31 January 2021

Bible Reading

Mark 1:21-28

Jesus and his disciples came to the town of Capernaum, and on the next Sabbath Jesus went to the synagogue and began to teach. The people who heard him were amazed at the way he taught, for he wasn’t like the teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with authority. Just then a man with an evil spirit came into the synagogue and screamed, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Are you here to destroy us? I know who you are—you are God’s holy messenger!” Jesus ordered the spirit, “Be quiet, and come out of the man!” The evil spirit shook the man hard, gave a loud scream, and came out of him. The people were all so amazed that they started saying to one another, “What is this? Is it some kind of new teaching? This man has authority to give orders to the evil spirits, and they obey him!” And so the news about Jesus spread quickly everywhere in the province of Galilee.

Explanation

Jesus’ healing a man with an ‘evil spirit’ is the first act he does in Marks gospel and it is dramatic. He is presenting himself from the start as someone who will be different and will make a difference. Both Jesus’ teaching and his actions reveal that he is the ‘holy one of God’ and the word begins to spread about him.

Suppose you want to learn to build things out of wood. Who would be the best teacher? Yes, the best teacher would be an experienced carpenter. A carpenter spends many hours measuring, sawing, and nailing pieces of wood together.

Many adults, when we try to hammer a nail into place, will bend the nail so it doesn’t go in straight or miss the nail altogether. When you watch a good carpenter work there is no doubt, he knows what he is doing. He swings the hammer with power, hits the nail squarely, and drives the nail easily into the wood. He is an authority in working with wood and is able to show others how to do it.

When Jesus lived on earth, he was a teacher, it says in verse 22, ‘The people who heard him were amazed at the way he taught, for he wasn’t like the teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with authority.’

Jesus taught people about the love of God. They could see by the things he did and the things he said that he was an authority (had the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.) They watched as Jesus healed a man who was sick in his mind. They saw the power of God’s love.

The best teachers are the ones who really know what they are talking about. Jesus is the best teacher to teach us about love.

Prayer

Dear God, we thank you that Jesus was the best teacher to teach us about love. Thank you for his example which shows us the power of your love. Help us to follow Jesus example. Amen

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