Seeing is Believing: Mission
Jesus Has a Mission
Mark 1:29-39
Rev. Tim Callow
Preached Sun. Feb. 7, 2021
What a crazy day in Capernaum. Jesus goes to the synagogue and preaches. His sermon is so powerful it brings the ire of a demon he summarily drives out. He then goes to Simon Peter’s house, where Simon’s mother in law is ill with fever. The disciples tell him about her, and he heals her. His first healing. As soon as the sun sets the whole city gathers at the door of Simon’s house. Word has gotten out about his sermon, how he preached the coming of the Kingdom of God with authority. Word has gotten out about his exorcism, how the demon trembled before him and lost the battle. And word must have gotten out about his healing as well, because people come looking to be healed.
What comes next never ceases to amaze me. He heals. He exorcises. And he binds the demons. The way Mark puts it it seems so matter of fact. I imagine that’s because this is the Jesus Mark knew. The Jesus who is more powerful than any disease, and who has authority to bind all demonic power. Jesus never turns anyone away. He never says, “no I can’t do that” or “I’ll do that for you if you do this for me.” There is never a price. He does not separate the deserving from the undeserving. His healing and his power knows no limit. As the people arrive he simply offers his healing power. As the demons tremble he casts them out.
And we might imagine that this was an exhausting episode for Jesus. While it may have been mentally draining, he does try to get away, it doesn’t seem to be physically exhausting. He spends the rest of the night in prayer. The disciples run to find him. Actually, we are told they hunted for him. Ironic since he told them that if they followed him he would make them fish for people! But now they’re hunting him down! When they find him they say, “everyone is searching for you.”
Here is the second bit that never ceases to amaze me. Jesus doesn’t say “listen, I need a break.” He doesn’t say, “I’m never doing that again” or “this was a one time deal. I don’t want to enable anyone. I hope they don’t get the wrong idea.” But he says, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” So he goes, he proclaims the gospel, he casts out demons, and he heals diseases. He does the same thing he did in Capernaum in all the neighboring towns.
If we want an image of Jesus’ ministry, then, Mark wants us to know this is it. Jesus comes into town. He says “The Kingdom of God has come near, repent and believe this good news!” He goes to the synagogue and teaches people about the Kingdom he has come to inaugurate. The demons squeal, but there is nothing they can do. They are powerless before the almighty God. People come looking to be healed, and he heals them. He offers deliverance without price. He does not restrict who is worthy or unworthy. He simply states the fact: the kingdom of God has come. He shows them the Kingdom of God. He asks for nothing but faith in his word, and for repentance. Because if we are to live in the Kingdom of God, we must turn away from demons, and we must live a new life.
I want to emphasize two things about our gospel reading this morning. The first is Jesus’ mission. He is tireless. He has come to proclaim the Kingdom, and to show the Kingdom, to all. This remains Jesus’ mission. But now he works this mission through his Church. We are called to proclaim the Kingdom. We are called to let people know our God reigns, and he wants us to know joy. That he brings wholeness, and delivers us from the bondage of sin. That he will not rest until death is defeated. That he offers new life. It is us, now, who are called to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel of the Kingdom of God. That is our mission, Christ’s mission.
The second thing I want to emphasize is what the disciples say when they find Jesus in prayer. "Everyone is searching for you.” Everyone is still searching for Jesus. Everyone wants what Jesus has to offer. Everyone is looking for his healing, his freedom, his peace, and his love. Many may not know that’s what they’re looking for, but that is why we need to proclaim the gospel. Our deepest desires, and our earnest yearnings can find their fulfillment in him. We disciples of Jesus Christ need to be bold in proclaiming that, and we need to model it as well. That in our words, and in our deeds, people can see that the life Jesus offers is a life that can be lived.
Jesus is both searching out the lost, and everyone is looking for him. The mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God continues on, and Jesus remains the desire of the nations. What an amazing mission we are called to join into. Following Jesus, we can witness to his healing and his salvation. We can be part of his transforming work in this world. When we attend to him in prayer, when we stay in the word, when we share our testimony, when we invite someone to join us in worship, when we work to feed others, when we act in love, we witness to the reality of the Kingdom that has come near. And we invite more people to join, to find Jesus, and to know his power. So they can see, too, that God has ripped heaven open. That he has sent his Son. That he offers life.