The Lifestyle of Jesus
Mark 1:29-38
Over the next several stories, Mark continues to illustrate how Jesus planned to make these early disciples fishers of men. Mark presents the events of 1:21-38 as a single day. As Jesus begins his ministry in Capernaum, he doesn’t stay in the public setting. He transitions to the home. It is also here that Jesus’ authority is expressed. While the disciples left their boats life didn’t automatically stop and become easy.
First, Jesus showed them that living under his authority starts in the home. Peter had a family. Sometimes we think that the disciples never had to deal with the pressures that come with family when following Jesus. We learn that Jesus enters Peter’s home. The reference to Peter’s mother-in-law serves to clarify what it meant for Peter to be confronted by Jesus’ summons to follow him. Peter had a family and a home for which provision had to be made; the call to be a fisher of men demanded commitment to Jesus. The healing accomplished within Peter’s home indicates that salvation had come to his house in response to the radical obedience Peter had manifested. Jesus doesn’t show up in the home to take. Rather, we see that when Jesus is welcomed into every aspect of our life he brings healing. Jesus is not indifferent to our circumstances as we actively follow him. Jesus wants to work in your home.
Jesus also wants to use you to be present for him in the homes of others. Even in the midst of this season, whose homes have you been in? Are there any needs you can tangibly meet? Fold some laundry? Do some dishes? In a time of self-preservation, someone who is purposeful about showing God’s way in the world will not be afraid to take the time to care well for others.
It’s at this point, we may think that Jesus has had enough. Time to stop. He’s preached. He’s healed. He should be done. The word begins to spread and more people come to the house. Jesus does not turn them away. Jesus is obedient to what His Father brings Him.
Second, we should be prepared for more opportunities when we actually show up for people. What’s interesting about Jesus is that he doesn’t permit the demons to speak about him. Jesus wanted people to encounter God’s will and way for themselves. No doubt the demons would emphasize or attempt to deceive people about who Jesus was, especially since Jesus’ message carried militaristic connotations. The key here for the disciples is how all identifications about him from the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection are incomplete, thus any identification of Jesus apart from the latter two (crucifixion and resurrection) are premature.
Third, Jesus understands where His direction comes from. Jesus, after a long night of ministry, gets up before dawn and slips out of the house to get alone with His Father. Rather than merely celebrating all the healing that had been done. Jesus gets away to be alone with the Father to rightly discern what the next steps are. Normally, If we see a potential impact we would choose to use that same strategy again. The Greek word for solitary place is the same word for the wilderness where John preached (1:4) and where Jesus was tempted (1:12). This place of “wilderness” is a place of restoration and fellowship with God. Tim Keller in Jesus is King says, “Jesus cannot extend himself outward in compassion without first attending to the source of his mission and purpose with the Father; and, conversely, his oneness with the Father compels him outward in mission.” Jesus is not choosing to rely on his success. He is choosing to rely on the Father.
Jesus walks the tension between the relationship with the Father and compassion for people. Everything Jesus determines is worth time stems from the Father. He is not a contemplative ascetic, nor a social activist. He is united with the Father and responds to his direction which inevitably leads to compassion.
Upon Jesus returning from this solitude, he encounters Peter. Here Peter tries to prevent Jesus from fulfilling his mission. Discipleship consists not in attempting to control God’s work, but in following God’s Son. Mark mentions that people are seeking Jesus. At a first glance, we may applaud the people. However, upon seeing Jesus’ response, the seeking in this case connotates an attempt to determine control rather than to respond and follow. Let us not confuse enthusiasm with faith. Jesus’ mission is endangered by those closest to him. Jesus remains unaffected by his mission. It was time for Jesus to move on to the other towns. Jesus was much more interested in the quality of the people’s response to him than in the quantity of the crowd.
Jesus was dependent on the Father to know where to go and when to go. Ask God for guidance. God wants to be included in every part of your life and not be an add-on in the end.