Daily Thoughts from Mark: Authenticated Kingship (Mark 1:35-39)

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. (Mark 1:35-39, ESV)

Jesus’ response to this sudden popularity is prayer and itinerant preaching.

Jesus prayed.  The Son of God spent time talking to his Father and, we may suppose, listening to Him.  Jesus shared the divine nature with the Father and the Holy Spirit, yet in his ministry on earth he did not access his deity but lived entirely dependent on his Father and the Spirit, just as we must.

It is likely that God made it clear to him that he needed to begin going throughout Galilee to other towns and villages to preach, rather than staying in Capernaum and drawing crowds there.  It isn’t that he didn’t care for the needs of this community but that others needed to hear also, and people needed to recognize that Jesus wasn’t just there to make life easier but to introduce them to the kingdom and to God.

Jesus’ strategy was to use the synagogue meetings on Sabbaths (Saturdays) to preach and then, inevitably, people would be drawn to him for miracles.  There was much overt demon activity during this time and so this was a clear demonstration of his power when he cast them out.  Doing so authenticated him as God’s messenger.

Demons manifest here in the states but they are much more overt in some other countries.  Satan uses whatever strategy works best in various cultures.  In our culture too much overt demon activity would make us too aware of the supernatural realm and work counter to his goal of keeping us focused on non-spiritual things.  In other cultures the overt demon activity serves to keep people paralyzed by fear and keeps them resorting to false religion and folk-lore.

There is plenty of demonic activity going on in our culture.  People are either unable to recognize it as such or are unwilling to acknowledge it.  Others will think they are crazy.  But Jesus’ power is just as present to overcome them and cast them out.  His kingship is still being authenticated by God.  His power through us is found in the desolate places of our prayer and communion with the Father.