:36). This gives us some indication of what is involved in sitting in “darkness.”
APPLICATION. In our day and place, there is a great need for making an association of Jesus with our own weaknesses – when people can see the Lord Jesus as one who is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Heb 4:15) – indications of human frailty.
This debility is not confined to the various “diseases” of the people being brought to Jesus. There is also a frailty that is realized in the inability of those, with whom the diseased dwell, to help them. With Peter and his wife, it was his wife’s mother. How long she had laid with a fever, we do not know. But Simon and his wife were unable to change the situation. Thus, Jesus had mercy upon them also by healing the woman.
This kind of mercy should not be strange to us. On one occasion, when Ephaphroditus was in prison with Paul, “he was sick nigh unto death.” It appeared as though the condition would not change, and Paul, who himself had done many great works, could not resolve this particular dilemma. However, the situation was changed when “God had mercy” on Epaphroditus, apparently restoring his health. Of that occasion Paul wrote, “For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow” (Phil 2:27).
THE CITY GATHERS AT THE DOOR
“ 33 And all the city was gathered together at the door.” What a sight this must have been: “The whole town gathered at the door.” NIV It does not appear as though this involved everyone coming at once. Rather, as the word spread, people began coming “Until the whole town was gathered about the door.” AMPLIFIED “The door” was the entrance into Peter’s house, and the time was after dark on the Sabbath day – after the sun had set.
The Jewish Sabbath was from evening to evening: “It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath” (Lev 23:32). Thus, these people honored the Sabbath day, as ordinarily understood. However, as soon as they felt they could get to Jesus, they came. This kind of attraction was introduced by John the Baptist, to whom the people also came, going out to him (Matt 3:5). John, therefore, not only introduced the Savior Himself, but the manner in which He would relate to the people. They would come to Him!
This particular aspect of the Savior’s ministry – the people coming to Him – fulfills certain prophecies concerning Him. This view of Jesus, as I have already indicated, contradicts some of the things that are now being said of Him. It was Jacob who first said this of the coming Messiah, and he said it in veiled words: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen 49:10). Jacob’s meaning is that Judah’s prominence would last until the Messiah came. The word “Shiloh” means, “He whose it is” – that is, the scepter, or right of rule, belonged to the promised One, and Judah would remain prominent until He came.
Notice, the people would gather to the promised Savior – they would come to Him! Moses also foretold of this phenomenon: “unto Him ye shall hearken” (Deut 18:15). The Psalmist said that even kings would “bring” Him “presents” (Psa 72:10). Isaiah said of Christ’s reign, “All nations shall flow into it” (Isa 2:2). Even the Gentiles would “seek” this Lord (Isa 11:10). He also said God would lift up His hand to the Gentiles, and “they shall bring their sons in their arms, and their daughters on their shoulders” (Isa 42:22). Isaiah further promised, “nations that knew not Thee shall run unto Thee” (Isa 55:5), and “the Gentiles shall come to thy light” (Isa 60:3). Zechariah spoke of the reign of the Messiah as one in which “there shall come people,” saying, “us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also” (Zech 8:21). He added, “Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD” (Zech 8:22). This is a trait of the Savior – people are moved to come to Him!
Jesus Himself spoke of a certain drawing that would compel people to come to Him. “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him . . . It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall be all taught of God.’ Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me . . . Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father” (John 6:44-45,65). Again, Jesus said of His post-resurrection ministry, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me” (John 12:32). There is no need to attempt to neutralize this great text. It is better to believe it.
Think of the people who came, or were brought to, Jesus. There was the woman who was termed a “sinner” who came to Jesus bringing an alabaster box of ointment (Lk 7:37-40). There was the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8:4). There was Zacchaeus (Lk 19:2-5). There were also the woman with an issue of blood (Matt 9:20), the Syrophenician woman (Mk 7:26), the centurion (Matt 8:5), and a man with a demon possessed son (Matt 17:16). There were “great multitudes” (Matt 15:30), and people from Jerusalem, Idumaea, beyond Jordan, and those around Tyre and Sidon (Mk 3:8). We read that “the people sought Him, and came unto Him” (Lk 4:42), and of a host that came to Him upon the testimony of the woman at the well (John 4:30). The disciples of John “came to Him” (Matt 9:14), and multitudes followed Him even into a desert place (Matt 14:15). The “blind and the lame came to Him in the Temple” (Matt 21:14). Another time the people came to Him “from every quarter” (Mk 1:45). Even when Jesus came to the country of Gadarenes, the demoniac came to Him (Mk 5:1-3). When He came to Samaria, the woman came to Him at the well (John 4:4-7).
Jesus did go to the people – like He went to the pool of Bethesda where a multitude of impotent people lay. Even then, He healed only one man (John 5:2-9). He also told His disciples to go and “preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mk 16:15), and “make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:18). But when you get to the core of the matter, Christ’s Kingdom is essentially one in which the people “come” to Him (Matt 11:28). That aspect of His ministry is seen in the text before us. It is sad that it is so rare in our time. Perhaps this condition exists because Jesus Himself is not prominent, or perhaps because of the heartedness of the people.
JESUS HEALED “MANY”
“ 34 And He healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew Him.”
HE HEALED MANY. Matthew says of this occasion, “He healed all that were sick” (Matt 8:16). Luke says, “and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them” (Luke 4:40). In saying “many,” Mark is by no means in conflict with Matthew and Luke, who say “all” and “every one.” Rather, “many” emphasizes a great number, and is not intended to equate with “many of the sick.” That is, the “all that were diseased” were a lot of people. The word “many” is often used in this way – to denote a great multitude, yet it is inclusive of all of them. Paul thus reasons in Romans that “many” are “dead” because of Adam’s disobedience (Rom 5:12). Jesus took upon Himself “many offenses” (Rom 5:16). Because of Adam’s transgression, “many were made sinners” (Rom 5:19). Actually, sin caused everyone to be dead. All of the sins of the world were laid upon Christ, and everyone was made sinners. When Paul says “as many as are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God,” he means all of them (Rom 8:14). Thus Mark declares that very many people were healed by Jesus on this occasion. Jesus did this, according to Luke, by laying “His hands on every one of them.” I want to again emphasize that this was at the end of a very busy day.
SICK OF DIVERS DISEASES. The ramifications of sin were diverse, or in great variety. A single sin committed on a single occasion, spawned a great plethora of dreadful effects. Ponder the different categories of sin: fornication, wickedness, covetousness, malice, envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whispering, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, pride, boasting, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful, idolatry, adulterers, effeminate, sodomy, stealing, drunkenness, reviling, extortion, uncleanness, lasciviousness, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, sedition, heresy, reveling, filthiness, foolish talking, jesting, whoremonger, guile, hypocrisy, evil speaking, etc (Rom 1:29-31; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 5:3-4; 1 Pet 2:1).
Equally true, sickness (which is an aspect of death, or mortality) has taken a vast variety of forms. Matthew mentions “all manner of sickness and all manner of disease . . . divers diseases and torments,” “lunatic (epileptic), and palsy (paralysis)” (Matt 4:23-24). All of this vast variety of sin and disease, together with “torments” (“severe pain” NIV), and various kinds of demon possession (uncleanness, infirmity, deafness, dumbness, fits, madness, etc), sprang from a single transgression – eating fruit. The Savior counteracted every effect of sin, confirming that “where sin did abound, grace did much more abound” (Rom 5:20).
CAST OUT MANY DEVILS. Jesus launched an invasion of Satan’s empire, expelling even strong and dominating spirits and demons. Matthew says, “He cast out the spirits with His word” (Matt 8:16). Christ’s power was so significant, that He even conferred the ability to expel demons on “the twelve” (Matt 10:8). There was no question that Jesus did, in fact, cast out these spirits, for even His enemies, acknowledged that He did (Matt 12:24). Our text says He “cast out many devils.” Later we are told that “He preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils” (Mark 1:39). The powers of darkness were being shaken, being overcome in the very territory in which they dominated.
SUFFERED NOT THE DEVILS TO SPEAK. Jesus would not allow the devils to acknowledge Him, as demonstrated in the synagogue earlier (1:25). Later, when “unclean spirits” recognized Him and “fell down before Him” confessing “Thou art the Son of God!,” Jesus “straitly charged them that they should not make Him known” (3:12). Luke adds, “for they knew He was Christ” (Lk 4:41).
BECAUSE THEY KNEW HIM. Men “knew Him not,” even though they were “made” by Him (John 1:10). Even Christ’s own people, raised and cultured to know the Redeemer “received Him not” (John 1:11). However, the domain of darkness, ruled by the devil and aligned against Him, were not allowed to speak about Him, or acknowledge Him! Paul exhibited this same intolerance for such activity, commanding an evil spirit who was speaking of “the way of salvation” to come out of the one through whom it spoke (Acts 16:16-18).
Whatever you may think about those dominated by Satan speaking of Christ in a favorable way, heaven is not tolerant of such speech. In this world, God and Christ are not honored by the confession of those who do not willingly serve them. Paul spoke of such souls in these words, “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate” (Titus 1:16). There is no room in the kingdom of God for testimonies from such people! They are like unclean spirits confessing Christ, and in this world, that brings dishonor to Jesus, not honor. Prior to the judgment day, we have no desire for unclean people to speak of the Lord Jesus.