The Next Towns
"Let us go on to the next towns" (Mark 1:38)
Epiphany 5B Mark 1:29-39
All Who Were Sick and Possessed by Demons
Jesus' public ministry in Mark began close to home, in Capernaum, the home of Simon and Andrew. Capernaum was a small fishing and agricultural village on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. Its waterfront was about three football fields in length, and it housed several hundred to perhaps a thousand people when Jesus began his public ministry there. That's where Jesus cast out the demon in last week's reading (Mark 1:21-28).
That's where in this week's reading Jesus healed Simon's mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-31). (Which reminds me of a joke, about a genie, three wishes and a mother-in-law, which I will not repeat).
Those were not the only two whom Jesus made whole in Capernaum. At sunset, the whole city gathered at his door and they brought "all" who were sick or oppressed by demons. Jesus healed "many" who were sick and set free "many" who were demon possessed.
The people of Capernaum must of have thought they had won the lottery. Of all the towns in all the world, Jesus had come to Capernaum. How good would life be from now on?
Everyone Is Looking For You
As Mark tells the story, all of this happened in a single day with the majority of the miracles occurring in a single evening. The people came to Jesus' door at sunset; in the wee hours of the morning, Jesus left.
Why? Surely there was more work to do. Jesus healed "many" but "many" is not "all."
So they were looking for him. "Where are you going, Jesus? You're not done here."
Someone who could heal the sick and cast out demons - that would be quite a thing for a town to have at its beckon call.
Sick? Go see Jesus. No need to list your medical history. No need to take your temperature and blood pressure. No need to take deep breaths and say "agh." No need to disrobe, turn your head and cough. No need to pee in a cup. No need for X-rays or an MRI. Just go see Jesus, and everything will be OK.
And if the town members could have known what Jesus would do later - feed the multitudes, control the unruly forces of nature and raise the dead - you'd never want to let this guy out of your sight.
Jesus' miracles were "foretastes of the age to come" in which evil, disease, privation, the enmity of nature and even death itself will be overcome. As Mark's story begins, however, it would be easy to see Jesus simply as the great miracle worker who could make every dream come true.
With Jesus around, the whole world would be beating a path to your village. Just think of the money to be made from the crowds that would be streaming to see the never-fail miracle worker. I understand why the people of Capernaum were looking for him.
The Next Towns
Jesus' healings and exorcisms made him popular in Capernaum, but he left the town while some were yet unhealed and still in need. Simon seems perplexed that Jesus would leave under these circumstances. In one respect, there is an eternal mystery here. Some experience the power of God in physical miracles, while others do not.
In another sense, though, this story demonstrates something essential about Jesus. Jesus is not simply the hometown hero who works miracles for the home team. When I experience his grace, I can't think that he has come just for me and mine. He's not the great keg of healing that I can hoard for myself so that I can tap into it at any time. He's not just come for me; he's come for my neighbor as well. Unless I grasp that Jesus' love for the next town is as great as his love for mine, I've missed something important about the Christian life.
At a unit Hail & Farewell the other night, someone jokingly mentioned that the unofficial motto of the Quartermaster Corps was "I got mine." That's not true of the logistics officers I know, and it should not be true of the Christian church. Unfortunately, every once in a while you find an "I got mine" Christian. The quartermaster branch does not exist solely to provide for its own members needs, and neither does the church of Jesus Christ.
Don't misunderstand. We want you to be spiritually fed, here. We want you to enjoy the worship services and activities. We want to provide services that nurture your family and help your children grow strong.
But the church does not exist solely for the sake of those within its walls?
It is said sometimes that "If you had been the only person on earth, Jesus would have come to die for you. You are that important to him." That is very true, but it is also true that you are not the only person on earth. Jesus came to die for the people in the next town as well.
[Revised and expanded from 5 Feb 06]
Related: The Missionary Movement
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