3: The beginning of the Galilean ministry – Mark 1:14-34

1 ¹⁴ Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” 

¹⁶ As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” ¹⁸ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹ As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. ²⁰ Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. 

The man with the unclean spirit

²¹ They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. ²² They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. ²³ Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, ²⁴ and he cried 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.” ²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” ²⁶ And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” ²⁸ At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. 

Jesus heals many at Simon’s house

²⁹ As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰ Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. ³¹ He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 

³² That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. ³³ And the whole city was gathered around the door. ³⁴ And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. NRSV

Get into the Word

1. What event triggers the start of Jesus’ ministry? Why does Jesus say “The time is fulfilled”? What is the “Good News” Jesus refers to? Why does Matthew include Isaiah’s prophecy?

2. Where does Jesus meet his first disciples? Who does he call? What does he offer them? How did they respond? Who does Jesus recruit next?

3. Why do you suppose Luke puts the story of Jesus in the synagogue and then being rejected at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry? Where do Jesus and his new disciples go? What does Jesus do there? 

4. What happens when Jesus is teaching? How would the man know who Jesus is? How does Jesus respond to the man? What does the spirit do? 

5. How does Jesus respond to the next situation? What is the result? How do the people respond? Why did Jesus made the demons stay quiet?

Get Personal

How does God help you deal with the stuff of this life when it gets in the way of following Christ? How has your “fishing” been lately?

(Cross-references to Matthew and Luke are given in brackets)
1:14. Matthew adds some detail about Jesus’ trip to Galilee and links it to a prophecy: Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” [4:12-17].
Luke puts the calling of the disciples after the incident of the man with an unclean spirit and healings at Simon’s house, but adds dramatic detail: Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching

people.” When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him, [5:1-11].
1:15. Matthew includes “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near,” [4:17]. 
1:16. Matthew includes a general description of Jesus’ ministry after the calling of the disciples: Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan, [4:23-25].
Decapolis — “Ten Cities” – a non-Jewish region southeast of Galilee.
1:21. Luke’s report of this incident is very similar to Marks [4:31-37], but he puts it after the story of Jesus in the synagogue and rejection in Nazareth, which Mark places later in Jesus’ ministry.
Matthew does not include the story of casting out the evil spirit. 
1:22. Luke does not mention “scribes.”
1:23. Luke matches Mark’s version of the evil spirit’s speech and Jesus’ response, but says the evil spirit threw the man down before them, [4:34-35].
1:27. Luke does not include the question about “new teaching,” but does add that unclean spirits come out at his command! [4:36].
1:29. Matthew includes a very brief version of the story of healing Peter’s mother-in-law and the other healings that Mark mentions, [8:14-17].
Luke includes the story with some minor differences. Luke does not mention Andrew or James and John. Luke reports that Jesus “stood over her and rebuked the fever,” [4:39]. 
1:32. Luke also describes Jesus healing many people and not allowing the “demons” to speak [3:40].