a lawless blog

His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee. 

Last week we read that 'after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God'. This week we have his first formal appearance. Other gospels insert a  visit to Jerusalem and other activities, and they elaborate on this or a similar synagogue episode, but Mark keeps his narrative short, sharp and to the point. Every word counts. While John came out of the desert and did his preaching in the open air down by the river, according to Mark's basic presentation Jesus started his teaching in the synagogue, the community meeting place, in the prayer assembly of the village. 

In Mark's account, Jesus is a teacher from the start. Not a wonder-worker, not a moralistic preacher, not the Messiah, but a teacher. The synagogue is primarily a place of learning where the law and the prophets are not just 'read' as a ritual performance in some act of pseudo worship, but read and learned, debated and interpreted for the education of the local community. It was not unusual to have a visiting teacher.

But "the people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes."

We might take a look at the people in the Caphernaum synagogue that Sabbath day. 'Simple' fishermen were not in the majority. There were shopkeepers, tradesmen, bakers and butchers, merchants, landlords, councilors and the synagogue leader - to mention just a few possible types. There were those who had traveled often, down to Jerusalem or out to the trading cities of Tyre and Sidon, those who dealt with the Roman authorities and those who spoke Greek and were familiar with the Greek cities of the Decapolis to the east of the lake, those who made their fortunes buying and selling and those who made it their business to study of the Torah. These are the people who were astonished that Jesus taught 'with authority, not as the scribes'.

The scribes were scholars whose task was to explain and clarify the text of scripture, comparing one interpretation with another. A very necessary and noble profession. I don't think Mark is criticising the Scribes. He says there was something astonishing about the way Jesus taught. Perhaps it was the way he went to the heart of the matter; check out the Sermon on the Mount for examples.  Perhaps it was an air of confidence. One thing is certain, Mark is not saying: 'He taught with authority, as you would expect since he was the son of God!' This might well be our first thought, but if we are to hear again the story of Jesus as told by Mark, we need to work back from fixed ideas and start again with an open mind.

We could spend time reflecting on what it was in the experience that caused the people to be astonished. Mark is going to emphasise the authority Jesus showed. For the moment he illustrates it with one quick example. 'In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit.' The way this man called out to Jesus is perhaps not unlike what happens often enough in any city church even today. A troubled man or woman may stand up and shout a question at the preacher, and people will quietly try to settle the person down. Jesus confronted the spirit, Mark says, and the man was convulsed, and then quiet.

What did they make of this? Again Mark, choosing his words carefully and intent on keeping it short, says they were amazed!

He quietly adds something: 'a new teaching', but he says nothing about it, no example of what Jesus taught or how it was new. He simply repeats 'with authority'. That is enough for the moment. The mystery will unfold as we go along.

There is something about the Greek word for authority that Mark uses: exousia. It has a connotation of power, the kind of power that is felt in a word of command: 'Be quiet! Come out of him!' When Mark tells of Jesus healing the man possessed of an unclean spirit he sees the miracle not so much as a wonder in itself but as an aspect of Jesus' authority. 'The primary emphasis rests upon his teaching   The exorcism follows merely as an illustration of the power of Jesus’ teaching with authority' [Reginald H. Fuller].