21 They, Jesus and the disciples, went to Capernaum. The city was an important first-century city at the northern end of the Sea of Galilee. The city was the center of the Galilean fishing industry and the probable home of several of anglers whom Jesus called to be disciples. A detachment of Roman soldiers garrisoned there. When the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught, the president of the synagogue offering him that opportunity. Some people today will say that Jesus was not a religious man, using religious in a pejorative sense. We see here, and will see throughout the gospel account, that Jesus was religious man. He attended synagogue on a regular basis. He observed the commandments, even if in a way that disturbed his contemporaries. His disciples will establish religious communities after he dies. One could suggest that Jesus will show himself to be a deeply religious man. By piecing together various accounts in the synoptic gospels, one can argue that the sympathetic centurion mentioned in Matthew 8 and Luke 7 built the synagogue in which Jesus teaches. In 1981, excavations unearthed the foundations of a first-century synagogue, which gives historical weight to this scene in Mark. Mark offers no synopsis of what Jesus said in his homily. The service of the Jewish community of the first century consisted of praise and blessings, prayers, the reading of the Law and the Prophets, accompanied by an exposition of the lesson. On occasion, the president would invite a visiting adult male Israelite to teach. None of the gospels offers any description of the formal training of Jesus or his background. However, that the president invited Jesus to speak in the synagogue indicates that he invited him to present a homily on the text, which in turn suggests that people already knew him as a man skilled in Torah interpretation. Scripture reading, study, prayer, and exhortation became the shape of Jewish worship from this time on, replacing sacrifice as the primary act of devotion. With the destruction of the first temple in 587/6 B.C., the synagogue assumed vital importance in Jewish religious and civic life, serving not only as a location for worship, but also as a social center for activities that formed integral parts of Jewish identity (such as communal meals, reception of religious visitors and legal proceedings). The first literary and archaeological evidence for Palestinian synagogues appears in the first century, and archeologists have found the remains of over a hundred synagogues in Palestine, the overwhelming majority in Galilee and the Golan region, the locale of the events recounted in this part of Mark. Jesus' teaching in a Galilean synagogue on the Sabbath represents the fruition of centuries of the gradual democratization of teaching and sacerdotal authority in the religion of biblical Israel, a development fraught with both opportunity and conflict. The evangelists' report of the crowd's reaction to Jesus' teaching captures both aspects of this religious development. 22 Thepeople responded with astonishment at his teaching. In Matthew, those who hear the "Sermon on the Mount" are "astounded at [Jesus'] teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." In John's gospel, one of the temple officers recognizes that Jesus speaks like no other (7:46). Only Mark, followed by Luke, combines the amazement of the crowd with an exorcism. The reason for the astonishment is that he taught them as one having authority. Throughout the gospel, Mark seeks to highlight the authority Jesus in answering the main question of his work: Who is Jesus? In this scene in the synagogue of Capernaum, Mark shows Jesus to be one to teach with an authority that the religious leaders lack. There is no indication that the amazement of the audience was due to the orthodoxy or lack thereof of the teaching Jesus presented. Rather, the suggestion is that he possessed an authority previously unheard. Mark contrasts the authority with which Jesus taught was not as the scribes. Note that the authority of Jesus has limits. Jesus wields no authority over people. Jesus has divine authority to serve people, whereas the scribes have human authority and lord over people. The whole Gospel unpacks the contrast between these two notions of authority. Scribes refers to all those who are professional interpreters of Torah. The interpretations of the professional scholars became part of the "tradition" of the elders that sought to proscribe faithful living in every circumstance. Jesus, in contrast, seems to give witness to the present initiative of God to act in a new way. With the coming of Jesus, the moment of the overthrow of the demonic has arrived. This scene describes the first significant act of Jesus. 23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. That a man with an unclean spirit would wander into a synagogue is no doubt an intended dig into Judaism and its cleanliness laws. Being unclean would certainly prohibit one from being part of the congregation in the first place. It is probable, therefore, that Mark sets the scene in this way to suggest that just as the Jews do not recognize who Jesus is, neither do they recognize an unclean spirit when one is in their midst. In short, to Mark, Judaism has lost its ability to speak with authority and to act with power. Jesus does both, and hence the Gospel and its present power to act supersedes the Torah and its tradition to explain. We then learn that the unclean spirit in the man 24cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” The recognition of who Jesus was by an unclean spirit indicates the obtuseness of Judaism, according to Mark. The presence of Jesus is a danger to the unclean spirit. The plural references by the unclean spirit suggest he speaks for all unclean spirits. It was common in exorcism to name the spirit in order to control it. The unclean spirit seeks to control Jesus by naming him. However, 25Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, he told the unclean spirit to shut up, and come out of him!” He does not use the magical manipulation, which would have been typical of Jewish and Hellenistic exorcist literature. We as modern readers can relate in the sense that a multitude of spiritual gurus is available who claim to help us address the problems we face. Then, 26 the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. Exorcism demonstrates the power and authority of Jesus. We can see this in that the conflict between Jesus and the demon is loud and violent. Jesus has power over the unclean spirit, which sets him apart even further. It is interesting to note that while Jesus' initial proclamation upon coming forth from the wilderness of temptation is exactly that of John the Baptist's, the ability to control the demons differentiates John and Jesus. Jesus stands alone. 27 The response of the people was amazement. They kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching or didache. Mark makes no separation between the subjective act of teaching and the content of teaching.[1] In particular, Jesus offers the new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” The audience echoes the opinion of Mark of the difference between Jesus and the Judaism of the day. The Gospel writers treat the healings, exorcisms, and miracles of Jesus as acts that raise questions about whom he is and whose power he employs. What makes this event important stems from the teaching of Jesus and the issue of authority rather than from the exorcism alone. Most miracle stories, including exorcisms, conclude with a demonstration of the effectiveness of the cure and the response of those who have observed it. The story culminates, then, in a kind of question. The earlier question, “What is this?” calls up another profound question, “Who is this?” Miracles demonstrate power, but power can come from a variety of sources. As with every aspect of Jesus’ ministry, the miracles, and the teaching raise as many questions as they provide answers. Mark lingers on the exorcism. This act of controlling the demons is even more important than the teaching. Again, this story is an indication of the intention of Mark. Jesus is a man of action. The revelation of God is in deeds of transforming power rather than interpretation of texts. This fact lies behind the audience's reaction that Jesus does not teach as the scribes. 28 At once, his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. Mark makes sure that we as readers know the destiny of the demonic powers Jesus will confront in his ministry. Further, the confrontations with the religious authorities have begun. Mark's drama that will conclude with the empty tomb is now in full swing.
It may well be that faith in the miraculous is the spiritual adventure of unleashing divine power in our individual and communal life today.[2] This story is also a reminder that we need to have some care in desiring to see the miraculous. I am thinking of the misery of the man possessed of an unclean spirit. We do not know how long he lived this way. Surely, it was an isolated and miserable life. We often hear of things that people describe as miraculous arising out of some challenging or miserable circumstance. Miracle and martyrdom often are together. Do we really want to be so close to misery that the only hope is miracle? I suspect not. Frankly, I also wonder if we want to be that close to Jesus, but that is another story.[3]
[1] Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 1, 17.
[2] Harry Emerson Fosdick, Modern Use of the Bible, New York: Macmillan, 1961, p. 167
[3] (C. S. Lewis, Miracles: A Preliminary Study [New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1947], pp. 173-174.)
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