Passage
I'm not really in the frame of mind to read or blog, but here I am. Reading. Blogging. Behaving myself.
Mark 1:14-28. Calling of (some) of the disciples, healing of a possessed man, going to Capernaum. (Hey, I've been there!) First off, the calling of the disciples. It probably doesn't count as a miracle, but the idea that this random guy (who may be fresh off 40 days in the wilderness) says "Come follow me!" and people follow him is slightly ridiculous. I guess there had to be something divine about that statement, because why would anyone listed to that? James and John abandoned their father! That's not courteous. So, something must have happened to them than spurned them on.
I mean, I follow God. But I follow due to a lifetime of ministry, and evidence. These people knew on site to follow him. There's something about that...it reminds me of what is said in the Narnia books (I think it is Prince Caspian) where Aslan says that you would only call out to him if he was calling first. (Actually, it might be The Silver Chair, now that I think about it.) I mean, yes, Jesus attracted their attention. But there had to be something else. Nobody would just leave their lives and jobs and families without something.
And, of course, from there we go straight into Capernaum, which became Jesus' home base, and he heals a possessed man. Jesus did that a lot. It spreads the fame, so I guess there was a practical aspect to this healing other than helping someone out. And it made people remember him, and listen to him. When miraculous things happen, people listen. There's a point to miracles other than miracles for miracle's sake.
The scene is set, by this point. So that's good.
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